cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring rotating machine signals

A generalized symbolic signal representation capturing the physical appearance of process monitoring signals is introduced. The signals are decomposed into simpler subcomponents described by different parametric models and combined under an object-oriented hybrid signal representation. A set of subcomponents is modeled by a piecewise spline function approximation. This model represents the signal patterns in purely mathematical terms and can be viewed as an extension of syntactic signal modeling approaches used in electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis. Furthermore, a robust event-synchronous system capable of transcribing given signals into the proposed symbolic representation is described. The use of event-synchronous analysis makes the system specifically suited for process monitoring applications. A concrete example of a pump monitoring application is described. >
Analysis of PCB's by Thin-Layer Chromatography

Abstract A screening thin layer chromatography (TLC) technique has been developed that can be done in the field. Quantitative analysis by TLC densitometry can be done in a laboratory (or field van). A densitometer is needed for quantitative work by TLC. An Apple computer may be added to use as a computational device. Semi-quantitative results may be obtained by visual comparisons. Confirmations may be made by silver halide visualization on TLC. Dehalogenation with sodium biphenyl, chlorination with antimony pentachloride, or mass spectral confirmation may be used. Quantitative analysis is possible of the derivatized positive samples.
Effect of contaminant and organic matter bioavailability on the microbial dehalogenation of sediment-bound chlorobenzenes

Abstract The extent of reductive dechlorination occurring in contaminated, estuarine sediments was investigated. Contaminant and organic matter bioavailability and their effect on the reductive dechlorination of sediment-bound chlorobenzenes was the main focus of the work presented here. Sediment and water samples were collected from a contaminated estuarine system with more than 40 yr of contamination history. Hexachlorobenzene and other chlorinated benzene congeners were the predominant chlorinated compounds encountered. Anaerobic batch assays revealed that the sediment natural organic matter is recalcitrant and unable to support active microbial growth. However, sediment nutrients (e.g. N, P) were available in sufficient quantities to support an accelerated microbial growth. Static microcosms were constructed with sediment and water from the study site. The sediment microbial consortia were able to reductively dechlorinate the sediment-bound polychlorinated benzene congeners, primarily to dichlorobenzene isomers. The first-order rate constant for hexachlorobenzene depletion ( k obs ) ranged from 2.2 × 10 −3 to 2.9 × 10 −3 d −1 , the higher value being achieved in microcosms supplemented with dextrin. These rates were about two orders of magnitude lower than those observed with the same sediment-derived, mixed dechlorinating microbial consortium in liquid cultures supplemented with freshly added hexachlorobenzene. The extent of hexachlorobenzene removal over a long incubation time (more than 480 d) was only 43%, most of which occurred during the first 200 d of incubation. Both the recalcitrant nature of the sediment organic matter and the strong partitioning of the chlorinated compounds were responsible for the low rate and extent of contaminant transformation. When frequent additions of a degradable organic carbon source and ground sediment were used, an increased rate and extent of reductive dechlorination of the sediment-bound contaminants were observed (e.g. 95% hexachlorobenzene biotransformation within 205 d of incubation; k obs = 2.1 × 10 −2 d −1 ).
Inferring "Dark Matter" and "Dark Energy" from Videos

This paper presents an approach to localizing functional objects in surveillance videos without domain knowledge about semantic object classes that may appear in the scene. Functional objects do not have discriminative appearance and shape, but they affect behavior of people in the scene. For example, they "attract" people to approach them for satisfying certain needs (e.g., vending machines could quench thirst), or "repel" people to avoid them (e.g., grass lawns). Therefore, functional objects can be viewed as "dark matter", emanating "dark energy" that affects people's trajectories in the video. To detect "dark matter" and infer their "dark energy" field, we extend the Lagrangian mechanics. People are treated as particle-agents with latent intents to approach "dark matter" and thus satisfy their needs, where their motions are subject to a composite "dark energy" field of all functional objects in the scene. We make the assumption that people take globally optimal paths toward the intended "dark matter" while avoiding latent obstacles. A Bayesian framework is used to probabilistically model: people's trajectories and intents, constraint map of the scene, and locations of functional objects. A data-driven Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) process is used for inference. Our evaluation on videos of public squares and courtyards demonstrates our effectiveness in localizing functional objects and predicting people's trajectories in unobserved parts of the video footage.
Scalable collective communication on the ASCI Q machine

Scientific codes spend a considerable part of their run time executing collective communication operations. Such operations can also be critical for efficient resource management in large-scale machines. Therefore, scalable collective communication is a key factor to achieve good performance in large-scale parallel computers. In this paper we describe the performance and scalability of some common collective communication patterns on the ASCI Q machine. Experimental results conducted on a 1024-node/4096-processor segment show that the network is fast and scalable. The network is able to barrier-synchronize in a few tens of /spl mu/s, perform a broadcast with an aggregate bandwidth of more than 100 GB/s and sustain heavy hot-spot traffic with a limited performance degradation.
Delivering health information via podcast or web: media effects on psychosocial and physiological responses.

This study explored differences in psychosocial and physiological variables in response to being presented with information on weight loss through either reading text on a website or listening to the same information via podcast. Participants were randomized to receive a weight loss website (n = 20) or podcast (n = 20). Participants had skin conductance levels measured and completed questionnaire items assessing demographic characteristics, user control, novelty, and knowledge. Participants in the podcast group exhibited greater levels of physiological arousal and reported the intervention to be more novel than those in the Web group; however, the Web group reported greater user control. There was no difference in knowledge between the groups. This study presents the first step in examining the role that novelty and user control may play in two different weight-loss electronic media, as well as differences in knowledge acquisition. Future research should explore adding additional media features, such as v...
Spatially adaptive illumination modeling for background subtraction

Background subtraction is important for many vision applications. Existing techniques can adapt to gradual changes in illumination but fail to cope with sudden changes often seen in indoor environment. In this paper, we propose a novel background subtraction technique that models the change of illumination as a regression function of spatial image coordinates. Such spatial dependency is significant when light sources are close to or within the scene. The regression function is learned from highly probable background regions and applied to the rest of the background models to compensate for the illumination change. While a single regression function is adequate for a smooth Lambertian surface, multiple regression functions are needed to handle depth discontinuities, shadows, and non-Lambertian surfaces. The change of illumination is first segmented and different regression functions are applied to different segments. Experimental results comparing our techniques with other schemes show better foreground segmentation during illumination change.
Recovery in Young Children with Weight Faltering: Child and Household Risk Factors.

Objective To examine whether weight recovery among children with weight faltering varied by enrollment age and child and household risk factors. Study design Observational, conducted in an interdisciplinary specialty practice with a skill-building mealtime behavior intervention, including coaching with video-recorded interactions. Eligibility included age 6-36 months with weight/age Results Enrolled 286 children (mean age 18.8 months, SD 6.8). Significant weight/age recovery occurred regardless of risk index or age. Mean weight/age z-score change was significantly greater among younger compared with older age (0.29 vs 0.17, P = .03); top household risk quartile compared with reference (0.34 vs 0.22, P = .046); and marginally greater among top child risk quartile compared with reference (0.37 vs 0.25, P = .058). Mean weight/age z-score change was not associated with single risk factors or interactions; greatest weight gain occurred in most underweight children. Conclusions Weight recovery over 6 months was statistically significant, although modest, and greater among younger children and among children with multiple child and household risk factors. Findings support differential susceptibility theory, whereby some children with multiple risk factors are differentially responsive to intervention. Future investigations should evaluate components of the mealtime behavior intervention.
Tuberculosis Control Laws in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Legal Framework in the United States

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), designated by the CDC as a serious threat within the United States, can occur when TB drugs are misused or mismanaged. Examples include when patients do not complete their full course of treatment; when health-care providers prescribe the wrong treatment, the wrong dose, or length of time for taking the drugs; when the supply of drugs is not available; or when the drugs are of poor quality.In the U.S., MDR-TB rates are highest along the U.S.-Mexico border. Populations in this region are mobile. TB patients who live on one side of the border might have their disease diagnosed or treated in the adjacent country; therefore, investigation of close contacts often involves school, work, and social settings on both sides of the border. Laws and governmental practices can impede optimal TB case management even within the U.S., which includes prompt disease diagnosis, close monitoring of medical regimens, adherence to treatment, and identification and evaluation of close contacts. Each of these strategies becomes more difficult when case management must be coordinated among multiple health jurisdictions.The United States-Mexico Border Health Commission (BHC) was created in 2000 to provide international leadership to optimize health and quality of life along the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to its impact in the border region, TB prevention and barriers to TB control are key BHC priorities. To reduce the burden of TB in binational border communities, the BHC facilitates and supports various activities intended to advance cross-border cooperation in TB surveillance, control, education, prevention, and case management.Beginning in 2012, the BHC’s TB Consortium began discussion of legal barriers to continuity of care in the region. This draft legal guide, prepared with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, discusses legal barriers to continuity of care for TB patients. Not only does drug-resistant tuberculosis present uniquely immigration-driven challenges, it also exposes weaknesses in the U.S. public health system that concern citizens and non-citizens equally.Repatriation of Mexican nationals by U.S. immigration authorities poses distinct issues with respect to continuity of care for bi-national tuberculosis cases. At present, U.S. repatriation policy specifies advance notification to Mexican officials along with transfer of medical records and an initial supply of medication for persons with active cases of tuberculosis. The paper examines current U.S. immigration policy for the treatment and release of such persons, along with the administrative difficulties that can impede continuity of care.
Community Perspectives on Communication Strategies for Alcohol Abuse Prevention in Rural Central Kenya

The current study explores community perspectives on alcohol abuse prevention strategies in rural Kenya. Data from focus group discussions with members of community organizations and in-depth interviews with a snowball sample of key informants revealed that rural communities view national alcohol abuse prevention interventions as ineffective and messages as unpersuasive in changing this high-risk behavior. The use of ethnic languages, stronger fear appeals, and visual aids were recommended for alcohol prevention messages aimed at communities with low literacy. Community members favored narratives and entertainment-education strategies, which are more engaging, and print media for their educational value. Health activism, although common, was viewed as less effective in motivating individuals to change drinking behavior but more effective in advocacy campaigns to pressure the government to enforce alcohol regulations. This study suggests further empirical research to inform evidence-based prevention campaigns and to understand how to communicate about alcohol-related health risks within communities that embrace alcohol consumption as a cultural norm.
Endogenous inhibition of pain and spinal nociception in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

PURPOSE Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is characterized by severe affective and physical symptoms, such as increased pain, during the late-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The mechanisms underlying hyperalgesia in women with PMDD have yet to be identified, and supraspinal pain modulation has yet to be examined in this population. The present study assessed endogenous pain inhibitory processing by examining conditioned pain modulation (CPM, a painful conditioning stimulus inhibiting pain evoked by a test stimulus at a distal body site) of pain and the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR, a spinally-mediated withdrawal reflex) during the mid-follicular, ovulatory, and late-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. METHODS Participants were regularly-cycling women (14 without PMDD; 14 with PMDD). CPM was assessed by delivering electrocutaneous test stimuli to the sural nerve before, during, and after a painful conditioning ischemia task. Participants rated their pain to electrocutaneous stimuli, and NFR magnitudes were measured. A linear mixed model analysis was used to assess the influence of group and menstrual phase on CPM. RESULTS Compared with controls, women with PMDD experienced greater pain during the late-luteal phase and enhanced spinal nociception during the ovulation phase, both of which were independent of CPM. Both groups showed CPM inhibition of pain that did not differ by menstrual phase. Only women with PMDD evidenced CPM inhibition of NFR. CONCLUSION Endogenous modulation of pain and spinal nociception is not disrupted in women with PMDD. Additionally, greater NFR magnitudes during ovulation in PMDD may be due to tonically-engaged descending mechanisms that facilitate spinal nociception, leading to enhanced pain during the premenstrual phase.
Effect of Pericampylus glaucus on plasma glucose concentration and lipid profile in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Pericampylus glaucus extract on plasma glucose concentration and lipid profile in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The ethanolic extract were administered orally at three different doses (400, 600 and 800 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (20 mg/kg p.o.) for 21 days after 72 hours of streptozotocin injection. During the short- and long-term studies, the extract was found to possess significant (p<0.01, p<0.001) anti-diabetic activity in normal and diabetic rats compared with untreated normal and untreated diabetic group. It also caused reduction in the level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL etc. and improvement in the HDL level compared with untreated diabetic rats. Reduction in the fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, LDL, creatinine levels and improvement in the HDL by P. glaucus indicates that plant has anti-diabetic activity along with anti hyperlipidemic efficacy and provides a scientific rationale for the use.
Mathematical Principles in the Theory of small Samples

(1935). Mathematical Principles in the Theory of small Samples. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 344-364.
Annualizing Throughput Benefits at Newark Airport using a New Approach to Converging Runway Operations

The New York (NY) area airspace is notoriously complex and demanding, and is responsible for a large portion of the delays and congestion in the United States. A new research effort was initiated to examine the chronic problems associated with NY, and to develop integrated Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) concepts that leveraged existing NASA and other NextGen technologies to reduce delays, increase throughput, and/or improve trajectory efficiencies in this region. This paper describes a concept, tools, and operational procedures for improving flight efficiency and runway throughput for Newark Liberty International airport (EWR) arrivals. The concept increases throughput by extending the Terminal Sequencing and Spacing (TSS) scheduling capability to precisely schedule runway 11 arrivals behind arrivals landing on intersecting runway 22L, thereby maximizing throughput on both runways. A human-in-the-loop (HITL) evaluation of the concept indicated that TSS can enable more energy efficient, trajectorybased optimized profile descent procedures to be used without sacrificing throughput, even in the very challenging New York environment. In addition, the results suggest that the enhancements to TSS to coordinate the threshold times of aircraft landing on converging runways could safely increase throughput for EWR from today’s Visual Flight Rules (VFR) maximum of 52 to 67 arrivals per hour. A follow-up benefits analysis was conducted to identify how often meteorological conditions were suitable for using the 11-22L landing runway configuration, and estimate the actual resulting potential for increasing arrival throughput. Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) data were used to determine the traffic demand, runway configurations, meteorological conditions, and wind magnitudes/directions during 2007, 2009 and 2012. Using fairly conservative assumptions about the meteorological conditions, runway usage, and peak demand characteristics, the analysis showed that the 11-22L runway configuration could have been used more than twice as often during high demand periods (arrival demand exceeds throughput), which in turn could either 1) reduce delays to the impacted aircraft by approximately 15 minutes per aircraft or 2) increase the overall throughput by approximately 8% 11% per year. This new operation has the potential to deliver even greater benefits if it were extended to include other runway configurations and demand conditions. The results suggest that a large throughput / delay benefit can be gained from a modest extension of the TSS tool that is already in the Federal Aviation Administration's planned new capabilities by 2020.
New Insights Into the HCV Quasispecies and Compartmentalization

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic RNA virus with an extraordinary propensity to persist in the vast majority of infected individuals. During replication, because of the inherent infidelity of the viral RNA polymerase, each progeny RNA genome contains mutations that lead to a continuous diversification of the viral population. Consequently, HCV circulates in vivo as a quasispecies, which is a dynamic distribution of divergent but closely related genomes subjected to a continuous process of genetic variation, competition, and selection. This genomic heterogeneity confers a remarkable advantage to the viral population allowing for a rapid adaptation to a changing environment when the virus is subject to selective constraints exerted by the host, such as antiviral immunity, or external to the host, such as antiviral therapy. The large reservoir of variants provided by the quasispecies represents a great challenge for the control of HCV infection and has important biologic implications for viral persistence, host cell tropism, antiviral drug resistance, and development of an HCV vaccine. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms of HCV genetic variation and the biologic and clinical relevance of the quasispecies nature of HCV.
Investigation of the Epidemiological Characteristic of Clonorchiasis in Jiangmen Pengjiang District

Objective To study the infection status and epidemiological character of clonorchiasis in the demonstration area of Jiangmen Pengjiang district, and provide scientific basis for establishing the prevention strategy. Methods The eggs of Clonorchis sinensis in stools were checked by clean water deposition.The investigation to intermediate and reservoir hosts had also been carried out. Results The eggs of Clonorchis sinensis were checked in 2 501 peoples of 5 villages in the demonstration area,with an average infection rate of 21.47%. The differences in the infection rates between 5 natural villages were significant(x~2=258.70,P0.05). The infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis showed an increasing trend along with the increase of the age of peoples. High infection rate was noticed in male over 41 years old (50.81%). The infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis of male was significantly higher than that of female (x~2=51.55,P0.05). Clonorchis sinensis metacercarias were checked in 156 samples of 6 kinds of fish,with an infection rate of 9.62%. Dog was the reservoir host with highest infection rates, followed by cat, and no Clonorchis sinensis metacercaria and adult worm could be detected in pigs. The level of Clonorchis sinensis prevention knowledge of the residents in the demonstration area was below 30%. Conclusions Clonorchiasis was severe endemic in the demonstration area of Jiangmen Pengjiang district. Effective and integrated measures must be taken to control the prevalence of the disease.
[The language area of the brain: a functional reassessment].

Introduccion. Hacia finales del siglo XIX y comienzos del siglo XX, y basandose en observaciones clinicas, se propuso que existe un ‘area del lenguaje’ en el cerebro que corresponde, en general, a la region perisilviana del hemisferio izquierdo. Tal idea ha continuado existiendo desde entonces. Objetivo. Partiendo de los estudios contemporaneos de imagenes cerebrales, reanalizar la localizacion y extension del area del lenguaje con relacion a las diferentes areas de Brodmann. Materiales y metodos. Utilizando la metodologia conocida como metaanalytic connectivity modeling, se revisan varios estudios metaanaliticos en los cuales se analizan las imagenes de resonancia magnetica funcional durante la realizacion de tareas linguisticas. Resultados. Se encontro que existen dos sistemas linguisticos diferentes en el cerebro: un sistema lexico/semantico, relacionado con el area de Wernicke, y que incluye un area de Wernicke central (reconocimiento de palabras) y un area de Wernicke extendida (asociaciones linguisticas); y un sistema gramatical, dependiente del complejo de Broca (produccion del lenguaje y gramatica), en el lobulo frontal, y que se extiende subcorticalmente. Se propone tambien que la insula desempena un papel de coordinacion de estos dos sistemas linguisticos cerebrales. Conclusion. Los estudios contemporaneos de neuroimagen sugieren que el area del lenguaje en el cerebro es notoriamente mas amplia de lo que se supuso hace un siglo basandose en observaciones clinicas. Tal como se consideraba durante el siglo XIX, la insula parece desempenar un papel critico en el lenguaje.
Decreased Whole-Body Fat Mass Produced by Chronic Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Activation of S6K1-Mediated Protein Synthesis and Increased Autophagy in Epididymal White Adipose Tissue.

Background Chronic alcohol consumption leads to a loss of white adipose tissue (WAT) but the underlying mechanisms for this lipodystrophy are not fully elucidated. This study tested the hypothesis that the reduction in WAT mass in chronic alcohol-fed mice is associated with a decreased protein synthesis specifically related to impaired function of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Methods Adult male mice were provided an alcohol-containing liquid diet for 24 weeks or an isonitrogenous isocaloric control diet. In vivo protein synthesis was determined at this time and thereafter epididymal WAT (eWAT) was excised for analysis of signal transduction pathways central to controling protein synthesis and degradation. Results While chronic alcohol feeding decreased whole-body and eWAT mass, this was associated with a discordant increase in protein synthesis in eWAT. This increase was not associated with a change in mTOR, 4E-BP1, Akt, or PRAS40 phosphorylation. Instead, a selective increase in phosphorylation of S6K1 and its downstream substrates, S6 and eIF4B was detected in alcohol-fed mice. Alcohol also increased eEF2K phosphorylation and decreased eEF2 phosphorylation consistent with increased translation elongation. Alcohol increased Atg12-5, LC3B-I and -II, and ULK1 S555 phosphorylation, suggesting increased autophagy, while markers of apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3 and -9, and PARP) were unchanged. Lipolytic enzymes (ATGL and HSL phosphorylation) were increased and lipogenic regulators (PPARγ and C/EBPα) were decreased in eWAT by alcohol. Although alcohol increased TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA, no change in key components of the NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ACS, and cleaved caspase-1) was detected suggesting alcohol did not increase pyroptosis. Plasma insulin did not differ between groups. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the alcohol-induced decrease in whole-body fat mass resulted in part from activation of autophagy in eWAT as protein synthesis was increased and mediated by the specific increase in the activity of S6K1.
Flipping the Legal Research Classroom

In this article, we argue that classroom flipping can greatly benefit legal research instruction. In the course of recounting our experience flipping portions of our advanced legal research classes, we will: 1) discuss how you can create a flipped class structure based on your existing class syllabus, 2) help you create class exercises that improve student engagement and understanding of course content, and 3) provide a framework to evaluate the technology tools available to create the video lecture portions of your class.
Chemistry to conservation: using otoliths to advance recreational and commercial fisheries management

Otolith chemistry is an effective technique for evaluating fish environmental history, but its utility in fisheries management has not been comprehensively examined. Thus, a review of otolith chemistry with emphasis on management applicability is presented. More than 1500 otolith chemistry manuscripts published from 1967 to 2015 are reviewed and descriptive case studies are used to illustrate the utility of otolith chemistry as a fisheries management tool. Otolith chemistry publications span a wide variety of topics (e.g. natal origins, habitat use, movement, stock discrimination and statistical theory) and species in freshwater and marine systems. Despite the broad distribution of manuscripts in a variety of fisheries, environmental and ecological journals, the majority of publications (83%, n = 1264) do not describe implications or applications of otolith chemistry for fisheries management. This information gap is addressed through case studies that illustrate management applications of otolith chemistry. Case studies cover numerous topics (e.g. natal origins, population connectivity, stock enhancement, transgenerational marking, pollution exposure history and invasive species management) in freshwater and marine systems using sport fishes, invasive fishes, endangered fishes and species of commercial and aquaculture importance. Otolith chemistry has diverse implications and applications for fisheries management worldwide. Collaboration among fisheries professionals from academia, government agencies and non-governmental organizations will help bridge the research-management divide and establish otolith chemistry as a fisheries management tool.
Indication for Dialysis Initiation and Mortality in Patients With Chronic Kidney Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Initiation of maintenance dialysis therapy for patients with chronic kidney failure is a period of high risk for adverse patient outcomes. Whether indications for dialysis therapy initiation are associated with mortality in this population is unknown. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 461 patients who initiated dialysis therapy (hemodialysis, 437; peritoneal dialysis, 24) from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2012, and were treated in facilities operated by a single dialysis organization. Follow-up for the primary outcome was through December 31, 2013. Predictor Clinically documented primary indication for dialysis therapy initiation, as categorized into 4 groups: laboratory evidence of kidney function decline (reference category), uremic symptoms, volume overload or hypertension, and other/unknown. Outcomes All-cause mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 2.4 years, 183 (40%) patients died. Crude mortality rates were 10.0 (95% CI, 6.8-14.7), 12.7 (95% CI, 10.2-15.7), 21.7 (95% CI, 16.4-28.6), and 12.2 (95% CI, 6.8-14.7) deaths/100 patient-years among patients initiating dialysis therapy primarily for laboratory evidence of kidney function decline, uremic symptoms, volume overload or hypertension, and other/unknown reason, respectively. Following adjustment for demographic variables, coexisting illnesses, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, initiation of dialysis therapy for uremic symptoms, volume overload or hypertension, or other/unknown reasons was associated with 1.12 (95% CI, 0.72-1.77), 1.69 (95% CI, 1.02-2.80), and 1.28 (95% CI, 0.73-2.26) times higher risk, respectively, for subsequent mortality compared to initiation for laboratory evidence of kidney function decline. Limitations Possibility of residual confounding by unmeasured variables; reliance on clinical documentation to ascertain exposure. Conclusions Patients initiating dialysis therapy due to volume overload may have increased risk for mortality compared with patients initiating dialysis due to laboratory evidence of kidney function decline. Further studies are needed to identify and test interventions that might reduce this risk.
ERBB signaling attenuates proinflammatory activation of nonclassical monocytes.

This study identified a novel role of neuregulin-1 (NRG-1)/ERBB signaling in the control of proinflammatory activation of monocytes. These results further improve our fundamental understanding of c...
Semi-supervised extractive speech summarization via co-training algorithm.

Supervised methods for extractive speech summarization require a large training set. Summary annotation is often expensive and time consuming. In this paper, we exploit semisupervised approaches to leverage unlabeled data. In particular, we investigate co-training algorithm for the task of extractive meeting summarization. Compared with text summarization, speech summarization task has its unique characteristic in that the features naturally split into two sets: textual features and prosodic/acoustic features. Such characteristic makes co-training an appropriate approach for semi-supervised speech summarization. Our experiments on ICSI meeting corpus show that by utilizing the unlabeled data, co-training algorithm significantly improves summarization performance when only a small amount of labeled data is available.
A Gratitude Intervention in a Christian Church Community

This field experiment examined the effects of a gratefulness intervention in the context of a Christian church congregation. Two Christian congregations with comparable demographic and socio-econom...
Rice Consumption and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin in a United States Population.

Background: Rice contains arsenic, a known skin carcinogen. Rice intake has been associated with arsenic-related skin lesions in South Asia, but its association with skin cancers is as yet unknown....
Problem features that influence the design of expert systems

An analysis was made of a set of design guidelines for expert systems. These guidelines relate problem characteristics to appropriate AI implementation techniques. The analysis indicates there are five general problem features that are important for the proper use of a wide variety of AI implementation techniques. By being aware of these problem features, knowledge engineers improve their chances of coming up with the right design for expert systems. Awareness of these problem features should also help knowledge engineers take full advantage of new AI techniques as they emerge.
SH-ToF: Micro resolution time-of-flight imaging with superheterodyne interferometry

Three dimensional imaging techniques have been widely used in both industry and academia. Time-of-flight (ToF) sensors offer a promising method of 3D imaging due to compact size and low complexity. However, state-of-the-art ToF sensors only have depth resolutions of centimeters due to limitations in the modulation frequencies that can be used. In this paper, we propose a technique to generate modulation frequencies as high as 1 THz using optical superheterodyne interferometry. Our proposed system provides great flexibility in imaging range and resolution. We experimentally demonstrate an increase in depth resolution by an order of magnitude relative to currently available commercial ToF cameras.
A Graph Grammar Approach to Behavior Verification of Web Services

Recently, service-oriented architecture (SOA) gains great interest in the software engineering community. SOA allows enterprise applications to be built on loosely-coupled existing services, which are autonomous and platform independent. The ad-hoc property of service-oriented systems challenges the verification and validation of an application’s behavior due to the dynamic composition of Web services. This chapter reviews current verification and validation approaches to the composition of Web services, and analyzes techniques for conventional behavior checking that can be migrated to service-oriented systems. It then presents a visual language approach to behavior verification for composite Web services aiming at quality assurance.
Majorana-like zero modes in a two-dimensional photonic topological insulator

Constructing highly confined defect modes in photonic crystal slabs and fibers is a major challenge in photonics. We use a photonic topological insulator to realize mid-gap (maximally confined) disorder-insensitive defect modes.
Acute Exercise Prevents Angry Mood Induction but Does Not Change Angry Emotions.

Introduction Exercise is well known to enhance a variety of mood states, but few studies have been specifically designed to investigate whether acute aerobic exercise alters feelings of anger. The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of the effects of acute exercise on both angry mood and angry emotions. Methods Angry mood and angry emotions were assessed in 16 men with elevated trait anger who viewed a variety of emotionally evocative scenic pictures before and after 30 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise. Angry mood, captured by self-reports of state anger, angry emotions, as indexed by event-related brain activity (e.g., early posterior negativity and late positive potential), and self-reports of anger intensity were measured. Results The results indicate that acute exercise both 1) reduces angry mood and 2) mitigates angry mood induction but does not change the intensity of angry emotions or the associated event-related potential responses to anger-inducing pictures in college-age men who have elevated trait anger. Conclusion Future studies should explore the mechanisms underlying the effect of exercise on preventing angry mood induction, consider alternative anger induction methods that might induce higher levels of angry emotions, and test the effects of chronic exercise training on anger and its expression.
The Use of Thermoelasticity to Evaluate Stress Redistribution and Notch Sensitivity in Ceramic Matrix Composites

Thermoelastic stress analysis was used to document the effect of composite damage on the stress distribution in three brittle matrix composites. Thermoelastic imaging of these materials affords a qualitative picture of how the various damage mechanisms affect stress redistribution in the composite. In particular, a stress concentration factor computed form TSA images serves as an indicator of stress redistribution. The stress concentration factors were computed by comparing notch root to far field temperatures, and monitored after the introduction of various amounts of damage. In each material, the stress concentration factor diminished as the damaging load approached the ultimate stress. Reduction in the stress concentration is associated with local changes in modulus, mechanistically arising from combinations of fiber, matrix and interface fracture. Stress redistribution occurs as a consequence of modulus changes, leading to lower notch sensitivity in each of the tested composites. In addition to quantifying stress redistribution, the operative damage mechanism can be imaged by capturing the second harmonic of the applied stress frequency. TSA provides a valuable, non-contacting tool for measuring stress redistribution as well as visualizing the mechanism responsible for the resulting stress redistribution.
Against “a Place Without History”: Contemporary Racism and Utopian Dynamism in Mat Johnson’s Pym

Fiorelli contributes to the critical work on Mat Johnson’s 2011 novel Pym by foregrounding its assessment of utopianism’s ability to work through historical problems of race. Pym satirically examines America’s long-held obsession with the Black-white binary and the flexibility of global capitalists and “post-racial” neoliberals and conservatives to both profit from and obfuscate continuing racial oppression. The novel adopts several polyvocal means of critique, illuminating racial complexities. Taken together, these serve in the spirit of the critical utopia, supporting utopian desire while faulting utopianism that fails to recognize its own contingency. The novel’s critique of the myopia of contemporary American society within the context of racial history and a globalized world yields not to pessimism or anti-utopianism, but sustains an embattled desire for something better.
A Protamine Knockdown Mimics the Function of Sd in Drosophila melanogaster.

Segregation Distorter (SD) is an autosomal meiotic drive system found worldwide in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. This gene complex induces the preferential and nearly exclusive transmission of the SD chromosome in SD/SD+ males. This selfish propagation occurs through the interplay of the Sd locus, its enhancers and the Rsps locus during spermatid development. The key distorter locus, Sd, encodes a truncated but enzymatically active RanGAP (RanGTPase-activating protein), a key nuclear transport factor in the Ran signaling pathway. When encoded by Sd, RanGAP is mislocalized to the nucleus interior, which then traps Ran inside the nucleus and disrupts nuclear import. As a result of this aberrant nuclear transport, a process known as the histone-to-protamine transition that is required for proper spermatid condensation fails to occur in SD/SD+ males. In this process, sperm-specific protamine proteins enter the spermatid nucleus and replace the formerly chromatin-complexed histones. Previously, we have shown that mutations affecting nuclear import and export can enhance distortion in an SD background, thus verifying that a defect in nuclear transport is responsible for the unequal transmission of chromosomes. Herein, we show that specifically reducing protamines induces distortion in an SD background, verifying that protamines are transported via the RanGAP/GEF pathway and indicating that E(SD) plays a significant and unique role in the process of distortion.
Opinion: Science policy for scientists: A simple task for great effect.

Many scientists have become increasingly concerned with the course and status of science-related policies in recent years, and these concerns have only grown in the past months as governments have had to face a global pandemic. As experts in our respective fields, scientists have an obligation and an opportunity to help to inform science policy. Researchers eager to inform policy with science should seek out the pathways that are available for engaging with lawmakers at the state, local, or national level—while making sure to understand the nuances of political discourse. Image credit: Shutterstock/Orhan Cam. We are a group of early-career scientists, four UC Irvine graduate students and one postdoc, who have seen great value in getting involved with political discourse and science policy. Each of us has been drawn to science policy for different reasons. For some, the decision to get involved has been deeply personal; Evelyn Valdez-Ward, for example, advocates for undocumented and marginalized scientists like herself. Some of us are concerned that, although we are only now beginning our research careers, our research could quite literally disappear with the onset of climate change if political action is not taken. Those of us who work in public health have seen the need to be engaged politically so that we can communicate with our communities, politicians, and funding agencies about how critical research is for our country’s future health and safety. The current pandemic has likely altered the course of research in this field for many years to come. And it’s still not clear what sort of impacts the pandemic will have on funding across many fields, nor how it might affect how our research is perceived or conducted. We believe that every scientist has an obligation, and a self-interest, to be engaged with science policy and help shape what … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: wpandori{at}uci.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Cone-beam CT for neurosurgical guidance: high-fidelity artifacts correction for soft-tissue contrast resolution

Purpose: Intraoperative cone-beam CT (CBCT) plays an important role in neurosurgical guidance but is conventionally limited to high-contrast bone visualization. This work reports a high-fidelity artifacts correction pipeline to advance image quality beyond conventional limits and achieve soft-tissue contrast resolution even in the presence of multiple metal objects – specifically, a stereotactic head frame. Methods: A new metal artifact reduction (MAR) method was developed based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) that simultaneously estimates metal-induced bias and metal path length in the projection domain. To improve generalizability of the network, a physics-based method was developed to generate highly accurate simulated, metalcontaminated projection training data. The MAR method was integrated with previously proposed artifacts correction methods (lag, glare, scatter, and beam-hardening) to form a high-fidelity artifacts correction pipeline. The proposed methods were tested using an intraoperative CBCT system (O-arm, Medtronic) emulating a realistic setup in stereotactic neurosurgery, including nominal (20 cm) and extended (40 cm) field of view (FOV) protocols. Results: The physics-based data generation method provided accurate simulation of metal in projection data, including scatter, polyenergetic, quantum noise, and electronic noise effects. The artifacts correction pipeline was able to accommodate both 20 cm and 40 cm FOV protocols and demonstrated ~80% improvement in image uniformity and ~20% increase in contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Fully corrected images in the smaller FOV mode exhibited ~32% increase in CNR compared to the 40 cm FOV mode, showing the method’s ability to handle truncated metal objects outside the FOV. Conclusion: The image quality of intraoperative CBCT was greatly improved with the proposed artifacts correction pipeline, with clear improvement in soft-tissue contrast resolution (e.g., cerebral ventricles) even in the presence of a complex metal stereotactic frame. Such capability gives clearer visualization of structures of interest for intracranial neurosurgery, and it provides an important basis for future work aiming to deformably register preoperative MRI to intraoperative CBCT. Ongoing work includes clinical studies now underway.
Presence and Perceptions of Menstrual Dysfunction and Associated Quality of Life Measures Among High School Female Athletes.

Context Adolescent female athletes are at risk for menstrual dysfunction in the setting of exercise and low energy availability. Education regarding menstrual dysfunction and its associated consequences is important to promote athlete well-being. Objectives The primary aim was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of female athletes who believe that losing their period is a normal response to high training demands. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between menstrual dysfunction and patient-reported quality of life measures. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Pre-participation evaluations for a local high school district. Participants Female athletes,13-18 years old. Independent variables Presence of menstrual dysfunction, and response (yes/no) to the question, "Do you think it is normal to lose your period during high levels of athletic training?" Main outcome measures Health history, family affluence, and patient-reported quality of life measures. Results Forty four percent (n=40) of 90 adolescent athletes answered that losing their period was a normal response to a high level of training, and this group had lower BMI, were less likely to report being worried about current weight, and had a higher family affluence level than those who answered losing their period was not a normal response to training. The overall prevalence of menstrual dysfunction was 28%. After adjusting for age and BMI, menstrual dysfunction was significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety, fatigue, and pain interference. Conclusion Nearly half of our sample of adolescent female athletes perceive losing their period as a normal response to high training demands. Females with menstrual dysfunction reported higher levels of anxiety, fatigue, and pain interference than those without. Understanding adolescent perceptions of menstrual dysfunction and the characteristics of those with menstrual dysfunction can guide future educational interventions aimed at athletes at risk for the female athlete triad.