cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond Mortality - Significant Morbidity and Function Decline Follows Left Ventricular Assist Device Exchange

Introduction The operative exchange of a durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has become more commonplace. While most of the literature has focused on survival and surgical technique, little is known about the impact of LVAD exchange on patient morbidity and functional status. Hypothesis Morbidity and re-hospitalization will be common following LVAD exchange, while functional status will decline. Using each patient as their own control, there will be increased post-operative complication, morbidity, and 90-day readmission in comparison to the initial implant. Methods The medical record of all patients receiving a durable LVAD at our institution between January 2007 and December 2017 were reviewed. Those patients requiring LVAD exchange were included in this analysis. Patients were following for 1 year or until death or transplantation. Results Between January 2007 and December 2017, 341 patients underwent primary LVAD implantation. A total of 17 patients (5%) required device exchange, with indications including: pump thrombosis/hemolysis (47%), driveline injury or malfunction (29.4%), infection (11.8%), LVAD failure/stoppage (5.9%), and cannula malposition (5.9%). One-year mortality after LVAD exchange was 29.4% with a 50% mortality in those who had pump thrombosis as the indication for exchange, and 100% mortality in those with an ischemic etiology to their heart failure. Eight patients (47%) required a total of 12 hospital readmissions within 90 days of discharge following LVAD exchange. Indications for re-hospitalization included infection, post-operative wound management, and organ failure. Nine patients (53%) had at least one significant event within 90 days of device exchange, including cardiogenic shock, right ventricular failure, recurrent thrombosis, prolonged renal impairment requiring dialysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, stroke, and infection. Of the patients with a documented NYHA class pre- and post-device exchange (12 of 17), the majority had either no improvement or had a decline in functional status. Analysis is being performed to use each patient as their own control and compare post-operative complications, morbidity, and 90-day readmission in the initial implant versus LVAD exchange. Conclusions Not only does LVAD exchange lead to increased mortality, it is also associated with increased morbidity and re-hospitalization. Additionally, functional status may fail to improve after operative intervention. For a group of patients who routinely rank quality of life over survival, the unintended consequences of LVAD pump exchange mandate further exploration.
Statistical Verification of Hyperproperties for Cyber-Physical System

Many important properties of cyber-physical systems (CPS) are defined upon the relationship between multiple executions simultaneously in continuous time. Examples include probabilistic fairness and sensitivity to modeling errors (i.e., parameters changes) for real-valued signals. These requirements can only be specified by hyperproperties. In this work, we focus on verifying probabilistic hyperproperties for CPS. To cover a wide range of modeling formalisms, we first propose a general model of probabilistic uncertain systems (PUSs) that unify commonly studied CPS models such as continuous-time Markov chains (CTMCs) and probabilistically parametrized Hybrid I/O Automata. To formally specify hyperproperties, we propose a new temporal logic, hyper probabilistic signal temporal logic (HyperPSTL) that serves as a hyper and probabilistic version of the conventional signal temporal logic (STL). Considering complexity of real-world systems that can be captured as PUSs, we adopt a statistical model checking (SMC) approach for their verification. We develop a new SMC technique based on the direct computation of the significance levels of statistical assertions for HyperPSTL specifications, which requires no a priori knowledge on the indifference margin. Then, we introduce SMC algorithms for HyperPSTL specifications on the joint probabilistic distribution of multiple paths, as well as specifications with nested probabilistic operators quantifying different paths, which cannot be handled by existing SMC algorithms. Finally, we show the effectiveness of our SMC algorithms on CPS benchmarks with varying levels of complexity, including the Toyota Powertrain Control~System.
An Atomic Sensor for Direct Detection of Weak Microwave Signals

This paper demonstrates direct detection of weak signals at microwave frequencies based on parametric frequency conversion. The atomic medium is optically pumped by a resonant light field and prepared in a coherent atomic superposition by a weak microwave field. The coherent atomic superposition causes a parametric modulation of the polarization of a probe light field at the microwave field frequency. An upper limit magnetic field component sensitivity of 1.2(1.0) pT/Hz1/2, corresponding to 3.7(3.1)- $\mu $ V/cm/Hz1/2 electric field component sensitivity, is achieved at ~6.835 GHz with a 33-mm3 vapor cell.
Lift High the Cross? Lautsi v. Italy in American Perspective

The European Court of Human Rights has just upheld Italy’s policy of displaying crucifixes in its public school classrooms. In Lautsi v. Italy, an atheistic mother of two public school children challenged this policy, in place since 1924. After losing in the Italian courts, she appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the presence of these crucifixes in public schools violated her and her children’s rights to religious freedom and to a secular education guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. On November 3, 2009, an unanimous seven-judge chamber of the European Court held for Ms. Lautsi. On March 18, 2011, the Grand Chamber reversed, and held 15-2 in favor of Italy.
CAS-Lock: A Security-Corruptibility Trade-off Resilient Logic Locking Scheme

Logic locking has recently been proposed as a solution for protecting gatelevel semiconductor intellectual property (IP). However, numerous attacks have been mounted on this technique, which either compromise the locking key or restore the original circuit functionality. SAT attacks leverage golden IC information to rule out all incorrect key classes, while bypass and removal attacks exploit the limited output corruptibility and/or structural traces of SAT-resistant locking schemes. In this paper, we propose a new lightweight locking technique: CAS-Lock (cascaded locking) which nullifies both SAT and bypass attacks, while simultaneously maintaining nontrivial output corruptibility. This property of CAS-Lock is in stark contrast to the well-accepted notion that there is an inherent trade-off between output corruptibility and SAT resistance. We theoretically and experimentally validate the SAT resistance of CAS-Lock, and show that it reduces the attack to brute-force, regardless of its construction. Further, we evaluate its resistance to recently proposed approximate SAT attacks (i.e., AppSAT). We also propose a modified version of CAS-Lock (mirrored CAS-Lock or M-CAS) to protect against removal attacks. M-CAS allows a trade-off evaluation between removal attack and SAT attack resiliency, while incurring minimal area overhead. We also show how M-CAS parameters such as the implemented Boolean function and selected key can be tuned by the designer so that a desired level of protection against all known attacks can be achieved.
Computational Study of the Source-Area Effect for Bubble Plumes in Stratified Environments

AbstractIn this work, a large-eddy simulation of bubble plumes in linearly stratified environments is presented. The gas bubbles are treated as Lagrangian particles. The intrusion and peeling are c...
Malignant teratomas of the thyroid gland: clinico-radiologic and cytomorphologic features of a rare entity

Introduction Primary thyroid gland malignant teratomas are extremely rare and can pose diagnostic challenges on fine needle aspiration (FNA) due to their cytomorphologic heterogeneity. Recent next generation sequencing studies have identified recurrent DICER1 hotspot mutations in these tumors, suggesting that malignant teratomas of the thyroid should be considered a distinct pathological entity. Herein, we review the clinico-radiologic and FNA findings in a series of DICER1 mutated malignant teratomas. Methods We performed a retrospective case review of 9 FNAs from 5 patients with a histologically confirmed malignant teratoma of the thyroid gland from 2 large tertiary care pathology practices. Results The patients included 4 females and 1 male, with an average age of 43 years (22-65 years). The nodules were centered within the thyroid gland and ranged from 1.7 to 10 cm in diameter. FNAs of primary thyroid teratomas demonstrate marked cellularity, epithelial proliferations, an absence of colloid, and a predominance of immature spindled cells, representing the mesenchymal and neural ectodermal components of these tumors. The FNA interpretations ranged from atypia of undetermined significance to overtly malignant. Three patients died of their disease and 2 are alive with no evidence of disease. Conclusions Malignant thyroid teratoma is a rare entity with cytomorphologic overlap with other high-grade neoplasms of the thyroid. Recent molecular studies have defined recurrent DICER1 mutations in malignant thyroid teratomas and propose these as a distinct clinicopathological entity. The features described here may be helpful in providing a correct prospective interpretation.
Intracellular pH Regulation of Skeletal Muscle in the Milieu of Insulin Signaling

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), along with obesity, is one of the leading health problems in the world which causes other systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure. Impairments in glycemic control and insulin resistance plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetes and its complications. Since skeletal muscle constitutes a significant tissue mass of the body, insulin resistance within the muscle is considered to initiate the onset of diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance is associated with impaired glucose uptake, resulting from defective post-receptor insulin responses, decreased glucose transport, impaired glucose phosphorylation, oxidation and glycogen synthesis in the muscle. Although defects in the insulin signaling pathway have been widely studied, the effects of cellular mechanisms activated during metabolic syndrome that cross-talk with insulin responses are not fully elucidated. Numerous reports suggest that pathways such as inflammation, lipid peroxidation products, acidosis and autophagy could cross-talk with insulin-signaling pathway and contribute to diminished insulin responses. Here, we review and discuss the literature about the defects in glycolytic pathway, shift in glucose utilization toward anaerobic glycolysis and change in intracellular pH [pH]i within the skeletal muscle and their contribution towards insulin resistance. We will discuss whether the derangements in pathways, which maintain [pH]i within the skeletal muscle, such as transporters (monocarboxylate transporters 1 and 4) and depletion of intracellular buffers, such as histidyl dipeptides, could lead to decrease in [pH]i and the onset of insulin resistance. Further we will discuss, whether the changes in [pH]i within the skeletal muscle of patients with T2D, could enhance the formation of protein aggregates and activate autophagy. Understanding the mechanisms by which changes in the glycolytic pathway and [pH]i within the muscle, contribute to insulin resistance might help explain the onset of obesity-linked metabolic syndrome. Finally, we will conclude whether correcting the pathways which maintain [pH]i within the skeletal muscle could, in turn, be effective to maintain or restore insulin responses during metabolic syndrome.
Arithmetical Problem Solving: A Demonstration with the Mentally Handicapped:

In line with the thesis that the ultimate goal of an arithmetic program with the mentally handicapped is to facilitate problem solving, the investigators field tested an 18 week demonstration program. The groups taught by trained teachers showed significant gains in the 2 problem solving areas. Gains among retarded and average controls were not as consistent.
Optimizing Black-box Metrics with Iterative Example Weighting

We consider learning to optimize a classification metric defined by a black-box function of the confusion matrix. Such black-box learning settings are ubiquitous, for example, when the learner only has query access to the metric of interest, or in noisy-label and domain adaptation applications where the learner must evaluate the metric via performance evaluation using a small validation sample. Our approach is to adaptively learn example weights on the training dataset such that the resulting weighted objective best approximates the metric on the validation sample. We show how to model and estimate the example weights and use them to iteratively post-shift a pre-trained class probability estimator to construct a classifier. We also analyze the resulting procedure's statistical properties. Experiments on various label noise, domain shift, and fair classification setups confirm that our proposal compares favorably to the state-of-the-art baselines for each application.
Vibronically coupled states: computational considerations and characterisation of vibronic and rovibronic spectroscopic parameters

The interaction of electronic and nuclear motion – broadly categorised as ‘vibronic coupling’ – plays a number of roles in areas that range from molecular dynamics to electronic spectroscopy. Addit...
What Information Do Clinicians Deem Important for Counseling Parents Facing Extremely Early Deliveries?: Results from an Online Survey.

Objective The study aimed to better understand how neonatology and maternal fetal medicine (MFM) physicians convey information during antenatal counseling that requires facilitating shared decision-making with parents facing options of resuscitation versus comfort care after extremely early delivery Study Design Attending physicians at US centers with both Neo and MFM fellowships were invited to answer an original online survey about antenatal counseling for extremely early newborns. The survey assessed information conveyed, processes for facilitating shared decision-making (reported separately), and clinical experiences. Neonatology and MFM responses were compared. Multivariable logistic regression analyzed topics often and seldom discussed by specialty groups with respect to respondents' clinical experience and resuscitation option preferences at different gestational weeks. Results In total, 74 MFM and 167 neonatologists representing 94% of the 81 centers surveyed responded. Grouped by specialty, respondents were similar in counseling experience and distribution of allowing choices between resuscitation and no resuscitation for delivery at specific weeks of gestational ages. MFM versus neonatology reported similar rates of discussing long-term health and developmental concerns and differed in all other categories of topics. Neonatologists were less likely than MFM to discuss caregiver impacts (odds ratio [OR]: 0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11–0.18, p Conclusion Parents require information to make difficult decisions for their extremely early newborns. Our findings endorse the value of co-consultation by MFM and neonatology clinicians and of trainee education on antenatal consultation education to support these families. Key Points
CARE AND SCALE: Decorrelative Ethics in Algorithmic Recommendation

The people who make algorithmic recommender systems want apparently incompatible things: they pride themselves on the scale at which their software works, but they also want to treat their materials and users with care. Care and scale are commonly understood as contradictory goals: to be careful is to work at small scale, while working at large scale requires abandoning the small concerns of care. Drawing together anthropological work on care and scale, this article analyzes how people who make music recommender systems try to reconcile these values, reimagining what care and scale mean and how they relate to each other in the process. It describes decorrelation, an ethical technique that metaphorically borrows from the mathematics of machine learning, which practitioners use to reimagine how values might relate with each other. This “decorrelative ethics” facilitates new arrangements of care and scale, which challenge conventional anthropological theorizing.
Extended exposure to environmental cues, but not to sucrose, reduces sucrose cue reactivity in rats

In the present study, we examined the effects of extinction of sucrose-predictive contextual cues and/or sucrose satiation on the expression of sucrose cue reactivity in a rat model of relapse. Context extinction was imposed by housing rats in their home cage or in the operant conditioning chamber for 17 h prior to testing. For sucrose satiation, rats were allowed unlimited access to water or sucrose for 17 h prior to testing. Cue reactivity was assessed after either one (Day 1) or 30 (Day 30) days of forced abstinence from sucrose self-administration. An abstinence-dependent increase in sucrose cue reactivity was observed in all conditions (“incubation of craving”). Context extinction dramatically reduced lever responding on both Day 1 and Day 30. Sucrose satiation had no significant effect on cue reactivity in any condition. These results demonstrate that the context in which self-administration occurs maintains a powerful influence over cue reactivity, even after extended forced abstinence. In contrast, the primary reinforcer has little control over cue reactivity. These findings highlight the important role of conditioned contextual cues in driving relapse behavior.
Adsorption and decomposition of γ-butyrolactone on Pd(1 1 1) and Pt(1 1 1)

Abstract The adsorption and thermal chemistry of γ-butyrolactone (GBL) on the (1 1 1) surface of Pd and Pt has been investigated using a combination of high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). HREELS results indicate that GBL adsorbs at 160 K on both surfaces through its oxygenate functionality. On Pd(1 1 1), adsorbed GBL undergoes ring-opening and decarbonylation by 273 K to produce adsorbed CO and surface hydrocarbon species. On Pt(1 1 1), very little dissociation is observed using HREELS, with almost all of the GBL simply desorbing. TPD results are consistent with decarbonylation and subsequent dehydrogenation reactions on Pd(1 1 1), although small amounts of CO2 are also detected. TPD results from Pt(1 1 1) indicate that a small proportion of adsorbed GBL (perhaps on defect sites) does undergo ring-opening to produce CO, CO2, and H2. These results suggest that the primary dissociation pathway for GBL on Pd(1 1 1) is through O–C scission at the carbonyl position. Through comparisons with previously published studies of cyclic oxygenates, these results also demonstrate how ring strain and functionality affect the ring-opening rate and mechanism.
Elevated lead levels in children with nonorganic failure to thrive

Every child with failure to thrive has at least one organic medical disease: malnutrition. It is well documented that lead and other heavy metals are absorbed more readily in the presence of both malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia. Malnutrition and lead exposure tend to be found in the same population groups. Furthermore, lead poisoning is correlated with many of the identical intellectual and behavioral deficits demonstrated in children suffering from nonorganic failure to thrive. Because of these facts, whole blood lead levels were determined for 45 children with nonorganic failure to thrive and 45 age-, race-, and socioeconomically matched comparison subjects. Children with failure to thrive had a lead level of 22.67 +/- 10.29 (micrograms/dL (mean +/- SD); for control children, it was 14.33 +/- 5.42 (P less than .001). Children with failure to thrive were more frequently anemic (P less than .0001), a possible lead effect, and had higher free erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels. Children with failure to thrive were developmentally delayed on the Denver Developmental Screening Test (unblinded observation) with high failure rates in both language (P less than .001) and gross motor skills (P less than .02). Although failure on the Denver Developmental Screening Test within the failure to thrive group was not linearly correlated with lead level, any such effects may have been masked by the effects of malnutrition and failure to thrive per se. A number of authors have suggested that lead levels formerly thought to be inconsequential are clinically toxic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Truck Tire Vibration Noise

This paper describes the procedure and instrumentation used to telemeter, record, and analyze in-service truck tire accelerations. The tire sound signal monitored at a point approximately 1 ft to the rear of the tire was recorded simultaneously with the acceleration signal on board the test vehicle. Subsequent time domain, frequency domain, and level analyses of the signals show the importance and relationship of tire acceleration to the tire noise generated. The results reported are for a 10:00-20 cross-bar type tire with three states of wear, two load conditions and three speeds.
The financial crisis of 2007–2009

This summary of the financial crisis of 2007-2009 was prepared for The Handbook of Major Events in Economic History (Routledge; forthcoming), edited by Robert Whaples and Randall Parker.
A design for future-oriented government

Abstract This article presents a design for future-oriented government. To guide the design, nine criteria are proposed, which include the explicit recognition of future generations and future-oriented issues, explicit implementation of a structured decision-making process, incentives to include people of wisdom, and effective and broad-based citizen participation. The two main elements of the design are the Court of Generations and the Futures Congress, which diagnose the severity of threats to future generations and decide what actions to take, respectively. The Futures Administration provides information system support to these institutions. The Futures Issues Commission and the Coordination/Mediation Service assist the futures-oriented government interact with existing governmental institutions that are more appropriate for addressing everyday concerns. It is hypothesized that major decisions regarding the environment, energy, long-term science and space projects, and agriculture, among other areas, would shift to the Futures Congress from the National Legislature.
Lifetime of K+-SF-6 heavy Rydberg states formed by electron transfer in K(np)-SF6 collisions

At low n (n < 15–20), electron transfer in collisions between K(np) Rydberg atoms and SF6 can lead to formation of bound K+–SF6- ion pairs that orbit at relatively large separations. A fraction of such ion pairs subsequently dissociate through conversion of internal energy in the SF6- ions to translational energy of the ion pair. The lifetimes of these ion pairs are measured by observing their dissociation. The data show that while the majority of the ion pairs have lifetimes of ∼1 μs, some can have lifetimes of 5 μs or longer, much greater than their anticipated orbital periods, ∼20–150 ps.
Manufacturing of large area high mobility AM-TFT backplanes using IGZO rotary sputtering targets

IGZO deposition by rotary sputtering targets serves the needs for high-performance, low-manufacturing-cost TFTs. Both, manufacturability of rotary targets and performance of produced TFTs confirm the feasibility and underline the advantages of using rotary technology.
Ethics and Education

Though C. J. Ducasse was a systematic philosopher who made significant contributions to almost all areas of philosophy, normative ethics is an apparent exception. He published much in meta-ethics, but there is little, if any, of his published work directed explicitly to the question what good ia, or what one ought to do, whatever these evaluative terms might mean. Some philosophers have inferred from this fact, plus the nature of his “skeptical” meta-ethics, that he held no normative view of his own. But such an inference is mistaken. To think that Ducasse espoused no normative view is to miss one whole dimension of his systematic thought — one that knits together firmly certain of his views on education, art, and religion. The latter are not only individual areas interesting in their own right to Ducasse, but seen in certain ways they are part and parcel of his moral philosophy. The purpose of this chapter is to make clear the nature of his “progressive and universal hedonism” by examining carefully his published articles on education and, even more importantly, by drawing upon his unpublished notes on moral philosophy. Though a major point of this chapter is to fill in a gap in Ducasse’s systematic philosophy, we will also offer criticisms of both his meta-ethics and progressive hedonism in the hope of throwing additional light on his ethical views as a whole. One particularly interesting point, as we shall see, is that Ducasse can rebut an objection to hedonism by applying his adverbial analysis of ‘seeing this color’ to ‘experiencing this pleasure’. We will conclude with a discussion of other aspects of Ducasse’s philosophy of education, including his concept of “wisdom.”
Optical Overlay Versus Electric Probe Measurement

The predominant method used in the past for the measurement of overlay has been manual reading of the "optical vernier." This method can be reasonably precise and has been sufficient for most semiconductor products made up until a few short years ago. The ever-increasing number of masking levels below 1.5-micron Minimum Feature Size (MFS) requires large statistical bases of overlay measurements with quick turnaround. No longer are 4 to 10 sites per wafer sufficient to accurately judge overlay, nor can we afford to wait 20 minutes for an operator to manually read these verniers. For years, Perkin-Elmer has used a unique and proprietary electrical probe system custom-built by Perkin-Elmer prior to the introduction of the Micralign Model 500. Capable of gathering large amounts of data and performing statistical analysis, it became a standard for overlay evaluation within Perkin-Elmer. An alternative to electrical probe is automated optical measurement. One such system is the Perkin-Elmer OMSTM. This system has the advantage of being "non destructive" and can be used to measure actual product wafers in process. This paper will provide a performance comparison of both techniques, optical and electrical. Using a mask with both optical and electrical probe patterns, a series of wafers was exposed. The evaluation compares accuracy, precision, speed, and statistical capabilities.
Iterated local search algorithm based on very large-scale neighborhood for prize-collecting vehicle routing problem

This paper presents a new variant of the vehicle routing problem (VRP), the prize-collecting vehicle routing problem (PCVRP), which is derived from the hot rolling production of the iron and steel industry. One major characteristic of the PCVRP is that the customers need not be visited compulsorily but a prize can be collected from each customer when visited. Besides the capacity constraint, a task completion constraint is introduced and requires that the total demand of the visited customers should be no less than a predetermined amount. The main objective is a linear combination of three objectives: minimization of total distance traveled, minimization of vehicles used, and maximization of prizes collected. An iterated local search algorithm (ILS) based on very large-scale neighborhood (VLSN) using cyclic transfer is proposed for the PCVRP. Computational results of problem instances with up to 100 customers show the algorithm is efficient and effective.
Damage Resistance Of Coated Optics For Pulsed, CO 2 Lasers

The influence of various factors on the damage threshold of coated optical components used in high-power, pulsed CO2 lasers is reviewed. The factors considered are substrate roughness and polishing defects, coating defects, linear absorption, deposition parameters, standing-wave electric fields, pulsewidth dependence, multiple-shot conditioning, and optical performance. Experimental results of many researchers are used to illustrate the discussions.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Assessment of pediatric near-drowning victims: is there a role for cranial CT?

Previous studies have suggested that CT examinations of the brain in children soon after near-drowning incidents are not helpful in predicting clinical outcome and are not necessary. The clinical and CT findings of 19 pediatric near-drowning victims were reviewed for correlation with clinical and neurologic outcome. As expected, a normal initial CT scan was poorly predictive of outcome, whereas an abnormal CT scan in the initial 36 h following an immersion incident was associated with a dismal prognosis. Three children with abnormal initial CT examinations were identified and all died within 3 days of admission. A CT scan performed in the immediate neardrowning period, therefore, may be helpful in identifying some patients who have sustained severe neurologic injury.
Realization and capacity analysis of cooperative communications based on multiplexing

Cooperative communication (CC) techniques, which form virtual multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems through cooperation among users, have been prevailing in current academic research. Two scenarios that have been mostly considered are one source to one destination with help from a classic relay node and two sources to one destination with cooperation among sources, i.e. cooperation for multiple access channels. In either case, single antenna is employed at each node. In this paper, I propose to realize cooperation based on multiplexing for a broadcast channel where there is one source equipped with multiple antennas and two destinations with single antenna. One of the destinations experiencing better channels helps the other destination under worse channel conditions by serving as a relay. Such a channel is referred to as a multiple input single output (MISO) cooperative broadcast channel (CBC). Further, I consider the capacity analysis for the MISO CBC where additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) presents (MISO AWGN CBC), which is not easy because MISO AWGN channel, as a vector Gaussian channel, is generally not degraded. I derive an outer bound on the capacity region of MISO AWGN CBC to provide insights into its information transmission limit.
Thompson Sampling for Opportunistic Spectrum Access with Markovian Rewards

Abstract-This paper considers the problem of multi- channels opportunistic access in stationary wireless environments, where an intelligent and unlicensed agent uses the existing licensed spectrum to maximize it's throughput while not causing harm to existing licensed users. Each channel is modeled as unknown and never ending stream of binary data generated by ﬁrst order discrete time Markov process with two states Gilbert-Elliot model. This problem is classiﬁed as restless bandit, where optimal solution is intractable. An on-line approximation algorithm is proposed based on Thompson Sampling Algorithm, which acts as heuristic search for best channel in the spectrum. Empirical evaluations are presented at the end of the paper that show an improved performance compared to other existing algorithms in cases where channels are not bursty
HIPAA compliance in home health: a neo-institutional theoretic perspective

As the baby boomers age and the focus of healthcare shifts from acute care to chronic care, home healthcare will become increasingly important in controlling cost and improving quality. Health IT will undoubtedly play critical role toward these goals. Yet, growing adoption of Health IT raises important questions related to privacy and security of protected health information, necessitating a better understanding of compliance to HIPAA regulation, which mandates privacy and security safeguards by care providers. In this research we investigate the prevalence of HIPAA compliance in home healthcare to identify drivers influencing HIPAA compliance in home health agencies. The research design involves a model of regulatory compliance comprising institutional and market forces that may have a bearing on home healthcare. We develop hypotheses guided by neo-institutional theory, and conduct quantitative analysis with the goal of generating insights on the primary drivers and barriers of HIPAA compliance.
Laser-induced acoustic imaging of underground objects

This paper introduces a new demining technique based on the photo-acoustic interaction, together with results from photo- acoustic experiments. We have buried different types of targets (metal, rubber and plastic) in different media (sand, soil and water) and imaged them by measuring reflection of acoustic waves generated by irradiation with a CO2 laser. Research has been focused on the signal acquisition and signal processing. A deconvolution method using Wiener filters is utilized in data processing. Using a uniform spatial distribution of laser pulses at the ground's surface, we obtained 3D images of buried objects. The images give us a clear representation of the shapes of the underground objects. The quality of the images depends on the mismatch of acoustic impedance of the buried objects, the bandwidth and center frequency of the acoustic sensors and the selection of filter functions.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Collapse of partially corroded or worn pipe under external pressure

Abstract This paper is concerned with the effect of internal corrosion or erosion defects on the collapse of pipelines under external pressure. Experiments are conducted on SS-304 tubes with D/t's of 21.0 and 18.7 with axially uniform grooves of several thicknesses and angular spans of 6–60°. All specimens exhibited the classical ovalization mode of collapse with the grooved side being more deformed. For groove angles between 6° and 20° the collapse pressure decreases as the angle increases but remains essentially constant for angles between 20° and 60°. The collapse pressure was found to decrease with groove depth, reducing by nearly 50% when the groove depth reached 50% of the pipe wall thickness. The experiments were simulated numerically using both the custom computer code BEPTICO as well as an axially uniform finite element model. The predictions were found to follow closely the trends of the experimental results. The three dimensionality of grooves was examined using appropriate finite element models. It was found that grooves shorter than about 8D constitute local imperfections and accurate prediction of their effect on collapse pressure requires fully 3-D modeling. By contrast, grooves 10D long or longer behave essentially as “long” grooves and can be analyzed using 2-D models.
Endoscopic Removal of Metallic Airway Stents

Background Complications of metallic airway stents include granulation tissue formation, fracture of struts, migration, and mucous plugging. When these complications result in airway injury or obstruction, it may become necessary to remove the stent. There have been few reports detailing techniques and complications associated with endoscopic removal of metallic airway stents. We report our experience with endoscopic removal of 30 such stents over a 3-year period. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 25 patients who underwent endoscopic stent removal from March 2001 to April 2004. The patients ranged in age from 17 to 80 years (mean, 56.3 years). There were 10 male and 15 female patients. The stents had been placed for nonmalignant disease in 20 patients (80%) and malignant disease in 5 patients (20%). All procedures were done under general anesthesia with a rigid bronchoscope. Special attention was focused on the technique of stent removal and postoperative complications. Results Thirty metallic airway stents were successfully removed from 25 consecutive patients over a 3-year period. The basic method of removal involved the steady application of traction to the stent with alligator forceps. In all cases, an instrument such as the barrel of the rigid bronchoscope or a Jackson dilator was employed to help separate the stent from the airway wall before removal was attempted. In some instances, the airway wall was pretreated with thermal energy prior to stent removal. Complications were as follows: retained stent pieces (n = 7), mucosal tear with bleeding (n = 4), reobstruction requiring temporary silicone stent placement (n = 14), need for postoperative mechanical ventilation (n = 6), and tension pneumothorax (n = 1). Conclusions Although metallic stents may be safely removed endoscopically, complications are common and must be anticipated. Other investigators have described airway obstruction and death as a result of attempted stent removal. Placement and removal of metallic airway stents should only be performed at centers that are prepared to deal with the potentially life-threatening complications.
Subseabed storage of radioactive waste

The subject of the storage of nuclear wastes products incites emotional responses from the public, and thus the U.S. Subseabed Disposal Program will have to make a good case for waste storage beneath the ocean floor. The facts attendant, however, describe circumstances necessitating cool-headed analysis to achieve a solution to the growing nuclear waste problem. Emotion aside, a good case indeed is being made for safe disposal beneath the ocean floor. The problems of nuclear waste storage are acute. A year ago, U.S. military weapons production had accumulated over seventy-five million gallons of high-level radioactive liquid waste; solid wastes, such as spent nuclear fuel rods from reactors, amounted to more than 12,000 tons. These wastes are corrosive and will release heat for 1000 years or more. The wastes will remain dangerously radioactive for a period of 10,000 years. There are advantages in storing the wastes on land, in special underground repositories, or on the surface. These include the accessibility to monitor the waste and the possibility of taking action should a container rupture occur, and thus the major efforts to determine suitable disposal at this time are focused on land-based storage. New efforts, not to be confused with ocean dumping practices of the past, are demonstrating that waste containers isolated in the clays and sediments of the ocean floor may be superior (Environ. Sci. Tech., 16, 28A–37A 1982).
Routing Protocol Based on CDSE Virtual Topology in Ad Hoc Network

This paper describes the Connected Dominating Set-Energy Protocol (CDSEP) for mobile ad hoc networks. The key concept used in the protocol is a new algorithm to construct Connected Dominating Set based on Energy and Connectivity (CDSE). This algorithm also permits to calculate the routing table based on the prediction. We propose a distributed algorithm to build a virtual topology based on Energy and Connectivity. This topology is used in the routing process. The nodes which build this topology are chosen according to two parameters: energy and connectivity, these nodes are named diffusion or dominator node. The CDSE virtual topology nodes forward broadcast packets during the flooding process. This technique greatly reduces the control packets and energy consumption as compared to Multipoint Relay flooding mechanism. In CDSEP protocol, the CDSE information is flooded in the network only by CDSE nodes. Thus a second optimization is achieved by minimizing the contents of the control packets flooded in the network. Hence, only a small subset of links is declared instead of all the network links. This information is then used by the CDSEP protocol to construct and predict the route. Simulation results show the CDSEP performances compared to Optimized Link State Routing Protocol for various metrics like overhead, energy consumption, end-to-end delay and packet delivery ratio.
Feature maps driven no-reference image quality prediction of authentically distorted images

Current blind image quality prediction models rely on benchmark databases comprised of singly and synthetically distorted images, thereby learning image features that are only adequate to predict human perceived visual quality on such inauthentic distortions. However, real world images often contain complex mixtures of multiple distortions. Rather than a) discounting the effect of these mixtures of distortions on an image's perceptual quality and considering only the dominant distortion or b) using features that are only proven to be efficient for singly distorted images, we deeply study the natural scene statistics of authentically distorted images, in different color spaces and transform domains. We propose a feature-maps-driven statistical approach which avoids any latent assumptions about the type of distortion(s) contained in an image, and focuses instead on modeling the remarkable consistencies in the scene statistics of real world images in the absence of distortions. We design a deep belief network that takes model-based statistical image features derived from a very large database of authentically distorted images as input and discovers good feature representations by generalizing over different distortion types, mixtures, and severities, which are later used to learn a regressor for quality prediction. We demonstrate the remarkable competence of our features for improving automatic perceptual quality prediction on a benchmark database and on the newly designed LIVE Authentic Image Quality Challenge Database and show that our approach of combining robust statistical features and the deep belief network dramatically outperforms the state-of-the-art.
Management of patients after cardiac surgery

Abstract The postoperative care of the patient during removal of CPB is the epitomy of modern clinical medicine. Successful postoperative care speaks to the best of modern medicine, namely, sophisticated technology, utilization of a team of concerned medical and nursing specialists, application of clinical pathways, and continued refinement in the patient care based on the principles of continual quality improvement. This article outlines the disruptions of the patient's physiologic systems by the inflammatory state initiated by CPB as a means of alerting the physician to the physical stresses imposed on their patients. Second, it describes the cardiac and noncardiac complications that might arise as a consequence of these disruptions to allow the physician to be proactive in the therapeutic approach. Finally, we propose treatment schemes based on an understanding of the pathophysiologic consequences of CPB and refined by their repeated application in the clinical arena. We acknowledge the input of Dr Jerrold Levy, Professor, Department Chair of Anesthesiology at Emory Healthcare Hospital, for his original creation of the algorithm for postopoerative bleeding and coagulopathy after cardiac surgery (Fig 7).
Laboratory Studies to Sterilize the Boll Weevil with Radiation

Gamma radiation of 7200 R or less delivered to 12- or 36-hr-old eggs of the boll weevil, Anthononms grandis Boheman, failed to sterilize, but did decrease the longevity of ensuing adults. Doses of 800–24,250 R applied to 12- to 36-hr-old pupae failed to sterilize the adults at any dose low enough to permit adult survival for at least 10 days with sufficient vitality to copulate. A dose of 8000 R delivered to 12- to 36-hr-old adults reduced sperm fertility to about 18%; these adults lived for as long as 20 days and mated apparently normally for at least 10 days postirradiation. Multiple mating experiments indicated that the last mating of the female was the effective one, but only if it was with a normal male; otherwise, there was a competitive effect between the irradiated and nonirradiated sperm.
Foveal hypoplasia demonstrated in vivo with optical coherence tomography

Abstract Purpose We demonstrate foveal hypoplasia by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Design Observational case report. Methods Foveal hypoplasia was demonstrated in a 79-year-old man with decreased vision since childhood using fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and OCT scans through four meridians of the central foveal. Results The OCT showed extension of all neurosensory retinal layers through the area in which the fovea would normally be located. Conclusion Optical coherence tomography can be used to demonstrate foveal hypoplasia.
Competition for Talin Results in Trans-dominant Inhibition of Integrin Activation

Abstract The ability of integrin adhesion receptors to undergo rapid changes in affinity for their extracellular ligands (integrin activation) is essential for the development and function of multicellular animals and is dependent on interactions between the integrin β subunit-cytoplasmic tail and the cytoskeletal protein talin. Cross-talk among different integrins and between integrins and other receptors impacts many cellular processes including adhesion, spreading, migration, clot retraction, proliferation, and differentiation. One form of integrin cross-talk, transdominant inhibition of integrin activation, occurs when ligand binding to one integrin inhibits the activation of a second integrin. This may be relevant clinically in a number of settings such as during platelet adhesion, leukocyte trans-migration, and angiogenesis. Here we report that competition for talin underlies the trans-dominant inhibition of integrin activation. This conclusion is based on our observations that (i) β tails selectively defective in talin binding are unable to mediate trans-dominant inhibition, (ii) trans-dominant inhibition can be reversed by overexpression of integrin binding and activating fragments of talin, and (iii) expression of another non-integrin talin-binding protein, phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase type Iγ-90, also inhibits integrin activation. Thus, the sequestration of talin by the suppressive species is both necessary and sufficient for trans-dominant inhibition of integrin activation.
Some Listeria monocytogenes Outbreak Strains Demonstrate Significantly Reduced Invasion, inlA Transcript Levels, and Swarming Motility In Vitro

Listeria monocytogenes can cause a severe invasive food-borne disease known as listeriosis, and large outbreaks of this disease occur occasionally. Based on molecular-subtype data, epidemic clone (EC) strains have been defined, including ECI and ECIa, which have caused listeriosis outbreaks on different continents. While a number of molecular-subtyping studies of outbreak strains have been reported, few comprehensive data sets of virulence-associated characteristics of these strains are available. We assembled a set of human clinical isolates from 15 outbreaks that occurred worldwide between 1975 and 2002. Initial characterization of these strains showed significant variation in the ability to invade human Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells and HepG2 hepatic cells; four strains showed consistently reduced invasion in both cell lines. DNA sequencing of inlA, which encodes a protein required for efficient Caco-2 and HepG2 invasion, showed that none of the invasion-attenuated strains contained known virulence-attenuating mutations in inlA. Phylogenetic analyses of inlA sequences revealed a well-supported clade containing a fully invasive ECI strain and three invasion-attenuated ECI strains, along with a fully invasive ECIa strain and an invasion-attenuated ECIa strain. Of the four invasion-attenuated strains, one strain showed both reduced inlA transcript levels and impaired swarming, one strain showed reduced inlA transcript levels, and two strains showed reduced swarming. Overall, our data show that (i) L. monocytogenes strains from outbreaks vary significantly in invasion efficiency and (ii) different mechanisms may contribute to reduced invasion efficiency. Association between EC strains and listeriosis outbreaks may involve characteristics other than virulence phenotypes, including survival and growth in food-associated environments.