cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in rod and cone density from the fovea to the mid-periphery in healthy human retinas using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

PurposeTo characterize the rod and cone photoreceptor mosaic at retinal locations spanning the central 60° in vivo using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO) in healthy human eyes.MethodsAO-SLO images (0.7 × 0.9°) were acquired at 680 nm from 14 locations from 30° nasal retina (NR) to 30° temporal retina (TR) in 5 subjects. Registered averaged images were used to measure rod and cone density and spacing within 60 × 60 μm regions of interest. Voronoi analysis was performed to examine packing geometry at all locations.ResultsAverage peak cone density near the fovea was 164 000±24 000 cones/mm(2) and decreased to 6700±1500 and 5400±700 cones/mm(2) at 30° NR and 30° TR, respectively. Cone-to-cone spacing increased from 2.7±0.2 μm at the fovea to 14.6±1.4 μm at 30° NR and 16.3±0.7 μm at 30° TR. Rod density peaked at 25° NR (124 000±20 000 rods/mm(2)) and 20° TR (120 000±12 000 rods/mm(2)) and decreased at higher eccentricities. Center-to-center rod spacing was lowest nasally at 25° (2.1±0.1 μm). Temporally, rod spacing was lowest at 20° (2.2±0.1 μm) before increasing to 2.3±0.1 μm at 30° TR.ConclusionsBoth rod and cone densities showed good agreement with histology and prior AO-SLO studies. The results demonstrate the ability to image at higher retinal eccentricities than reported previously. This has clinical importance in diseases that initially affect the peripheral retina such as retinitis pigmentosa.
Can nudging be used to quantify model sensitivities in precipitation and cloud forcing

Efficient simulation strategies are crucial for the development and evaluation of high-resolution climate models. This paper evaluates simulations with constrained meteorology for the quantification of parametric sensitivities in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5). Two parameters are perturbed as illustrating examples: the convection relaxation time scale (TAU), and the threshold relative humidity for the formation of low-level stratiform clouds (rhminl). Results suggest that the fidelity of the constrained simulations depends on the detailed implementation of nudging and the mechanism through which the perturbed parameter affects precipitation and cloud. The relative computational costs of nudged and free-running simulations are determined by the magnitude of internal variability in the physical quantities of interest, as well as the magnitude of the parameter perturbation. In the case of a strong perturbation in convection, temperature and/or wind nudging with a 6-hour relaxation time scale leads to non-negligible side effects due to the distorted interactions between resolved dynamics and parameterized convection, while 1-year free running simulations can satisfactorily capture the annual mean precipitation and cloud forcing sensitivities. In the case of a relatively weak perturbation in the large-scale condensation scheme, results from 1-year free-running simulations are strongly affected by natural noise, while nudging winds effectively reduces the noise, and reasonably reproduces the sensitivities. These results indicate that caution is needed when using nudged simulations to assess precipitation and cloud forcing sensitivities to parameter changes in general circulation models. We also demonstrate that ensembles of short simulations are useful for understanding the evolution of model sensitivities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Culture and Language Discordance in the Workplace: Evidence From the National Home Health Aide Survey.

Purpose of the study Home health aides (HHAs) provide valuable resources to address existing and predicted needs for taking care of the aging population. Both the older adult and healthcare provider populations in the United States are becoming increasingly diverse. The study examined the effect of culture and language discordance between HHAs and their patients or coworkers on worker outcomes. Design and methods Data from this study were from the 2007 National Home Health Aide Survey. T Tests and ordinary least squares regression were used to analyze the relationships between cultural discordance and worker outcomes. Results Cultural discordance with patients was associated with lower levels of job satisfaction among HHAs. Cultural discordance with coworkers was associated with lower levels of job satisfaction and, increased intent to leave one's job. Implications The current study suggests that cultural discordance does affect worker outcomes. However, home healthcare workers appear to differentiate between cultural discordance with patients and with coworkers. This article concludes with strategies for all involved in the care of older adults to improve the experience of HHAs and to ensure patients receive the best possible care.
Functional morphology of the douc langur (Pygathrix spp.) scapula.

Most colobine monkeys primarily move through their arboreal environment quadrupedally. Douc langurs (Pygathrix spp.), however, are regularly observed to use suspensory behaviors at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC) in Northern Vietnam. Previous work has linked variation in scapular morphology to different modes of primate arboreal locomotion. Here we investigate whether the shape of the Pygathrix scapula resembles obligate brachiators (gibbons) or obligate arboreal quadrupeds (other cercopithecoids). Using a MicroScribe G2X 3D digitizer, the positions of 17 landmarks were recorded on 15 different species of nonhuman primates (n = 100) from three categories of locomotor behavior: brachiator, arboreal quadruped, and unknown (Pygathrix). All analyses were conducted in the R package geomorph. A Procrustes analysis uniformly scaled the shape data and placed specimens into the same morphospace. A Principal Component Analysis was used to examine scapular shape and a Procrustes ANOVA was conducted to test for shape difference in the scapulae. A pairwise analysis was used to compare the means of the locomotor categories and identify any statistically significant differences. A phylogenetically controlled Procrustes ANOVA was also conducted using a phylogeny from 10kTrees. Results show Pygathrix scapular morphology is significantly different from both arboreal colobine quadrupeds (p < 0.01) and hylobatid brachiators (p < 0.01). It does, however, share some features with each including a long vertebral border, like other cercopithecoids, and a more laterally projecting acromion process, like the hylobatids. The principal difference segregating Pygathrix from both the arboreal quadrupeds and the brachiators is the more medially placed superior angle. These nuanced morphological characteristics associated with suspensory behaviors may be useful for inferring suspensory locomotion in the primate fossil record.
A robust protocol for efficient generation, and genomic characterization of insertional mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Random insertional mutagenesis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using drug resistance cassettes has contributed to the generation of tens of thousands of transformants in dozens of labs around the world. In many instances these insertional mutants have helped elucidate the genetic basis of various physiological processes in this model organism. Unfortunately, the insertion sites of many interesting mutants are never defined due to experimental difficulties in establishing the location of the inserted cassette in the Chlamydomonas genome. It is fairly common that several months, or even years of work are conducted with no result. Here we describe a robust method to identify the location of the inserted DNA cassette in the Chlamydomonas genome. Insertional mutants were generated using a DNA cassette that confers paromomycin resistance. This protocol identified the cassette insertion site for greater than 80% of the transformants. In the majority of cases the insertion event was found to be simple, without large deletions of flanking genomic DNA. Multiple insertions were observed in less than 10% of recovered transformants. The method is quick, relatively inexpensive and does not require any special equipment beyond an electroporator. The protocol was tailored to ensure that the sequence of the Chlamydomonas genomic DNA flanking the random insertion is consistently obtained in a high proportion of transformants. A detailed protocol is presented to aid in the experimental design and implementation of mutant screens in Chlamydomonas.
Childhood Maltreatment and Child Protective Services Involvement Among the Commercially Sexually Exploited: A Comparison of Women Who Enter as Juveniles or as Adults.

AbstractA risk for commercial sexual exploitation is childhood maltreatment. It’s unknown whether juveniles in commercial sexual exploitation experience more childhood maltreatment than adults or how involved child protective services is in investigating maltreatment, a focus of this study. Women (N = 96) who sold sex commercially completed a cross-sectional questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t tests, chi-squares, and odds ratios were used to examine differences in background, childhood maltreatment, and child protective services involvement by juvenile or adult entry. Although 93% of participants experienced child maltreatment, juveniles had increased odds of parent/caregiver sexual abuse, being left alone, being kicked out, and running away from a parent/caregiver. There were no differences in cumulative childhood maltreatment resulting in an investigation or removal, indicating that juveniles not investigated or removed by child protective services had as much childhood maltreatment as juveniles wh...
Pulsed photonic fabrication of nanostructured metal oxide thin films

Nanostructured metal oxide thin films with a large specific surface area are preferable for practical device applications in energy conversion and storage. Herein, we report instantaneous (milliseconds) photonic synthesis of three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructured metal oxide thin films through the pulsed photoinitiated pyrolysis of organometallic precursor films made by chemical solution deposition. High wall-plug efficiency-pulsed photonic irradiation (xenon flash lamp, pulse width of 1.93 ms, fluence of 7.7 J/cm2 and frequency of 1.2 Hz) is used for scalable photonic processing. The photothermal effect of subsequent pulses rapidly improves the crystalline quality of nanocrystalline metal oxide thin films in minutes. The following paper highlights pulsed photonic fabrication of 3-D nanostructured TiO2, Co3O4, and Fe2O3 thin films, exemplifying a promising new method for the low-cost and high-throughput manufacturing of nanostructured metal oxide thin films for energy applications.
Quantifying Metabolically Driven pH and Oxygen Fluctuations in US Nearshore Habitats at Diel to Interannual Time Scales

We compiled and examined 15 years (2002–2016) of high-frequency monitoring data from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) to characterize diel to interannual variability of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO, % saturation) across 16 diverse, shallow-water habitats along the US Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Pacific coasts. We asked whether these systems exhibit a common pH/DO relationship, whether there were detectable interannual trends in temperature, pH, and DO within and across systems, and how pH/DO dynamics would relate to measured levels of nutrients and chlorophyll. Our analyses confirmed that large, metabolically driven, and thus concurrent fluctuations of pH and DO are a unifying feature of nearshore habitats. Moreover, we derived well-constrained relationships that predict (i) monthly mean pH or (ii) mean diel pH fluctuations across systems based on habitat mean salinity and (i) mean DO or (ii) mean diel DO fluctuations. This suggests that common metabolic principles drive diel to seasonal pH/DO variations within as well as across a diversity of estuarine environments. Yearly pH and DO anomalies did not show monotonous trends over the study period and differed considerably between sites and regions. However, weekly anomalies of means, diel minima, and diel ranges of pH and DO changed significantly over time and were strongly correlated to temperature anomalies. These general patterns lend strong empirical support to the notion that coastal acidification—in addition to being driven by eutrophication and atmospheric CO2 increases—is exacerbated simply by warming, likely via increasing community respiration. Nutrient and chlorophyll dynamics were inversely related in these shallow, well-mixed systems, but higher nutrient levels were still associated with lower pH and lower DO levels in most, but not all, systems. Our analyses emphasize the particular dynamics of nearshore habitats and the critical importance of NERRS and its system-wide monitoring program.
Residents’ perceptions of human–elephant conflict: case study in Bahundangi, Nepal

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) has created detrimental impacts to the residents of Bahundangi in eastern Nepal. This agricultural community is located in the north-east region of Jhapa District and is the principal point of entry for elephants from West Bengal, India. The impacts are widespread on agricultural lands, household livelihoods, personal property, and security. This study explores residents’ impacts via a qualitative approach whereby locals describe narratives about the state of HEC in their community. This method allows for further probing of the issues and identifies themes to be utilized as the next step to build assessments. Six focus group discussions were conducted among different stakeholders. Five themes were identified which were divided into ten subthemes. Results illustrated a range of opinions and were largely correlated based on where houses were located. Collectively, participants were troubled with the status quo and vented their frustration about the lack of commitment, coordination, and elephant controls by the government. Also, concerns were further emphasized about the increase in conflict intensity which has exacerbated annually. HEC issue has been deeply entrenched and needs a multipronged strategy for conflict mitigation. Results should assist policy and decision makers with respect to implementation of strategic measure for conflict alleviation.
Abstract 3703: The Effect of Naringenin and Antiarrhythmic Drugs on IKr Inhibition

Grapefruit juice has been reported to cause significant QT prolongation in healthy volunteers. Naringenin (N), the principal flavonoid in grapefruit juice, has been identified as the most potent HERG channel blocker among several dietary flavonoids. We evaluated the effect of combining N with IKr inhibiting antiarrhythmic drugs on the cardiac IKr channel. The effect of N combined with quinidine (Q), dofetilide (D) and amiodarone (A) were studied in an oocyte system with heterogeneously expressed human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) employing two electrodes voltage clamp technique for recording. The recording solution contained 96mM Na Cl, 5.0mM KCl, 2.0mM CaCl2, and 1.0mM MgCl2, 5mM HEPES and the pH of solution was adjusted with NaOH to 7.4. The experiments were performed at room temperature. N 100uM was found to inhibit HERG current by 31±6% and Q at 1 and 10uM cause 10±1 and 26±3% inhibition of HERG. N 100uM plus 1uM Q caused a 48±5% current inhibition. N 100uM plus 10uM Q caused a 58±6% block in HERG current. N 100uM combined with 1uM D and N 100uM combined with 10uM D caused 56±5 and 90±2% inhibition in HERG current, while D 1 and 10uM alone inhibited current 22±4 and 69±4% respectively. A 1uM decreased current by 20±2% and by 38±8% when combined with 100uM N. A 10uM alone caused 43±4% inhibition and the inhibition increased to 53±9% with the combination of 100uM N. N inhibits IKr and there is an additive inhibitory effect on IKr when N is combined with other IKr blocking antiarrhythmic drugs (Q, D and A). The additive IKr inhibition could pose an increased health risk by increasing repolarization delay and that could give rise to cardiac arrhythmias.
Economics: Vocation or Profession?

Should economics be pursued as a profession or a vocation? Below I argue that this choice of subjective orientation is enormously important, and tends to dictate whether an economist will serve the cause of truth and freedom, or waste his or her talents on convenience, ephemera, and statism. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives one definition of «vocation» as «The work or function to which a person is called; a mode of life or employment regarded as requiring dedication». The eminent semanticist S.I. Hayakawa also emphasizes «dedication» as the distinctive feature of a vocation which differentiates it from a profession. In praxeological terms, a vocation involves what Ludwig von Mises «introversive» labor while a profession involves «extroversive» labor. The essence of introversive labor is work undertaken solely for its own sake and not as a means to a more remote end. Extroversive labor, in contrast, is performed because the individual «prefers the proceeds he can earn by working to the disutility of labor and the pleasure of leisure». One of the «two most conspicuous examples» of introversive labor, according to Mises, is «the search for truth and knowledge pursued for its own sake and not as a means of improving one’s own efficiency and skill in the performance of other kinds of labor aiming at other ends». The second is «genuine sport, practiced without any design for reward and social success». It is not that the effort expended by the «truth seeker» or «mountain climber» does not involve the disutility of labor, rather «it is precisely overcoming the disutility of labor that satisfies him». Thus genuine truth seeking in any scientific discipline qualifies economically as «consumption» and its pursuit as a vocation.
Effects of ‘Intention-Based’ Robotic Exoskeleton on Muscle Activation Patterns during Overground Walking

Recent studies have reported positive outcomes following use of the Tibion Bionic Leg (TBL). Here we investigated EMG changes during overground walking while wearing the TBL. In healthy participants, EMG modulation was reduced and EMG phasing was altered in proximal muscles while EMG amplitude was altered in distal muscles. Responses to the TBL in persons post-stroke were more subtle, but reveal EMG reorganization towards normal. Thus, functional improvements may result from repetitive practice with more appropriate EMG phasing and increased activation.
Mechanical characterization of MEMS bi-stable buckled diaphragms

Bi-stable buckled MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) diaphragms have a myriad of uses in the MEMS field for their large out-of-plane deflections. Buckling is a phenomenon brought upon by a compressive stress. Diaphragms are large aspect ratio, circular structures similar to membranes, where the thickness of the diaphragm is much smaller than its diameter. Diaphragms differ from membranes by the amount of bending stiffness. Membranes have negligible bending stiffness and are a common structure analyzed in mechanics of materials, whereas diaphragms have much larger stiffness. Diaphragms were created in the cleanroom by thermally growing silicon dioxide on a silicon wafer. A structural polyimide layer was added on top of the silicon dioxide. The created diaphragms demonstrate bi-stability, meaning that they can be switched either up or down using an applied pressure. After the pressure is removed the diaphragms remain in their new respective states. The pressure required to switch the membranes is known as the actuation or snap-through pressure, and is of primary interest. The vertical displacement of the center of the diaphragms, known as the buckled height, is also of interest. A finite element model of the diaphragm was created using ANSYS. This model was used to generate both actuation pressure and buckled height data. These two data sources are compared extensively in an attempt to further understand the behavior of the experimental system. Buckled height data between experimental data and the finite element model were found to match well. This information can be used in the production of micro-valves and micro-actuators in the future. Actuation pressure found from the finite element model follows the trend and closely models the values of experimental data for a range of
Where is global waste management heading? An analysis of solid waste sector commitments from nationally-determined contributions.

Abstract Waste-sector greenhouse gas emissions have long been accepted as a critical component of climate change mitigation efforts because of the significant radiative forcing of methane (CH4) production from municipal landfills and other emissions from waste management processes. In developed countries, waste generation is expected to peak and decline by the end of the century, whereas waste generation is rapidly rising in many developing nations. The extent to which the countries of the world are planning to handle future quantities of waste has not been explored in detail. This work provides the first detailed account of future waste management planning and waste-sector mitigation strategies through an analysis of stated commitments in the 174 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs, documents outlining each country’s actions to mitigate carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate) that have been filed to date within the Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat in Bonn. One-hundred thirty-seven of 174 countries that submitted NDCs included waste-sector emission mitigation actions, representing approximately 85% of all global emissions. About half (67) of the countries that included waste sector mitigation tactics identified infrastructure or policy actions to meet mitigation commitments, but these strategies vary widely in their scope and level of detail. Landfilling was the most commonly-cited waste-sector commitment (n = 47), followed by deriving energy from waste through various techniques (n = 42). Countries targeting improved solid waste collections had less extensive coverage (µcollection = 38% of generated waste collected) than countries that did not prioritize improved collections (µcollection = 46% of waste generation), but countries not prioritizing the waste sector at all in NDCs had the most limited waste collection coverage (µcollection = 33%). Almost all of the countries that specified emissions inventory assumptions (132 of 135) use outdated CH4 global warming potential values which, coupled with missing or poor waste management data suggests many countries may be underestimating the importance of waste sector emissions in national emissions portfolios. Several examples of data collection and reporting models are identified that can help to inform and potentially improve life-cycle environmental outcomes in the waste sector. Adaptation strategies detailed in NDCs have largely overlooked the waste sector, suggesting inadequate incorporation of future climate scenarios in waste sector infrastructure planning.
Fuzzy Dynamic Programming

Dynamic programming has become a very large field of applications. Any management science/operations research book will discuss this topic and have list of references on the topic. Fuzzy dynamic programming is dynamic programming with some of the parameters/variables fuzzy. Put “fuzzy dynamic programming” into your search engine and get around 500 hits. A few key references on fuzzy dynamic programming are ([1]-[5],[7]-[9]. The inventory control problems discussed in Chapters 20-22 are usually solved by dynamic programming. Sequential decision problems usually fall into the dynamic programming area. So, fuzzy dynamic programming might be used on the fuzzy inventory control problems in those chapters. However, we used Monte Carlo methods there and will do the same in this chapter.
Multimodal Representation of Complex Spatial Data

For blind users, spatial information is often presented in non-spatial form such as electronic speech.We explore the possibility of representing spatial data on refreshable tactile graphic displays in combination with audio feedback and utilizing both static and dynamic tactile information. We demonstrate an implementation of a New York Times style crossword puzzle, providing interactions to query location and stored data, ask for clues in across and down directions, edit and fill in the crossword puzzle using a Perkins style braille keyboard or a typewriter-style keyboard , and verify answers. Through our demonstration, we explore tradeoffs related to available tactile real estate, and overcrowding of the tactile image with a view toward reducing the cognitive workload involved in retaining a working mental model of the active grid, and the time to complete a letter placement task.
Pediatric in-hospital CPR quality at night and on weekends.

Abstract Introduction Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) has been reported to be worse for arrests at night or during weekends.This study aimed to determine whether measured cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality metrics might explain this difference in outcomes. Methods IHCA data was collected by the Pediatric Resuscitation Quality (pediRES-Q) collaborative for patients Results We evaluated 6915 sixty-second epochs of chest compression (CC) data from 239 subjects between October 2015 and March 2019, across 18 hospitals. There was no significant difference in CPR quality metrics during day (07:00–22:59) versus night (23:00–06:59), or weekdays (Monday 07:00 to Friday 22:59) versus weekends (Friday 23:00 to Monday 06:59).There was also no difference in rate of return of circulation. However, survival to hospital discharge was higher for arrests that occurred during the day (39.1%) vs. nights (22.4%, p = 0.015), as well as on weekdays (39.9%) vs. weekends (19.1%, p = 0.003). Conclusions For pediatric IHCA where CC metrics were obtained, there was no significant difference in CPR quality metrics or rate of return of circulation by time of day or day of week. There was higher survival to hospital discharge when arrests occurred during the day (vs. nights), or on weekdays (vs. weekends), and this difference was not related to disparities in CC quality.
Miller in China

This essay explores the various meanings of “Miller in China,” including translation and dissemination of his texts in China, stagings of his plays by Chinese theater companies, his own 1983 direction of Death of a Salesman in Beijing in collaboration with Ying Ruocheng, and current retellings of that watershed event in new theater projects outside of China. Together, these different forms illuminate the important influence Miller’s involvement with China continues to have in the twenty-first century.
Practical Comparable Data Collection for Low-Resource Languages via Images.

We propose a method of curating high-quality comparable training data for low-resource languages with monolingual annotators. Our method involves using a carefully selected set of images as a pivot between the source and target languages by getting captions for such images in both languages independently. Human evaluations on the English-Hindi comparable corpora created with our method show that 81.1% of the pairs are acceptable translations, and only 2.47% of the pairs are not translations at all. We further establish the potential of the dataset collected through our approach by experimenting on two downstream tasks - machine translation and dictionary extraction. All code and data are available at this https URL.
Helmet CPAP revisited in COVID-19 pneumonia: A case series.

Introduction Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) plays an important role in the management of respiratory failure. However, since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilization of traditional face mask NIPPV has been curtailed in part due to risk of aerosolization of respiratory particles and subsequent health care worker exposure. A randomized clinical trial in 2016 reported that an alternative interface, helmet NIPPV, may be more effective than traditional NIPPV at preventing intubation and improving mortality. The helmet NIPPV interface provides positive airway pressure, while also theoretically minimizing aerosolization, making it a feasible modality in management of respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients. Case and outcomes This report describes a single-center experience of a series of three COVID-19 patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure managed with helmet NIPPV. One patient was able to avoid intubation while a second patient was successfully extubated to NIPPV. Ultimately, the third patient was unable to avoid intubation with helmet NIPPV, although the application of the device was late in the progression of the disease. Discussion NIPPV is an important modality in the management of respiratory failure and has been shown to reduce the need for immediate endotracheal intubation in select populations. For patients unable to tolerate facemask NIPPV, the helmet provides an alternate interface. In COVID-19 patients, the helmet interface may reduce the risk of virus exposure to health care workers from aerosolization. Based on this experience, we recommend that helmet NIPPV can be considered as a feasible option for the management of patients with COVID-19, whether the goal is to prevent immediate intubation or avoid post-extubation respiratory failure. Randomized studies are needed to definitively validate the use of helmet NIPPV in this population. Conclusion Helmet NIPPV is a feasible therapy to manage COVID-19 patients.
Single-shot time-reversed optical focusing into and through scattering media

Optical time reversal can focus light through or into scattering media, which raises a new possibility for conquering optical diffusion. Because optical time reversal must be completed within the correlation time of speckles, enhancing the speed of time-reversed optical focusing is important for practical applications. Although employing faster digital devices for time-reversal helps, more efficient methodologies are also desired. Here, we report a single-shot time-reversed optical focusing method to minimize the wavefront measurement time. In our approach, all information requisite for optical time reversal is extracted from a single-shot hologram, and hence no other preconditions or measurements are required. In particular, we demonstrate the first realization of single-shot time-reversed ultrasonically encoded (TRUE) optical focusing into scattering media. By using the minimum amount of measurement, this work breaks the fundamental speed limit of digitally based time reversal for focusing into and through scattering media, and constitutes an important step toward high-speed wavefront shaping applications.
Sumset and inverse sumset theory for shannon entropy

Let G = (G, +) be an additive group. The sumset theory of Plunnecke and Ruzsa gives several relations between the size of sumsets A + B of finite sets A, B, and related objects such as iterated sumsets kA and difference sets A − B, while the inverse sumset theory of Freiman, Ruzsa, and others characterizes those finite sets A for which A + A is small. In this paper we establish analogous results in which the finite set A ⊂ G is replaced by a discrete random variable X taking values in G, and the cardinality |A| is replaced by the Shannon entropy H(X). In particular, we classify those random variables X which have small doubling in the sense that H(X1 + X2) = H(X) + O(1) when X1, X2 are independent copies of X, by showing that they factorize as X = U + Z, where U is uniformly distributed on a coset progression of bounded rank, and H(Z) = O(1). When G is torsion-free, we also establish the sharp lower bound $\Ent(X+X) \geq \Ent(X) + \frac{1}{2} \log 2-o(1)$ , where o(1) goes to zero as H(X) → ∞.
Estimating Mountain Glacier Flowlines by Local Linear Regression Gradient Descent

Motivated by the need to monitor mountain glaciers, this article addresses the estimation of a mountain glacier's flowline, along which the movement of the glacier's terminus can be captured. We propose a method for estimating glacier flowlines through local linear regression gradient descent (gd-flow) on digital elevation model (DEM) images. We additionally propose an aggregation method (median gd-flow) that increases the accuracy of gd-flow by combining flowlines corresponding to different gd-flow window sizes. We compare gd-flow and median gd-flow to a standard hydrological flow model (D8) and a variant of D8 (D8-smooth), which applies D8 to a smooth DEM, across 25 glaciers using manually drawn flowlines as a reference standard. We assess the performance via simulations considering variable terrain and image quantization. Our proposed algorithm (gd-flow) outperforms D8 and D8-smooth in both applied and simulated settings, while median gd-flow further improves gd-flow by leveraging the accuracy of multiple window sizes.
The 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index in the Geriatric Surgical Population:

BackgroundThe modified frailty index (mFI-11) is a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)–based 11-factor index that has been proven to adequately reflect frailty and predict mortali...
Dissecting the neural circuitry of fear-induced appetite suppression.

The circuit that links stress and fear to feeding behavior is poorly understood. In this issue of Neuron, Yang et al. detail a trisynaptic, cannabinoid-dependent circuit that underlies appetite suppression in response to a fearful stimulus and provide evidence of noradrenaline and glutamate co-transmission in locus coeruleus.
Association of Rideshare Use With Alcohol-Associated Motor Vehicle Crash Trauma.

Importance Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are an important public health concern. Recent trends suggest that introducing rideshare services has decreased the incidence of MVCs. However, detailed analyses linking rideshare volume, convictions for impaired driving, and nonfatal MVC traumas remain inconclusive. Objective To determine if there is an association between rideshare use and MVC traumas and convictions for impaired driving in Houston, Texas. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter cohort study was conducted between January 2007 and November 2019 with hospital data from the Red Duke Trauma Institute within the Memorial Hermann Hospital–Texas Medical Center and Ben Taub General Hospital. Rideshare data from Uber and Google covered trips taken within Houston, Texas, from February 2014 (the date of deployment of Uber to Houston) to December 2018. Impaired driving convictions included all indictments made by the Harris County, Texas, District Attorney’s office from January 2007 to December 2018. All adults with MVC traumas evaluated at both centers in the study population (individuals >16 years with a mechanism of injury classified under “motor vehicle collision”) were included. Impaired driving incidents were included only if the final legal outcome was conviction. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary study outcomes were the incident rate ratios for hourly MVC traumas and daily impaired driving convictions. Results A total of 23 491 MVC traumas (involving patients with a mean [SD] age of 37.9 [17.8] years and 14 603 male individuals [62.1%]), 93 742 impaired driving convictions, and more than 24 million Uber rides were analyzed. Following the introduction of Uber in February 2014, MVC traumas decreased by 23.8% (from a mean [SD] of 0.26 [0.04] to 0.21 [0.06] trauma incidents per hour) during peak trauma periods (Friday and Saturday nights). The incident rate ratio of MVC traumas following Uber deployment was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.17-0.67) per 1000 indexed rides (P = .002). Furthermore, rideshare use was associated with a significant, geographically linked reduction in impaired driving convictions between January 2014 to December 2019 (incidence rate ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.73-0.78];P Conclusions and Relevance In this study, introducing rideshare services in the Houston metropolitan area was associated with significant reductions in MVC traumas and impaired driving convictions. Increased use of rideshares may be an effective means of reducing impaired driving and decreasing rate of MVC traumas.
Atherogenic oxoaldehyde of cholesterol induces innate immune response in monocytes and macrophages

Cholesterol oxidation product, 3β-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al (cholesterol 5,6-secosterol, ChSeco or Atheronal-A), formed at inflammatory sites, has been shown to promote monocyte differentiation into macrophages and cause elevated expression of macrophage scavenger receptors. Since inflammation is a key event at all stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation, the pro-inflammatory actions of ChSeco in human THP-1 monocytes and mouse J774 macrophages were investigated in the present study by employing ELISA, qRT-PCR, and functional assays. An increase in the secretion of interleukin-8 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoform AA and, to a limited extent, PDGF isoform BB was observed into the culture medium of THP-1 monocytes exposed to ChSeco. However, no changes were seen in the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. In J774 macrophages treated with ChSeco, there was an upregulation of gene expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors. Concomitantly, there was down-regulation of gene expression of interleukin-1s, interleukin-10, and lymphotoxin-beta. An increase in the release of interleukin-18 and chemokine (C–C motif) ligand-20 from J774 macrophages (which corroborated well with their gene expression profiles) and increased binding of THP-1 monocytes to ChSeco-exposed human aortic endothelial cells were observed. The results of the present study, for the first time, demonstrate the pro-inflammatory action of ChSeco and suggest the underlying pro-atherogenic mechanisms. These could be mediated through enhanced monocyte recruitment into the sub-endothelial space and subsequent proliferation of smooth muscle cells under the influence of monocyte-derived PDGF.
Dose Volume Histogram Prediction from Prior Data in Advanced Lung Cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction from prior radiation therapy (RT) data. Methods An Oncospace RT database was constructed including images, structures, and dose distributions for patients with advanced lung cancer. DVH data was queried for each total lungs, esophagus, heart, and the external body contour. Each query returned DVH data for the N- most similar organs at risk (OARs) based on OAR-to- planning target volume (PTV) geometry via the overlap volume histograms (OVH). DVHs for 5, 20, and 50 of the most similar OVHs were returned for each OAR, for each patient. The OVH(0cm) is the relative volume of the OAR overlapping with PTV; OVH(2cm) is relative volume of the OAR 2cm away from PTV. The OVH(cm) and DVH(%) queried from the database were separated into inter-quartile-range (IQR), non-outlier range (NOR)=3*IQR, and the average database DVH (DVH-DB) computed from the NOR-data. The ability to predict clinically delivered DVH was evaluated based on percentiles and differences between DVH-DB and the clinical DVH (DVH-CL) for varying number of returned patient organs for a subset of patients. Results The ability to predict clinically delivered DVH was excellent in lungs and body; the IQR, NOR were 10% for 12/23 esophagi and 10/23 hearts. In esophagus and heart queries, the NOR was often 10%-100% volume in dose ranges between 0-50% of prescription independent of the number of patients queried. Conclusions Utilizing prior data to predict clinical dosimetry is of increased interest, but model- and data-driven methods have limitations if based on limited datasets. We show prediction is reasonable in organs containing tumor with known overlap, but for non-overlapped OARs planning preference and plan design may dominate clinical dose.
Least Squares Estimation and Imaging Using Phase and Frequency Measurements of the Nonlinear Parameter B/A

There is growing interest in acoustic nonlinearity since Muir and Carstensenl and Carstensen et al.2 questioned the assumption of linear propagation of ultrasound in biological media. Nonlinearity of the pressure-density relationship of a medium is measured quantitatively in terms of the B/A parameter, which is the ratio of the coefficients of quadratic and linear terms of a Taylor series used to express an equation of the state of a medium in terms of pressure and density. Because the parameter B/A can be used to characterize tissues, interest in measuring B/A has increased significantly.3,4,5,6,7
Reflecting Forward: Gastroenterology in the New Millennium

As Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr first said, “Prediction is difficult, especially when it concerns the future.” Anticipating where trends in clinical gastroenterology and research may lead in the new millennium is therefore fraught with danger. However, it is at least apparent that a number of forces will result in a very different field of gastroenterology.
Comparative Regionalism: Economics and Security

1. Introduction Part I: Globalization, Economic Reform, and Regional Relations 2. Internationalization and Political Coalitions (1998) 3. Coalitions, Strategic Interaction and Regional Outcomes (1998) 4. Mapping Internationalization: Domestic and Regional Impacts (2001) Part II: Regional Effects of Democratic Institutions 5. Pax Asiatica versus Bella Levantina: The Foundations of War and Peace in East Asia and the Middle East (2007) 6. Democratization in the Middle East: Quandaries of the Peace Process (1996) 7. Economic and Political Liberalization in China: Implications for US-China Relations (2009) Part III: Regional Institutions: Sources, Design, and Effects 8. The Genesis, Design and Effects of Regional Institutions: Lessons from East Asia and the Middle East (2008) 9. The Triple Logic of the European-Mediterranean Partnership: Hindsight and Foresight (2003) Part IV: Regional Security Trajectories 10. Findings, Futures, and Policy Implications (2007)
Protein Shakes: An Unusual Cause of Gastric Phytobezoar

A 35-year-old healthy man presented with gradually progressive abdominal pain and distention, nausea, vomiting, early satiety, and 4.5-kg weight gain over 3-4 months. His routine blood work, thyroid panel, ultrasound, and abdominal/pelvic CT were unremarkable. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a large gastric phytobezoar extending from gastric fundus to antrum (Figure 1). The patient disclosed his passion for exercising, including an intense gym regimen and a high intake of protein shakes (3-4 per day) over the previous 6 months. While he expressed interest in surgical removal of the bezoar, he was counseled to try conservative measures. He was started on papain, 1–2 tsp in 250 mL water by mouth 3 times per day, pineapple juice/cola to assist in dissolving bezoar, and metoclopramide to assist with gastric emptying. Repeat EGD 1 month later revealed significant decrease in the size of gastric phytobezoar, allowing endoscopic removal of the residual small phytobezoar (Figure 2). His symptoms resolved, and he now avoids overuse of protein shakes.
Revegetation of natural and human-caused disturbances in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania*

Patterns of revegetation on natural and human-caused disturbances in grasslands and savannas of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, were investigated by recording species compositions on all disturbances, in the undisturbed vegetation, and in unique microhabitats in 51 sites along a north-to-south transect through the park. The 487 resulting samples were ordinated by detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and classified by two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). Natural disturbances were, in most cases, ordinated near or classified together with the climax sample from the same site but human-caused disturbances were classified separately. Human disturbances from all regions of the park were classified together in one group, while natural disturbances were divided into communities associated with different rainfall regimes. Natural disturbances were revegetated by species growing in the surrounding undisturbed communities while human-caused disturbances were revegetated by a set of ruderal species not found in the undisturbed communities nor in natural disturbances.
Racial Identity and Intergroup Attitudes: A Multiracial Youth Analysis†

Objective This article examines the racial identity attitudes of white, black, and Hispanic youth and explores how these identities shape their feelings toward various racial and ethnic groups (whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Arabs, and biracial individuals). Methods Using the 2005 Youth Culture Survey data set, we test our theoretical expectations using descriptive statistics and multiple regression models. Results The relationship between racial identification and out-group attitudes varies among racial groups; specifically, racial identity variables do not have a significant impact on whites’ out-group attitudes, but they do matter for blacks and Hispanics. Conclusion While American society has changed in many ways (i.e., increased number of minorities and more tolerance, or at least more discussion of acceptance, for racial groups), our research finds that race still plays a consequential role in the lives of young racial minorities.
The infection of leafhoppers by western X-disease virus: I. Frequency of transmission after injection or acquisition feeding

Abstract Western X-disease virus (WXV) was transmitted to healthy Colladonus montanus Van Duzee by injection of hemolymph or clarified extracts from infected vectors. Virus was first transmitted to healthy celery 11–14 days after the insects were injected with infectious hemolymph. The inoculativity of vectors injected with all inocula reached a peak, then declined rapidly. When tenfold dilutions of extract from infected vectors were injected, the position of the transmission curve for each dilution with respect to the time scale was a function of virus concentration. The latent period in the vector and time of peak transmission were therefore extended when dilutions of extract were injected. Transmission curves obtained from leafhoppers acquiring WXV by feeding on diseased celery were similar to those obtained after injection of a 10 −3 dilution of extract from infected vectors. Percentages of insects transmitting WXV in 2- and 4-day inoculation access periods could be converted to single-day percentages by binomial probability calculations.
R. ARELEH ROTH'S PRISTINE FAITH

Areleh Roth responded to the Holocaust by labouring to have Jews actualize pristine faith. As the slaughter in Europe mended the sinful universe prior to the advent of the Messiah, the living were enjoined to bring to bear the faith which was experienced by Abraham and which the people of Israel inherited over the ages. This meant struggling against the forces of Amalek who clouded the perception of God's presence amid the tragedy. Under divine aegis, Amalek brought suffering to induce repentance, he tested the people in order to activate free will, and clouded the perception of God's presence amid catastrophe. The struggle centred on annulling one's personality entirely, enabling God to enter the heart so completely as to totally replace the ego. This was the experience of pristine faith, and with it one related to God, through Abraham, and gained the strength to endure the tragedy. Even more, one's soul could join the ascent of those sparks which were dispersed upon the cosmic catastrophe (described by ...