cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonic Valve: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by a grossly by a dilated right ventricle and histologically by intimal fibrosis and medial thickening of the pulmonary arterioles. PAH can have both primary and secondary etiologies; regardless, it is typically an irreversible process with a poor prognosis. Signs and symptoms are clinically silent at first but progressive3. Careful auscultation is essential in detecting characteristic cardiac findings early. These findings include increased intensity of P2, a single S2 or narrowly split S2, late wide splitting of S2, a vibratory S1, or a short midsystolic murmur after the ejection click. Auscultation of these findings warrants consideration of PAH and further workup in order to optimize survival.
Treatment Strategies Study on the Comprehensive Utilization of Arsenic-alkali Residue in Xikuangshan Area

The arsenic-alkali residue pollution problem of antimony enterprises in Xikuangshan area is as old as the hills,which has its specific historical conditions and time background.Around the arsenic pollution problem caused by enterprises involved in antimony,this paper has made a meticulous investigation of the arsenic-alkali residue from the quantity,composition and pollution hazards,discussed the comprehensive utilization of arsenic-alkali residue actively and proposed countermeasures to prevent the arsenic contamination.
Central Transmission: From Skin to Brain

Since 1660, itch has been defined as “an unpleasant sensation associated with the desire to scratch.”1 This definition encompasses both sensory and cognitive aspects of the itch experience. However, the manner in which this sensory stimulus transmits from the skin to the brain for processing has only recently been elucidated. This chapter will describe the flow of neural information that pertains to pruritus from the peripheral to the central nervous system.
Continent and orthotopic urinary diversion following radical cystectomy. Should these reconstructive procedures now be considered standard of care

From 1982 to 1994, over 1000 cystectomy patients underwent continent cutaneous diversion or orthotopic reconstruction at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. Short- and longterm results showed the cost of these diversions to the patient is no greater than that associated with an ileal conduit, and the benefits of these procedures in terms of improved quality of life are immeasurable. Increasingly, orthotopic reconstruction is becoming the procedure of choice for most patients, both male and female.
Effects of differential diffusion on ignition of stoichiometric hydrogen-air by moving hot spheres

Studying thermal ignition mechanisms is a key step for evaluating many ignition hazards. In the present work, two-dimensional simulations with detailed chemistry are used to study the effect of differential diffusion on the prediction of ignition thresholds of a stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixture by moving hot spheres. Numerical experiments showed an increase of 40 K in the minimum ignition temperature required for ignition when diffusion of species at different rates is taken into account. Detailed analysis of the species profiles at the ignition location and a sensitivity study of the system to the diffusivity of H_2 and H revealed the key role played by the diffusion of H atoms in preventing ignition to take place at temperatures below 1000 K.
Growth in Children with Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease in the CKiD Cohort Study.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that some children with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) have growth impairment out of proportion to their degree of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study was to systematically compare growth parameters in children with ARPKD to those with other congenital causes of CKD in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) prospective cohort study. Methods: Height standard deviation scores (z-scores), proportion of children with severe short stature (z-score <-1.88), rates of growth hormone use, and annual change in height z-score were analyzed in children with ARPKD (n=22) compared to two matched control groups: children with aplastic/hypoplastic/dysplastic (A/H/D) kidneys (n=44) and obstructive uropathy (OU) (n=44). Differences in baseline characteristics were tested by Wilcoxon rank sum test or Fisher’s exact test. Matched differences in annual change in height z-score were tested by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: Median height z-score in children with ARPKD was -1.1 [interquartile range -1.5, -0.2]; 14% of the ARPKD group had height z-score <-1.88, and 18% were using growth hormone. There were no significant differences in median height z-score, proportion with height z-score <-1.88, growth hormone use, or annual change in height z-score between the ARPKD and control groups. Conclusions: Children with ARPKD and mild-to-moderate CKD in the CKiD cohort have a high prevalence of growth abnormalities, but these are similar to children with other congenital causes of CKD. This study does not support a disease-specific effect of ARPKD on growth, at least in the subset of children with mild-to-moderate CKD.
Why Your ZIP Code Matters More Than Your Genetic Code: Promoting Healthy Outcomes from Mother to Child

Abstract Health equity has long been the dominant theme in the work of the Aetna Foundation. Recent data have focused on disparities through another lens, particularly the correlation between where people live (i.e., ZIP code) and their quality—and length—of life. In various cities across America, average life expectancies in certain communities are 20–30 years shorter than those mere miles away. In general, health disparities are founded on a complex interplay of racial, economic, educational, and other social factors. For example, breastfeeding rates in the United States differ significantly depending upon the race and income of the mother. Government policy makers are acutely aware of these disparities, but recent health system reforms have focused predominately on the processes used to administer, finance, and deliver care. What is needed is an approach that considers the health and wellness of all people in a geographic area, beyond established patients, and that measures more than clinical factors—s...
Whodunit...and to Whom? Subjects, Objects, and Actions in Research Articles on American Labor Unions

This paper investigates whether sentence structure analysis—examining who appears in subject versus object position— can illuminate who academic articles portray as having agency in labor relations. We extract subjects and objects from a corpus of 3,800 academic articles, and compare both the relative occurrence of different groups (workers, women, employers) in each position and the verbs that most commonly attach to each group. We conclude that agency, while elusive, can potentially be modeled by sentence structure analysis.
Dysmorphic Syndromes and Learning Disabilities

Four cases of Kabuki make-up syndrome (KMS) from various ethnic groups in Vancouver, British Columbia, are reported from the Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver.
Central Aspects of Nausea and Vomiting in GI Disorders

Nausea and vomiting result from continuous interactions among gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and autonomic nervous system. Despite being closely associated, central pathways of nausea and vomiting appear to be at least partly different and nausea is no longer considered only a penultimate step of vomiting. Although our understanding of central pathways of nausea has improved over the last one decade, it is still very basic. Afferent pathways from gastrointestinal tract via vagus, vestibular system, and chemoreceptor trigger zone project to nucleus tractus solitarius which, in turn, relays the signal to central pattern generator initiating multiple downstream pathways. This central nausea pathway appears to be under constant modulation by autonomic nervous system and cerebral cortex. There is also some evidence that central pathway of chronic nausea is different from that of acute nausea and closely resembles that of neuropathic pain. This improved understanding has modified the way we can approach the treatment of acute and chronic nausea. While conventional therapies such as antiemetics (antiserotoninergic, antihistaminic, antidopaminergic) and prokinetics are commonly used to manage acute nausea, they are not as effective in improving chronic nausea. Recently, neuromodulators such as tricyclic antidepressants, gabapentin, olanzapine, benzodiazepines, and cannabinoids have been shown to have antinausea effect. There is a need to study the utility of these drugs in managing chronic functional nausea. Improving our understanding of central and peripheral circuitry of nausea will allow us to better utilize the currently available drugs and develop new therapeutic options.
Disclosing Huntington’s Genetic Testing Results in the Context of Intellectual Disability and Guardianship: Using the Family Illness Narrative to Guide the Flow of Information

A diagnosis of Huntington's disease has broad social, vocational, reproductive and psychological implications. The ability to accurately diagnose the illness via genetic testing is not new. However, given a persistent lack of robustly effective interventions, it remains an area of ethical concern. The difficulty is compounded in cases of intellectual disability. This paper presents a case of genetic testing for Huntington's disease conducted on a patient with intellectual disability with guardian consent, but without the patient's direct knowledge and how the family illness narrative and psychiatric care were employed in the eventual disclosure of the patient's diagnosis and subsequent management.
Dynamic High Temperature Compression of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Aluminum Foams

The dynamic mechanical behavior of closed cell aluminum foam reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNT) has been investigated at high temperatures and varying strain rates using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). CNT concentration was varied from 0 to 3 wt%. Experimental results of closed cell Al-foam composites show that the dynamic mechanical properties in terms of peak stress and plateau stress increase as the strain rate increases under increasing temperatures. Compared to unreinforced Al-foam, the CNT reinforced foam shows an increase in peak and plateau stress of over 50–100% depending on the CNT concentration and temperature. Among the different CNT concentrations investigated, the 2 wt% CNT Al-foam shows the highest peak stress, plateau stress and energy absorption under the temperature range studied.
Effect of taurine on regulation of GABA and acetylcholine biosynthesis.

Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in mammals1 and is known to be involved in many important physiological functions, e.g.,as a trophic factor in the development of CNS2, maintaining the structural integrity of the membrane3, regulating calcium binding and transport4–5, as an osmolyte, a neuromodulator, a neurotransmitter8–10 [for review see reference 11] and a neuroprotector12–14.
The Nexus of Culture and Sensory Loss

The development and adaptation of deaf children and their families is an area of study that is fascinating and complex. Having a significant hearing loss may have radically different consequences for the child and his or her family, depending on such factors as the hearing status of the child’s parents, the etiology of deafness, the age at which deafness occurred, the type of communication approach(es) adopted by the family, the type of schooling that is selected, and the amount and nature of contact that both the deaf child and his or her parents have with other deaf children and adults. All of these factors (and more) will influence how the child and family perceive deafness and its social, educational, and vocational consequences.
Considering the Effects of Climate Change on Natural Resources in Environmental Review and Planning Documents: Guidance for Agencies and Practitioners

This report describes how climate change will affect natural resources in the United States, and explains why consideration of how climate change will affect those resources is necessary in order to fulfill legal requirements under NEPA and other statutes governing the management of these resources. It also presents examples of how climate change has been meaningfully accounted for in environmental review and planning documents. The accompanying protocol contains guidelines for considering the impacts of climate change in environmental reviews as well as other planning documents (e.g., resource management plans and resource assessments).
Physics and optimal routing for urban radiation source search

This paper describes an optimization-based planning tool to assist planners in developing strategies for searching an urban area with gamma-ray detectors for the presence of a radiation source. Current search strategies (path and speed) are based on simple rules (e.g., move at normal traffic speed) and constrained by road networks and resources such as detection equipment, personnel, vehicles or time. By exploiting knowledge of the urban area, and simple properties of radiation physics, the planning tool computes the optimal time allocation of detectors to road segments, including search vehicle routes, to achieve better search performance with the same limited resources (e.g., increased probability of detection for the same search assets and time, or less time to cover the same area with a given level of confidence).
The Little Book of Big Mind Benders, by Scott Kim: New York, NY: Workman Publishing Co., 2014, 426 pages, softcover, $9.98.

The human brain is a fascinating and powerful device. Cognitive abilities are complex and highly vulnerable to the processes of aging. Loss of neuronal function, memory, processing ability, and lan...
BRANCH ACCOUNTING: EVIDENCE FROM THE ACCOUNTING RECORDS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MORAVIANS

Europeans transported continental accounting practices during the period of worldwide colonization. This paper describes the transportation of branch accounting by members of the Moravian Church. Physical records maintained in the Archives for the Southern Province of the Moravian Church at Salem, North Carolina, and for the Northern Province at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, contain a complex, two-tiered system of branch accounting for the enterprises within the settlements and the settlements within the worldwide Church. This paper traces recorded activity for 1775 from an enterprise to its diacony (business organization of a church) and from the diacony to the European Church headquarters. Reporting practices in both North American diaconies reflect a similar practice of branch accounting, each culminating in formal financial statements to the European “home office” of the Moravian Church.
The Role of Culture and Other Contextual Factors in Educator Stress

International research examining teacher stress and contextual factors, such as culture, government policies, professional autonomy, and school level factors, are reviewed in this chapter, as well as their impact on teachers’ occupational health. Research reviewed identifies important contextual and cultural factors impacting teacher stress and the occupational health factors of job satisfaction and workforce instability. While research examining teacher stress in different countries nation is robust, there is a dearth of research examining the role of culture within or between national borders. Further, while models of stress and occupational health are prevalent in existing research, theoretical models explaining the role of culture and other contextual factors in teacher stress are needed.
CMOS-compatible, low-loss deuterated silicon nitride photonic devices for optical frequency combs

We demonstrate plasma-deposited (temperature < 300°C), deuterated silicon nitride waveguides with 0.22 dB/cm propagation loss at λ = 1552 nm. Pumping at λ = 1560 nm, we obtain a 550 nm-bandwidth Kerr-microcomb and octave-spanning supercontinuum.
Nano Mechanical Analysis of IFM Force Profiles on Self-Assembled Monolayers

In this study, a defect-free, self-assembled monolayer of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was deposited on a silicon substrate. Nanoindentation experiments were performed with an interfacial force microscope (IFM) on these 2.5 nm monolayers. As a first step in continuum finite element analyses, the OTS was assumed to be linearly elastic and isotropic. Adhesive interactions were also accounted for via a cohesive zone model. However, the assumption of linearity gave rise to force profiles that did not match the measurements. Molecular dynamics simulations were therefore employed in order to provide further insight into the behavior of OTS. These simulations indicated that the OTS had a highly non-linear and nearly incompressible response. Based on these results, a hypo-elastic material model was developed as a convenient continuum representation of the mechanical behavior of OTS. This was then used in finite element analyses, which were able to fully reproduce the IFM force profiles. As a result, molecular and microscopic scales were linked in a relatively simple but very effective manner. This suggests that there is a class of problems where the continuum representation of the material behavior may be directly obtained from molecular analyses.
Continuous state POMDPs for object manipulation tasks

My research focus is on using continuous state partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) to perform object manipulation tasks using a robotic arm. During object manipulation, object dynamics can be extremely complex, non-linear and challenging to specify. To avoid modeling the full complexity of possible dynamics. I instead use a model which switches between a discrete number of simple dynamics models. By learning these models and extending Porta's continuous state POMDP framework (Porta et at. 2006) to incorporate this switching dynamics model, we hope to handle tasks that involve absolute and relative dynamics within a single framework. This dynamics model may be applicable not only to object manipulation tasks, but also to a number of other problems, such as robot navigation. By using an explicit model of uncertainty, I hope to create solutions to object manipulation tasks that more robustly handle the noisy sensory information received by physical robots.
College students and computers: Assessment of usage patterns and musculoskeletal discomfort

A limited number of studies have focused on computer-use-related MSDs in college students, though risk factor exposure may be similar to that of workers who use computers. This study examined computer use patterns of college students, and made comparisons to a group of previously studied computer-using professionals. 234 students completed a web-based questionnaire concerning computer use habits and physical discomfort respondents specifically associated with computer use. As a group, students reported their computer use to be at least 'Somewhat likely' 18 out of 24 h/day, compared to 12 h for the professionals. Students reported more uninterrupted work behaviours than the professionals. Younger graduate students reported 33.7 average weekly computing hours, similar to hours reported by younger professionals. Students generally reported more frequent upper extremity discomfort than the professionals. Frequent assumption of awkward postures was associated with frequent discomfort. The findings signal a need for intervention, including, training and education, prior to entry into the workforce. Students are future workers, and so it is important to determine whether their increasing exposure to computers, prior to entering the workforce, may make it so they enter already injured or do not enter their chosen profession due to upper extremity MSDs.
Conditions That May Interfere with Exercise

Exercise often has many positive effects on diabetes management, including improved glycemic control, assistance with weight maintenance, increases cardiorespiratory fitness, and general sense of well-being. However, as diabetic patients can also have other conditions that can be invest affected by exercise, such as cardiovascular disease and neuropathy that makes them vulnerable to foot problems and retinopathy, exercise should be carefully monitored by the health provider, especially during the initiation period. Therefore, careful evaluation of patients for complications that may present incremental risks or interfere with the capacity for exercise is an important first step in planning an appropriate exercise program. This chapter will review the currently available guidelines and will provide practical information regarding the implementation of exercise programs in all diabetic patients, including those with conditions that may interfere with exercise and will need additional attention.
Transfer of variable grammars in third language acquisition

Research on linguistic variation suggests that usage patterns are deeply embedded in native and non-native speakers’ knowledge of grammar. This study explores the transfer of these variable sociolinguistic patterns at the initial stages of third language acquisition. We elicited narratives in Portuguese from two mirror-image groups of sequential Spanish-English bilingual early learners of Portuguese. Their production of variable subject pronoun expression was analysed. When comparing the two groups with regards to the linguistic factors that constrain subject pronoun expression, evidence of transfer from Spanish and not from English is consistent for both groups. We conclude that variable linguistic information is accessible in L3 transfer at beginning stages of acquisition and it is successfully predicted by holistic models of L3 acquisition.
Hedging Wind Risk through a Power-to-Gas Enabled Integrated Energy System

Electric power system and natural gas system are deeply coupled because of the increasing popularity of gas-fired generators and the maturity of power-to-gas (P2G) technology. An energy hub is considered as a multi-generation system where multiple energy carriers are converted and stored. We propose an interval optimization based method to solve a stochastic security constrained unit commitment problem, and to determine the optimal operation of energy hubs considering the uncertainty of renewable generation. Energy hubs equipped with the P2G technology are modeled in detail to coordinate the integrated energy system through the optimal energy conversion, subject to the security constraints of power and natural gas networks. Quadratic interval optimization and Benders decomposition are implemented to reduce the computational burden without loss of optimality. We conduct a case study for a 6-bus electric network with a 6-node gas network to verify the applicability of the proposed method, and to evaluate the economic value of energy hubs.
Understanding microenvironments within tunnel-ventilated dairy cow freestall facilities: Examination using computational fluid dynamics and experimental validation

The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between ventilation rates occurring in a barn designed to house dairy cows and the microenvironments that develop within the cow pens. To do this, a computational fluid dynamics model (CFD) of a tunnel-ventilated template barn was developed in accordance with the latest barn and ventilation design recommendations. For validation, the tunnel template model was benchmarked by comparing the outcome of a corresponding CFD model with microenvironment data collected experimentally in an actual tunnel-ventilated barn. The groups of cows inside the barn were modelled as an animal occupied zone through a porous-media with their presence characterised according to their animal densities: no-density (empty pen), low-density, and high-density. To distinguish between designs, the resting area with velocity magnitudes below 1 m s−1 was compared to the total resting area, and their ratio was defined as the “critical resting area.” Increasing the barn's ventilation rate produces diminishing returns; 40 air changes h−1 is the ventilation rate when airspeed can be augmented by local components, such as circulation fans placed over the stalls. Because approximately 20% of an average farmstead's electricity is used to power its ventilation system, this finding should present an opportunity to reduce energy costs associated with ventilation while still meeting the cows' physiological needs.
Dynamic Control of AlGaN/GaN HEMT Characteristics by Implementation of a p-GaN Body-Diode-Based Back-Gate

We report on the implementation of dynamic body-bias technique to improve the performance of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with the successful integration of body-diode. In this configuration, p-GaN body-diode-based back-gate control is used to shift the threshold voltage and dynamically modulate the ON/OFF characteristics of a normally-ON AlGaN/GaN HEMT. A fourth back-gate terminal is connected to the p-GaN layer to control the depletion width of the body-diode, which in turn modulates the 2-D electron gas (2DEG) density. A positive/negative shift in the threshold voltage is measured by increasing/decreasing the depletion width below the channel. A positive back-gate bias application in the ON-state is shown to increase the 2DEG current density resulting in higher ON-current. The application of a negative back-gate bias is shown to be effective in the positive shift of the threshold voltage, in reducing the 2DEG channel current and in increasing the OFF-state break-down voltage. We have experimentally demonstrated enhanced effect of body-diode-based back-gate control in shifting the threshold voltage of a normally-ON HEMT toward normally-OFF mode. The optimum back-gate voltage range which can be applied during both ON and OFF states has been experimentally determined.
Tempering of martensite in carbon steels

Abstract: The changes in microstructure and substructure produced by tempering martensitic microstructures in carbon steels are described and are divided into aging and tempering phenomena. Aging phenomena occur prior to carbide formation, and tempering phenomena are classified primarily by carbide reactions, including eta or epsilon transition carbide formation at low tempering temperatures, cementite and chi carbide formation at higher temperatures in martensitic crystals or by transformation of retained austenite, and alloy carbide formation at the highest tempering temperatures. Changes in the matrix martensitic microstructures produced by recovery, recrystallization, and grain boundary rearrangement are also described, and carbon- and alloying-element-dependent changes in structure are noted.
Comparison of Pharmacy Database Methods for Determining Prevalent Chronic Medication Use.

Background Pharmacy dispensing data are frequently used to identify prevalent medication use as a predictor or covariate in observational research studies. Although several methods have been proposed for using pharmacy dispensing data to identify prevalent medication use, little is known about their comparative performance. Objectives The authors sought to compare the performance of different methods for identifying prevalent outpatient medication use. Research design Outpatient pharmacy fill data were compared with medication reconciliation notes denoting prevalent outpatient medication use at the time of hospital admission for a random sample of 207 patients drawn from a national cohort of patients admitted to Veterans Affairs hospitals. Using reconciliation notes as the criterion standard, we determined the test characteristics of 12 pharmacy database algorithms for determining prevalent use of 11 classes of cardiovascular and diabetes medications. Results The best-performing algorithms included a 180-day fixed look-back period approach (sensitivity, 93%; specificity, 97%; and positive predictive value, 89%) and a medication-on-hand approach with a grace period of 60 days (sensitivity, 91%; specificity, 97%; and positive predictive value, 91%). Algorithms that have been commonly used in previous studies, such as defining prevalent medications to include any medications filled in the prior year or only medications filled in the prior 30 days, performed less well. Algorithm performance was less accurate among patients recently receiving hospital or nursing facility care. Conclusion Pharmacy database algorithms that balance recentness of medication fills with grace periods performed better than more simplistic approaches and should be considered for future studies which examine prevalent chronic medication use.
Whole Genome De Novo Variant Identification with FreeBayes and Neural Network Approaches

Abstract Motivation De novo variant (DNV) calling typically relies on heuristic filters intrinsic to specific platforms and variant calling algorithms. FreeBayes and neural network approaches have overcome this limitation for variant calling, and we implemented a similar approach for DNV identification. Results We developed a DNV calling framework that uses Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK), FreeBayes and a neural network trained on Integrative Genomics Viewer pile-up plots (IGV-bot). We identified DNVs in 2,390 WGS trios and benchmarked results against heuristics based on GATK parameters. Results were validated in silico and with Sanger sequencing, with the latter showing true positive rates of 98.4% and 97.3% for SNVs and indels, respectively. Taken together we describe a scalable framework for DNV identification based on both FreeBayes and neural network methods. Availability Source code and documentation are available at https://github.com/ShenLab/igv-classifier and https://github.com/frichter/dnv_pipeline under the MIT license. Contact ys2411@cumc.columbia.edu
Value of Broad Range 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene PCR / Sequencing (Br-PCR) of CSF in the Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening condition that requires quick and definitive diagnosis. Bacterial cultures from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) return with a negative result as treatment with antimicrobials are sometimes started before sampling of CSF can be obtained which makes isolating the causative bacteria challenging. The value of Broad Range 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Polymerase Chain Reaction / Sequencing of CSF (Br-PCR) can address this problem by amplifying and identifying any bacterial DNA present in a clinical sample. A 65-year-old female presented with rapid onset of high fevers, headache, chills and right hip pain. She had blood cultures drawn, unremarkable CSF analysis in the emergency department, and was discharged home. Ten hours later, she developed vomiting and altered mental status, returned to hospital and started on antimicrobials for gram negative bacteremia and emergently intubated with repeat lumbar puncture showed evidence of bacterial meningitis with pleocytosis and elevated opening pressures. Empiric antimicrobial therapy was started. All subsequent CSF microbiological stains, cultures, and molecular analyses were negative. The blood cultures grew Haemophilus influenzae and H. influenzae meningitis was presumed to be the cause. Therefore, Br-PCR on CSF was sent which detected Haemophilus species DNA. She received a 3-week course of ceftriaxone. After rehabilitation, she returned home without any significant neurological deficits. No relapse of meningitis at 4 months was noted. The application for Br-PCR in the setting of suspected bacterial meningitis with negative stains and cultures could improve a diagnostic algorithm for bacterial meningitis.
Autonomy and metrics of autonomy

Abstract The quest for autonomy has been a pervasive theme in human culture through-out history. In this paper a general definition of autonomous systems is presented and discussed that leads naturally to the establishment of metrics to measure the level of autonomy of a system. This definition is based on the systems ability to achieve goals under uncertainties and it does not involve the means by which the goals are achieved, such as sensing and feedback. This paper takes the point of view that any autonomous system is a control system, and that to achieve higher levels of autonomy one may need to add methods traditionally developed in areas such as operations research and AI. The work presented here is based on earlier work by the author on functional architectures for autonomous spacecrafts.
The New Left and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in the United States

The youthful activists who made up the New Left during the 1960s were largely in accord in their opposition to the Vietnam War and their support for the black freedom movement. By contrast, they we...
Off Target: On the Underperformance of Target-Date Funds

Target-date funds (TDFs) are popular vehicles that provide investors with an evolving asset allocation to meet their needs at some future date (e.g., retirement). While TDFs provide investors with extensive diversification and active rebalancing, TDFs are also a type of fund-of-funds. As such, investors pay multiple layers of fees as most TDFs charge fund-of-funds' fees and also hold funds that collect additional fees. We show that TDFs are easy to emulate with a portfolio of cost-efficient exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and we coin these portfolios Replicating Funds (RFs). RFs substantially outperform TDFs, exhibit low tracking error, do not suffer from cash drag, and require infrequent rebalancing. Our analysis shows that TDF sponsors collectively charged nearly $2.5 billion in excess fees in 2017 alone. We provide a normative rule-of-thumb for investors to construct their own RFs using low-cost ETFs.
Facing Aliens Under Globalization

SUMMARY This paper is concerned with changing meanings of home for Taiwanese employers of foreign domestics under globalization. Shifting sense of home occurs for Taiwanese employers as well as foreign domestics in the process of labor migration. The author argues that Taiwanese employers, facing aliens at home, have adopted various rhetorical strategies to redefine their relationships with foreign domestics and deployed diverse practices of management within their households. As foreign domestics do housework at home, Taiwanese employers also do their own “homework,” struggling to understand and cope with the process of becoming and being household employers. Their “homework” is an integral part of the globalization of domestic service.
Beyond Passivity and Reciprocity with Time-Varying Electromagnetic Systems

Time-varying electromagnetic systems have raised significant interest in recent years, in particular in the context of magnet-free nonreciprocal devices. Here, we discuss our recent progress on the analysis, design and applications of time-varying antennas, guided systems and metasurfaces that can break reciprocity, impart gain, and overcome some limitations of time-invariant systems, such as bandwidth constraints and sensitivity to disorder.
A Scoring Model to Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Budd-Chiari Syndrome.

Introduction A model that can predict short-term mortality in patients with the Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) with a high degree of accuracy is currently lacking. The primary objective of our study was to develop an easy-to-use in-hospital mortality prediction model in patients with BCS using easily available clinical variables. Methods Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample to identify all adult patients with a listed diagnosis of BCS from 2008 to 2017 using ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes. After identifying independent risk factors of in-hospital mortality, we developed a prediction model using logistic regression analysis. The model was built and validated in a training and a validation data set, respectively. Using the model, we risk stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Results Between 2008 and 2017, we identified a total of 5,306 (weighted sample size 26,110) discharge diagnosis of patients with BCS, with an overall in-hospital mortality of 7.14%. The independent risk factors that predicted mortality were age of 50 years or older, ascites, sepsis, acute respiratory failure, acute liver failure, hepatorenal syndrome, and cancers. The mortality prediction model that incorporated these risk factors had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.85-0.95) for the training data and 0.89 (95% CI 0.86-0.92) for the validation data. Patients with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk scores had a predicted in-patient mortality of 4%, 30%, and 66%, respectively. Discussion Using a national administrative database, we developed a reliable in-patient mortality prediction model with an excellent accuracy. The model was able to risk stratify patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups.
Irreversible JNK blockade overcomes PD-L1-mediated resistance to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells have low or absent tumor cell PD-L1 expression that we previously demonstrated can confer chemotherapy resistance. Here, we demonstrate that PD-L1 depletion enhances JNK activity resulting in increased BimThr116 phosphorylation and its sequestration by MCL-1 and BCL-2. Activated JNK signaling in PD-L1-depeted cells was due to reduced mRNA stability of the CYLD deubiquitinase. PD-L1 was found to compete with the ribonuclease EXOSC10 for binding to CYLD mRNA. Thus, loss of PD-L1 promoted binding and degradation of CYLD mRNA by EXOSC10 which enhanced JNK activity. An irreversible JNK inhibitor (JNK-IN-8) reduced BimThr116 phosphorylation and unsequestered Bim from MCL-1 and BCL-2 to promote apoptosis. In cells lacking PD-L1, treatment with JNK-IN-8, an MCL-1 antagonist (AZD5991), or their combination promoted apoptosis and reduced long-term clonogenic survival by anticancer drugs. Similar effects of the JNK inhibitor on cell viability were observed in CRC organoids with suppression of PD-L1. These data indicate that JNK inhibition may represent a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance in CRC cells with low or absent PD-L1 expression.
Changing Attitudes about Spanking: a Mixed-Methods Study of a Positive Parenting Intervention

While ample research describes the negative effects of corporal punishment (CP) on children, parental decisions about discipline strategies are complex. Some parents may resort to CP because they do not know what else to do. The current mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study examined whether participation in the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P – Level 4) (n = 68) was associated with lower levels of self-reported parental stress, less parental perception of child misbehavior, and improved attitudes and expectations toward CP compared to a comparison group of caregivers (n = 23). After six weekly group/individual sessions, Triple P participants reported significantly lower rates of parental stress and child maladjustment, and less favorable attitudes toward CP compared to baseline. Stress and favorability toward CP declined significantly more among Triple P participants than among comparison participants. There was a high level of attrition in the comparison group. At the end of the program, seven focus groups were conducted with Triple P participants (n = 47). Analyses revealed themes about managed vs. unmanaged stress, conflicting views of spanking, perceived beneficial impact of Triple P on their parenting strategies, improved relationships with their children, and use of alternative strategies before spanking. This study adds to the literature on community parenting interventions by illuminating individual caregiver experiences in Triple P Level 4 and associated reduction in favorable attitudes toward CP.
Cows as canaries: The effects of ambient air pollution exposure on milk production and somatic cell count in dairy cows.

Abstract Exposure to air pollution, including criteria pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3), has been associated with morbidity and mortality in mammals. As a genetically homogenous population that is closely monitored for health, dairy cattle present a unique opportunity to assess the association between changes in air pollution and mammalian health. Milk yield decreases in the summer if temperature and humidity, measured by the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). As O3 levels increase with warmer temperatures, and summer PM2.5 may increase with wildfire smoke, dairy cows may serve as a useful sentinel species to evaluate subacute markers of inflammation and metabolic output and ambient pollution. Over two years, we assessed summertime O3 and PM2.5 concentrations from local US EPA air quality monitors into an auto-regressive mixed model of the association between THI and daily milk production data and bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC). In unadjusted models, a 10 unit increase THI was associated with 28,700 cells/mL (95% CI: 17,700, 39,690) increase in SCC. After controlling for ambient air pollutants, THI was associated with a 14,500 SCC increase (95% CI: 3,400, 25,680), a 48% decrease in effect compared to the crude model. Further, in fully adjusted models, PM2.5 was associated with a 105,500 cells/mL (95% CI: 90,030, 121,050) increase in SCC. Similar results were found for milk production. Results were amplified when high PM2.5 days (95th percentile of observed values) associated with wildfire smoke were removed from the analyses. Our results support the hypothesis that PM2.5 confounds the relationships between THI and milk yield and somatic cell count. The results of this study can be used to inform strategies for intervention to mitigate these impacts at the dairy level and potentially contribute to a model where production animals can act as air quality sentinels.
Chapter X The 1962 3He Scale of Temperatures

Publisher Summary The development of the 1962 3 He Vapor-Pressure Scale has emphasized marked differences between liquid 3 He and 4 He. One is in the low temperature variation of the liquid entropy. The quantum mechanical exchange forces in liquid 3He lead to appreciable correlation of the nuclear spins in the liquid at temperatures as high as 1˚ K. The difficulty in fitting the entropy curve with a simple analytical expression has led to difficulty in attaching theoretical significance to certain terms in empirical vapor-pressure equations at temperatures below the temperature of fitted data. A number of independent measurements, including measurements of heats of vaporization of 3 He and 4 He, precise isotherm measurements, and preliminary acoustical interferometer measurements, indicate that both the 1962 3 He Scale and the 1958 4 He Scale may be two or three millidegrees lower than true thermodynamic temperatures between I˚ and 3.3˚ K. When more accurate data on the thermodynamic properties of 3 He and 4 He are available together with better determinations of absolute thermodynamic temperatures, the precise intercomparison data will allow both the 3 He and the 4 He scales to be adjusted consistently and simultaneously.
Winning the battle of graft versus host.

During hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, donor cell subsets mediate the delicate balance between graft rejection and the development of graft-versus-host disease. Is it possible to manipulate donor cell populations to facilitate engraftment of highly enriched hematopoietic stem cells in allogeneic recipients?
Verilog HDL Modeling Styles for Formal Verification

Abstract Hardware can be formally verified by describing both the implementation and the specification using finite automata and checking to see if the language of the specification contains the language of the implementation. This type of formal verification is called language containment [Kur90]. Most language containment tools use languages that are not popular, which increases the learning curve for new users. We propose performing language containment on designs and specifications written in the Verilog HDL. Our hope is that formal verification will be accepted more readily by hardware designers if they can use a familiar language and a modeling style consistent with existing design tools, such as synthesis and simulation. One type of finite automata is called an L-process. We will describe how they can be modeled in Verilog. Because L-processes frequently contain non-deterministic state transitions and outputs, we propose a natural method consistent with the language definition, current simulators, and current synthesis tools for modeling non-determinism in Verilog. In addition, L-processes can be extended to include restrictions on the time an L-process remains in a sequence of states. We propose methods to model timed L-processes in Verilog using existing timing constructs. We formally define the model of L-processes and show how the simulation model of Verilog is consistent with the formal verification model.
“Socially induced semantic networks and applications” by Benjamin Markines

Social bookmarking systems allow Web users to actively annotate online resources. These annotations incorporate meta-information with Web pages in addition to the actual document contents. From a collection of socially annotated resources, we present various methods for quantifying the relationship between objects, i.e., tags or resources. These relationships can then be represented in a semantic similarity network where the nodes represent objects and the undirected weighted edges represent their relations. These relations are quantied through similarity measures. There are two challenges associated with assembling and maintaining such a similarity network. The first challenge is updating the relations efficiently, i.e., the time and space complexity associated with graph algorithms. The complexity of these algorithms is typically quadratic. We present an incremental process answering both space and time limitations. The second challenge is the quality of the similarity measure. We evaluate various measures through the approximation of reference similarities. We then present a number of applications leveraging socially induced semantic similarity networks. A tag recommendation system, a page recommendation engine, and a Web navigation tool are evaluated through user studies. Finally, we design spam detection algorithms to enhance the functionality of social bookmarking systems.
On the use of sounding in wideband channels

In wideband channels, the energy per degree of freedom does not suffice to provide an accurate measurement of the channel over the entire spectrum. However, in the presence of feedback, we may garner information at the sender about some aspects of the channel quality over certain portion of the spectrum. In this paper, we investigate a scheme to capture the effect of such information. We consider channel sounding with a finite amount of energy over a block-fading channel in both time and frequency. The quality of each subchannel is assessed as being the cross-over probability in a BSC. In order to characterize a judicious policy for allocating energy to different subchannels in view of establishing their usefulness for transmission, we use a multi-armed bandit approach. This approach provides us with a cohesive framework to consider the relative costs and benefits of allotting energy for sounding versus transmission, and for repeated sounding of a single channel versus sounding of different channels. In particular, we are able to give a characterization of the number of subchannels that should be probed for capacity maximization in terms of the available transmission energy, the available bandwidth and the fading characteristics of the channel
The future of radios

The average smart phone user picks up the device 1,500 times a week. Wireless communication appears to be taking over our lives but it also presents interesting challenges to RF designers. This paper contends that the mobile terminal will emerge as a central command post for most of our daily affairs and will therefore sustain an increasingly heavier load in terms of speed, power dissipation, and cost. Low-voltage, low-power universal radios will thus become an essential component to meet future communication demands.