cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Context-Sensitive Web Search

As the Web continues to grow and encompass broader and more diverse sources of information, providing effective search facilities to users becomes an increasingly challenging problem. To help users deal with the deluge of Web-accessible information, we propose a search system which makes use of context to improve search results in a scalable way. By context, we mean any sources of information, in addition to any search query, that provide clues about the user's true information need. For instance, a user's bookmarks and search history can be considered a part of the search context. We consider two types of context-based search. The first type of functionality we consider is similarity search. In this case, as the user is browsing Web pages, URLs for pages similar to the current page are retrieved and displayed in a side panel. No query is explicitly issued; context alone (i.e., the page currently being viewed) is used to provide the user with useful related information. The second type of functionality involves taking search context into account when ranking results to standard search queries. Web search differs from traditional information retrieval tasks in several major ways, making effective context-sensitive Web search challenging. First, scalability is of critical importance. With billions of publicly accessible documents, the Web is much larger than traditional datasets. Similarly, with millions of search queries issued each day, the query load is much higher than for traditional information retrieval systems. Second, there are no guarantees on the quality of Web pages, with Web-authors taking an adversarial, rather than cooperative, approach in attempts to inflate the rankings of their pages. Third, there is a significant amount of metadata embodied in the link structure corresponding to the hyperlinks between Web pages that can be exploited during the retrieval process. In this thesis, we design a search system, using the Stanford WebBase platform, that exploits the link structure of the Web to provide scalable, context-sensitive search.
Measurement and simulation of cosmic rays effects on neutron multiplicity counting

Abstract Neutron coincidence and multiplicity counting is a standard technique used to measure uranium and plutonium masses in unknown samples for nuclear safeguards purposes, but background sources of radiation can obscure the results. In particular, high energy cosmic rays can produce large coincidence count contributions. Since some of the events occur in the sample itself, it is impossible to measure the background separately. This effect greatly increases the limit of detection of some low level neutron coincidence counting applications. The cosmic ray capability of MCNP6 was used to calculate the expected coincidence rates from cosmic rays for different sample configurations and experimental measurements were conducted for comparison. Uranium enriched to 66%, lead bricks, and an empty detector were measured in the mini Epithermal Neutron Multiplicity Counter, and MCNP6 simulations were made of the same measurements. The results show that the capability is adequate for predicting the expected background rates. Additional verification of MCNP6 was given by comparison of particle production rates to other publications, increasing confidence in MCNP6׳s use as a tool to lower the limit of detection. MCNP6 was then used to find particle and source information that would be difficult to detect experimentally. The coincidence count contribution was broken down by particle type for singles, doubles, and triples rates. The coincidence count contribution was broken down by source, from ( a , n ) , spontaneous fission, and cosmic rays, for each multiplicity.
Intravenous keratinocyte growth factor protects against experimental pulmonary injury

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) administered by intratracheal instillation is well documented to stimulate the proliferation of alveolar and bronchial cells. In the present study, intravenous KGF was also shown to stimulate the proliferation of alveolar and bronchial cells in mice and rats, although to a lesser degree than intratracheal KGF. Despite the decreased potency of intravenous KGF on pulmonary cell 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation compared with intratracheal KGF, intravenous KGF was very effective in preventing experimental bleomycin-induced pulmonary dysfunction, weight loss, and mortality in either mice or rats and experimental hyperoxia-induced mortality in mice. The effectiveness of intravenous administration of KGF in preventing lung injury suggests that the mechanisms of the protective effect of KGF may involve more than pulmonary cell proliferation and also suggests the potential use of systemic KGF for clinical trials in settings of pulmonary injury.
Strands of The Ecuadorian Indian Movement: The Case of Fici and Ficapi in Imbabura Province

AbstractThe literature tends to present an essentialized view of the Indian movement in Ecuador. This article identifies two distinct strands of the Ecuadorian Indian movement(s). The “indigenous” strand, which primarily constructs an “ethnic” (indigenous) identity, is usually taken to embody the whole Indian movement. This belies the existence of a “campesino-indigenous” strand that has witnessed a significant shift from an original emphasis on “class” to the current construction of a dual “class”—and “ethnicity” -based identity. A heterogeneity of orientations within the Indian movement(s) is supported by research in Imbabura province. Interviews with the leaders of both strands and some Quichua campesinos were conducted immediately following a national Indian uprising in June 1994 which paralyzed the country for nine days. Curiously, it was also an uprising in which the indigenous people of Imbabura did not participate. Their non-participation can be linked to the interaction between the two strands.
Linking thinking styles to sales performance: The importance of creativity and subjective knowledge

Abstract This study examines the roles of thinking styles, role ambiguity, and knowledge in predicting salesperson creative selling behaviors. It also examines the importance of salesperson industry knowledge (i.e., an understanding of the industry's regulatory environment) and salesperson organizational knowledge (i.e., an understanding of customers' internal political environment) in the creative selling–sales performance relationship. Survey data come from 262 business-to-business benefits broker salespeople to test the conceptual model. The results of the structural equations modeling confirm that a judicial thinking style has a positive effect on creative selling and that role ambiguity and organizational knowledge are also important antecedents of creative selling. Importantly, the analysis confirms that industry and organizational knowledge moderate the creative selling–sales performance relationship.
Probing Delocalization in Photosynthetic Antenna Complexes with Femtosecond Chiral Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy

We present a chiral two-dimensional mapping of light harvesting complex 2. This methodology allows us to follow femtosecond changes in the chirality of the electronic structure, providing detailed insights into the excitation energy transfer events.
Visible Emission from Thin-Film Phosphors of Amorphous AlN∶Cu, Mn, and Cr

Luminescence studies of amorphous AlN doped with Cu, Mn, or Cr were performed at 300 K. Thin films of Cu, Mn, and Cr doped amorphous AlN, ∼200 nm thick, were grown on p-doped silicon (111) substrates using RF magnetron sputtering in a nitrogen atmosphere. Cathodoluminescence (CL) showed that pure Cu doped amorphous AlN has strong emission in the blue (∼420 nm) and Mn and Cr doped films luminesce in the red (∼690 nm). Cr +3 emission is more intense than Mn+4 because chromium does not suffer from incomplete charge compensation in the III-V semiconductor. Luminescence studies of crystalline and amorphous AlN:Mn thin films showed a red shift in the emission peak by almost 100 nm and is believed to be caused by the different crystal field of the amorphous host compared to the crystalline host material. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profiling was conducted to confirm the presence of the Cu and Cr in the films and to show the amount of dopant in relation to the Si substrate.
Application Study on Unified Prepayment CPU Card Watt-hour Meter System

The unified design principle of prepayment CPU card watt-hour system is proposed,the system's components and network topology are discussed,and interface design principle and security technique are explained. The proposed system has reasonable structure,well security and compatibility,and can be used to build a unified prepayment management system and platform for Power Grid Corporation.
Numerical simulation of jointed rock mass blasting under different in-situ stress conditions

Two-hole blasting of jointed rock mass under different in-situ stress conditions( lateral pressure coefficient: 0. 5,1 and2; vertical stress: 5 MPa and 10 MPa) and joint angles( 30°,45°,60° and 90°) was numerically simulated to study the process of crack initiation,propagation and coalescence. In the simulation,rock damage was induced by stress waves and explosion gas pressure. Simulation results indicate that for rock without a joint,the initial stress field has a guide role on crack propagation,and the crack propagation direction coincides with the maximum compressive principal stress. However,the existing joint has effect on the crack propagation direction. When the joint angle is 30°,the blasting induced crack connects with the joint and forms a "z"shape.The existing joint would play a positive role in promoting crack initiation and propagation and favor crack propagation along the vertical direction.
Computer-based radiological teaching programs: The challenge and trauma of development and implementation

Computers are becoming an invaluable part of the radiologist's environment whether they are used as a source of the patient's clinical or laboratory information, to store x-ray or pathologic reports or as a viewing station for films. The use of computers in the educational environment is but a natural extension of the increased computerization of the radiologic department. This article reviews the use of personal computers in a teaching environment via the construction of the computed tomography teaching program entitled "CT: The Game." The decisions that must be made in terms of hardware and software prior to program development as well as the actual development are discussed. The potential of computers in terms of continuing education as well as in residency training programs is discussed with the potential for the future addressed.
Cytogenetics of Recurrent Abortions

Chromosome banding studies were carried out on both partners of 37 couples who had had two or more spontaneous abortions. Three patients had chromosome disorders; one was a triple-X female and the other two (one male and one female) were t(13;14) translocation carriers. Review of the literature indicates that the over-all frequency of major chromosome disorders in couples with repeated abortions is 2.6%. About three-fourths of these disorders are reciprocal and Robertsonian translocations.
Native Sons; Or, How “Bigger” Was Born Again

This article reconsiders Richard Wright's Native Son by comparing divergences between the published novel and an earlier typeset manuscript. It argues that such revisions render protagonist Bigger Thomas an icon of global class conflict rather than a national figure of racial tension. By revealing the continuities among critical essays that bookend the writing of Native Son, this essay also reveals how the novel's restructuring further elaborates Wright's globalism – highlighting his desire to produce work that transcended both national and racial categories. Finally, it considers Native Son as a work of “world literature” and a model for global minoritarian discourse. By examining “translations” of the novel into postcolonial contexts, it argues that the global afterlife of Native Son is no departure from the localized vision of the novel, but rather the recapitulation of its explicit globalism. This article thereby challenges critical convention dividing Wright's career cleanly into two phases: his American period and later self-exile. It emphasizes rather that Wright's worldliness should be traced back through his revision of Native Son and earlier critical essays – ultimately finding his globalism not a late-stage development, but actually the single theme that unifies his oeuvre.
Teratoma of the neonatal head and neck: A 41-year experience.

Abstract Objective To review our institution's experience with the presentation, evaluation, and management of teratoma of the head and neck in the neonatal population. Design Retrospective case series (November 1970 through September 2011). Setting Tertiary care children's hospital. Patients 14 patients (12 boys and 2 girls). Intervention Detailed review of presentation, diagnostic approaches, surgical management, and outcomes. Main outcome measures Anatomic sites, use of pre and post-natal imaging, use of EXIT (ex utero intrapartum treatment) procedure, presenting symptoms, surgical approaches, additional therapeutic modalities, and outcomes are reviewed. Results Seven patients were diagnosed prenatally, while the remaining 7 patients were diagnosed at birth or shortly thereafter. The tumor emanated from the neck in 9 patients, the nasopharynx/oropharynx in 3 patients, the external nose in 1 patient and the face in 1 patient. Nine patients had associated upper airway obstruction. Four underwent an EXIT procedure, with 3 requiring intubation and 1 requiring tracheostomy. All patients underwent surgical resection. One patient demonstrated recurrence at follow-up. Conclusions Teratoma of the head and neck, though rare, is an important part of the differential diagnosis of neck masses in children, particularly in the perinatal period. The ability to make this diagnosis prenatally with high-resolution fetal ultrasound and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) permits planning for airway and tumor management prior to delivery. An EXIT procedure should be considered when airway compromise by tumor compression is suspected. Early surgical excision is the treatment of choice and recurrence is rare when a complete resection is achieved.
A GAMP-Based Low Complexity Sparse Bayesian Learning Algorithm

In this paper, we present an algorithm for the sparse signal recovery problem that incorporates damped Gaussian generalized approximate message passing (GGAMP) into expectation-maximization-based sparse Bayesian learning (SBL). In particular, GGAMP is used to implement the E-step in SBL in place of matrix inversion, leveraging the fact that GGAMP is guaranteed to converge with appropriate damping. The resulting GGAMP-SBL algorithm is much more robust to arbitrary measurement matrix $\boldsymbol{A}$ than the standard damped GAMP algorithm while being much lower complexity than the standard SBL algorithm. We then extend the approach from the single measurement vector case to the temporally correlated multiple measurement vector case, leading to the GGAMP-TSBL algorithm. We verify the robustness and computational advantages of the proposed algorithms through numerical experiments.
Comment on 'Why Selective Colleges Should Become Less Selective - And Get Better Students' (by Barry Schwartz)

This paper is a comment on 'Why Selective Colleges Should Become Less Selective - And Get Better Students' (by Barry Schwartz) which can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2886086.
Full fat milk consumption protects against severe childhood obesity in Latinos

Abstract Consumption of non- or low-fat dairy products is recommended as a strategy to lower the risk of childhood obesity. However, recent evidence suggests that consumption of whole fat dairy products may, in fact, be protective against obesity. Our objective was to determine the association between milk fat consumption and severe obesity among three-year-old Latino children, a population with a disproportionate burden of obesity and severe obesity. 24-hour-dietary recalls were conducted to determine child intake in San Francisco based cohort recruited in 2006–7. Mother-child dyads were weighed and measured. The 24-hour recall data was analyzed to determine participants' consumption of whole milk, 2% milk, and 1% milk. The milk consumption data was used to calculate grams of milk fat consumed. The cross-sectional association between milk fat intake and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 99th percentile) was determined using multivariable logistic regression. Data were available for 145 children, of whom 17% were severely obese. Severely obese children had a lower mean intake of milk fat (5.3 g vs. 8.9 g) and fewer drank any milk (79% versus 95% for not severely obese children (p
5 – Trends in Low-Power VLSI Design

This chapter deals with the discussion of trends in low-power VLSI design. The new requirements set by device portability, reliability, and costs have helped in alleviating the power consumption threat in CMOS circuits. In addition, the new requirements set by device portability, reliability, and costs have helped in alleviating the power consumption threat in CMOS circuits. Because the power problem is getting more concerning, very large-scale integrated circuit (VLSI) designers need to develop new efficient techniques to reduce the power dissipation in current and future technologies, a task that is full of challenges but yet exciting to explore. This chapter discusses sources of power consumption in CMOS. Two types of power consumption exist for digital CMOS. The first, the dynamic power component, may be thought of as useful because it establishes information by charging and discharging signal lines; the second type, consisting of short-circuit and static power components, is waste and comes from short-circuit and leakage currents that flow directly from the power supply to ground. This chapter introduces the different power components and gives their parametric equations.
Crashes and near-crashes on horizontal curves along rural two-lane highways: Analysis of naturalistic driving data.

Abstract Introduction Prior research has shown the probability of a crash occurring on horizontal curves to be significantly higher than on similar tangent segments, and a disproportionally higher number of curve-related crashes occurred in rural areas. Challenges arise when analyzing the safety of horizontal curves due to imprecision in integrating information as to the temporal and spatial characteristics of each crash with specific curves. Methods The second Strategic Highway Research Program(SHRP 2) conducted a large-scale naturalistic driving study (NDS),which provides a unique opportunity to better understand the contributing factors leading to crash or near-crash events. This study utilizes high-resolution behavioral data from the NDS to identify factors associated with 108 safety critical events (i.e., crashes or near-crashes) on rural two-lane curves. A case-control approach is utilized wherein these events are compared to 216 normal, baseline-driving events. The variables examined in this study include driver demographic characteristics, details of the traffic environment and roadway geometry, as well as driver behaviors such as in-vehicle distractions. Results Logistic regression models are estimated to discern those factors affecting the likelihood of a driver being crash-involved. These factors include high-risk behaviors, such as speeding and visual distractions, as well as curve design elements and other roadway characteristics such as pavement surface conditions. Conclusions This paper successfully integrated driver behavior, vehicle characteristics, and roadway environments into the same model. Logistic regression model was found to be an effective way to investigate crash risks using naturalistic driving data. Practical Applications This paper revealed a number of contributing factors to crashes on rural two-lane curves, which has important implications in traffic safety policy and curve geometry design. This paper also discussed limitations and lessons learned from working with the SHRP 2 NDS data. It will benefit future researchers who work with similar type of data.
Ultrafast Electron Transfer across a Nanocapsular Wall: Coumarins as Donors, Viologen as Acceptor, and Octa Acid Capsule as the Mediator

Results of our study on ultrafast electron transfer (eT) dynamics from coumarins (coumarin-1, coumarin-480, and coumarin-153) incarcerated within octa acid (OA) capsules as electron donors to methyl viologen dissolved in water as acceptor are presented. Upon photoexcitation, coumarin inside the OA capsule transfers an electron to the acceptor electrostatically attached to the capsule leading to a long-lived radical–ion pair separated by the OA capsular wall. This charge-separated state returns to the neutral ground state via back electron transfer on the nanosecond time scale. This system allows for ultrafast electron transfer processes through a molecular wall from the apolar capsular interior to the highly polar (aqueous) environment on the femtosecond time scale. Employing femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, distinct rates of both forward (1–25 ps) and backward eT (700–1200 ps) processes were measured. Further understanding of the energetics is provided using Rehm–Weller analysis for the inv...
Highly Sensitive and Very Stretchable Strain Sensor Based on a Rubbery Semiconductor.

There is a growing interest in developing stretchable strain sensors to quantify the large mechanical deformation and strain associated with the activities for a wide range of species, such as humans, machines, and robots. Here, we report a novel stretchable strain sensor entirely in a rubber format by using a solution-processed rubbery semiconductor as the sensing material to achieve high sensitivity, large mechanical strain tolerance, and hysteresis-less and highly linear responses. Specifically, the rubbery semiconductor exploits π–π stacked poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) nanofibrils (P3HT-NFs) percolated in silicone elastomer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) to yield semiconducting nanocomposite with a large mechanical stretchability, although P3HT is a well-known nonstretchable semiconductor. The fabricated strain sensors exhibit reliable and reversible sensing capability, high gauge factor (gauge factor = 32), high linearity (R2 > 0.996), and low hysteresis (degree of hysteresis <12%) responses at the mec...
A Lithium-Ion Capacitor electrical model considering pore size dispersion

Since Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) are electrochemical devices, they are often modeled using equivalent circuit models in order to monitor and control their behaviors. Several models had been developed for Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) and Supercapacitors (SCs) based on time or frequency domain measurements. One of the frequently used modeling methods consists on measuring the impedance of the cells using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and then fitting an impedance model to the data. Recent research applied this method to Lithium-Ion Capacitors (LICs), which belong to a new series of hybrid SCs. However, the applied models do not accurately describe the impedance of LICs at low frequencies. This results from considering the size of the pores of their positive electrode, made of activated carbon, identical. Therefore, this paper introduces a new model of LICs taking into account the dispersion of pores of the positive electrode. A dispersion factor was added to a previous model using a Constant Phase Element (CPE). A good agreement between measured and predicted values of the impedance was found, especially at low frequencies.
Dynamic fracture of soda-lime glass: A full-field optical investigation of crack initiation, propagation and branching

Abstract Dynamic crack initiation, growth and branching phenomena are comprehensively investigated in soda-lime glass using a vision-based method, Digital Gradient Sensing (DGS), in conjunction with digital ultrahigh-speed photography. Being a high-stiffness and low-toughness structural material, soda-lime glass poses enormous temporal and spatial challenges to opto-mechanical measurements using legacy techniques. Unlike the past works on indirect evaluation of instantaneous stress intensity factors in glass via crack speed, DGS is capable of direct quantification of both crack-tip fields and crack speeds. This is useful for examining the dynamic fracture characteristics such as pre- and post-crack initiation histories, crack initiation toughness, energy release rate (Gd)-apparent velocity (V) variation, and to shed light on crack bifurcation phenomenon. Accordingly, directly measured mixed-mode stress intensity factor histories and crack-tip velocity histories at branching and subsequent growth are reported. These are supplemented with Gd–V plots which show certain unique signatures at branching. From the measured fracture parameters, a material length characteristic based on microcracking due to normal stress in the crack growth direction ahead of the propagating crack that triggers branching is advanced.
NMR Parameter Calculations

The estimation of parameters in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) dates back to shortly after the discovery of the NMR phenomenon itself. Parameter estimation has been used extensively in NMR spectroscopy, largely for the determination of the longitudinal relaxation time, T1. Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the early 1980s, parameter estimation has been extended to in vivo applications. NMR parameters have been proven useful in a variety of applications, including optimization of NMR pulse sequences, understanding of the contrast mechanisms in MRI, and identification of some normal and disease processes.
Quadratic and alternating forms

Let V be a vector space over a field F. Let ( , ) : V × V → F be a function such that a) (υ1 + υ2, w) = (υ1, w) + (υ2, w) for all υ1, υ2 and w in V b) (υ, w1 +w2) = (υ, w1) + (υ, w2) for all υ and w1, w2 in V c) f (υ, w) = (f υ, w) = (υ, fw) for all υ and w in V and f in F. In general, such a mapping ( , ) is called a pairing
Methodologies for Nonlinear Periodic Media

We discuss analytical methodologies for analyzing waves in weakly or strongly nonlinear periodic media. These include techniques for studying standing and traveling waves in weakly nonlinear periodic media; methodologies for analyzing primary wave transmission in layered elastic media with strong nonlinearities; and new concepts and methods for traveling waves, solitary waves and pulse attenuation in strongly nonlinear homogeneous and heterogeneous granular media with no pre-compression. The field of nonlinear periodic media is a promising area of research with potential of diverse applications in science and engineering.
Fertility decline in a US population favoring large families: A hazard-model analysis of the effect of sib death on Amish fertility

This paper uses proportional hazards techniques and population data from a directory of the Old Order Amish of the Lancaster, PA settlement. It examines the effect of death of the immediately prior sibling on the risk of childbearing for up to 11 children. Prior research typically has pooled data for maternal cohorts. In contrast, separate models are estimated for each maternal cohort. The results are based on all reported first marriages of Amish women born between 1884–1973 (N = 4066). Hazard models run separately for children of each birth order reveal that net of maternal age and length of the prior birth interval (and other statistical and design controls), the death of the prior sib significantly increases the risk of a subsequent birth for the lower birth orders. Separate models by maternal cohort show that sib death increases the risk primarily for later cohorts. The pattern of effects from child mortality and other variables suggests changes in fertility behavior among the Amish, who have strong, traditional norms opposing contraception and favoring large families.
Silence: Cultural Aspects

Silence is an essential element of communication that is assigned meaning by cultural convention. Its linkage with meaning may be symbolic, indexical, or iconic. Aspects of culture involved in production and interpretation include social and institutional structure, value, and attitudes held about language and (not) speaking, and socialization of children and other new group members to a speech community and its beliefs, values, and practices. Topics receiving attention are approaches to study, asymmetries of access to ‘the floor,’ position and duration of silence in discourse, and special group uses of silence associated with religion and with power.
Serum uromodulin inversely associates with aortic stiffness in youth with type 1 diabetes: A brief report from EMERALD study

Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) carry greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk than their nondiabetic peers. Low serum uromodulin (SUMOD) associates with increased CVD mortality in adults. We found that T1D youth have low SUMOD. Lower SUMOD correlated with aortic stiffness, suggesting its potential as a CVD biomarker in T1D.
Developing a Psychological-Behavioral Intervention in Cardiac Patients Using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy: Lessons Learned from the Field

Background The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) is an approach to systematically and efficiently developing a behavioral intervention using a sequence of experiments to prepare and optimize the intervention. Purpose Using a 6 year MOST-based behavioral intervention development project as an example, we outline the results-and resulting decision-making process-related to experiments at each step to display the practical challenges present at each stage. Methods To develop a positive psychology (PP) based intervention to promote physical activity after an acute coronary syndrome (N = 255 across four phases), we utilized qualitative, proof-of-concept, factorial design, and randomized pilot experiments, with iterative modification of intervention content and delivery. Results Through this multiphase approach, we ultimately developed a 12 week, phone-delivered, combined PP-motivational interviewing intervention to promote physical activity. Across stages, we learned several important lessons: (a) participant and interventionist feedback is important, even in later optimization stages; (b) a thoughtful and systematic approach using all information sources is required when conflicting results in experiments make next steps unclear; and (3) new approaches in the field over a multiyear project should be integrated into the development process. Conclusions A MOST-based behavioral intervention development program can be efficient and effective in developing optimized new interventions, and it may require complex and nuanced decision-making at each phase.
Process-Guided Deep Learning Predictions of Lake Water Temperature

Department of the Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center; Midwest Glacial Lakes Fish Habitat Partnership grant through FWS; NSF Expedition in Computing Grant [1029711]; NSFNational Science Foundation (NSF) [EAR-PF-1725386]; Digital Technology Center at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota System; Department of the Interior North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center; North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research [NSF DEB-1440297]; Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network [NSF 1702991]
Symmetry as an Organizing Principle for Geometric Intelligence

The exploration of geometrical patterns stimulates imagination and encourages abstract reasoning which is a distinctive feature of human intelligence. In cognitive science, Gestalt principles such as symmetry have often explained significant aspects of human perception. We present a computational technique for building artificial intelligence (AI) agents that use symmetry as the organizing principle for addressing Dehaene's test of geometric intelligence \cite{dehaene2006core}. The performance of our model is on par with extant AI models of problem solving on the Dehaene's test and seems correlated with some elements of human behavior on the same test.
India: Covid-19 and the migrant crisis

The defining image of India’s Covid-19 pandemic is not a horrendous depiction of the dead and dying but of millions of men and women trudging for days through a dusty countryside under a pitiless s...
ZIGIR, a Granule-Specific Zn2+ Indicator, Reveals Human Islet α Cell Heterogeneity

Numerous mammalian cells contain abundant Zn2+ in their secretory granules, yet available Zn2+ sensors lack the desired specificity and sensitivity for imaging granular Zn2+. We developed a fluorescent zinc granule indicator, ZIGIR, that possesses numerous desired properties for live cell imaging, including >100-fold fluorescence enhancement, membrane permeability, and selective enrichment to acidic granules. The combined advantages endow ZIGIR with superior sensitivity and specificity for imaging granular Zn2+. ZIGIR enables separation of heterogenous β cells based on their insulin content and sorting of mouse islets into pure α cells and β cells. In human islets, ZIGIR facilitates sorting of endocrine cells into highly enriched α cells and β cells, reveals unexpectedly high Zn2+ activity in the somatostatin granule of some δ cells, and uncovers variation in the glucagon content among human α cells. We expect broad applications of ZIGIR for studying Zn2+ biology and Zn2+-rich secretory granules and for engineering β cells with high insulin content for treating diabetes.
A New Paradigm for Duality Questions

Abstract Given an incidence system S , form a graph G = G(S) by joining two objects with an edge if they occur in a common block. For k = 1,… set Δ 1 +… + Δ' k (Δ' 1 +…+ Δ' k ) equal to the maximum number of vertices in a k -colorable induced subgraph of G (G c ) . The sequence Δ 1 ,…, Δ χ (Δ' 1 ,…Δ' θ ) are called the partition sequence of S χ (θ) is chromatic number of G(G c ) . Many duality theorems (e.g. Dilworth's Theorem and Konig-Egervary's Theorem) can be expressed as χ = Δ' 1 or θ = Δ 1 . Greene and Kleitman showed that for the incidence system generated by a poset (where blocks correspond to chains) the partition sequences are monotonic and the duality theorems are a special case of the conjugacy of the partition sequences. Albertson, Berman and Shearer have established necessary conditions for a sequence to be a partition sequence of some incidence system. These results suggest a number of interesting questions for various incidence systems. Partial answers for those questions associated with the Konig-Egervary theorem will be discussed.
Cooperative Target Tracking in Balanced Circular and Elliptical Formations

This paper extends our earlier results on cooperative target tracking in cyclic pursuit using a group of mobile robots by further prescribing the formation radius and achieving an elliptical formation pattern. Prescribing the formation radius of a balanced circular formation is achieved by adjusting a parameter in the existing control input to each robot. The new elliptical formation pattern is obtained via a transformation matrix. Both single-integrator and double-integrator robot models are considered. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes is demonstrated by simulation examples.
Barriers to Follow-Up Colonoscopy After Positive FIT or Multitarget Stool DNA Testing.

Background: Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) and multi-target stool DNA testing (mt-sDNA) are recommended colorectal cancer screening options but require follow-up with colonoscopy to determine the source of a positive result. We performed a retrospective analysis in an academic health system to determine adherence to colonoscopy in these patients. Methods: We identified all patients aged 40 years and older with at least 1 primary care visit who had a positive FIT or mt-sDNA between January 2016 and June 2018. We identified receipt of colonoscopy within 6 months of the positive test and reviewed medical records to determine reasons for lack of colonoscopy. Results: We identified 308 eligible patients with positive FIT and 323 with positive mt-sDNA. Some patients with positive FIT (46.7%) and patients with positive mt-sDNA (71.5%) underwent colonoscopy within 6 months, and time to colonoscopy was also shorter with mt-sDNA (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.48-2.25). These differences remained in a multivariable model adjusting for patient characteristics. Among patients without colonoscopy after positive FIT, 1 or more system, provider, and patient-related barriers were identified in 32.1%, 57.6%, and 36.3%, respectively. Among patients without colonoscopy after positive mt-sDNA, corresponding frequencies were 30.4%, 43.5%, and 57.6%, respectively. Conclusions: Follow-up colonoscopy was higher for mt-sDNA than FIT, which could be due in part to preselection by clinicians and/or patients. Among patients who did not follow-up, provider and system factors were as frequently encountered as patient factors. These findings reinforce the need for multi-level interventions to improve follow-up.
Oropharyngeal cancer patient stratification using random forest based-learning over high-dimensional radiomic features.

To improve risk prediction for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients using cluster analysis on the radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment Computed Tomography (CT) scans. 553 OPC Patients randomly split into training (80%) and validation (20%), were classified into 2 or 3 risk groups by applying hierarchical clustering over the co-occurrence matrix obtained from a random survival forest (RSF) trained over 301 radiomic features. The cluster label was included together with other clinical data to train an ensemble model using five predictive models (Cox, random forest, RSF, logistic regression, and logistic-elastic net). Ensemble performance was evaluated over the independent test set for both recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier curves for OS stratified by cluster label show significant differences for both training and testing (p val < 0.0001). When compared to the models trained using clinical data only, the inclusion of the cluster label improves AUC test performance from .62 to .79 and from .66 to .80 for OS and RFS, respectively. The extraction of a single feature, namely a cluster label, to represent the high-dimensional radiomic feature space reduces the dimensionality and sparsity of the data. Moreover, inclusion of the cluster label improves model performance compared to clinical data only and offers comparable performance to the models including raw radiomic features.
Longitudinal Study of Hurricane Preparedness Behaviors: Influence of Collective Efficacy.

OBJECTIVE Community characteristics, such as collective efficacy, a measure of community strength, can affect behavioral responses following disasters. We measured collective efficacy 1 month before multiple hurricanes in 2005, and assessed its association to preparedness 9 months following the hurricane season. METHODS Participants were 631 Florida Department of Health workers who responded to multiple hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. They completed questionnaires that were distributed electronically approximately 1 month before (6.2005-T1) and 9 months after (6.2006-T2) several storms over the 2005 hurricane season. Collective efficacy, preparedness behaviors, and socio-demographics were assessed at T1, and preparedness behaviors and hurricane-related characteristics (injury, community-related damage) were assessed at T2. Participant ages ranged from 21-72 (M(SD) = 48.50 (10.15)), and the majority were female (78%). RESULTS In linear regression models, univariate analyses indicated that being older (B = 0.01, SE = 0.003, P < 0.001), White (B = 0.22, SE = 0.08, P < 0.01), and married (B = 0.05, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) was associated with preparedness following the 2005 hurricanes. Multivariate analyses, adjusting for socio-demographics, preparedness (T1), and hurricane-related characteristics (T2), found that higher collective efficacy (T1) was associated with preparedness after the hurricanes (B = 0.10, SE = 0.03, P < 0.01; and B = 0.47, SE = 0.04, P < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION Programs enhancing collective efficacy may be a significant part of prevention practices and promote preparedness efforts before disasters.
Characterising patterns of alcohol use among heavy drinkers: A cluster analysis utilising alcohol biosensor data.

INTRODUCTION Previous research has predominately relied on person-level or single characteristics of drinking episodes to characterise patterns of drinking that may confer risk. This research often relies on self-report measures. Advancements in wearable alcohol biosensors provide a multi-faceted objective measure of drinking. The current study aimed to characterise drinking episodes using data derived from a wearable alcohol biosensor. METHODS Participants (n = 45) were adult heavy drinkers who wore the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) bracelet and reported on their drinking behaviours. Cluster analysis was used to evaluate unique combinations of alcohol episode characteristics. Associations between clusters and self-reported person and event-level factors were also examined in univariable and multivariable models. RESULTS Results suggested three unique clusters: Cluster 1 (most common, slowest rate of rise to and decline from peak), Cluster 2 (highest peak transdermal alcohol concentration and area under the curve) and Cluster 3 (fastest rate of decline from peak). Univariable analyses distinguished Cluster 1 as having fewer self-reported drinks and fewer episodes that occurred on weekends relative to Cluster 2. The effect for number of drinks remained in multivariable analyses. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to characterise drinking patterns at the event-level using objective data. Results suggest that it is possible to distinguish drinking episodes based on several characteristics derived from wearable alcohol biosensors. This examination lays the groundwork for future studies to characterise patterns of drinking and their association with consequences of drinking behaviour.
Do Firms Leave Workers in the Dark Before Wage Negotiations

This paper examines managers' strategic use of financial disclosure in labor negotiations. Using the exogenous expiration date of collective bargaining contracts, I find that when wage negotiations are imminent, firms strategically redact information about material agreements. Strategic redaction is pronounced when unions cannot accurately predict firms' prospects, when firms have low growth opportunities, when liquidity is less constrained, and when the estimated cost of a work stoppage is low. These results suggest that firms strategically withhold information to balance the costs and benefits of information asymmetry. Consistent with this interpretation, strategic disclosure is statistically uncorrelated to ex post performance.
Coincidence Imaging with a Custom-built Waveform Sampling Data Acquisition System for Time-of-flight PET

We describe a dedicated high spatial resolution time-of-flight-capable breast PET scanner and its intrinsic performance. The PET scanner comprises of two detector heads, each composed of a 4×2 arrangement of PET detectors, and with each detector housing a 32 × 32 array of 1.5×1.5×15 mm3LYSO crystals. With a target TOF resolution <400 ps, we have developed a waveform sampling data acquisition system for the scanner. The data acquisition (DAQ) is modular and uses the DRS4 chip to perform waveform sampling at up to 5 Gsps. Performance evaluation demonstrates good crystal discrimination, energy resolution, and timing resolution of ~400 ps FWHM; indicating that the DAQ meets the needs of the TOF breast PET scanner.
Pathogenesis of fetal infection in ruminants

Although a considerable amount of information about fetal infection has occurred in the last 15 years, criteria necessary for making a diagnosis have not been clearly established. Some explanations for the types of processes involved in fetal infections are reviewed in this article. Further research on this important problem is suggested.
Risk Score Model for Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Role of Tumor Burden and Alpha-Fetoprotein

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a significant risk factor for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, but it is a histological feature that needs to be confirmed after hepatectomy or liver transplantation. The preoperative prediction of MVI can optimize the treatment plan of HCC, but an easy and widely applicable model is still lacking. The aim of our study was to predict the risk of MVI using objective preoperative factors. We retrospectively collected 1153 patients who underwent liver resection for HCC, and MVI was found to be associated with significantly poor disease-free survival. The patients were randomly split in a 3:1 ratio into training (n = 864) and validation (n = 289) datasets. The multivariate analysis of the training dataset found preoperative total tumor volume (TTV) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) to be independent risk factors for MVI. We built a risk score model with cutoff points of TTV at 30, 60, and 300 cm3 and AFP at 160 and 2000 ng/mL, and the model stratified the risk of MVI into low risk (14.1%), intermediate risk (36.4%), and high risk (60.5%). The validation of the risk score model with the validation dataset showed moderate performance (the concordance statistic: 0.731). The model comprised simple and objective preoperative factors with good applicability, which can help to guide treatment plans for HCC and future study design.
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy: Unraveling the Mysteries of a Complex Epigenetic Disease

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common inherited neuromuscular disease, with an epigenetic basis linked to contractions or hypomethylation of the chromosome 4q subtelomere. Efforts to understand chromatin alterations in this region have yielded several interesting models of the disorder. This chapter summarizes the genetic and epigenetic etiology of FSHD and the search for candidate genes, with an emphasis on recent discoveries. It also seeks to highlight current therapeutic strategies and future directions for the field. In particular, there is a need for large, well-controlled studies to identify consistent biomarkers of early disease pathology.
Collateral lymphatics in patients with gynecologic cancer

BLOC K I N G of lymphatic channels by metastatic cancer leads to the formation of collaterals. These form as a result of increased intralymphatic pressure proximal to the site of obstruction, retrograde flow of the lymph, dilatation of pre-existing lymphatic vessels and, possibly, de nouo formation of new channels. To increase our understanding of lymphangitic routes of potential tumor dissemination in patients with gynecologic cancer, we have reviewed our observations on collateral lymphatic flow in patients who had Iymphangiography for diagnosis of inguinal, IateraI pelvic wall and para-aortic tumor invo1vement.l Lymphangiography was performed by means of cannulation of a lymphatic on the dorsum pedis bilaterally, and injection of EthiodoI.3 Out of 35 patients with lymphangiographicaliy diagnosed metastatic carcinoma, lymphangitic obstruction was present in 18. Collateral lymphatic flow was visualized in 15 of these patients. Of these patients, 11 had been treated for cervical, 3 for ovarian, and 1 for vulvar carcinoma. For purposes of comparison, a lymphangiogram without obstruction is shown in Fig. I.