cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Joint Asymmetric Graphics Rendering and Video Encoding Approach for Optimizing Cloud Mobile 3D Display Gaming User Experience

With the development and deployment of ubiquitous wireless network together with the growing popularity of mobile auto-stereoscopic 3D displays, more and more applications have been developed to enable rich 3D mobile multimedia experiences, including 3D display gaming. Simultaneously, with the emergence of cloud computing, more mobile applications are being developed to take advantage of the elastic cloud resources. In this paper, we explore the possibility of developing Cloud Mobile 3D Display Gaming, where the 3D video rendering and encoding are performed on cloud servers, with the resulting 3D video streamed to mobile devices with 3D displays through wireless network. However, with the significantly higher bitrate requirement for 3D videos, ensuring user experience may be a challenge considering the bandwidth constraints of mobile networks. In order to address this challenge, different techniques have been proposed including asymmetric graphics rendering and asymmetric video encoding. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a joint asymmetric graphics rendering and video encoding approach, where both the encoding quality and rendering richness of left view and right view are asymmetric, to enhance the user experience of the cloud mobile 3D display gaming system. Specifically, we first conduct extensive user studies to develop a user experience model that takes into account both video encoding impairment and graphics rendering impairment. We also develop a model to relate the bitrate of the resulting video with the video encoding settings and graphics rendering settings. Finally we propose an optimization algorithm that can automatically choose the video encoding settings and graphics rendering settings for left view and right view to ensure the best user experience given the network conditions. Experiments conducted using real 4G-LTE network profiles on commercial cloud service demonstrate the improvement in user experience when the proposed optimization algorithm is applied.
SC-17BMP4-SECRETING hAdMSCs ENGINEERED WITH NANOPARTICLES: A NON-VIRAL MSC-BASED THERAPY FOR GLIOBLASTOMA

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted significant attention as effective delivery vehicles for targeting brain disorders. We have shown that MSCs derived from human adipose tissue (hAMSCs) and genetically modified with viruses display high anti-glioma tropism and can deliver bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), a therapeutic agent that reduces the clonogenic ability of glioma stem cells. Virus-safety concerns have led to the development of biodegradable nanoparticles that can transfect human cells. We identify nanoparticles for engineering hAMCSs to secrete BMP4 both in vitro and in vivo to treat brain cancer. hAMSCs were transfected using poly (beta-amino ester-PBAE)-based nanoparticles. Transfection efficacy and toxicity were evaluated to determine the optimal formulation to transfect hAMSCs with a BMP4-expressing plasmid. In vitro functional assays evaluated the effect of the transfection on hAMSC phenotype. In vivo imaging and histological analyses tracked engineered hAMSCs (NP-AMSCs) in the brain after local and systemic administration to rodents with orthotopic human tumors. Optimized nanoparticles transfected hAMSCs with 75 ± 2% efficacy and 71 ± 7% viability which was significantly superior (p < 0.0001) to LipofectamineTM 2000(16 ± 3% transfection, 54 ± 5% viability) the leading commercial product. PCR and Western blot analysis confirmed BMP4 production from NP-hAMSCs (52.5 ng protein/106 NP-hAMSCs). NP-hAMSCs were significantly better in migration and invasion (p = 0.005) than hAMSCs transduced with lentivirus. Flow cytometry showed that NP-hAMSCs retain multipotency. Intranasal, intravenous, and local delivery of luciferase- and GFP-expressing NP-hAMSCs in a rodent model of human glioma showed transgene expression 5 days after injection and NP-hAMSC migration towards the brain and within the tumor. We demonstrate that PBAE-nanoparticle formulations effectively transfect hAMSCs to produce BMP4. NP-AMSCs migrate towards the brain and penetrate the tumor in a model of human glioma after local and systemic administration. NP-engineered BMP4-secreting hAMSCs can be a safe and effective alternative to viral transduction for stem cell-based anti-glioma gene therapies.
THE ROLE OF IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATORS (ICDS) IN PATIENTS WITH A LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE (LVAD): A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Advanced heart failure patients treated with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) frequently have ventricular arrhythmias. Given the hemodynamic support provided by LVADs, arrhythmias may be better tolerated, but the risk of sudden death in this population has not been determined. Also, the
Field Emission Properties of Disordered and Partially Ordered Nano Clustered Carbon Films

The fabrication of an efficient cold cathode emitter from carbon is based on a combination of material properties, which must be carefully tailored during deposition. We present the electron emission characteristics of several carbon films deposited by cathodic arc evaporation, and their correlation with the chemical composition, microtexture and microstructure of the films. The emission threshold field voltage, emission site density, uniformity and stability of both tetrahedral amorphous carbon, nitrogen doped carbon and nanoclustered carbon films will be reviewed. We will also address issues related to the deposition method, such as substrate temperature, defect density and scalability, in connection with requirements for the fabrication of field emission displays.
Applied Subsurface Geological Mapping with Structural Methods, Second Edition(Daniel J. Tearpock and Richard E. Bischke)

“This textbook begins where many others end” is the bold statement at the start of Chapter 1 of this 822-page text. The primary aim of this book is made clear at the outset. Its focus is on subsurface structural mapping methods and their techniques as applied in the petroleum industry. As such, it is not a text for an undergraduate course in structural geology, although it may have significant value to graduate students taking courses in petroleum geology. The guiding principle for the text is the “Philosophical Doctrine of Accurate Subsurface Interpretation and Mapping” as laid out in detail in Chapter 1. I must admit to wincing slightly when I read the words “doctrine” and “interpretation” in the same sentence. However, the 10 points of the doctrine are all, in themselves, very reasonable and should underpin any interpretation of subsurface data, be it in the …
Simultaneous determination of phenol,p-nitrophenol,2,4-dinitrophenol,2,4,6-trinitrophenol and m-dihydroxybenzene in workplace air by HPLC

Objective:HPLC was used to the simultaneous determination of five phenols including phenol,p-nitrophenol,2,4-dinitrophenol,2,4,6-trinitrophenol and m-dihydroxybenzene in workplace air.Methods:The air samples were adsorbed by porous glass plate absorber,separated by gradient elution with methanol(65%) and water(35%) on Atlantis C18 and determined by diode-array detector at 220 nm.Results:Linear relationships of all compounds were obtained in the range of 0 μg/ml～20.0 μg/ml,standard-weight recoveries were between 97.0% and 102.0%,values of RSD were less than 3%,detection limits were 0.03 μg/ml～0.08 μg/ml,and minimal detectable concentrations were from 0.02 mg/m3 to 0.05 mg/m3.Conclusion:The method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of five phenols in workplace,and it is simple,sensitive,repeatable and accurate.
Diabetes in the elderly: diagnosis and treatment.

There is overwhelming evidence that glucose tolerance deteriorates with aging, yet none of the many proposed mechanisms fully explain this phenomenon. Therefore, effective management of diabetes in the elderly remains pragmatic.
Leukemia of non-T lineage natural killer cells

An unusual case of an aggressive leukemia of natural killer (NK) cells occurred in a 65-year-old male. Clinical characteristics of this case included hepatosplenomegaly, ascites, marrow infiltrate with leukemic cells, and a WBC up to 82.8 X 10(9) before therapy. One year before his presentation he had been noted to have a WBC of 12.1 X 10(9) with 78% lymphocytes, and 6 months before had noted intermittent fever and weight loss. He and his brother had well documented hereditary cold urticaria. The patient was treated with a modification of ProMACE CYTABOM regimen and had prompt regression of the leukemia with associated acute tumor lysis. Renal, hepatic, and marrow failure predominated during a terminal course that ended 22 days after therapy was commenced, and at autopsy there was no evidence for leukemic cell infiltrate in the liver, spleen or marrow. The leukemic cells were large granular lymphocytes by light and electron microscopic criteria, and had the following immunophenotype: CD2+, DR+, Leu7+, NKH1+, CD11+, CD3-, CD5-, CD4-, CD8-, CD16-. The cells displayed high antibody- dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and NK activity, and had a high rate of spontaneous proliferation in vitro that was not augmented by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), or pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Southern analysis of DNA from leukemic cells revealed normal germline arrangements for the beta and gamma chains of the T cell antigen receptor and immunoglobulin heavy chain genes. The majority of metaphases were clonally abnormal revealing consistent rearrangements involving extra material attached to the long arms of chromosomes 5 and 11.
Surrogate gas prediction model as a proxy for Δ14C‐based measurements of fossil fuel−CO2

The measured 14C:12C isotopic ratio of atmospheric CO2 (and its associated derived Δ14C value) is an ideal tracer for determination of the fossil fuel derived CO2 enhancement contributing to any atmospheric CO2 measurement (Cff ). Given enough such measurements, independent top-down estimation of US fossil fuel-CO2 emissions should be possible. However, the number of Δ14C measurements is presently constrained by cost, available sample volume, and availability of mass spectrometer measurement facilities. Δ14C is therefore measured in just a small fraction of samples obtained by ask air sampling networks around the world. Here, we develop a Projection Pursuit Regression (PPR) model to predict Cff as a function of multiple surrogate gases acquired within the NOAA/ESRL Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network (GGGRN). The surrogates consist of measured enhancements of various anthropogenic trace gases, including CO, SF6, and halo- and hydrocarbons acquired in vertical airborne sampling profiles near Cape May, NJ and Portsmouth, NH from 2005 through 2010. Model performance for these sites is quantified based on predicted values corresponding to test data excluded from the model building process. Chi-square hypothesis test analysis indicates that these predictions and corresponding observations are consistent given our uncertainty budget which accounts for random effects and one particular systematic effect. However, quantification of the combined uncertainty of the prediction due to all relevant systematic effects is difficult because of the limited range of the observations and their relatively high fractional uncertainties at the sampling sites considered here. To account for the possibility of additional systematic effects, we incorporate another component of uncertainty into our budget. Expanding the number of Δ14C measurements in the NOAA GGGRN and building new PPR models at additional sites would improve our understanding of uncertainties and potentially increase the number of Cff estimates by approximately a factor of three. Provided that these estimates are of comparable quality to Δ14C-based estimates, we expect an improved determination of fossil fuel-CO2 emissions.
Complementary Prognostic Value of Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Whole-Body Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Pretreatment Assessment of Patients With Cervical Cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incremental prognostic value of pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whole-body F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings compared with clinical-histopathologic factors in patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer.The institutional review board approved this retrospective study of 114 patients (median age, 40.6 years) with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-IVB cervical cancer who underwent pretreatment MRI and PET/CT. All scans were reviewed for locoregional tumor extent, pelvic or/and para-aortic lymphadenopathy, and distant metastases. Univariate Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to evaluate associations between clinical-histopathologic factors, imaging findings, and progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate models were built using independent predictors for PFS. Harrell C was used to measure concordance (C index).Forty patients progressed within a median time of 10.4 months (range, 0.4-40.3 months). At univariate analysis, age, FIGO stage, tumor histology, tumor grade, and all MRI and PET/CT features were significantly associated with PFS (P < 0.0001 to P = 0.0474). A multivariate model including clinical and imaging parameters (parametrial invasion on MRI and para-aortic lymphadenopathy/distant metastases on PET/CT) had significantly higher concordance for predicting PFS than a model including clinical parameters only (C index: 0.81 [95\% confidence interval, 0.75-0.87] vs 0.68 [95\% confidence interval, 0.59-0.78]; P < 0.001). The comparison of C indices for the combined clinical and imaging model approached significance when compared with a FIGO stage model (C index: 0.81 [95\% confidence interval, 0.75-0.87] vs 0.75 [95\% confidence interval, 0.69-0.82]; P = 0.058).In patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer, a prognostic model including combined MRI and PET/CT findings provides information that complements clinical and histopathologic factors.
Robust execution strategies for probabilistic temporal planning

A critical challenge in temporal planning is robustly dealing with non-determinism introduced by the environment, e.g., the durational uncertainty of an action taken by a robot in the physical world due to slippage or other unexpected influences. Recent advances show that robustness, which accounts for uncertainty in predicting schedule success, is a better measure of solution quality than traditional metrics such as flexibility. This paper introduces the Robust Execution Problem (REP) for finding maximally robust dispatch strategies for general probabilistic temporal planning problems. While the REP is generally intractable in practice, we introduce approximate solution techniques—one that can be computed statically prior to the start of execution while providing robustness guarantees and one that dynamically adjusts to opportunities and setbacks during execution. We show empirically that dynamically optimizing for robustness improves the likelihood of execution success.
Abstract P209: MyD88 Mediated Inflammatory Signaling Involved in Post-MI CaMKII Activation and Cardiac Hypertrophy

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) participate in pathological responses to myocardial infarction (MI), including activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcriptio...
Symmetry breaking during homodimeric assembly activates an E3 ubiquitin ligase.

C-terminus of Hsc/p70-Interacting Protein (CHIP) is a homodimeric E3 ubiquitin ligase. Each CHIP monomer consists of a tetratricopeptide-repeat (TPR), helix-turn-helix (HH), and U-box domain. In contrast to nearly all homodimeric proteins, CHIP is asymmetric. To uncover the origins of asymmetry, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of dimer assembly. We determined that a CHIP monomer is most stable when the HH domain has an extended helix that supports intra-monomer TPR-U-box interaction, blocking the E2-binding surface of the U-box. We also discovered that monomers first dimerize symmetrically through their HH domains, which then triggers U-box dimerization. This brings the extended helices into close proximity, including a repulsive stretch of positively charged residues. Unable to smoothly unwind, this conflict bends the helices until the helix of one protomer breaks to relieve the repulsion. The abrupt snapping of the helix forces the C-terminal residues of the other protomer to disrupt that protomer’s TPR-U-box tight binding interface, swiftly exposing and activating one of the E2 binding sites. Mutagenesis and biochemical experiments confirm that C-terminal residues are necessary both to maintain CHIP stability and function. This novel mechanism indicates how a ubiquitin ligase maintains an inactive monomeric form that rapidly activates only after asymmetric assembly.
Role of intestinal Hsp70 in barrier maintenance: contribution of milk to the induction of Hsp70.2.

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal disease of complex etiology resulting in devastating systemic inflammation and often death in premature newborns. We previously demonstrated that formula feeding inhibits ileal expression of heat shock protein-70 (Hsp70), a critical stress protein within the intestine. Barrier function for the premature intestine is critical. We sought to determine whether reduced Hsp70 protein expression increases neonatal intestinal permeability.
Clinical Outcomes of Isolated Congenital Aqueductal Stenosis.

Introduction Hydrocephalus due to congenital aqueductal stenosis (CAS) has significant long-term clinical implications. Previous reports on outcomes after treatment of congenital hydrocephalus are heterogenous and lack specificity for the subgroup of patients with isolated aqueductal stenosis. Methods An institutional surgical database was queried for the time period of 2005–2013 for patients with the diagnosis of isolated CAS and >2 years of clinical follow-up. Medical history and neurodevelopmental outcomes were recorded. Results The institutional cohort consisted of 41 patients with isolated CAS who underwent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. At a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, 48.8% carried a diagnosis of epilepsy and 68% were developmentally delayed. Four patients were diagnosed with cerebral palsy (9.8%). In total, 78% of patients were shunt-dependent, and the remainder had patent third ventriculostomies. Only 32% of patients in our cohort were neurologically normal after long-term follow-up despite contemporary management. Conclusions Regardless of the initial treatment strategy, the age at diagnosis, or the timing of cerebrospinal fluid diversion after birth, patients with aqueductal stenosis have high rates of epilepsy, neurodevelopmental delay, and educational difficulties, and few are neurologically normal despite contemporary management. Investigation into in utero identification and correction of hydrocephalus may result in improved outcomes and warrants further investigation.
Recurrence risk of a new dominant mutation in children of unaffected parents

Extensions to models originally described by Hartl for predicting the recurrence risk of new dominant mutations are developed in this paper. Additions to the models are (1) possible somatic mosaicism in a parent in some families, (2) the possibility that the parental origin of the mutation may or may not be known, and (3) mutation rates which change as a function of sex and/or time. The models indicate that recurrence risks are most critically affected by (a) the amount of somatic mosaicism which can be tolerated in the parent without manifesting disease and (b) knowledge of the parental origin of the mutation. In addition, there is a moderate effect on recurrence risks if mutation rates increase in the father as a function of time. Recurrence risks are at least as large as the risk of trisomy 21 in a child of a mother of age 35 years or older, probably much higher (5%-10%) when the mutation is known to be of maternal origin or if substantial somatic mosaicism in the parent is compatible with a normal phenotype. The recurrence risk of a new mutation is high because of a very high ascertainment bias of families with substantial germ-line mosaicism.
High-fat diets and cardiovascular disease: are nutritional supplements useful?

Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the treatment of acute and chronic cardiovascular disease. Although a large part of this success has been attributable to medical and technical advances, patient education concerning the importance of cardiovascular risk factors has
Sanguinaria-associated oral leukoplakia: comparison with other benign and dysplastic leukoplakic lesions.

Objective. This study was undertaken to compare and contrast biomarkers and ploidy data from maxillary gingiva leukoplakias associated with dentifrices and mouthrinses containing the herbal compound sanguinaria with other forms of oral benign and premalignant mucosal keratosis. Study design. Representative archived specimens of benign keratosis, sanguinaria-associated keratosis, and keratosis with dysplasia were used for computerized image analysis and biomarker immunohistochemical assays to assess ploidy, DNA content, and p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity of nuclei. Results. DNA content was significantly higher and higher numbers of cell populations with hyperploid nuclei were encountered in the dysplastic group than in the other two groups (P <.001). Sanguinaria-associated keratosis did not harbor significant numbers of p53-expressing nuclei, yet it showed a significant elevation in proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeled nuclei in total, in the basal layer, and in the spinous layer in comparison with benign keratoses (P <.001). In addition, 1.5% of the sanguinaria-associated leukoplakia epithelial cell population was characterized by nuclei with a greater than 4-fold increase in DNA content. Conclusions. Sanguinaria-associated keratoses show some marker and image analysis profiles similar to those of nonsanguinaria dysplastic lesions of the lip and mucosa. Preparations containing sanguinaria should be avoided until the risk for malignant transformation is determined.
Capturing asymmetrical spectral regrowth in RF systems using a multislice behavioral model and enhanced envelop transient analysis: Research Articles

Nonlinear distortion in RF and microwave systems results in spectral regrowth of digitally modulated signals. The distortion above and below the main channel can be at different levels and this is attributed to baseband effects. This article presents a new multislice behavioral-model architecture that captures this asymmetry and can be implemented in a variety of circuit simulators, including SPICE, harmonic balance (HB), envelope transient (ET), and system simulators. The work is experimentally validated using an HBT power amplifier at 2.5 GHz driven by a WCDMA signal. The model is used with envelope transient circuit simulation which is enhanced to accommodate an arbitrary baseband transfer function. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2006.
An Investigation of Secure Distributed DBMS Architectures

The objective of this paper is to describe an architecture for a multilevel secure distributed database management system (SD-DBMS). This work was part of a project, funded by Rome Air Development Center (RADC), to design a multilevel secure (MLS) database management system (DBMS) capable of processing information at a minimum of three classification levels and/or categories. The SD-DBMS was designed in accordance with the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) requirements for a Class B3 trusted computer system [Cen85b].
Assessing the Reliability of the CAMS Rating Scale Using a Generalizability Study.

Abstract. Background: An important consideration when conducting randomized controlled trials is treatment differentiation. Direct observation helps ensure that providers in different treatment gro...
Abstract WP82: Ghost Infarct Core: Ischemic Oreoverestimation by Admission CT Perfusion on Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke Patients

Introduction: Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) is frequently used in patient selection for thrombectomy. However, CTP may under or overestimate the ischemic core. Recently, the concept of ghost ...
Ballot-Marking Devices (BMDs) Cannot Assure the Will of the Voters

Computers, including all modern voting systems, can be hacked and misprogrammed. The scale and complexity of U.S. elections may require the use of computers to count ballots, but election integrity requires a paper-ballot voting system in which, regardless of how they are initially counted, ballots can be re- counted by hand to check whether election outcomes have been altered by buggy or hacked software. Furthermore, secure voting systems must be able to recover from any errors that might have occurred. However, paper ballots provide no assurance unless they accurately record the vote as the voter expresses it. Voters can express their intent by hand-marking a ballot with a pen, or using a computer called a ballot-marking device (BMD), which generally has a touchscreen and assistive interfaces. Voters can make mistakes in expressing their intent in either technology, but only the BMD is also subject to systematic error from computer hacking or bugs in the process of recording the vote on paper, after the voter has expressed it. A hacked BMD can print a vote on the paper ballot that differs from what the voter expressed, or can omit a vote that the voter expressed. It is not easy to check whether BMD output accurately reflects how one voted in every contest. Research shows that most voters do not review paper ballots printed by BMDs, even when clearly instructed to check for errors. Furthermore, most voters who do review their ballots do not check carefully enough to notice errors that would change how their votes were counted. Finally, voters who detect BMD errors before casting their ballots, can correct only their own ballots, not systematic errors, bugs, or hacking. There is no action that a voter can take to demonstrate to election officials that a BMD altered their expressed votes, and thus no way voters can help deter, detect, contain, and correct computer hacking in elections. That is, not only is it inappropriate to rely on voters to check whether BMDs alter expressed votes, it doesn’t work. Risk-limiting audits of a trustworthy paper trail can check whether errors in tabulating the votes as recorded altered election outcomes, but there is no way to check whether errors in how BMDs record expressed votes altered election out- comes. The outcomes of elections conducted on current BMDs therefore cannot be confirmed by audits. This paper identifies two properties of voting systems, contestability and defensibility, that are necessary conditions for any audit to con- firm election outcomes. No commercially available EAC-certified BMD is contestable or defensible. To reduce the risk that computers undetectably alter election results by printing erroneous votes on the official paper audit trail, the use of BMDs should be limited to voters who require assistive technology to vote independently.
Enhancing the Vertical Mobility of a Robot Hexapod Using Microspines

Modern climbing robots have risen to great heights, but mechanisms meant to scale cliffs often locomote slowly and over-cautiously on level ground. Here we introduce T-RHex, an iteration on the classic cockroach-inspired hexapod that has been augmented with microspine feet for climbing. T-RHex is a mechanically intelligent platform capable of efficient locomotion on ground with added climbing abilities. The legs integrate the compliance required for the microspines with the compliance required for locomotion in order to simplify the design and reduce mass. The microspine fabrication is simplified by embedding the spines during an additive manufacturing process. We present results that show that the addition of microspines to the T-RHex platform greatly increases the maximum slope that the robot is able to statically hang on (up to a 45 degree overhang) and ascend (up to 55 degrees) without sacrificing ground mobility.
Gendered Visibility on Social Media: Navigating Instagram’s Authenticity Bind

Although the digital economy’s guiding logics of attention and visibility rouse social media users to put themselves out there, individuals experience digital visibility in profoundly uneven ways. For women, in particular, the public nature of online communication is fraught with risk, opening the potential for ridicule, hate, and harassment. This research explores the vexed nature of visibility among Instagram content creators, a community that is especially beholden to this so-called “visibility mandate.” Drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 aspiring and professional Instagrammers, we show how they attempt to stave off potential critique in patterned ways. In their efforts to project themselves as authentic, many sought to deflect accusations of being too real, and, alternatively, as being not real enough. We argue that this uniquely gendered form of a socially mediated “authenticity bind” indexes the wider policing of women and other marginalized communities in digitally networked spaces, wherein they must carefully toe the line between visibility and vulnerability .
Augmented reality head-up displays effect on drivers’ spatial knowledge acquisition:

Background:Drivers gather most of the information they need to drive by looking at the world around them and at visual displays within the vehicle. Navigation systems automate the way drivers navig...
PEEP/ FIO2 ARDSNet Scale Grouping of a Single Ventilator for Two Patients: Modeling Tidal Volume Response.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is creating ventilator shortages in many countries that is sparking a conversation about placing multiple patients on a single ventilator. However, on March 26, 2020, six leading medical organizations released a joint statement warning clinicians that attempting this technique could lead to poor outcomes and high mortality. Nevertheless, hospitals around the United States and abroad are considering this technique out of desperation (eg, New York), but there is little data to guide their approach. The overall objective of this study is to utilize a computational model of mechanically ventilated lungs to assess how patient-specific lung mechanics and ventilator settings impact lung tidal volume (VT). METHODS: We developed a lumped-parameter computational model of multiple patients connected to a shared ventilator and validated it against a similar experimental study. We used this model to evaluate how patient-specific lung compliance and resistance would impact VT under 4 ventilator settings of pressure control level, PEEP, breathing frequency, and inspiratory:expiratory ratio. RESULTS: Our computational model predicts VT within 10% of experimental measurements. Using this model to perform a parametric study, we provide proof-of-concept for an algorithm to better match patients in different hypothetical scenarios of a single ventilator shared by > 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Assigning patients to preset ventilators based on their required level of support on the lower PEEP/higher F IO 2 scale of the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ARDS Clinical Network (ARDSNet), secondary to lung mechanics, could be used to overcome some of the legitimate concerns of placing multiple patients on a single ventilator. We emphasize that our results are currently based on a computational model that has not been validated against any preclinical or clinical data. Therefore, clinicians considering this approach should not look to our study as an exact estimate of predicted patient VT values.
Bilingualism and the executive function advantage in preterm-born children

Abstract Complications from premature birth puts children at risk for poorer executive function compared to their term-born peers. This study aimed to examine the effect of bilingualism on the executive function of preterm-born children, a population that is thus far rarely addressed in the bilingualism literature. Executive function skills were assessed in 35 preterm-born children ages four to seven with the Simon and the Flanker task. All children were born before 35 weeks’ gestation and were categorized as monolingual or bilingual and then matched on neonatal acuity. Bilingualism was operationalized as productive capacity in both Spanish and English and was confirmed by four triangulated measures. Results showed that the bilingual preterm-born children performed significantly better than the monolingual preterm-born children on the Flanker task. The bilingual group was also faster and more accurate on the Simon task, however group differences were not significant. Surprisingly, during the exit interview, 100 % of the bilingual group parents reported that their child’s pediatric primary care provider advised them to stop speaking Spanish at home. These preliminary findings indicate that (1) bilingualism may enhance executive function in preterm-born children and this is worth exploring further; and (2) clinical advice that parents abandon their home language and switch to English only with their preterm-born children is unwarranted.
Deep convolution neural networks based artifact suppression in under-sampled radial acquisitions of myocardial T 1 mapping images

We developed a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) based method to remove streaking artefact from accelerated radial acquisitions of myocardial T 1-mapping images. A deep CNN based on a modified U-Net architecture was developed and trained to remove the streaking artefacts from under-sampled T 1 mapping images. A total of 2090 T 1-weighted images for 33 patients (55 ± 15 years, 19 males) and five healthy subjects (30 ± 14 years, 2 males) were used for training and testing the network. The images were acquired using radial slice interleaved T 1 mapping sequence (STONE) and retrospectively under-sampled to achieve acceleration rate of 4 (corresponding to 48 spokes). The dataset was split into training and testing subsets with 23 subjects (60%) and 15 subjects (40%), respectively. For generating voxel-wise T 1 maps, a two-parameter fitting model was used. Network performance was evaluated using normalized mean square error (NMSE), structural similarity index (SSIM) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) metrics. The proposed network allowed fast (<0.3 s/image) removal of the artefact from all T 1-weighted testing images and the corresponding T 1 maps with PSNR = 64.3 ± 1.02, NMSE = 0.2 ± 0.09 and SSIM = 0.9 ± 0.3 × 10-4. There was no statistically significant difference between the measured T 1 maps for both per-subject (reference: 1085 ± 37 ms, CNN: 1088 ± 37 ms, p = 0.4) and per-segment (reference: 1084 ± 48 ms, CNN: 1083 ± 58 ms, p = 0.9) analyses. In summary, deep CNN allows fast and reliable removal of streaking artefact from under-sampled radial T 1 mapping images. Our results show that the highly non-linear operations of deep CNN processing of T 1 mapping images do not impact accurate reconstruction of myocardial T 1 maps.
On Impact

Nothing matters as much in our world of published research as does Impact. Perhaps tenure and promotion are more important, on the face of it, but when considered carefully, TP we want our journal to matter. We want the world to notice what we are doing and approve of it. Impact: it's our coin of the realm, pretty much. I like journal editing because it makes me feel like I have an impact on the field. Not in any particularly vainglorious way, but rather in a sense of service. Editing makes me feel like I'm playing a part in helping important research come to the attention of the colleagues. If I can help others have Impact with their carefully crafted research, then I feel my editorial service has Impact, as well-and that satisfies my need for playing a part in the advancement of science. Impact: it's important. It's also sort of vaguely understood, despite the metrics we have at hand to indicate it and assess it. This leads to an issue of internal validity, in my mind, as regards what Impact is and what it means. To repeat a bit of Appalachian wisdom from my youth as regards my naive understanding of Impact, "I'm no judge of beauty, but I sure know ugly when I see it." Impact is like that. We know it better by what it is not than by what it is, from the critical realist's perspective. That is why Stacie and I agreed that at some point a brief essay on Impact and its meaning in the context of your Data Base would be a good thing. I undertake that task here, in this editorial. I undertake it from the perspective of one who has lived and breathed Impact at Data Base for over a decade. I once would have said, "The crowning achievement of my last term in the Editor's seat was achieving Journal Citation Report survey status from Thomson Reuters for development of an Impact Factor score."
Critical review of wellbore ballooning and breathing literature

Abstract Reversible drilling fluid losses are a major concern of many drilling operations. They alternate fluid losses to fluid returns, the latter representing an unexpected influx to the wellbore. The phenomenon is generally referred to as wellbore ballooning or breathing, and its correct interpretation is paramount for two main reasons. (1) Misinterpretation may jeopardize kick detection operations and lead to kick misdiagnosis. If a kick is wrongly assumed to be a mudflow return, such a scenario could result in well unloading. (2) On the other hand, potential safety issues can also derive from attempts to kill a breathing well when a kick is incorrectly diagnosed. Undermining of wellbore integrity and increments of Non-Productive Time (NPT) are the resulting consequences of the unnecessary implementation of well-control practices. In this paper, references in the literature are examined. Special emphasis is given to critically evaluate the proposed theoretical models. In addition, industry approaches and remedies to wellbore ballooning/breathing are also reviewed.
HPLC Method to Resolve, Identify and Quantify Guanine Nucleotides Bound to the GTPase Ras

The Ras superfamily of small G proteins play central roles in diverse signaling pathways. Superfamily members act as molecular on-off switches defined by their occupancy with GTP or GDP, respectively. In vitro functional studies require loading with a hydrolysis-resistant GTP analogue to increase the on-state lifetime, as well as knowledge of fractional loading with activating and inactivating nucleotides. The present study describes a method combining elements of previous approaches with new, optimized features to analyze the bound nucleotide composition of a G protein loaded with activating (GMPPNP) or inactivating (GDP) nucleotide. After nucleotide loading, the complex is washed to remove unbound nucleotides then bound nucleotides are heat-extracted and subjected to ion-paired, reverse-phase HPLC-UV to resolve, identify and quantify the individual nucleotide components. These data enable back-calculation to the nucleotide composition and fractional activation of the original, washed G protein population prior to heat extraction. The method is highly reproducible. Application to multiple HRas preparations and mutants confirms its ability to fully extract and analyze bound nucleotides, and to resolve the fractional on- and off-state populations. Furthermore, the findings yield a novel hypothesis for the molecular disease mechanism of Ras mutations at the E63 and Y64 positions.
Abstract TMP113: Deletion of Alk1 Gene in Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Cells is Sufficient to Cause Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in Mice

Introduction: In humans, Alk1 deficiency causes arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in multiple organs. Endothelial deletion of Alk1 in adult mice leads to AVM formation in multiple organs and the b...
Cytokines and osteoporosis

Abstract Cytokines are polypeptide molecules which modulate the biologic actions of cells. They are recognized as local factors that regulate the various functions of bone cells and are implicated in various metabolic bone diseases including osteoporosis. Several interleukins (ILs) appear to be key players: IL-1 has potent bone-resorbing activities both in vitro and in vivo . It stimulates osteoclast formation which may depend on prostaglandins. In vivo , IL-1 produces high bone turnover with bone volume loss and hypercalcemia. The role of IL-1 in postmenopausal osteoporosis is unclear since current evidence provides conflicting results. IL-4 inhibits bone resorption in vitro whereas an in vivo study in transgenic mice reveals low turnover osteoporosis. IL-6 is another major cytokine which has been extensively studied in bone diseases especially estrogen-deficient osteoporosis. IL-6 is believed to induce bone resorption by activating osteoclastic stem cells rather than mature osteoclasts although the exact mechanism and its role in osteoporosis need to be clarified. IL-11 has been shown to enhance bone resorption and inhibit bone formation in vitro , however, its significance in bone metabolism in vivo is as yet undefined. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), like IL-1, is a bone resorber both in vitro and in vivo and is one of the cytokines that may well play an important role in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Lymphotoxin (LT), similar to TNF, stimulates bone resorption in vitro but its role in osteoporosis has not been established. The effects of several colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) have also been investigated. Despite no bone-resorbing activity, granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF) is able to produce osteoporosis in transgenic mice and monocyte-CSF (M-CSF) administration is capable of correcting murine osteopetrosis. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) has been recognized as an inhibitor of bone resorption in vitro until recently when in vivo studies demonstrated its bone-resorbing effect by producing loss of bone volume in rats and in osteopetrotic patients. As another bone resorber in vitro , leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is also a candidate in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis although further studies are needed. The problem of defining roles for these cytokines may rest in the different biological systems, that is, in vitro versus in vivo studies, and interaction of systemic hormones and a stepwise cascade series of regulatory events that make one particular cytokine's role difficult to evaluate in isolation.
Seeing Is Remembering: The Impact of Using Creative Props with Children in Schools and Community Agencies.

Abstract Working with children and adolescents in any therapeutic setting can be a challenge. Counselors who take on the task of working with this population must have a multitude of skills and tools at their disposal. This article outlines the importance of making counseling experiential for young clients by discussing several creative counseling interventions. This article focuses on the use of props with children and adolescents. Sample dialogue is offered to demonstrate creative interventions that enhance counseling with children and make the work memorable.
The utility of communication in coordinating intelligent agents

When intelligent agents who have different knowledge and capabilities must work together, they must communicate the right information to coordinate their actions. Developing techniques for deciding what to communicate, however, is problematic, because it requires an agent to have a model of a message recipient and to infer the impact of a message on the recipient based on that model. We have developed a method by which agents build recursive models of each other, where the models are probabilistic and decision-theoretic. In this paper, we show how an agent can compute the impact of a message in terms of how it increases (or decreases) its expected utility. By treating the imperfect communication channel probabilistically, our method allows agents to account for risk in committing to nonintuitive courses of action, and to compute the utility of acknowledging messages.
Combining Symbolic Computation and Theorem Proving: Some Problems of Ramanujan

One way of building more powerful theorem provers is to use techniques from symbolic computation. The challenge problems in this paper are taken from Chapter 2 of Ramanujan''s Notebooks. They were selected because they are non-trivial and require the use of symbolic computation techniques. We have developed a theorem prover based on the symbolic computation system Mathematica, that can prove all the challenge problems completely automatically. The axioms and inference rules for constructing the proofs are also briefly discussed.
Drill, baby, drill: the influence of woodpeckers on post-fire vertebrate communities through cavity excavation.

Several studies have addressed the importance of woodpeckers as ecological engineers in forests due to their excavation of cavities. Although research in green, unburned forests has identified the influence of different excavators on secondary use by cavity-dependent species, little is known about the relative importance of cavities created by woodpeckers in recently burned forests. By excavating cavities, woodpeckers create habitat for secondary cavity users that can facilitate post-fire regeneration through seed dispersal, seed germination and regulation of insect populations that affect vegetative growth. In this study, we monitored 77 cavities created by three species of Picoides woodpeckers for use by secondary cavity species in a fire that burned in the Sierra Nevada, California. At each cavity we measured nest tree and site-specific parameters to determine if these characteristics could explain differential use by secondary cavity users. We found substantial overlap in cavity characteristics between woodpecker species, with the white-headed woodpecker differing most notably in their placement of cavities in larger diameter, shorter and more decayed trees in less dense stands than either hairy or black-backed woodpeckers. These differences in cavity placement may have resulted in the high diversity and large number of detections of secondary cavity species in white-headed woodpecker cavities. Black-backed and hairy woodpeckers were similar in the number of detections of secondary cavity use, although black-backed woodpecker cavities were used by more species than hairy woodpecker cavities. Secondary cavity use was high (86%) suggesting these woodpeckers, and the white-headed woodpecker in particular, can have an accelerating affect effect on ecological succession by providing valuable habitat features for seed dispersing birds and mammals, insectivorous birds, and small predators, thereby impacting ecological processes and functions.
The chemical defense of the Texas cave harvestman Chinquipellobunus madlae: first report on the family Stygnopsidae and on a North American troglobiont harvestman (Opilones: Gonyleptoidea)

Abstract The stygnopsid harvestman Chinquipellobunus madlae (Goodnight and Goodnight 1967) is known from numerous caves in eleven counties in Texas and is a highly adapted troglobiont (Cokendolpher 2004). Adult and juvenile specimens were extracted in methanol, and the major volatile component of their chemical defense secretion was identified as 2-methyl-5-ethylphenol; a minor component was 2, 5-dimethylphenol. Methylethyl phenols and dimethyl phenols have also been identified in other grassatorid Opiliones, but this is the first report of defensive chemistry from a member of the family Stygnopsidae and from a North American troglobiont harvestman.
Magnetic phase diagram of dysprosium

Abstract We have studied the magnetic phase diagram of single crystal dysprosium (Dy) below the Neel temperature. The recent study by Andrianov et al. showed that magnetic phase diagram of Dy for applied magnetic field along the b -axis, contains four regions: I—helical antiferromagnetic phase, II—angular phase, III—fan phase and IV—collinear ferromagnetic phase. In our study we have used magnetization measurements to construct the magnetic phase diagram of Dy in the H – T plane ( H is the applied magnetic field, T is the temperature). Our magnetic phase diagram of Dy for H along the b -axis is very similar to that of Andrianov et al.