cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF WEAR IN HIGHLY CROSS-LINKED AND CONVENTIONAL POLYETHYLENE HIP RETRIEVALS

Introduction Highly cross-linked (HXL) polyethylene has demonstrated clinical advantages as a wear resistant acetabular bearing material in total hip arthroplasty (THA) [1]. In vitro wear testing has predicted a tenfold reduction in the wear rate of HXL polyethylene, as compared to its conventional, non-HXL counterpart [2]. To date, radiographic studies of head penetration represent the state-of-the-art in determining clinical wear of polyethylene hip liners [3]. However, as the amount of wear drops to very low levels, it becomes important to develop a precise and reliable method for measuring wear, facilitating a comparison of clinical results to expectations. This study focuses on locating and quantifying the maximum linear wear of retrieved acetabular poly liners using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Specifically, HXL liners are compared to a baseline of conventional, non-HXL bearings. Methods An IRB-approved retrieval laboratory received 63 HXL acetabular bearing retrievals from 5 manufacturers with in vivo durations of 1.01–14.85 years. These were compared with 32 conventional, non-HXL controls (including gas plasma, gamma-barrier and EtO) from 3 manufacturers with in vivo durations of 1.03–20.89 years. Liners were mounted in a tripod of axial contacts with the liner face positioned in a vertical plane. Each bearing was scanned with a CMM dual-probe head, with one horizontal probe scanning the articular surface and the other scanning the non-articular, sequentially. Surface-normal wall thickness values along each latitude were calculated using a custom developed algorithm (Figure 1). Because the liners are axially symmetric as manufactured, deviation in wall thickness at a given latitude represents linear wear [4]. Results Total wear penetration for the HXL liners ranged from 0.02 to 1.03 mm, and for the conventional, non-HXL controls ranged from 0.07 to 6.85 mm. The HXL liners had an average linear wear rate of 0.02 mm/year, compared to 0.20 mm/year for the conventional, non-HXL controls (Figure 2). The direction of maximum wear, as measured in degrees from the cup pole, ranged from 8.32 to 73.86 degrees. Differences in wear rates as a function of crosslinking dose, as well as presence/absence of a lip can be identified. Discussion This wear measurement study of retrievals is the first application of a novel CMM technique to locate and quantify wear in HXL liners compared to conventional polyethylene controls. The study confirms the expectations of a tenfold reduction in wear rates that were based on in vitro testing [2]. The results are consistent with those of radiographic studies that have documented lower wear of HXL polyethylene in the hip compared to conventional polyethylene [3]. However, the current technique offers higher precision and reliability, and eliminates the large proportion of negative wear measurements common amongst radiographic methods. A sufficient number of liners have been measured to begin to differentiate wear between different radiation doses.
Regulation of g protein-coupled receptor kinases by calmodulin and localization of the calmodulin binding domain

G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) specifically phosphorylate and regulate the activated form of multiple G protein-coupled receptors. Recent studies have revealed that GRKs are also subject to regulation. In this regard, GRK2 and GRK5 can be phosphorylated and either activated or inhibited, respectively, by protein kinase C. Here we demonstrate that calmodulin, another mediator of calcium signaling, is a potent inhibitor of GRK activity with a selectivity for GRK5 (IC50 approximately 50 nM) > GRK6 >> GRK2 (IC50 approximately 2 microM) >> GRK1. Calmodulin inhibition of GRK5 is mediated via a reduced ability of the kinase to bind to both receptor and phospholipid. Interestingly, calmodulin also activates autophosphorylation of GRK5 at sites distinct from the two major autophosphorylation sites on GRK5. Moreover, calmodulin-stimulated autophosphorylation directly inhibits GRK5 interaction with receptor even in the absence of calmodulin. Using glutathione S-transferase-GRK5 fusion proteins either to inhibit calmodulin-stimulated autophosphorylation or to bind directly to calmodulin, we determined that an amino-terminal domain of GRK5 (amino acids 20-39) is sufficient for calmodulin binding. This domain is abundant in basic and hydrophobic residues, characteristics typical of calmodulin binding sites, and is highly conserved in GRK4, GRK5, and GRK6. These studies suggest that calmodulin may serve a general role in mediating calcium-dependent regulation of GRK activity.
Validation and Utilization of a Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing Panel for Selected Cardiovascular Disorders.

The development of high throughput technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed for thousands of DNA loci to be interrogated simultaneously in a fast and economical method for the detection of clinically deleterious variants. Whenever a clinical diagnosis is known, a targeted NGS approach involving the use of disease-specific gene panels can be employed. This approach is often valuable as it allows for a more specific and clinically relevant interpretation of results. Here we describe the customization, validation, and utilization of a commercially available targeted enrichment platform for the scalability of clinical diagnostic cardiovascular genetic tests, including the design of the gene panels, the technical parameters for the quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), the customization of the bioinformatics pipeline, and the post-bioinformatics analysis procedures. Regions of poor base coverage were detected and targeted by Sanger sequencing as needed. All panels were successfully validated using genotype-known DNA samples either commercially available or from research subjects previously tested in outside clinical laboratories. In our experience utilizing several of the sub-panels in a clinical setting with 33 real-life cardiovascular patients we found that 20% of tests requested were reported to have at least one pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant that could explain the patient phenotype. For each of these patients, the positive results may aid the clinical team and the patients in best developing a disease management plan and in identifying relatives at risk.
Propagation of Singularities in Many-Body Scattering in the Presence of Bound States

Abstract In this paper we describe the propagation of singularities of tempered distributional solutions u ∈ S ′ of ( H − λ ) u =0, where H is a many-body Hamiltonian H = Δ + V , Δ ⩾0, V =∑ a V a , and λ is not a threshold of H , under the assumption that the inter-particle (e.g., two-body) interactions V a are real-valued polyhomogeneous symbols of order −1 (e.g., Coulomb-type with the singularity at the origin removed). Here the term “singularity” refers to a microlocal description of the lack of decay at infinity. Thus, we prove that the set of singularities of u is a union of maximally extended broken bicharacteristics of H . These are curves in the characteristic variety of H − λ , which can be quite complicated due to the existence of bound states. We use this result to describe the wave front relation of the S-matrices. We also analyze Lagrangian properties of this relation, which shows that the relation is not “too large” in terms of its dimension.
Mean and turbulent velocity measurements of supersonic mixing layers

The behavior of supersonic mixing layers under three conditions has been examined by schlieren photography and laser Doppler velocimetry. In the schlieren photographs, some largescale, repetitive patterns were observed within the mixing layer; however, these structures do not appear to dominate the mixing layer character under the present flow conditions. It was found that higher levels of secondary freestream turbulence did not increase the peak turbulence intensity observed within the mixing layer, but slightly increased the growth rate. Higher levels of freestream turbulence also reduced the axial distance required for development of the mean velocity. At higher convective Mach numbers, the mixing layer growth rate was found to be smaller than that of an incompressible mixing layer at the same velocity and freestream density ratio. The increase in convective Mach number also caused a decrease in the turbulence intensity (σ u /ΔU).
Optical flow, geometric field of view, and requested vehicle velocity

In a simulated driving scenario, we investigated the production of vehicle velocity at 30 and 60 mph while varying the amount of optical flow (roadside trees versus no trees) and the geometric field of view (25, 55, and 85 horizontal degrees). Participant drivers were significantly less accurate in producing vehicle velocities of 30 mph as contrasted with those of the 60 mph target set. On average, the produced velocities were overestimated by 20 mph for the 30 mph target set. This may be due to an inability of driving simulators to produce authentic optical flows when traversing at 30 mph or lower velocities.
Development of a Multidisciplinary Program to Expedite Care of Esophageal Emergencies.

Background Level 1 programs have improved outcomes by expediting the multidisciplinary care of critically ill patients. We established a novel level 1 program for the management of esophageal emergencies. Methods After institutional review board approval, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients referred to our level 1 esophageal emergency program from April 2013 through November 2015. A historical comparison group of patients treated for the same diagnosis in the previous 2 years was used. Results Eighty patients were referred and transported an average distance of 56 miles (range, 1–163 miles). Median time from referral to arrival was 2.4 hours (range, 0.4-12.9 hours). Referrals included 6 (7%) patients with esophageal obstruction and 71 (89%) patients with suspected esophageal perforation. Of the patients with suspected esophageal perforation, causes included iatrogenic (n = 26), Boerhaave's syndrome (n = 32), and other (n = 13). Forty-six percent (n = 33) of patients were referred because of pneumomediastinum, but perforation could not be subsequently demonstrated. Initial management of patients with documented esophageal perforation included operative treatment (n = 25), endoscopic intervention (n = 8), and supportive care (n = 5). Retrospective analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference in mean Pittsburgh severity index score (PSS) between esophageal perforation treatment groups ( p p Conclusions Development of an esophageal emergency referral program has facilitated multidisciplinary care at a high-volume institution, and early outcomes appear favorable.
Synthesis and crystal structure of Cs2U3Se7

Abstract The compound Cs2U3Se7 has been synthesized at 1273 K by the reaction of U, Se, As, and Cs2Se3. The compound crystallizes in a new structure type in the orthorhombic space group D 2 h 16 – Pnma with four formula units in a cell of dimensions a = 22.847(1) A, b = 4.172(1) A, c = 16.639(1) A. In the asymmetric unit there are three independent U atoms, each octahedrally coordinated by six Se atoms. These USe6 octahedra are connected to form a channel structure with the channels running in the [010] direction. Within the unit cell the channel comprises twelve U centers.
Nitrous oxide versus oral sedation for pain management of first-trimester surgical abortion - a randomized study.

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to compare nitrous oxide with oxygen (N 2 O/O 2 ) to oral hydrocodone/acetaminophen and lorazepam for analgesia during first-trimester surgical abortion. Study design This double-blind randomized trial assigned women undergoing first-trimester surgical abortion at 2 O/O 2 vs. oral sedation for pain management. The N 2 O/O 2 group received up to 70:30 ratio during the procedure and placebo pills preprocedure; the oral group received inhaled oxygen during the procedure and oral hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5 mg/325 mg and lorazepam 1 mg preprocedure. The primary outcome was maximum procedural pain, assessed on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS; anchors 0= no pain and 100= worst pain ) at 2 min postprocedure. A difference of 13 mm on the VAS was considered clinically significant. Satisfaction with pain management was measured on a 100-mm VAS (anchors 0= very unsatisfied , 100= very satisfied) . Results We randomized 140 women, 70 per study arm. Mean age of participants was 26±6.6 years; mean gestational age was 7.3±1.5 weeks. Mean maximum procedure pain scores were 52.5±26.7 and 60.8±24.4 for N 2 O/O 2 and oral groups, respectively (p=.09). Satisfaction with pain management was 69.3±28.4 and 61.5±30.4 for N 2 O/O 2 and oral groups. respectively (p=.15). Conclusion We found no difference in mean procedural pain scores between women assigned to N 2 O/O 2 vs. those assigned to oral sedation for first-trimester surgical abortion. Satisfaction with both options was high. Implications Women undergoing early surgical abortion experienced no differences in pain and satisfaction between those who used inhaled nitrous oxide and oral sedation. Nitrous oxide, with side effects limited to the duration of inhalation and no need for a ride home, is a viable alternative to oral sedation for first-trimester abortion pain management.
Towards a Universal Notification System.

As the world is getting more and more connected, a requirement for a connected notification system has emerged. In this paper a universal notification system namely UNS based on stream reasoning is described that not only meets the requirement of knowledge sharing among applications but can cater to different varying and custom scenarios, is flexible and semantic web compliant. Experimentation was done considering a meeting use case in a simulated condition on real data of smart city, and the experimental results were found to be promising.
Analysis of operational transconductance amplifier for application in GHz frequency range

Operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is an excellent current mode device suited very well for VLSI implementation. In this contribution we report realization of OTA using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure based MOSFETs and compared them to OTA designed with bulk MOSFET. SOI based OTA outperformed bulk MOSFET OTA giving close to 10 GHz improvement in high frequency f/sub T/. A band-pass filter was implemented with SOI based OTA with a center frequency of 7 GHz and a bandwidth of 480 kHz.
An Architecture for Real-Time Sensory-Interactive Control of Robots in a Manufacturing Facility

Abstract A hierarchical architecture is described for a robot integrated into a real-time sensory interactive factory control system. In this architecture, high level goals are decomposed through a succession of levels, each producing strings of simpler commands to the next lower level. The bottom level generates the drive signals to the robot actuators. Each control level is a separate process with a limited scope of responsibility. Each performs the generic control function of sampling its input and generating appropriate outputs. The input is characterized by three types of data - a command from the next higher level, processed sensory data, and status feedback from the next lower level. The outputs are of three types - a command to the next lower level, a request for sensory information to the processing module at the same level, and a status feedback to the next higher level. This paper describes this generic control structure and its implementation in a real-time sensory-interactive control system for a manufacturing facility.
Pelvic-Floor Musculature Exercises in Treatment of Anatomical Urinary Stress Incontinence

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pelvic-floor musculature exercises in the treatment of women with anatomical urinary stress incontinence. Fourteen female subjects, ranging in age from 33 to 67 years, participated in a four-week pelvic-floor musculature exercise program. Subjects underwent a pretraining urodynamic evaluation and were reexamined after four weeks of exercise training. Paired t tests of subjects' pretraining and posttraining values of bladder capacity, functional urethral length, and static urethral pressure profile showed no significant differences. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the covariates of weight, motivation, and age did not significantly influence subjects' bladder capacity, functional urethral length, or static urethral pressure profile. Nine of the 14 subjects had a negative result on the posttraining urinary stress test (R = 0, p less than .01). The urinary stress test result was the only variable to change significantly from pretraining to posttraining measurements. All subjects reported posttraining improvement in control of urinary incontinence. A short-term exercise program for pelvic-floor musculature produced positive changes in subjects with anatomical urinary stress incontinence.
Diagnostic Utility of Carboxyl-Terminal and Intact Parathyroid Hormone Immunoassays in Hospitalized Patients

In a university-affiliated community hospital, medical records of 58 patients on whom the intact parathyroid hormone immunoassay (I-PTH) and 29 patients on whom both the carboxyl terminal PTH(C-PTH) and I-PTH ordered by physicians were reviewed to determine the reasons for requesting these tests. Reasons for ordering the PTH tests include (1) the evaluation of hypercalcemic patients (25/58 I-PTH); (2) the evaluation of hypocalcemic patients (2/58 I-PTH); (3) to rule out primary hyperparathyroidism in normocalcemic stone formers (4/58 I-PTH, 4/29 C-PTH) and in those with abnormal skeletal x-ray (3/48 I-PTH 1/29 C-PTH); (4) to follow patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis (11/58 I-PTH, 9/29 C-PTH); (5) to rule out ectopic hyperparathyroidism in patients with cancer (2/58 I-PTH, 3/29 C-PTH); (6) to satisfy physicians' intellectual curiosity of patients with diabetes mellitus (3/58 I-PTH, 3/29 C-PTH) and obesity (5/58 I-PTH; 6/29 C-PTH); (7) to evaluate acute renal failure (1/29 C-PTH). In 3/58 patients on whom I-PTH tests were ordered, reason(s) could not be determined. The C-PTH was elevated in 9/9 patients with chronic renal failure, 4/6 obese patients, 2/3 patients with cancer, 1/3 diabetic patients, 1/4 stone formers, 2/2 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Patients with chronic renal failure had the highest C-PTH. Based on well established indications for ordering the PTH immunoassays, 25 out of 58 (43%) of I-PTH and 9 out of 29 (31%) of C-PTH ordered are inappropriate.
Pathophysiological Changes in Rat Kidneys With Partial Ureteral Obstruction Since Infancy

Pathophysiological changes in rat kidneys with partial ureteral obstruction since infancy. A partial ureteral obstruction (PUO) was created in 5-day-old rats by implanting the left ureter in the psoas muscle. The surgical technique was modified to produce mild or severe hydronephrosis [Hn (m) and Hn (s)]. The rats were studied at ages between 45 and 65 days with regard to kidney weight, number of functioning glomeruli, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), total glomerular filtration rate (GFR), nephron filtration rate (SNGFR), tubular free-flow pressure (P T , and stop-flow pressure (SFP). Total GFR was determined after the release of obstruction. The other studies were performed in the obstructed state. Reference values were obtained from sham-operated and untouched control rats. The number of functioning nephrons was depressed 38% in Hn (m) and 73% in Hn (s). Total GFR was preserved in Hn (m) and depressed 54% in Hn (s). SNGFR in the remaining nephrons was significantly elevated in Hn (m) and normal in Hn (s). SFP was significantly elevated in Hn (s). The Hn (s) rats were hypertensive. The glomerular density was lower in the hydronephrotic than in the contralateral kidneys. This suggests a compensatory growth of the remaining nephrons in the Hn kidneys. We conclude that PUO present since infancy will either destroy the nephrons or elicit an adaptive response that will tend to preserve GFR. Modifications physiopathologiques des reins de rats avec obstruction ureterale partielle depuis l'enfance. Une obstruction ureterale partielle (PUO) a ete creee chez des rats de 5 jours en implantant l'uretere gauche dans le psoas. La technique chirurgicale a ete modifiee pour produire une hydronephrose moderee ou severe [Hn(m) et Hn(s)]. Les rats ont ete etudies entre 45 et 65 jours d'âge en ce qui concerne le poids du rein, le nombre de glomerules fonctionnels, la pression arterielle moyenne (MAP), la filtration glomerulaire totale (GFR), la filtration nephronique (SNGFR), la pression tubulaire en flux libre (P T ), et la pression de stop-flow (SFP). GFR totale a ete determinee apres arret de l'obstruction. Les autres etudes ont ete effectuees pendant l'obstruction. Ces valeurs de reference ont ete obtenues chez des rats ayant subi un simulacre d'intervention et chez des rats controles intacts. Le nombre de nephrons fonctionnels etait diminue de 38% lors de Hn(m) et de 73% lors de Hn(s). GFR totale etait preservee lors de Hn(m) et diminuee de 54% au cours de Hn(s). SNGFR des nephrons restants etait significativement augmentee lors de Hn(m) et normale dans Hn(s). SFP etait significativement elevee au cours de Hn(s). Les rats Hn(s) etaient hypertendus. La densite glomerulaire etait moindre dans les reins hydronephrotiques que dans les reins controlateraux. Cela suggere une croissance compensatrice des nephrons restants dans les reins Hn. Nous concluons qu'une PUO presente depuis l'enfance soit detruira les nephrons, soit induira une reponse adaptative tendant a preserver GFR.
A systematic review including an additional pediatric case report: Pediatric cases of mammary analogue secretory carcinoma

Abstract Importance Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma (MASC) is a newly characterized salivary gland carcinoma resembling secretory carcinoma of the breast. Prior to being described, MASC was most commonly misdiagnosed as Acinic Cell Carcinoma. Though MASC is predominantly an adult neoplasm, cases have been reported in the pediatric population. Reporting and summarizing of known cases is imperative to understand the prognosis and clinical behavior of MASC. Objective (1) Report a rare case of pediatric MASC. (2) Review and consolidate the existing literature on MASC in the pediatric population. Evidence review Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library were searched for studies that included pediatric cases of MASC. Data on clinical presentation, diagnosis and management, and pathology were collected from all pediatric cases. Findings Case Report 14 year old with left-sided parotid mass diagnosed as MASC based on histology and immunohistochemistry. He was managed surgically with left superficial parotidectomy with selective neck dissection. Literature review The majority of MASC cases have been identified via retrospective reclassification of previously misclassified salivary gland tumors. Of all the pediatric cases (N=11) of MASC, the female-to-male ratio is 1:1.2 with an age range of 10-17 years old. The most common clinical presentation was a slowly growing, fixed, and painless mass of the parotid gland, often detected incidentally on physical examination. Common pathological features include eosinophilic vacuolated cytoplasm within cystic, tubular, and/or papillary architecture. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for S100, mammaglobin, cytokeratin 19, and vimentin. The diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of the characteristic ETV6-NTRK6 fusion gene via fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). Only 4 cases discussed treatment. Each of these underwent successful surgical resection alone with or without lymph node dissection. Conclusions and relevance Since the first case of MASC in the pediatric population was described in 2011, only 12 cases, including this one, have been described in the literature. With this paucity of information, much remains unknown regarding this new pathologic diagnosis. The collection of clinical outcomes data of children with MASC is needed to better understand the behavior of this malignancy as well as determine optimal treatment regimens.
On image analysis by the methods of moments

Various types of moments have been used to recognize image patterns in a number of applications. The authors evaluate a number of moments and addresses some fundamental questions, such as image representation ability, noise sensitivity, and information redundancy. Moments considered include regular moments, Legendre moments, Zernike moments, pseudo-Zernike moments, rotational moments and complex moments. Properties of these moments are examined in detail, and the interrelationships among them are discussed. Both theoretical and experimental results are presented. >
Lethal Nephrotoxicity and Hematologic Toxicity of Cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum Ameliorated by Optimal Circadian Timing and Hydration

Abstract Three hundred and forty-one female F344 (Fischer) rats were kept in light for 8 hr alternating with darkness for 16 hr; some were observed for survival for 21 days, while others were killed for blood sampling 4.5 days after a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 11 mg/kg cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cis-DDP). cis-DDP was administered with or without concomitant i.p. saline load at one of six equispaced circadian stages. This high dose of cis-DDP resulted in marked lethal and renal toxicity, but in a moderate bone marrow suppression. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), circulating total white blood cell counts (WBC) and survival times revealed statistically significant circadian rhythyms of drug toxicity (P
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Alphafetoprotein in the Staging of Nonseminomatous Testicular Cancer

Thirty patients with nonseminomatous testicular cancer and no evidence of metastases outside the retroperitoneum were evaluated for discrepancy between the clinical and pathologic stages and also for frequency of elevations of the serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alphafetoprotein (AFP). When marker-level data were not considered in the staging, the clinical and pathologic stages differed in 47% of the patients; the inclusion of marker data reduced the staging error to 37%. Seven of ten patients with clinical Stage I, pathologic Stage II disease had normal marker levels (false-negative results). However, there were no false-positive results: abnormal marker levels before retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy always signalled persistent tumor unless the level could be accounted for by the metabolic decay rate of marker produced by the primary tumor. Comparison of marker-level data from these patients with data from 48 patients with Stage III disease demonstrated increasing frequency of elevated marker levels with increasing stage (P less than 0.001). Serial determinations of HCG and AFP are helpful in clinical staging and are necessary in clinical management.
Investigation of a Structured Fisher's Equation with Applications in Biochemistry

Recent biological research has sought to understand how biochemical signaling pathways, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, influence the migration of a population of cells ...
Transition state clustering: Unsupervised surgical trajectory segmentation for robot learning:

A large and growing corpus of synchronized kinematic and video recordings of robot-assisted surgery has the potential to facilitate training and subtask automation. One of the challenges in segmenting such multi-modal trajectories is that demonstrations vary spatially, temporally, and contain random noise and loops (repetition until achieving the desired result). Segments of task trajectories are often less complex, less variable, and allow for easier detection of outliers. As manual segmentation can be tedious and error-prone, we propose a new segmentation method that combines hybrid dynamical systems theory and Bayesian non-parametric statistics to automatically segment demonstrations. Transition State Clustering (TSC) models demonstrations as noisy realizations of a switched linear dynamical system, and learns spatially and temporally consistent transition events across demonstrations. TSC uses a hierarchical Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Model to avoid having to select the number of segments a priori. After a series of merging and pruning steps, the algorithm adaptively optimizes the number of segments. In a synthetic case study with two linear dynamical regimes, where demonstrations are corrupted with noise and temporal variations, TSC finds up to a 20% more accurate segmentation than GMM-based alternatives. On 67 recordings of surgical needle passing and suturing tasks from the JIGSAWS surgical training dataset [7], supplemented with manually annotated visual features, TSC finds 83% of needle passing segments and 73% of the suturing segments found by human experts. Qualitatively, TSC also identifies transitions overlooked by human annotators.
Dependence of estimated precipitation frequency and intensity on data resolution.

Precipitation frequency (F) and intensity (I) are important characteristics that climate models often fail to simulate realistically. Their estimates are highly sensitive to the spatial and temporal resolutions of the input data and this further complicates the comparison between models and observations. Here, we analyze 3-hourly precipitation data on a 0.25° grid from two satellite-derived datasets, namely TRMM 3B42 and CMORPH_V1.0, to quantify this dependence of the estimated precipitation F and I on data resolution. We then develop a simple probability-based relationship to explain this dependence, and examine the spatial and seasonal variations in the estimated F and I fields. As expected, precipitation F (I) increases (decreases) with the size of the grid box or time interval over which the data are averaged, but the magnitude of this change varies with location, and is strongest in the tropics and weakest in the subtropics. Our simple relationship can quantitatively explain this dependence of the estimated F and I on the spatial or temporal resolution of the input data. This demonstrates that large differences in the estimated F and I can arise purely from the differences in the spatial or temporal resolution of the input data. The results highlight the need to have similar resolution in comparing two datasets or between observations and models. Our estimates show that extremely low frequencies (<1%) are seen over the subtropics while the highest frequencies (20–40%) are located mostly over the tropics, and that the high frequency results from both longer and more frequent precipitation events. Precipitation intensity is more uniformly distributed than frequency. Strong correlations between the amount and frequency confirm the notion that the frequency plays a bigger role than intensity in determining precipitation variations.
Shock heating of the solar wind plasma

Abstract Observational data from IMP, Voyagers and Pioneers show that (a) the solar rotational average of the solar wind entropy increases with the heliocentric distance; (b) in 1973-1982 the shock strength increases with the heliocentric distance outside 1 AU, reach a maximum near 5 AU, and then decrease with the distance; (c) the average entropy increases across shocks also reaches a maximum near 5 AU. When a shock propagates through the solar wind, the shock heating increases the entropy of the solar wind plasma by approximately 0.8 x 10 -23 J/K/proton. We use a simulation study to calculate the changes in entropy associated with the evolution of a solar wind structure between 1 and 15 AU. Shock heating is the only heating mechanism included in the model. The calculated entropy increase agrees very well with that calculated from observational data. This result infers that shocks are chiefly responsible for the heating of the solar wind plasma between 1 and 15 AU.
Integrative model of leukocyte genomics and organ dysfunction in heart failure patients requiring mechanical circulatory support: a prospective observational study

The implantation of mechanical circulatory support devices in heart failure patients is associated with a systemic inflammatory response, potentially leading to death from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Previous studies point to the involvement of many mechanisms, but an integrative hypothesis does not yet exist. Using time-dependent whole-genome mRNA expression in circulating leukocytes, we constructed a systems-model to improve mechanistic understanding and prediction of adverse outcomes. We sampled peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 22 consecutive patients undergoing mechanical circulatory support device (MCS) surgery, at 5 timepoints: day −1 preoperative, and postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 8. Clinical phenotyping was performed using 12 clinical parameters, 2 organ dysfunction scoring systems, and survival outcomes. We constructed a strictly phenotype-driven time-dependent non-supervised systems-representation using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and annotated eigengenes using gene ontology, pathway, and transcription factor binding site enrichment analyses. Genes and eigengenes were mapped to the clinical phenotype using a linear mixed-effect model, with Cox models also fit at each timepoint to survival outcomes. We inferred a 19-module network, in which most module eigengenes correlated with at least one aspect of the clinical phenotype. We observed a response of advanced heart failure patients to surgery orchestrated into stages: first, activation of the innate immune response, followed by anti-inflammation, and finally reparative processes such as mitosis, coagulation, and apoptosis. Eigengenes related to red blood cell production and extracellular matrix degradation became predictors of survival late in the timecourse corresponding to multiorgan dysfunction and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Our model provides an integrative representation of leukocyte biology during the systemic inflammatory response following MCS device implantation. It demonstrates consistency with previous hypotheses, identifying a number of known mechanisms. At the same time, it suggests novel hypotheses about time-specific targets.
Global Distribution of Nighttime Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Seen by Swarm Satellites

The activity of nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbance (MSTID) in middle latitudes (±25°–40° magnetic latitudes) is investigated using the measurements of the electron density by Swarm satellites. Fractional electron density fluctuation is used as a proxy for MSTIDs and the MSTID distribution is derived from the observations in December 2013–January 2017. The MSTID activity shows a semi-annual variation in most longitudes with the primary and secondary peaks during the June and December solstices, respectively. The distinguishing feature in the MSTID distribution is the high occurrence rate of MSTIDs around 150°E longitude in June–August. The longitudinal and annual distribution of MSTIDs shows a hemispheric symmetry, which we interpret as the demonstration of conjugacy in MSTIDs.
Designing large hybrid cache for future HPC systems

DRAM cache is a large cache stacked on the processors die using 3D-stacking technology, which may be used in the future High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems to reduce latency and increase bandwidth. However, the energy becomes an inevitable challenge with the increasing cache capacity. In this paper, we first propose a large hybrid cache for future HPC systems, which can effectively reduce the static energy compared with the DRAM cache. Further, we apply volatile STT-RAM as part of the hybrid cache to reduce both the static and dynamic energy of the DRAM cache. Finally, we propose to maintain the cache tag array in the region of the hybrid cache with less read latency to improve performance. Experimental results show our hybrid cache reduces energy by 31.6% and improves performance by 18.8% on average.
Comment: Demystifying Double Robustness: A Comparison of Alternative Strategies for Estimating a Population Mean from Incomplete Data

We congratulate Drs. Kang and Schafer (KS henceforth) for a careful and thought-provoking contribution to the literature regarding the so-called “double robustness” property, a topic that still engenders some confusion and disagreement. The authors’ approach of focusing on the simplest situation of estimation of the population mean μ of a response y when y is not observed on all subjects according to a missing at random (MAR) mechanism (equivalently, estimation of the mean of a potential outcome in a causal model under the assumption of no unmeasured confounders) is commendable, as the fundamental issues can be explored without the distractions of the messier notation and considerations required in more complicated settings. Indeed, as the article demonstrates, this simple setting is sufficient to highlight a number of key points. As noted eloquently by Molenberghs (2005), in regard to how such missing data/causal inference problems are best addressed, two “schools” may be identified: the “likelihood-oriented” school and the “weighting-based” school. As we have emphasized previously (Davidian, Tsiatis and Leon, 2005), we prefer to view inference from the vantage point of semi-parametric theory, focusing on the assumptions embedded in the statistical models leading to different “types” of estimators (i.e., “likelihood-oriented” or “weighting-based”) rather than on the forms of the estimators themselves. In this discussion, we hope to complement the presentation of the authors by elaborating on this point of view. Throughout, we use the same notation as in the paper.
Importance Profiles for Water Vapor

Motivated by the scientific desire to align observations with quantities of physical interest, we survey how scalar importance functions depend on vertically resolved water vapor. Definitions of importance begin from familiar examples of water mass Im and TOA clear-sky outgoing longwave flux IOLR, in order to establish notation and illustrate graphically how the sensitivity profile or ‘‘kernel’’ depends on whether specific humidity S, relative humidity R, or ln(R) are used as measures of vapor. Then, new results on the sensitivity of convective activity Icon to vapor (with implied knock-on effects such as weather prediction skill) are presented. In radiative-convective equilibrium, organized (line-like) convection is much more sensitive to moisture than scattered isotropic convection, but it exists in a drier mean state. The lesson for natural convection may be that organized convection is less susceptible to dryness and can survive and propagate into regions unfavorable for disorganized convection. This counterintuitive interpretive conclusion, with respect to the narrow numerical result behind it, highlights the importance of clarity about what is held constant at what values in sensitivity or susceptibility kernels. Finally, the sensitivities of observable radiance signals Isig for passive remote sensing are considered. While the accuracy of R in the lower free troposphere is crucial for the physical importance scalars, this layer is unfortunately the most difficult to isolate with passive remote sensing: In high emissivity channels, water vapor signals come from too high in the atmosphere (for satellites) or too low (for surface radiometers), while low emissivity channels have poor altitude discrimination and (in the case of satellites) are contaminated by surface emissions. For these reasons, active ranging (LiDAR) is the preferred observing strategy.
Sensing water properties at precise depths from the air

Water properties critical to our understanding and managing of freshwater systems change rapidly with depth. This work presents an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based method of keeping a passive, cable-suspended sensor payload at a precise depth, with \(95\%\) of submerged sensor readings within \(\pm 8.4\,\text {cm}\) of the target depth, helping dramatically increase the spatiotemporal resolution of water science datasets. We use a submerged depth altimeter attached at the terminus of a \(3.5\,\text {m}\) semi-rigid cable as the sole input to a depth controller actuated by the UAV’s motors. First, we simulate the system and common environmental disturbances of wind, water, and GPS drift and then use parameters discovered during simulation to guide implementation. In field experiments, we compare the depth precision of our new method to previous methods that used the UAV’s altitude as a proxy for submerged sensor depth, specifically: (1) only using the UAV’s air-pressure altimeter; and (2) fusing UAV-mounted ultrasonic sensors with the air-pressure altimeter. Our new method reduces the standard deviation of depth readings by \(75\%\) in winds up to \(8\,\text {m/s}\). We show the step response of the depth-altimeter method when transitioning between target depths and show that it meets the precision requirements. Finally, we explore a longer, \(8.0\,\text {m}\) cable and show that our depth-altimeter method still outperforms previous methods and allows scientists to increase the spatiotemporal resolution of water property datasets.
“The Capacity of the Relay Channel”: Solution to Cover’s Problem in the Gaussian Case

Consider a memoryless relay channel, where the relay is connected to the destination with an isolated bit pipe of capacity $C_{0}$ . Let $C(C_{0})$ denote the capacity of this channel as a function of $C_{0}$ . What is the critical value of $C_{0}$ , such that $C(C_{0})$ first equals $C(\infty )$ ? This is a long-standing open problem posed by Cover and named “The Capacity of the Relay Channel,” in Open Problems in Communication and Computation , Springer-Verlag, 1987. In this paper, we answer this question in the Gaussian case and show that $C(C_{0})$ cannot equal to $C(\infty )$ unless $C_{0}=\infty $ , regardless of the SNR of the Gaussian channels. This result follows as a corollary to a new upper bound we develop on the capacity of this channel. Instead of “single-letterizing” expressions involving information measures in a high-dimensional space as is typically done in converse results in information theory, our proof directly quantifies the tension between the pertinent $n$ -letter forms. This is done by translating the information tension problem to a problem in high-dimensional geometry. As an intermediate result, we develop an extension of the classical isoperimetric inequality on a high-dimensional sphere, which can be of interest in its own right.
Secure data outsourcing

The networked and increasingly ubiquitous nature of today's data management services mandates assurances to detect and deter malicious or faulty behavior. This is particularly relevant for outsourced data frameworks in which clients place data management with specialized service providers. Clients are reluctant to place sensitive data under the control of a foreign party without assurances of confidentiality. Additionally, once outsourced, privacy and data access correctness (data integrity and query completeness) become paramount. Today's solutions are fundamentally insecure and vulnerable to illicit behavior, because they do not handle these dimensions. In this tutorial we will explore how to design and build robust, efficient, and scalable data outsourcing mechanisms providing strong security assurances of (1) correctness, (2) confidentiality, and (3) data access privacy. There exists a strong relationship between such assurances; for example, the lack of access pattern privacy usually allows for statistical attacks compromising data confidentiality. Confidentiality can be achieved by data encryption. However, to be practical, outsourced data services should allow expressive client queries (e.g., relational joins with arbitrary predicates) without compromising confidentiality. This is a hard problem because decryption keys cannot be directly provided to potentially untrusted servers. Moreover, if the remote server cannot be fully trusted, protocol correctness become essential. Therefore, solutions that do not address all three dimensions are incomplete and insecure.
Meta-analysis of gut microbiome studies identifies disease-specific and shared responses.

Hundreds of clinical studies have demonstrated associations between the human microbiome and disease, yet fundamental questions remain on how we can generalize this knowledge. Results from individual studies can be inconsistent, and comparing published data is further complicated by a lack of standard processing and analysis methods. Here we introduce the MicrobiomeHD database, which includes 28 published case–control gut microbiome studies spanning ten diseases. We perform a cross-disease meta-analysis of these studies using standardized methods. We find consistent patterns characterizing disease-associated microbiome changes. Some diseases are associated with over 50 genera, while most show only 10–15 genus-level changes. Some diseases are marked by the presence of potentially pathogenic microbes, whereas others are characterized by a depletion of health-associated bacteria. Furthermore, we show that about half of genera associated with individual studies are bacteria that respond to more than one disease. Thus, many associations found in case–control studies are likely not disease-specific but rather part of a non-specific, shared response to health and disease. Reported associations between the human microbiome and disease are often inconsistent. Here, Duvallet et al. perform a meta-analysis of 28 gut microbiome studies spanning ten diseases, and find associations that are likely not disease-specific but potentially part of a shared response to disease.
Peer influence on payout policies

Abstract Using a large sample of US public companies, we find robust evidence that firms' payout policies, i.e., dividends and share repurchases, are significantly influenced by the policies of their industry peers. To overcome endogeneity problems, we employ instrumental variable techniques based on peers' stock price shocks. Peer influence on payouts is more pronounced among firms that face greater product market competition and operate in better information environments. With regards to dividends, firms, especially smaller and younger firms, are more sensitive to industry peers that are similar to them in size and age. However, mimicking repurchases is concentrated among large and mature firms only. Peer influence on dividends, compared to repurchases, seems more stable across firm and industry conditions. Overall, peer influence on dividends, and, to a less extent, on repurchases, is consistent with a rivalry-based theory of imitation, which posits that firms imitate peers' actions to maintain their competitive parity.
Technique of Multiparametric MR Imaging of the Prostate

Multiparametric MR imaging provides detailed anatomic assessment of the prostate as well as information that allows the detection and characterization of prostate cancer. To obtain high-quality MR imaging of the prostate, radiologists must understand sequence optimization to overcome commonly encountered technical challenges. This review discusses the techniques that are used in state-of-the-art MR imaging of the prostate, including imaging protocols, hardware considerations, and important aspects of patient preparation, with an emphasis on the recommendations provided in the prostate imaging-reporting and data system version 2 guidelines.
Hyper-structured illumination: Label-free super-resolution imaging with hyperbolic metamaterials

We present a new approach to super-resolution optical imaging, based on structured illumination in hyperbolic media that support subwavelength optical patterns. The proposed system has planar geometry, offers unlimited field of view, and is robust with respect to optical noise and material losses.
A Joint Technique for Nonlinearity Compensation in CO-OFDM Superchannel Systems

We propose a technique combining the single-channel digital-back-propagation (SC-DBP) with phase-conjugated-twin-wave (PCTW) to compensate nonlinearities in CO-OFDM superchannel systems. This exhibits a similar performance as multi-channel DBP while providing increased transmission reach compared to SC-DBP, PCTW, and linear dispersion compensation (LDC).