cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinematics and Relative Motion

This chapter describes the kinematics of point masses and rigid bodies when non-inertial coordinate systems (frames) are used to describe their motion. We obtain relative velocity and acceleration expressions for moving frames and then apply those expressions to find the velocities and accelerations of constrained systems of rigid bodies at specific instances of time, similar to what is done in many elementary dynamics texts. However, we also show that it is possible to determine the kinematics of a constrained system of rigid bodies more completely as a function of time. In some cases this can be done analytically but in general the solution must be done numerically since the positional constraints are normally nonlinear. To solve the positional constraints we use the Newton-Raphson method. Kinematics is treated in this chapter both by the traditional vector approach and by an equivalent matrix-vector method that is more readily suited to dealing with complex systems. The matrix-vector approach for planar problems is covered in Sects. 4.4 and 4.5 while more general three-dimensional problems are treated in Sect. 4.6 and those that follow. Three-dimensional rotations are described in terms of both Euler angles and Euler parameters as these are the most commonly used generalized rotational coordinates. Some classical examples of the dynamics effects seen in rotating coordinate systems, such as the Foucault pendulum, are also given.
Behavioral implications of mechanistic ecology : Thermal and behavioral modeling of desert ectotherms and their microenvironment.

Mechanistic principles from engineering, meteorology, and soil physics are integrated with ecology and physiology to develop models for prediction of animal behavior. The Mojave Desert biome and the desert iguana are used to illustrate these principles.A transient energy balance model for animals in an outdoor environment is presented. The concepts and relationships have been tested in a wind tunnel, in a simulated desert, and in the field. The animal model requires anatomical information and knowledge of the thermoregulatory responses of the animal. The micrometeorological model requires only basic meteorological parameters and two soil physical properties as inputs. Tests of the model in the field show agreement between predicted and measured temperatures above and below the surface of about 2 to 3°C.The animal and micrometeorological models are combined to predict daily and seasonal activity patterns, available times for predator-prey interaction, and daily, seasonal and annual requirements for food and water. It is shown that food, water and the thermal environment can limit animal activity, and furthermore, the controlling limit changes with season. Actual observations of activity patterns and our predictions show close agreement, in many cases, and pose intriguing questions in those situations where agreement does not exist. This type of modeling can be used to further study predator-prey interactions, to study how changes in the environment might affect animal behavior, and to answer other important ecological and physiological questions.
Influenza Neuraminidase: Underrated Role in Receptor Binding

Influenza virus neuraminidase cleaves sialic acid groups from cell glycoproteins, enabling release of the virus from host cells. Neuraminidase also contributes to virus binding to the sialic acid groups of cell glycoproteins, which could complement the receptor-binding function of hemagglutinin, enhancing enzymatic activities of neuraminidase, and facilitate virus infection.
Implementing Generalized Panel Data Stochastic Frontier Estimators

Abstract The use of panel data in models examining efficiency and productivity are ubiquitous. The prevalence of panel data appears at both the academic and professional levels. This is no coincidence. The academic interest in stochastic frontier analysis with panel data stems from the ability to decompose various forms of heterogeneity into noise and inefficiency and to examine the behavior of technology over time. For policymakers and regulators, how firms respond to regulatory oversight and benchmarking warrants use of panel data almost by definition, and the increase in observations provided by panel data has the potential to improve estimation efficiency and add power to any inference that is conducted. Thus, panel data stochastic frontier models are legion and of broad appeal.
Radiation Dose for Multiregion CT Protocols: Challenges and Limitations

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to devise a method for classification of individual chest and abdomen-pelvis CT doses for multiregion CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective analysis of volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) associated with chest (150 adult patients), abdomen-pelvis (150 patients), and multiregion combined chest-abdomen-pelvis CT (210 patients; 60 single-run chest-abdomen-pelvis CT; 150 split-run with separate chest and abdomen-pelvis CT). All 510 CT examinations were performed with one of four MDCT scanners (64-, 64-, 128-, 256-MDCT). CTDIvol, DLP, and scan length were recorded. Scan lengths were obtained for these 510 CT examinations and for an additional 7745 examinations of patients at another institution. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and ROC analysis. RESULTS. The respective DLPs (chest, 258-381 mGy · cm; abdomen-pelvis, 360-433 mGy · cm; single-run chest-abdomen-pelvis, 595-636 mGy · cm) and scan lengths (chest, 31-33 cm; abdomen-pelvis, 45-46 cm; single-run chest-abdomen-pelvis, 63-65 cm) for chest, abdomen-pelvis, and multiregion combined chest-abdomen-pelvis CT were significantly different (p 0.05). ROC analysis of chest and abdomen examinations showed an ideal scan length threshold of 38 cm to differentiate abdomen-pelvis CT from chest CT with accuracy of 97.39% and an AUC of 0.9764. CONCLUSION. Despite interscanner variabilities in CT radiation doses, shorter scan length for chest than for abdomen-pelvis CT enables accurate binning of radiation doses for split-run combined chest-abdomen-pelvis CT.
Comparison of Surgical Encounter Direct Costs for Three Methods of Cubital Tunnel Decompression.

Background In situ decompression, subcutaneous transposition, and submuscular transposition for cubital tunnel syndrome have historically yielded similar outcomes. The authors' null hypothesis is that no differences exist in surgical encounter total direct costs for in situ decompression, subcutaneous transposition, and submuscular transposition. Methods Adult patients treated surgically for cubital tunnel syndrome by four fellowship-trained hand surgeons between August of 2011 and December of 2016 were identified by CPT code (64718) at their tertiary academic institution. Patients with prior elbow surgery or fracture/dislocation and those undergoing revision or additional simultaneous procedures were excluded. Using their institution's information technology value tools, the authors extracted prospectively collected surgical encounter total direct costs data for each surgical encounter. Costs were compared between groups and modeled using univariate and multivariable gamma regression. Results In situ decompression, subcutaneous transposition, and submuscular transposition were performed on 45, 62, and 14 unique surgical encounters, respectively, with mean surgical times of 28.0, 46.5, and 50.0 minutes, respectively. Costs differed significantly between surgical methods. Surgical method and provider significantly affected surgical encounter total direct costs in the univariate model. Multivariable modeling demonstrated that subcutaneous transposition was 1.18-fold more costly than in situ decompression and submuscular transposition was 1.55-fold more costly than in situ decompression while controlling for age, sex, and provider. Conclusions Surgical costs differed significantly between in situ decompression, subcutaneous transposition, and submuscular transposition. Given historically similar outcomes reported for these techniques, cost differences should be considered in addition to clinical factors to inform surgical decision-making for cubital tunnel syndrome patients.
Superior Capsule Reconstruction for Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Systematic Review.

Purpose To evaluate the preliminary clinical outcomes and complications of superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) for irreparable rotator cuff tears. Methods A systematic review of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies reporting clinical outcomes of irreparable rotator cuff tears managed by SCR were included. Clinical outcome analyses of pre- and postoperative range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores, visual analog scale pain scores, and acromiohumeral intervals (AHIs) were performed and reported as range or frequency. Results Five studies (285 patients, 291 shoulders) of level III-IV evidence were included, with a weighted mean (± standard deviation) follow-up of 27.7 ± 17.3 months. Forward flexion improved from 91°-130° preoperatively to 147°-160° postoperatively, external rotation from 26°-41° to 41°-45°, and internal rotation from L4-L1 to L1. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores increased from 36-52.2 to 77.5-92, and visual analog scale pain scores decreased from 4.0-6.3 to 0.4-1.7. Radiographically, AHIs with acellular dermal allograft ranged from 4.5 to 7.1 mm preoperatively, improving to 7.6-10.8 mm immediately postoperation before decreasing to 6.7-9.7 mm by final follow-up. Complication and graft failure rates were 17.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Conclusions Preliminary results of SCR show consistent improvement in shoulder functionality and pain reduction. However, a decrease in postoperative AHIs indicates dermal allograft elongation and persistent superior migration of the humerus, potentially contributing to later graft failure. Studies with longer follow-up will be essential to evaluate the long-term utility of SCR in the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of level III-IV studies.
ANODEV2: A Coupled Neural ODE Framework

It has been observed that residual networks can be viewed as the explicit Euler discretization of an Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE). This observation motivated the introduction of so-called Neural ODEs, in which other discretization schemes and/or adaptive time stepping techniques can be used to improve the performance of residual networks. Here, we propose \OURS, which extends this approach by introducing a framework that allows ODE-based evolution for both the weights and the activations, in a coupled formulation. Such an approach provides more modeling flexibility, and it can help with generalization performance. We present the formulation of \OURS, derive optimality conditions, and implement the coupled framework in PyTorch. We present empirical results using several different configurations of \OURS, testing them on the CIFAR-10 dataset. We report results showing that our coupled ODE-based framework is indeed trainable, and that it achieves higher accuracy, compared to the baseline ResNet network and the recently-proposed Neural ODE approach.
Phenotypic variation in climate-associated traits of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) along elevation gradients in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Red spruce (Picea rubens) is a long-lived tree species that thrives in cool, moist environs. Its ability to adapt to rapidly changing climate is uncertain. In the southern Appalachian Mountains, red spruce reaches its greatest abundance at high elevations, but can also occur across a range of mid and lower elevations, suggesting the possibility of a correlation between genetic variation and habitat. To assess clinal phenotypic variation in functional traits related to climate adaptation, we collected seed from 82 maternal sib families located along replicated elevational gradients in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN (GSMNP) and Mount Mitchell State Park, NC (MMSP). The percentage of filled seeds and seed mass increased with elevation, indicating that successful pollination and seed development was greatest at the highest elevations. Seedlings sourced from GSMNP displayed a strong relationship between elevation and bud set when grown under common garden conditions. High elevation families set bud as many as 10 days earlier than low elevation families, indicating adaptation to local climate. Across parks, no effect of elevation was noted for bud flush. Our results demonstrate that red spruce in the southern Appalachian Mountains displays clinal variation in bud set that may reflect local adaptation to climate, although this varied between the two parks sampled. We suggest that genetic adaption of red spruce to different climate regimes, at both local and broad spatial scales, is in need of more intensive study, and should be carefully considered when selecting seed sources for restoration.
Readmissions after Pancreatic Surgery in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: Does Hospital Variation Exist for Quality Measurement?

Background The appropriateness of using readmission rate after pancreatic surgery among pancreatic cancer patients as a quality metric to evaluate hospital performance has been widely discussed in the literature. Objectives The present study reported readmission rate using Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), examined the reasons and risk factors for readmissions, and evaluated the appropriateness of using it as a quality metric. Method We analyzed 3,619 patient discharge records in 2014. The outcome of interest was all-cause 30-day readmission. Reasons for readmission were grouped into clinical associated categories. Hierarchical regression model was used for examining the relationship between risk factors and readmission. Results The 30-day readmission rate was 20.95%. The most common reason for readmission was surgery-related complication. In descriptive analyses, age, certain comorbidities, number of chronic conditions, mortality risk, severity of illness, living at large metropolitan area, resident of the state where patients received initial care, postoperative complication, length of stay, discharge location, and receiving care at the hospitals in large metropolitan area were predictive of readmission. In multivariable analysis, age, depression, peripheral vascular disorder, mortality risk, and discharge location were independently associated with readmission. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.41 for hierarchical regression model. Conclusions Readmission after pancreatic surgery remains an important issue. Our study found the majority of variation in readmissions is accounted for by patient factors whereas there was little between hospital variation. This finding does not support the use of readmission rate after pancreatic surgery as a quality metric.
Implementation of a group-based diabetes prevention program within a healthcare delivery system

Group-based Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPP), aligned with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, promote clinically significant weight loss and reduce cardio-metabolic risks. Studies have examined implementation of the DPP in community settings, but less is known about its integration in healthcare systems. In 2010, a group-based DPP known as the Group Lifestyle Balance (GLB) was implemented within a large healthcare delivery system in Northern California, across three geographically distinct regional administration divisions of the organization within 12 state counties, with varying underlying socio-demographics. The regional divisions implemented the program independently, allowing for natural variation in its real-world integration. We leveraged this natural experiment to qualitatively assess the implementation of a DPP in this healthcare system and, especially, its fidelity to the original GLB curriculum and potential heterogeneity in implementation across clinics and regional divisions. Using purposive sampling, we conducted semi-structured interviews with DPP lifestyle coaches. Data were analyzed using mixed-method techniques, guided by an implementation outcomes framework consisting of eight constructs: acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, cost, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. We conducted 33 interviews at 20 clinics across the three regional administrative divisions. Consistencies in implementation of the program were found across regions in terms of satisfaction with the evidence base (acceptability), referral methods (adoption), eligibility criteria (fidelity), and strategies to increase retention and effectiveness (sustainability). Heterogeneity in implementation across regions were found in all categories, including: the number and frequency of sessions (fidelity); program branding (adoption); lifestyle coach training (adoption), and patient-facing cost (cost). Lifestyle coaches expressed differing attitudes about curriculum content (acceptability) and suitability of educational level (appropriateness). While difficulties with recruitment were common across regions (feasibility), strategies used to address these challenges differed (sustainability). Variation exists in the implementation of the DPP within a large multi-site healthcare system, revealing a dynamic and important tension between retaining fidelity to the original program and tailoring the program to meet the local needs. Moreover, certain challenges across sites may represent opportunities for considering alternative implementation to anticipate these barriers. Further research is needed to explore how differences in implementation domains impact program effectiveness.
Resting coronary velocity and myocardial performance in women with impaired coronary flow reserve: Results from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation-Coronary Vascular Dysfunction (WISE-CVD) study.

Abstract Background Women with evidence of ischemia and no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) indicated by impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) to adenosine. Low CFR is associated with an adverse prognosis, including incident heart failure. Because the CFR calculation relies on the baseline intrinsic coronary vasomotor flow velocity, a major determinate of CFR and the degree of variation in baseline flow alone may be an important contributor to risk of adverse outcomes in women with CMD. A better understanding of baseline blood flow in the setting of low CFR and its association with myocardial performance would be helpful. Methods We evaluated 74 women who underwent invasive coronary reactivity testing in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation-Coronary Vascular Dysfunction (WISE-CVD) study and had impaired CFR ( Results When stratified as low ( Conclusions In women with impaired CFR, low resting coronary flow velocity is associated with more adverse myocardial performance, which may contribute to risk for adverse outcomes and particularly heart failure in women with CMD.
Trip-based graph partitioning in dynamic ridesharing

Abstract A dynamic ridesharing system is a platform that connects drivers who use their personal vehicles to travel with riders who are in need of transportation, on a short notice. Since each driver/rider may have several potential matches, to achieve a high performance level, the ridesharing operator needs to make the matching decisions based on a global view of the system that includes all active riders and drivers. Consequently, the ride-matching problem that needs to be solved can become computationally expensive, especially when the system is operating over a large region, or when it faces high demand levels during certain hours of the day. This paper develops a graph partitioning methodology based on the bipartite graph that arises in the one-to-one ride-matching problem. The proposed method decomposes the original graph into multiple sub-graphs with the goal of reducing the overall computational complexity of the problem as well as providing high quality solutions. We further show that this methodology can be extended to more complex ride-matching problems in a dynamic ride-sharing system. Using numerical experiments, we showcase the advantages of the new partitioning method for different forms of ride-matching problems. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the impact of different parameters on the quality of our solution.
Impact of traditional risk factors for the outcomes of atrial fibrillation across race and ethnicity and sex groups

Abstract Background Although traditional risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) and its outcomes are established in whites, their role in the pathogenesis of AF across race-ethnicity and both sexes remain unclear. Cohort studies have consistently shown worse AF-related outcomes in these groups. The objective of this study was to determine the role played by race- and sex-specific risk factors in AF outcomes in non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls), and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). Methods Using electronic health records (EHR), 3607 patients with an ICD-9 code for AF were identified over a 7-year period. Risk factors were identified from ICD to 9 CM claims data: hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the incidence of AF risk factors. Results NHBs and H/Ls with AF experienced more stroke than NHWs (27% and 24% vs. 19% P Conclusions We identified differences in risk factors for AF and stroke across race-ethnicity and sex. The findings of our study are hypothesis generating and should be used to direct future studies.
Unusual lizard fossil from the Miocene of Nebraska and a minimum age for cnemidophorine teiids

Teiid lizards are well represented in the fossil record and are common components of modern ecosystems in North and South America. Many fossils were referred to the cnemidophorine teiid group (whip...
Analysis of Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Data Can Improve House Staff Diversity

Abstract Background Training diverse house staff, including those who are underrepresented in medicine, is vital to provide high-quality patient care for the communities that we serve. In 2018, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education announced new common program requirements for systematic efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. However, questions remain about how to implement such efforts. Materials and methods Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) data from eight residency programs spanning two recruitment cycles (2017-2018, 2018-2019) was reviewed. The number of candidates at each stage in the process (applicant, invited to interview, interviewed, and matched) was examined by self-identified race or ethnicity. These data were presented to residency program directors at our Graduate Medical Education committee meeting before the next recruitment cycle. Data were analyzed following the 2019-20 residency match. Odds ratios and Pearson's chi-squared test were used to assess statistical significance. Results A total of 10,445 and 10,982 medical students applied to our 8 core residency programs in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Medical students who applied and self-identified as Asian, Black or African American, and Hispanic or Latino or Spanish origin had lower odds of being invited to interview than those who self-identified as White. After data presentation, the odds of inviting Black or African American applicants to interview increased significantly. The odds of attending an interview once invited were the same across groups. Conclusions Sharing ERAS data patterns with residency program directors was associated with a significant year over year change in interviewee diversity. Structured analysis of institutional ERAS data can provide insight into the resident selection process and may be a useful tool to improve house staff diversity.
Covid-19 pandemic – role of technology in transforming business to the new normal

COVID-19 has disrupted our lives and the economy. In this paper, we outline approaches in which information technology can be used to implement business strategies to enhance resilience by coping with, adapting to, and recovering from adversity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss how information technology such as digital supply chain, data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, digital commerce, and Internet of Things can be used to enhance resilience and continuity of business.
Microengineered three-dimensional collagen fiber landscapes with independently tunable anisotropy and directionality

ABSTRACT Fibrillar collagens are structural proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM), and cellular processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and migration, have been linked to the orientation (directionality) and alignment (anisotropy) of collagen fibers. Given the importance of cell-substrate interactions in driving biological functions, several microfluidic approaches have demonstrated three-dimensional (3D) collagen gels with defined fiber properties that enable quantitative correlations between structural cues and observed cell responses. Although existing methods provide excellent definition over collagen fiber anisotropy, independent control over both anisotropy and directionality (that we collectively refer to as the collagen landscape) has not been demonstrated. Therefore, to advance collagen microengineering capabilities, we present a user-friendly approach that uses controlled fluid flows within a non-uniform microfluidic channel network to create well-defined collagen landscapes. We demonstrate capabilities including i) control over fiber anisotropy, ii) spatial gradients in fiber anisotropy, iii) defined fiber directionality, and iv) multi-material interfaces. We then show that cells respond to the microengineered topographic cues by aligning along the anisotropy domains and following fiber directionality. Finally, this platform’s modular capability is demonstrated by integrating an ultrathin porous parylene (UPP) membrane on the microengineered collagen as a mask to control cell-substrate interactions.
Wielding a gun increases judgments of others as holding guns: a randomized controlled trial

The gun embodiment effect is the consequence caused by wielding a gun on judgments of whether others are also holding a gun. This effect could be responsible for real-world instances when police officers shoot an unarmed person because of the misperception that the person had a gun. The gun embodiment effect is an instance of embodied cognition for which a person’s tool-augmented body affects their judgments. The replication crisis in psychology has raised concern about embodied cognition effects in particular, and the issue of low statistical power applies to the original research on the gun embodiment effect. Thus, the first step was to conduct a high-powered replication. We found a significant gun embodiment effect in participants’ reaction times and in their proportion of correct responses, but not in signal detection measures of bias, as had been originally reported. To help prevent the gun embodiment effect from leading to fatal encounters, it would be useful to know whether individuals with certain traits are less prone to the effect and whether certain kinds of experiences help alleviate the effect. With the new and reliable measure of the gun embodiment effect, we tested for moderation by individual differences related to prior gun experience, attitudes, personality, and factors related to emotion regulation and impulsivity. Despite the variety of these measures, there was little evidence for moderation. The results were more consistent with the idea of the gun embodiment effect being a universal, fixed effect, than being a flexible, malleable effect.
The relationship between financial hardship and incident diabetic kidney disease in older US adults – a longitudinal study

Financial hardship is associated with poor health, however the association of financial hardship and incident diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is unknown. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship between financial hardship and incident DKD among older adults with diabetes. Analyses were conducted in 2735 adults age 50 or older with diabetes and no DKD using four waves of data (2006–2012) from the Health and Retirement Study, a national longitudinal cohort. The primary outcome was incident DKD. Financial hardship was based on three measures: 1) difficulty paying bills; 2) food insecurity; and 3) cost-related medication non-adherence using validated surveys. A dichotomous financial hardship variable (0 vs 1 or more) was constructed based on all three measures. Cox regression models were used to estimate the association between financial hardship, change in financial hardship experience and incident DKD adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities. During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, incident DKD rate was higher in individuals with versus without financial hardship (41.2 versus 27/1000 person years). After adjustment, individuals with financial hardship (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.04–1.68) had significantly increased likelihood of developing DKD compared to individuals without financial hardship. Persistent financial hardship (adjusted HR 1.52 95% CI 1.06–2.18) and negative financial hardship (adjusted HR 1.54 95% CI 1.02–2.33) were associated with incident DKD compared with no financial hardship experience. However, positive financial hardship was not statistically significant in unadjusted and adjusted (adjusted HR 0.89 95% CI 0.55–1.46) models. Cost-related medication non-adherence (adjusted HR 1.43 95% CI 1.07–1.93) was associated with incident DKD independent of other financial hardship measures. Financial hardship experience is associated with a higher likelihood of incident DKD in older adults with diabetes. Future studies investigating factors that explain the relationship between financial hardship and incident DKD are needed.
Ancient Chinese cave paintings as cinema: the volcanos and dragons of Mogao Cave 249

The 492 Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China, contain beautiful paintings dating back over 1500 years. Mogao Cave number 249 is especially stunning for its ceiling paintings of exploding volcanos, billowing smoke and steam, blue sky with white cloud racks, swans in flight, hunters riding horses, deer running amidst exploding volcanos, a pouncing tiger, a stalking lion, a prancing bull, a winged horse, men riding dragons, and human-dragon hybrids soaring through smoke and clouds. A distinct stylistic painting technique of repetition appears in the ceiling in different forms. In one form, a whole figure appears in multiple stages of one movement: for example, one man riding a dragon across the sky appears in three places on the same panel, on the same skyline, in succession; but the positions of the dragon’s wings and overall form and the surrounding clouds vary. In another form of the technique of repetition, one part of a body is repeated in successive overlaying images: for example, a human-dragon hybrid appears with nine heads fanned (like playing cards) along the back of the dragon, the whole head at the front of the dragon, and that head overlaying most of the one behind it, and that one then overlaying most of the one behind it, and so on, to the ninth along the back of the dragon. This same image (and the same technique) appears on two other ceiling panels, except that the number of heads is different in all three images, indicating that the dragon does not have multiple heads, but one and that its head is moving. The dragon’s head would not appear (to a viewer) to move in electric light (e.g., a cold light panel), but under firelight conditions of the time-period, the dragon would seem to strike like a viper; while the volcanos would explode and the horses run, the clouds racks race, and smoke and ash would billow. Mogao Cave 249 is ancient Chinese animated proto-cinema. Virtually the whole Dunhuang cave system is a vast complex of cinematic chambers.
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio

ABSTRACT Objectives First responders including firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, and police officers are working on the front lines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and facing a higher risk of infection. This study assessed the seroprevalence among first responders in northeastern Ohio during May-September 2020. Methods A survey and IgG antibody test against SARS-CoV-2 were offered to University Hospitals Health System affiliated first responder departments. Results A total of 3080 first responders with diverse job assignments from more than 400 fire and police departments participated in the study. Among them, 73 (2.4%) were seropositive while only 0.8% had previously positive RT-PCR results. Asymptomatic infection accounts for 46.6% of seropositivity. By occupation, seropositive rates were highest among administration/support staff (3.8%), followed by paramedics (3.0%), EMTs (2.6%), firefighters (2.2%), and police officers (0.8%). Seroprevalence was not associated with self-reported exposure as work exposure rates were: paramedics 48.2%, firefighters 37.1%, EMTs 32.3%, police officers 7.7%, and administration/support staff 4.4%. Self-reported community exposure was strongly correlated with self-reported work exposure rate rather than seroprevalence suggesting a potential impact of risk awareness. Additionally, no significant difference was found among gender or age groups; however, black Americans have a higher positivity rate than other races although they reported lower exposure. Conclusions Despite the high work-associated exposure rate to SARS-CoV-2 infection, first responders with different roles demonstrated seroprevalence no higher than their administrative/supportive colleagues, which suggests infection control measures are effective in preventing work-related infection.
Reshaping the Landscape of the Future: Software-Defined Manufacturing

We describe the concept of software-defined manufacturing, which divides the manufacturing ecosystem into software definition and physical manufacturing layers. Software-defined manufacturing allows better resource sharing and collaboration, and it has the potential to transform the existing manufacturing sector.
Assessment, Resources, and Conclusion

This chapter provides both informal and formal assessment tools for well-being and current symptoms of burnout and TRES, along with helping resources. A summary of the book and our recommendations for future directions are also given.
Gender classification from speech using convolutional networks augmented with synthetic spectrograms

Automatic gender classification from speech is an integral component of human-computer interfaces. Gender information is utilized in user authentication, speech recognizers, or human-centered intelligent agents. This study focuses on gender classification from speech spectrograms using AlexNet-inspired 2D convolutional neural networks (CNN) trained on real samples augmented with synthetic spectrograms. A generative adversarial network (GAN) is trained to produce synthetic male/female-like speech spectrograms. In limited training data experiments on LibriSpeech, augmenting a training set of 200 real samples by 800 synthetic samples reduces equal error rate of the classifier from 23.7% to 1.0%. To further test the ‘quality’ of the generated samples, in a subsequent experiment, the real training samples are progressively replaced (rather than augmented) with synthetic samples at various ratios from 0 (all original samples preserved) to 1 (all original samples replaced by synthetic ones). Depending on the system setup, substituting between 50% to 90% of the original samples with the synthetic ones is found to have a minimal impact on the classifier performance. Finally, viewing the input CNN layers as filters that select salient spectrogram features, the learned convolutional kernels and filter outputs are studied to understand which spectrogram areas receive a prominent attention in the classifier.
The Sound Digestive System: A Strategy for Music and Sound Composition

Sound Digestive System is an audio visual project that uses the digestive system processes into algorithmic sound composition. This project proposes different strategies to bring bio-data, translations and interpretations of living processes into the sound domain, thus generating an artistic result based on scientific data.
PIV Measurements During Combustion in a Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine

Two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were made in the burned and unburned gas of a firing, reciprocating internalcombustion engine. Cross correlation was used to analyze the double-exposure photographs using a 1.25 mm interrogation spot on a 0.5 mm grid. Electrooptical image shifting was used to resolve the directional ambiguity. The particle properties and the seeding density are the two key features enabling simultaneous measurements in the burned- and unburned-gas regions. The flame coordinates were identified as the interface between the low and high seeding density regions on the PIV photographs. Those coordinates were used to identify the burned and unburned regions of the velocity distributions. High-pass spatial filtering is used to visualize coherent structures of spatial scales L, where 1.25 mm ‹ L ‹ JO mm. Vorticity and strain-rate distributions are computed from the instantaneous velocity. PDFs of these distributions were computed, conditionally sampled on the burned gas, unburned gas and proximity to the flame front. For this paper, analysis of only one realization is presented in detail in order to maintain a manageable number of illustrations yet demonstrate flow properties observed in fifteen recorded realizations.
Analysis of multi-system function request shipping

In a multi-system database system with a function request shipping approach, the databases are partitioned among the multiple systems and a facility is provided to support the shipping of database requests among the systems. This is in contrast to a data sharing multi-system approach in which all systems have direct access to the shared database. The performance of the function request shipping approach is examined and compared with the data sharing approach. The emphasis is on generic issues that affect the function shipping approach. Trace data from large mainframe systems running IBM's IMS database management system are used to illustrate the issues of partitioning. A methodology is presented for partitioning the databases and routing transactions among the systems so as to minimize the fraction of remote function calls, while balancing the load among systems. Estimates of the resulting remote function calls, mirror transaction setups, and multi-system two-phase commits, are obtained. A simulation model and approximate analysis are used to examine the overall system performance, to study the effect of various workload parameters and design alternatives and to compare the function shipping and data sharing approaches.
Eccrine Spiradenoma Arising from the Breast Skin

Eccrine spiradenomas are uncommon, benign lesions, which are thought to originate from the eccrine sweat glands. They are common in young adults and are without a sex predilection. Here we report a case of eccrine spiradenoma of the breast skin in a 39-year-old woman who presented with a breast nodule for 10 years. It is crucial to take eccrine spiradenoma into consideration in superficial, well-circumscribed, breast skin/subcutaneous lesions. It is useful to recognize the two-cell populations constituting this tumor: small, dark, basaloid cells with hyperchromatic nuclei, which are immunoreactive for P63 and calponin, and larger cells with a pale nucleus, often near the center of the cluster (inner cells), which are immunoreactive for CK7 and CD117 (C-kit).
Some Unique Properties of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Bearing Portion of the Bacterial Membrane

By using the M-band technique we have shown that portions of the membranes of Bacillus megaterium and Escherichia coli vary in their affinity for magnesium-Sarkosyl crystals and in phospholipid composition. The portion to which deoxyribonucleic acid is attached comprises as little as 4% of the total cell membrane, has a particularly high degree of affinity for magnesium-Sarkosyl crystals, and is rich in phosphatidylethanolamine. The M-band fractionation does not depend on the use of lysozyme.
Noncooperative Satellite Range Scheduling with perfect information

The Satellite Range Scheduling problem has been traditionally approached in a centralized manner. Existing literature provides a wide variety of sub-optimal algorithms for allocating communication times between a list of satellites and a network of ground stations. The authors have provided an optimal solution for this problem in previous work. But regardless of the optimality, the application of a centralized solution in a distributed system raises the question: could a selfish party improve its schedule by unilaterally deviating from the precomputed centralized solution? Through a game theoretic approach where all the parties act selfishly, the authors show that the system converges to an Stackelberg equilibrium which can be computed in polynomial time for a fixed number of players. Results are illustrated via simple numerical example.
Drug-induced adaptations in catecholamine systems: on the inevitability of sensitization.

Publisher Summary If drugs are administered repeatedly in brain catecholamine (CA) systems, their effects generally change, and these changes are thought to be due in part to drug-induced adaptations in CA systems. Repeated exposure to drugs renders dopamine (DA) systems persistently hypersensitive to activating stimuli, including drugs themselves. This repeated exposure to psychostimulant drugs results not only in sensitization to their psychomotor activating effects, but also to their rewarding effects. The behavioral effects of drugs are, however, powerfully modulated by the circumstances surrounding drug administration. The chapter provides two examples of how the circumstances surrounding drug administration can alter the induction and expression of sensitization. These examples illustrate that sensitization is not an inevitable consequence of exposure to psychostimulant drugs. The chapter also indicates that behavioral sensitization does not simply represent unconditional neurobiological adaptations produced by the actions of drugs on a neural substrate, because the major determinant of whether sensitization is expressed at any particular place or time is the context in which the drug is readministered. It is also suggested that the circumstances surrounding drug administration may determine whether a given dose of a drug is capable of inducing neural sensitization. In humans, the experience associated with the administration of drugs of abuse varies enormously. This variation exists because a given drug effect is not a simple consequence of the pharmacological actions of a drug, but is because of complex interactions among pharmacological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Poverty Analysis Based on Kernel Density Estimates from Grouped Data

Kernel density estimation (KDE) has been prominently used to measure poverty from grouped data (representing mean incomes of a small number of population quantiles). In this paper I analyze the performance of this method. Using Monte Carlo simulations for plausible theoretical distributions and unit data from several household surveys, I compare KDE-based poverty estimates with their true and survey counterparts. It is shown that the technique gives rise to biases in poverty whose sign and magnitude vary with the smoothing parameter, the kernel, the number of data-points analyzed, and the poverty indicators used. I also demonstrate that KDE-based global poverty rates and headcounts are highly sensitive to the choice of smoothing parameter. Depending on the parameter, the estimated proportion of ‘$1/day poor’ in 2000 varies by a factor of 1.8, while the estimated number of ‘$2/day poor’ in 2000 varies by 287 million people. These findings give rise to concern about the validity and robustness of kernel density estimation in poverty analysis. However, they provide a framework for interpretation of existing results using this technique.
Constructions on Categories

Categorical duality is the process “Reverse all arrows”. An exact description of this process will be made on an axiomatic basis in this section and on a set-theoretical basis in the next section. Hence for this section a category will not be described by sets (of objects and of arrows) and functions (domain, codomain, composition) but by axioms as in § I.1.
Coherent optical manipulation of quantum dot spins: a path into quantum computing

Coherent control of quantum dot qubits transfers optical coherence to electronic coherence and provides a means to demonstrate details of quantum computing including creation/detection of entangled states and qubit rotations. The measurements also provide insight into physical phenomena such as spontaneously generated spin coherence.
Effect of heavy ion irradiation on microstructural evolution in CF8 cast austenitic stainless steel

Abstract The microstructural evolution in ferrite and austenitic in cast austenitic stainless steel (CASS) CF8, as received or thermally aged at 400 °C for 10,000 h, was followed under TEM with in situ irradiation of 1 MeV Kr ions at 300 and 350 °C to a fluence of 1.9 × 1015 ions/cm2 (∼3 dpa) at the IVEM-Tandem Facility. For the unaged CF8, the irradiation-induced dislocation loops appeared at a much lower dose in the austenite than in the ferrite. At the end dose, the austenite formed a well-developed dislocation network microstructure, while the ferrite exhibited an extended dislocation structure as line segments. Compared to the unaged CF8, the aged specimen appeared to have lower rate of damage accumulation. The rate of microstructural evolution under irradiation in the ferrite was significantly lower in the aged specimen than in the unaged. This difference is attributed to the different initial microstructures in the unaged and aged specimens, which implies that thermal aging and irradiation are not independent but interconnected damage processes.
(CORN) 2 : Correlation-based cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks

In this paper, (CORN)2, a correlation-based, optimal sensing scheduling algorithm is developed for cognitive radio networks to minimize energy consumption. A sensing quality metric is defined as a measure of the correctness of spectral availability information. The optimal scheduling algorithm is shown to minimize the cost of sensing (e.g., energy consumption, sensing duration) while meeting the sensing quality requirements. To this end, (CORN)2 utilizes a novel sensing deficiency virtual queue concept and exploits the correlation between spectrum measurements of a particular secondary user and its collaborating neighbors. The proposed algorithm is further proved to achieve a distributed and optimal solution under certain, easily satisfied assumptions. In addition to the theoretically proved performance guarantees, the proposed algorithm is also evaluated through simulations.