cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Streamlining measurement iteration for EKF target tracking

The estimation problem is defined, and a review of how the linear estimation approach of Kalman filtering is extrapolated to form an extended Kalman filter (EKF), applicable for state estimation in nonlinear systems is presented. A mechanization of an EKF variation known as an iterated EKF, offering improved tracking performance, is treated. A streamlined version of an iterated EKF that has a lesser computational burden (fewer operations per cycle or time step) than prior formulations is offered. A nonlinear filtering application example, to be used as a testbed for this new approach, is described, and the detailed modeling considerations as needed for exoatmospheric random-variable radar target tracking are discussed. The performance of the streamlined mechanization is illustrated in this radar target tracking example, and comparisons are made with the performance of an EKF without measurement iteration. >
Dynamics of Water Vapor Transmission through Fabric Barriers

An experimental apparatus has been developed to permit the simultaneous measurement of moisture sorption by a fabric and moisture flux through a fabric during the transient period after the fabric ...
Agreement Between Results of Home Sleep Testing for Obstructive Sleep Apnea with and Without a Sleep Specialist.

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnea is a prevalent yet underdiagnosed condition associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Home sleep testing offers an efficient means for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea but has been deployed primarily in clinical samples with a high pretest probability. The present study sought to assess whether obstructive sleep apnea can be diagnosed with home sleep testing in a nonreferred sample without involvement of a sleep medicine specialist. Methods A study of community-based adults with untreated obstructive sleep apnea was undertaken. Misclassification of disease severity according to home sleep testing with and without involvement of a sleep medicine specialist was assessed, and agreement was characterized using scatter plots, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman analysis, and the κ statistic. Analyses were also conducted to assess whether any observed differences varied as a function of pretest probability of obstructive sleep apnea or subjective sleepiness. Results The sample consisted of 191 subjects, with more than half (56.5%) having obstructive sleep apnea. Without involvement of a sleep medicine specialist, obstructive sleep apnea was not identified in only 5.8% of the sample. Analyses comparing the categorical assessment of disease severity with and without a sleep medicine specialist showed that in total, 32 subjects (16.8%) were misclassified. Agreement in the disease severity with and without a sleep medicine specialist was not influenced by the pretest probability or daytime sleep tendency. Conclusion Obstructive sleep apnea can be reliably identified with home sleep testing in a nonreferred sample, irrespective of the pretest probability of the disease.
Child maltreatment reporting beliefs and practices of University of Wisconsin cooperative extension family living educators

This article reports results of a statewide survey to assess the knowledge of child abuse and neglect, reporting beliefs, and practices of Extension educators. The study identified populations defined as high risk for child maltreatment with whom educators work. Extension educators are in a critical position to identify and report situations where maltreatment may have occurred. However, survey respondents were not confident they could recognize indicators of maltreatment, and they exhibited confusion about reporting responsibilities and procedures. Recommendations are made for annual child maltreatment education, educational resources, and development of child maltreatment reporting policy and procedures within Cooperative Extension. Keywords: child maltreatment, child abuse and neglect, mandated reporter Language: en
Seasonal History of Bluegrass Billhug, Sphenophorus parvulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in a Range Grass Nursery

Field data on preimaginal survival of bluegrass billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus Gyllenhal, were collected weekly for three summers, 1982–84, from a hybrid wheatgrass, Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski × Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Love, nursery near Kaysville, Utah. Population estimates were based on stem samples for early life stages and soil samples for later life stages. Locations of adult feeding and oviposition on host plants were the same. Seasonal populations were similar in all years except for a rapid decline of late instars in 1983. There was much overlapping of life stages, with early instars extending late into the season. Greatest mortality was during the egg stage (40–75%). Larval mortality was high (49–63%) for the root-feeding middle and late instars. Pupal mortality was low (0–16%)for all seasons. No predators, parasites, or pathological agents were found. Implications of bluegrass billbug successfully attacking an unnatural host, a rangeland wheatgrass, are discussed
The design of an insensitive estimator for target tracking

A new method for dcsigning estimators to be insensitive to unknown variations in plant parameters is presented. A mechanism for trading off small estimator error variance and low sensitivity to unknown parameter variations has been devclopcd using as a cost function the modified p-norm of the error variances calculatcd at the quantized points in the range of uncertain parameter. This insensitivc estimator dcsign method is applicd to the target tracking problcm. As an illustrative example, an a-f3 tracking filter is designed to be insensitive to the types of aircraft being tracked (i.e. the mathcmatical modcl of the aircraft being trackcd).
Phenomenal Determination of Retroactive and Proactive Interference

Simultaneous acquisition of two serial lists produced retroactive and proactive interference, so long as the lists were organized as one preceding the other. Such an organization was accomplished in a variety of circumstances, as in the case of placing one above the other with an item of a different color separating the lists. In this instance, the lists were clearly organized into top and bottom, with the top half coming before the bottom. Recall for the two tasks was assessed 10 min. and 24 hr. after original learning. The recall of the list perceived as coming last was significantly superior after a 10-min. delay (retroactive interference) but deteriorated with time so that the two equalized after 24 hr. (proactive interference). The fact that retroactive and proactive interference were produced in the absence of a temporal separation between original and interpolated learning indicates that these phenomena are probably the product of a dynamic interaction in memory rather than extinction occurring at ...
CAR T Cell Therapy in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Potential for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Adoptive transfer of autologous T cells engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) represents a powerful targeted immunotherapy that has shown great promise in some of the most refractory leukemias. CAR-modified T cells directed against CD19 have led the way, setting a high standard with remission rates as high as 90 % in clinical trials for relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Yet, the first demonstration of efficacy was in another disease, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in which CD19-targeted CAR T cells eradicated bulky, highly refractory disease. Despite early encouraging results, clinical trials in CLL have yielded lower response rates, revealing disease-specific differences in response in this form of immunotherapy. Ongoing research focused on identifying and overcoming these limitations, promises to improve response rates. Beyond the induction of remission, the transformative impact of engineered T cell therapy lies in its potential for long-term disease control. With longer follow-up and durable T cell persistence now reported, we are closer to answering the question of whether sustained remissions are possible with CAR T cell monotherapy. As might be expected with a highly effective therapy using a single mechanism of action, escape pathways have emerged. Combinatorial approaches are needed to anticipate and prevent this mode of relapse. Lastly, toxicity management is vital to ensure the safety of this exciting cancer immunotherapy.
Research on Operational Formation of Antiaircraft Artillery Networking Tactical Information Distribution System

The paper first analysed in brief the definition,function and operational application scenario of Antiaircraft Artillery Networking Tactical Information Distribution System(AAANTIDS).Thereafter,the paper analysed the operational effectiveness of AAANTIDS from networking operation of antiaicraft artillery group without automatic command system,of antiaircraft artillery regiment(brigade)with automatic command system as well as networking operation of composite formation of combining air defence missile with antiaircraft gun according to the form of antiaircraft gun application in future air defence antimissile operation so as to offer overall train of thought and framwork for further conceptual modelling and development of AAANTIDS.
Width of points in the streaming model

In this article, we show how to compute the width of a dynamic set of low-dimensional points in the streaming model. In particular, we assume that the stream contains both insertions of points and deletions of points to a set S, and the goal is to compute the width of the set S, namely the minimal distance between two parallel hyperplanes sandwiching the point set S.Our algorithm (1 p e) approximates the width of the set S using space polylogarithmic in the size of S and the aspect ratio of S. This is the first such algorithm that supports both insertions and deletions of points to the set S: previous algorithms for approximating the width of a point set only supported additions [Agarwal et al. 2004; Chan 2006], or a sliding window [Chan and Sadjad 2006].This solves an open question from the “2009 Kanpur list” of open problems in data streams, property testing, and related topics [Indyk et al. 2011].
8.3 – Intestinal and Colonic Chemoreception and Motility

This chapter begins with a review of gastric emptying into the intestine and the intestine’s role in regulating gastric emptying. It then discusses the intrinsic innervation of the small intestine, consisting of the interstitial cells of Cajal, the myenteric plexus, and the submucosal plexus. How these components regulate local responses, including secretion and activity of longitudinal and circular muscles, is discussed. The extrinsic innervation through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system is described. The pattern of motility including segmentation, peristalsis, migrating motor complex or migrating myoelectric complex, and reverse peristalsis is mentioned. Neuronal control of peristalsis is discussed. Motility of the large intestine is then discussed, beginning with its patterns. The various motility reflexes in the gut are then described, including receptive relaxation, gastric accommodation, enterogastric inhibitory reflex; gastrocolic reflex; ileal brake; gastroileal reflex; the various reflexes between ileum and transverse colon; and rectoanal inhibitory reflex. This chapter ends with a description of the neural control of vomiting.
DNA Polymerase ɛ Deficiency Leading to an Ultramutator Phenotype: A Novel Clinically Relevant Entity

Deficiencies in DNA repair due to mutations in the exonuclease domain of DNA polymerase ɛ have recently been described in a subset of cancers characterized by an ultramutated and microsatellite stable (MSS) phenotype. This alteration in DNA repair is distinct from the better-known mismatch repair deficiencies which lead to microsatellite instability (MSI) and an increased tumor mutation burden. Instead, mutations in POLE lead to impaired proofreading intrinsic to Pol ɛ during DNA replication resulting in a dramatically increased mutation rate. Somatic mutations of Pol ɛ have been found most frequently in endometrial and colorectal cancers (CRC) and can lead to a unique familial syndrome in the case of germline mutations. While other key genomic abnormalities, such as MSI, have known prognostic and treatment implications, in this case it is less clear. As molecular genotyping of tumors becomes routine in the care of cancer patients, less common, but potentially actionable findings such as these POLE mutations could be overlooked unless appropriate algorithms are in place. We present two cases of metastatic CRC with a POLE mutation, both of which are ultramutated and MSS. The basic biochemical mechanisms leading to a unique phenotype in POLE deficiency as well as challenges faced with interpreting the genomic profiling of tumors in this important subset of patients and the potential clinical implications will be discussed here. The Oncologist 2017;22:497-502 KEY POINTS: Clinicians should recognize that tumors with high tumor mutation burden and that are microsatellite stable may harbor a POLE mutation, which is associated with an ultramutated phenotype.Work-up for POLE deficiency should indeed become part of the routine molecular testing paradigm for patients with colorectal cancer.This subset of patients may benefit from clinical trials where the higher number of mutation-associated neoantigens and defect in DNA repair may be exploited therapeutically.
Optimizing the amount of simulation training used to teach vaginal delivery skills to medical students.

Objective To determine the amount of simulation training required for students to attain minimal competence and mastery of a vaginal delivery. Methods An observational study was conducted at a US medical school between May 11, 2015, and May 8, 2016. Using a modified Angoff method, 10 members of the Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty evaluated a vaginal delivery procedural checklist and established cutoff scores for minimal competence and mastery. During a 5-week period, all third-year students received between two and five 45-minute vaginal delivery simulation sessions; performance was assessed at week 6. Performance according to the checklist was compared. Results The cutoff score was 20 and 26 out of 30 for minimal competence and mastery, respectively. Among 115 students, mean checklist scores in final assessment rose with increasing number of simulations: 23.6, 25.1, 27.5, and 27.6 points for two, three, four, and five training sessions, respectively (P<0.001). The proportion of patients achieving mastery also increased with number of simulations: 34%, 59%, 73%, and 93% for two, three, four, and five training sessions, respectively (P<0.001). Two or three training sessions were sufficient to attain minimal competence in most students; however, no significant between-group difference was found. Conclusion Simulation training exerts an increasing effect on performance with each additional session that students receive. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effect of protected research time on ABSITE scores during general surgery residency.

Abstract Background Objective - To determine whether residents with one or more years of dedicated research time (Research Residents, RR) improved their ABSITE scores compared to those without (Non-Research Residents, N-RR). Methods A retrospective review of general surgery residents' ABSITE scores from 1995 to 2016 was performed. RR were compared to N-RR. Additional analysis of At Risk (AR) v Not At Risk residents (NAR) ( 35th percentile as PGY1-2) was also performed. Results Cohort - 147 residents (34 RR and 113 N-RR). There were no differences in initial ABSITE scores (p = 0.47). By definition, the AR group had lower scores than NAR. Overall, post-research RR v PGY-4 N-RR scores did not differ (p = 0.84). Only the AR residents improved their scores (p = 0.0009 v NAR p = 0.42), regardless of research group (p = 0.70). Conclusion Protected research time did not improve residents' ABSITE scores, regardless of initial scores. At Risk residents improved regardless of research group status.
The Use and Disadvantage of History for Life

The third chapter of the book argues that Nietzsche’s indictment of scientific and philosophic history is a continuation of the critique of modern culture and education he began in his essay on David Strauss. This chapter explains why Nietzsche thinks history and historiography properly used can promote a culture that enhances life, and shows why he thinks there is an antithesis between knowledge and life that must be managed by history and culture. When Nietzsche’s descriptions of the three modes of history featured in the essay (monumental, antiquarian, and critical) are read in the context of his broader critique of German historicism, the historical sickness he diagnoses in the Germans manifests itself as a distinctively antiquarian sickness. This chapter concludes that Nietzsche thinks the antiquarian degeneration of modern German culture can be cured by a generous application of monumental history, which promotes the active and noble virtues his time lacks.
Left ventricular assist device patient maintained on home hemodialysis: A novel class of patients to the home dialysis population

Severe heart failure is increasingly being managed by cardiac transplantation, and in some cases mechanical support devices serve as destination therapies. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) were approved for destination therapy for end stage heart failure patients before the more advanced total artificial heart modality became available. One common complication of mechanical assist device placement is acute kidney injury. Historically, patients with mechanical support devices have had to have inpatient hemodialysis until combined heart kidney transplant. Though, some units have started accepting LVAD patients in outpatient dialysis clinics. The cost of in center hemodialysis remains high and home dialysis modalities are becoming increasingly popular. We report the first patient with an LVAD to undergo training and successful home hemodialysis while awaiting combined heart kidney transplantation.
Preparation and Optical Characterization of Sol-Gel Deposited Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3 Films

Homogeneous crack-free lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3: PZT 45/55) films were prepared by a chemically modified sol-gel process using lead acetate trihydrate, zirconium n-propoxide, and titanium isopropoxide precursors. The coating solutions were modified by the addition of diethanolamine. Single and multilayer films were deposited with a 2000 rpm spin rate on fused silica and MgO(100) substrates. Multiple spin coating with an intermediate heat treatment in air at 400°C for 3 min between coatings was performed to obtain films up to 2 μm in thickness. The formation of the tetragonal perovskite structure was found to depend on the intermediate firing temperature, final annealing temperature, and annealing time. A 650°C rapid thermal annealing treatment in oxygen was required to crystallize the PZT film into the perovskite structure. The films were characterized using optical spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermo-gravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The optical constants of the PZT films were evaluated from spectral transmittance and reflectance measurements. Optical constants are presented over the visible and near infrared region.
Voltage-gated Ca current in pancreatic islet beta-cells.

Glucose induces rhythmic bursts of electrical spiking in mouse pancreatic islet β-cells.Several groups have shown that the spikes are dependent on extracellular Ca and are blocked by Ca channel blockers5,6.This electrical activity is believed to mediate Ca uptake necessary for insulin secretion1,8.In order to study the underlying Ca spike conductances, we used the whole-cell recording technique of Hamill et al.4.
Optimal Ranking Regime Analysis of U.S. Summer Temperature and Degree-Days: 1895–2015

AbstractThe optimal ranking regime (ORR) method was applied to mean summer maximum (TMXS) and mean summer minimum (TMNS) temperature and to cumulative summer cooling degree-days (CDDS) calculated f...
Characterizing drug product continuous manufacturing residence time distributions of major/minor excipient step changes using near infrared spectroscopy and process parameters

Abstract The material residence time distribution in a continuous manufacturing process can be utilized to develop, design and justify the process control strategy. This paper successfully demonstrates using both major and minor formulation component step changes to determine the system response using either Near Infrared Spectroscopy or process parameters. These options provide development flexibility to determine the system’s material residence time earlier in the development process and more cost effectively.
The Global Network of Science Emerges

This chapter presents the structure of the global network itself as well as the rules, norms, and practices associated with openness and abundance in the global knowledge-creating process. The creation of scientific knowledge includes not just tangible or codified output but also new practices and even new belief systems. The rules, norms, and practices are adapting to the changing system, but some aspects of knowledge remain the same and cannot or will not change: this includes the amount of time needed to master a body of scientific work. The rules for managing networked systems differ from those that applied under national, political systems and conditions of scarcity; we will unpack these rules in this chapter.
Demographic, health behavior, and cardiometabolic risk factor profile in yoga and non-yoga participants: NHANES 1999-2006.

Abstract Objective To examine and compare the demographic, health behavior, and cardiometabolic risk factor characteristics of participants who report 1) participating in yoga, 2) not participating yoga, or 3) are inactive, using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Design Study participants were from the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who self-reported participation in yoga (n = 74), no-yoga (n = 3,753) or were inactive (n = 1,285). Participants in the no-yoga group did engage in other types of physical activity, while the inactive group reported no activity during the survey period. Results Yoga participants were primarily female (80.7%), college educated (51.9%), mostly non-smokers (46.9%), and reported moderate alcohol consumption (72.1%). Yoga participants were found to be significantly less likely to have an elevated waist circumference (OR = 0.40, p Conclusions Given the emergence of yoga as a common form of physical activity, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of those who participate in yoga to further understand its relationship with cardiovascular risk. This study was one of the first to use nationally-representative data and objectively measured cardiometabolic variables. Key Words: complementary medicine, epidemiology, survey, population, physical activity, cardiovascular disease
Total synthesis and comparative evaluation of luzopeptin A-C and quinoxapeptin A-C

Full details of the total syntheses of luzopeptin A−C and quinoxapeptin A−C, C2-symmetric cyclic depsidecapeptides bearing two pendant heterocyclic chromophores, are disclosed and serve to establish the quinoxapeptin relative and absolute configuration. Key elements of the approach include the late-stage introduction of the chromophore and penultimate l-Htp acylation permitting the divergent synthesis of the luzopeptins, quinoxapeptins, and structural analogues from a common advanced intermediate. Symmetrical pentadepsipeptide coupling and macrocyclization of the 32-membered ring conducted at the single secondary amide site provided the common cyclic decadepsipeptide. The convergent preparation of the required pentadepsipeptide with installation of the labile ester in the final coupling was achieved under surprisingly effective racemization-free conditions. The quinoxapeptins were shown to bind to DNA by high-affinity bisintercalation analogous to sandramycin and the luzopeptins. Significant similarities ...
Advance Directives/Care Planning: Clear, Simple, and Wrong.

I have been thinking a lot recently about the eerily prophetic words of the early 20th century journalist and satirist, H.L. Mencken, in the midst of New York’s COVID-19 pandemic. As I read Waller and colleagues article ‘‘Impact of Advance Directives on Outcomesand Charges in Elderly Trauma Patients’’ in this issue of Journal of Palliative Medicine, I could not help but think of Mencken’s biting satire again—quoted at the top of my editorial. Yet again, 30 years after the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1991, we have a report that documents that the vast majority of adults (this time trauma patients 55 years and older) have not completed an advance directive, and for those who did, the advance directive had no discernable influence on the care received.
PISA: construction of self-organized and self-assembled functional vesicular structures

The ability of living organisms such as cells and bacteria to create intricate and precise structures through the self-organization, segregation and assembly of their building blocks from simpler molecules found in their environment is vital for their morphologies and functions. The encapsulation of the essential ingredients for life within a semi-permeable membrane is widely accepted to have been a key event in the origin of life. Within this membrane a state far-from-equilibrium is maintained, which provides energetic conditions enabling complex functionalities such as adaptation and reproduction through internal metabolic processes. Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a rapidly-developing method to produce polymersomes, or polymer vesicles, which can be considered as a synthetic analogy to vesicles with a lipid bilayer. Though to express the range of functions that systems that exhibit the basic functionalities of early life is indeed a challenge, PISA offers a particularly robust “boot up” mechanism which solves some of the challenges associated with the emergence of life. Recent advances in the exploitable chemistries applied to PISA expand the scope of complex nano-to-micron scale vesicular structures autonomously generated from a homogeneous mixture in mild conditions. This could ultimately lead to the achievement of synthesizing objects capable of mimicking basic behaviors and functions of natural life. Herein, we discuss the principles, syntheses and recent advances in the controlled formation of functional vesicle structures produced by PISA, while highlighting the exciting opportunities that can be explored in this emerging field.
Using design and innovation principles to reduce avoidable emergency department visits among employees of a large academic medical center.

Abstract 1 Most large employers self-insure their employee health benefits, creating a motivation for employers to improve health care's value. 2 Employers who are also health care providers can aim for value through the direct provision of clinical services, not just through wellness programs or the design of insurance products. 3 Innovation and design methods can be systematically applied to health care problems to guide decisions about solutions which should or should not be scaled. 4 A virtual, on-demand urgent care service provided by a health care provider organization to its employees has the potential to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and decrease the total cost of care.
Empirical Support for Establishing Common Assumptions in Cost Research in Education

The economic evaluation of educational policies and programs employing the ingredients method for cost, cost-effectiveness, or benefit-cost analysis is no exception to the critique that economic mo...
Effects of the sodium borate additions in NaOH-Na2SiO3 electrolytes on the surface and corrosion properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings on AZ31 Mg alloy

Effects of the sodium borate concentrations in NaOH-Na2SiO3-Na2B4O7 electrolytes on the surface and corrosion properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings on AZ31 Mg alloy were invest...
Robust Generalization of Quadratic Neural Networks via Function Identification.

A key challenge facing deep learning is that neural networks are often not robust to shifts in the underlying data distribution. We study this problem from the perspective of the statistical concept of parameter identification. Generalization bounds from learning theory often assume that the test distribution is close to the training distribution. In contrast, if we can identify the "true" parameters, then the model generalizes to arbitrary distribution shifts. However, neural networks are typically overparameterized, making parameter identification impossible. We show that for quadratic neural networks, we can identify the function represented by the model even though we cannot identify its parameters. Thus, we can obtain robust generalization bounds even in the overparameterized setting. We leverage this result to obtain new bounds for contextual bandits and transfer learning with quadratic neural networks. Overall, our results suggest that we can improve robustness of neural networks by designing models that can represent the true data generating process. In practice, the true data generating process is often very complex; thus, we study how our framework might connect to neural module networks, which are designed to break down complex tasks into compositions of simpler ones. We prove robust generalization bounds when individual neural modules are identifiable.
METABOLISM IN PLANT PEROXISOMES

Peroxisomes (microbodies) are present in a great variety of plant, animal and microbial cells as spherical or oblate organelles of size ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 µm in diameter. The organelle contains a dense proteinaceous matrix surrounded by a single membrane, and occasionally a crystalline or non-crystalline proteinaceous core of varying size is present in the matrix. In addition to their morphology, the peroxisomes are characterized biochemically by their enzymatic content of catalase and H2O2-producing oxidases. The organelles were first observed in plant cells by electron microscopy in the mid-1960s1–3 and biochemical studies were started independently in the mid-late 1960s.4 5 Although the plant peroxisomes were erroneously identified as other organelles, including spherosomes, microsomes, and lysosomes, they are now recognized as distinct organelles. Whereas “microbody” is a morphological term for the organelle, “peroxisome” is a biochemical term to describe the organelle being involved in the metabolism of hydrogen peroxide.6 No true peroxidase other than the peroxidative activity of catalase has been found in the organelles.
Fuzzy Logic Ideas Can Help in Explaining Kahneman and Tversky’s Empirical Decision Weights

Analyzing how people actually make decisions, the Nobelist Daniel Kahneman and his co-author Amos Tversky found out that instead of maximizing the expected gain, people maximize a weighted gain, with weights determined by the corresponding probabilities. The corresponding empirical weights can be explained qualitatively, but quantitatively, these weights remain largely unexplained. In this paper, we show that with a surprisingly high accuracy, these weights can be explained by fuzzy logic ideas.
Optimizing process decision in COTS-Based development via risk based prioritization

Good project planning requires the use of appropriate process model as well as effective decision support technique(s). However, current software process models provide very little COTS-specific insight and guidance on helping COTS-based application developers to make better decisions with respect to their particular project situations. This paper presents a risk based prioritization approach that is used in the context of COTS Process Decision Framework [6]. This method is particularly useful in supporting many dominant decisions during COTS-based development process, such as establishing COTS assessment criteria, scoping and sequencing development activities, prioritizing features to be implemented in incremental development, etc. In this way, the method not only provides a basis for optimal COTS selection, but also helps to focus the limited development resource on more critical tasks that represent greater risks.
The Mixing Layer Between Turbulent Fields of Different Scales

A modelling study is reported of the interaction and mixing between two semi-infinite homogeneous turbulent flow fields of different scales. This turbulence mixing layer, in which there are no mean velocity gradients, is ideal for studying turbulent energy transport. The velocity joint pdf equation is closed by using the Langevin model and is solved by a Monte Carlo method. A novel — and essential — component in the present model is a Lagrangian equation for the dissipation. The model calculations are compared to the experimental data of Veeravalli and Warhaft. There is good agreement between the calculated and measured velocity skewness and excesses, which are the most revealing statistics.
Abstract 3594: Tumor microenvironment derived exosomes regulate prostate cancer metabolism

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Tumor microenvironment is composed of myofibroblasts, extracellular matrix, and many other cells. There are many ways for tumor to communicate with its microenvironment, such as growth factors, cytokines, chemokines and so on. Recent research has indicated that exosomes may serve an important role in communication between tumor and its microenvironment. Exosomes are nanosized particles secreted by cells and contain microRNA, metabolic enzymes, biomarker proteins, and some other functional components. We show a novel regulatory mechanism for modulating metabolism in prostate cancer cells by stromal cells. We found that exosomes from stromal fibroblast cells are uptaken by prostate cancer cells and they release RNAs, enzymes to regulate cancer cells metabolism. Our result shows that exosomes from patient derived fibroblasts enhance glucose uptake, lactate production and pyruvate uptake in prostate cancer cells. We further performed 13C based isotope labeling experiments using glucose and glutamine labeling to study metabolic rewiring induced in cancer cells by stromal exosomes. We found that exosomes downregulated mitochondria metabolism in prostate cancer cells. In summary, stroma derived exosomes enhanced Warburg effect in prostate cancer cells. Our findings can lead to the development of new therapeutics integrating tumor microenvironment and metabolic pathways in tumor cells. Citation Format: Hongyun Zhao, Lifeng Yang, Abhinav Achreja, Juan Marini, Donna Peehl, Deepak Nagrath. Tumor microenvironment derived exosomes regulate prostate cancer metabolism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3594. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3594
Computer-Vision-Based Decision Support in Surgical Robotics

With the rapid adoption of laparoscopic robotic surgery, numerous unanticipated safety and reliability challenges have surfaced for teleoperated devices. A large fraction of the procedure failures are accounted due to the sensor depravation, limited field of view, and lack of planning during procedures. This article surveys the benefits of computer vision for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative surgical stages to assist with planning; tool detection, identification, pose tracking, and augmented reality; and surgical skill assessment and retrospective analysis of the procedure. The appropriate use of these computer vision techniques has the potential to improve the safety and efficacy of robotic surgery as it becomes more commonplace.
Childhood Social Predictors of Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: Gender Differences in Predictive Accuracy and Efficacy

This study examined the ability of several childhood, school-based, social variables to correctly classify antisocial adolescents. Children (N = 314; 163 boys, 151 girls) in the 3rd-5th grade were assessed on academic and social variables (i.e., peer rejection, aggression, withdrawal, and low prosocial behavior) and followed forward for 6-7 years until the 9th and 10th grade. Adolescent antisocial outcomes included a consensus measure formed from diagnostic interviews, contact with juvenile authorities, adolescent self-report, and mother's report. The gender-differential predictive accuracy and efficacy of the early predictor domains to a consensus measure of antisocial behavior were compared with the same estimates found for adolescent self-report of antisocial behavior. Both gender and criterion-method differences were found. For girls, regardless of the measure of antisocial behavior, early academic problems were the strongest predictors of future problems. For boys' self-reported antisocial outcomes, peer rejection was the strongest independent predictor. For consensus-reported antisocial outcomes, both early fighting-anger and withdrawn behavior displayed equally strong predictive relations. For boys, the combination of early fighting-anger and disruptive and withdrawn behavior was the strongest set of predictors for the consensus measure of antisocial functioning. Predictive accuracy and efficacy estimates are discussed in terms of predictive strength as well as the cost-benefit of misidentification.
When Does Money Matter?: How Health Status Affects the Marginal Utility of Income

This analysis explores how health status affects the marginal utility of income. To analyze this question, I employ a new survey of subjective well-being, the Princeton Affect and Time Survey (PATS), which asks people to report the strength of a number of different emotions as they went about their activities of the previous day. Based on findings from PATS, I conclude that the marginal utility of income is significantly higher for those who report being not satisfied with their health in terms of average levels of pain, sadness, and stress as experienced during the waking day and, also, when measured in terms of a more comprehensive misery index. Having a reported disability that limits the kind or amount of work in which a person can engage has a much weaker relationship with the marginal utility of income, although there is some evidence that this too increases the marginal utility of income especially in terms of pain reduction. Still, any such positive relationship between disability and the marginal utility of income, as measured in this study, appears limited to those who report both having a disability and being not satisfied with their health. Finally, this study concludes that this positive relationship between poor health status and a higher marginal utility of income is largely limited to those near the bottom of the income spectrum.
Re-examining the Influence of Individual Values on Ethical Decision Making

This paper presents the results of five years of research involving three studies. The first two studies investigated the impact of the value honesty/integrity on the ethical decision choice an individual makes, as moderated by the individual personality traits of self-monitoring and private self-consciousness. The third study, which is the focus of this paper, expanded the two earlier studies by varying the level of moral intensity and including the influence of demographical factors and other workplace values: achievement, fairness, and concern for others on the ethical decision process. These studies were designed using a laboratory format and a decision exercise that attempted to establish realistic business conflict situations through decision scenarios. Support is presented for the influence of gender and achievement on ethical choice. Recommendations for the future direction of this stream of research are given.
Civic Engagement and Civic Literacy Among Social Work Students: Where Do We Stand?

Civic engagement is pivotal to the survival of the social work profession and to our historic role in shaping the social contract. Recent studies report declining rates of civic engagement and civic literacy among Americans. This article, which was presented at the Policy Conference 2.0, examines civic engagement and civic literacy among social work students at a medium-sized program in the western United States. Findings from this study indicate that these students are more likely to be engaged in volunteering and fundraising than in politically oriented activities. Results suggest that understanding of government and democratic processes lead to more civic engagement.
An executable taxonomy of on-line modeling algorithms

This paper gives an overview of our decomposition of a group of existing and novel on-line modeling algorithms into component parts, which can be implemented as a cross product of predominantly independent sets. The result is all of the following: a test bed for executing controlled experiments with algorithm components, a frame work that unifies existing techniques and defines novel techniques, and a taxonomy for describing on-line modeling algorithms precisely and completely in a way that enables meaningful comparison.
Dysregulated endocardial TGFβ signaling and mesenchymal transformation result in heart outflow tract septation failure

Heart outflow tract septation in mouse embryos carrying mutations in retinoic acid receptor genes fails with complete penetrance. In this mutant background, ectopic TGFβ signaling in the distal outflow tract is responsible for septation failure, but it was uncertain what tissue was responsive to ectopic TGFβ and why this response interfered with septation. By combining RAR gene mutation with tissue-specific Cre drivers and a conditional type II TGFβ receptor (Tgfbr2) allele, we determined that ectopic activation of TGFβ signaling in the endocardium is responsible for septation defects. Ectopic TGFβ signaling results in ectopic mesenchymal transformation of the endocardium and thereby in improperly constituted distal OFT cushions. Our analysis highlights the interactions between myocardium, endocardium, and neural crest cells in outflow tract morphogenesis, and demonstrates the requirement for proper TGFβ signaling in outflow tract cushion organization and septation.
DNA damage induces nuclear actin filament assembly by Formin-2 and Spire-1/2 that promotes efficient DNA repair

Actin filaments assemble inside the nucleus in response to multiple cellular perturbations, including heat shock, protein misfolding, integrin engagement, and serum stimulation. We find that DNA damage also generates nuclear actin filaments-detectable by phalloidin and live-cell actin probes-with three characteristic morphologies: (i) long, nucleoplasmic filaments; (ii) short, nucleolus-associated filaments; and (iii) dense, nucleoplasmic clusters. This DNA damage-induced nuclear actin assembly requires two biologically and physically linked nucleation factors: Formin-2 and Spire-1/Spire-2. Formin-2 accumulates in the nucleus after DNA damage, and depletion of either Formin-2 or actin's nuclear import factor, importin-9, increases the number of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), linking nuclear actin filaments to efficient DSB clearance. Nuclear actin filaments are also required for nuclear oxidation induced by acute genotoxic stress. Our results reveal a previously unknown role for nuclear actin filaments in DNA repair and identify the molecular mechanisms creating these nuclear filaments.
An Exploratory Investigation Into Family Perspectives After the Family Employment Awareness Training

Competitive employment (i.e., employment in community settings among people without disabilities for minimum wage or higher) improves quality of life for people with disabilities who have individualized support needs (ISN). However, attaining competitive employment can be challenging for people with ISN. This study used a mixed methods design to evaluate the perspectives of 68 families who attended the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT). Findings indicated that families who attended FEAT (a) accessed competitive employment resources following FEAT and (b) reported competitive employment outcomes for their family members with ISN following FEAT. We discuss implications of these findings and recommendations for future research.
Iodine 125 Plaque Radiotherapy as Salvage Treatment for Retinoblastoma Recurrence after Chemoreduction in 84 Tumors

Purpose To assess tumor control and complications of iodine 125 (I 125 ) plaque radiotherapy for retinoblastoma recurrence after chemoreduction (CRD). Design Interventional retrospective case series. Participants Children with retinoblastoma treated on the Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, initially examined from July 1994 to April 2005. Methods Eighty-four retinoblastomas with solid recurrence after CRD were treated with custom designed I 125 plaque radiotherapy. Eyes with vitreous or subretinal seed recurrence were excluded. The CRD regimen included vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin for 6 cycles plus local consolidation with thermotherapy or cryotherapy. The only alternatives to plaque radiotherapy in these cases would have been external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), additional chemotherapy, or enucleation. Main Outcome Measures Tumor control and radiation complications. Results Tumor control was achieved in 95% of eyes by 5 years follow-up. Of the 59 recurrent tumors after CRD alone, 56 (95%) were controlled with plaque radiotherapy. Of the 25 recurrent tumors after CRD and EBRT, 100% were controlled with plaque radiotherapy. Of the 3 failures after plaque radiotherapy, the median time to failure (tumor recurrence) was 4 months and all recurrences were detected within 1 year. There were no identifiable factors predictive of plaque radiotherapy failure. Using Kaplan–Meier analysis, radiation complications at 5 years included proliferative retinopathy (19%), nonproliferative maculopathy (24%), papillopathy (16%), transient mild vitreous hemorrhage (54%), cataract (43%), iris neovascularization (NVI; 8%), and glaucoma (4%). Nonresolving vitreous hemorrhage and scleral necrosis did not occur. Radiation complications showed minimal change at 10 and 15 years of follow-up. Conclusions Iodine 125 plaque radiotherapy offers 95% tumor control for selected retinoblastomas that fail CRD. Complications such as radiation retinopathy and mild vitreous hemorrhage should be anticipated, depending on the location, size, and extent of the tumor.
High-Resolution Paleoclimatic Information from Chinese Eolian Sediments Based on Grayscale Intensity Profiles

Grayscale intensity profiles from photographic images offer a rapid means of obtaining paleoclimate proxy records from Chinese loess, dune sand, and paleosols. Although the data can be obtained using conventional 35-mm film images, a digital camera and laptop computer will produce a high-resolution grayscale profile at a field site within minutes. Comparison of grayscale profiles with profiles of magnetic susceptibility measured down loess and dune-sand sections at sites on the Loess Plateau and Tibetan Plateau in a range of altitudes and climatic regimes shows that the two parameters are highly correlated. Therefore, grayscale intensity is a convenient alternative to magnetic susceptibility for generating paleoclimatic data in the loess and desert-margin regions of China. The resolution of both grayscale and susceptibility profiles ultimately is limited by bioturbation, which is most pronounced in paleosols.