cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian Approach to Managing Learning-Curve Uncertainty

This paper introduces a Bayesian decision theoretic model of optimal production in the presence of learning-curve uncertainty. The well-known learning-curve model is extended to allow for random variation in the learning process with uncertainty regarding some parameter of the variation. A production run generates excess value above its current revenue for a Bayesian manager in two ways: it pushes the firm further along the learning curve, increasing the likelihood of lower costs for future runs; and it provides information, through the observed costs, that reduces the uncertainty regarding the rate at which costs are decreasing. We provide conditions under which one of the classical deterministic learning-curve results-namely, that optimal production exceeds the myopic level-carries over to the extended framework. We demonstrate that another classical deterministic learning-curve result-namely, that optimal production increases with cumulative production-does not hold in the Bayesian setting.
Infrastructure for the synchronization and coordination of concurrent Java component programs

The paper presents the Development Environment for Coordinated Concurrent Activities (DECCA), a system incorporating a methodology and toolkit for developing concurrent, coordinating systems in a high-level, component oriented, reusable manner. A unique feature of DECCA is that it provides a Java API that enables behavior descriptions to be made using Java's conventional and OOP features, thus facilitating great flexibility in the description without compromising the methodology's high level features and component oriented nature. The paper presents the salient features of the DECCA methodology and infrastructure through illustrative examples. The difficulty in obtaining component based, reusable descriptions in the absence of such a methodology is also described. Finally, a comparison of DECCA with similar systems is presented.
Lapatinib-Associated Toxicity and Practical Management Recommendations

Lapatinib is an oral receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibiting both the ErbB-1 and ErbB-2 receptors. Lapatinib has been shown to have activity in ErbB-2-overexpressing breast cancer in several phase II and III clinical trials. Specifically, lapatinib is effective in patients with metastatic breast cancer, with inflammatory breast cancer, and possibly, with brain metastases. An ongoing clinical trial and another anticipated clinical trial will investigate lapatinib as adjuvant treatment in early-stage disease. Lapatinib has specific toxicities, the most common being diarrhea and rash. Cardiac toxicity is rarely seen with lapatinib. This paper reviews lapatinib-associated toxicities and provides practical management recommendations based on available data.
Effect of Subjective Verbal Uncertainty on Perception of Typographical Errors in a Proofreading Task

In contrast to its effect on most perceptual tasks, verbal uncertainty might be expected to facilitate the detection of typographical errors in proofreading. Experimental treatments consisted of me...
The Disappearance of Steadily Fixated Visual Test Objects

A system has been devised for causing an image to remain at one point on the retina regardless of eye movements. A beam of light, reflected from a plane mirror on a contact lens, is used to project onto a screen an image of a dark line against a bright background. The screen is viewed by the same eye through an optical system which compensates for the doubling of the angle of rotation of the beam projected from the mirror on the contact lens. Thus, any motion of the eye causes a deviation of the beam such that the retinal image of the projected line undergoes the same displacement as do the retinal receptor cells. By comparison with normal viewing of the same test objects it is found that (1) when first presented, the finest lines are seen with normal or slightly better than normal acuity, (2) within a few seconds the lines begin to disappear, and (3) within one minute even coarse lines are seen only intermittently. The results may be interpreted in terms of local retinal adaptation to a stationary field.
Factors associated with intraoperative conversion during robotic sacrocolpopexy

Objective To evaluate for potential predictors of intraoperative conversion from robotic sacrocolpopexy (RSC) to open abdominal sacrocolpopexy. Patients and Methods We identified 83 consecutive patients from 2002-2012 with symptomatic high-grade post-hysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse that underwent RSC. Multiple clinical variables including patient age, comorbidities (body-mass index [BMI], hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use), prior intra-abdominal surgery and year of surgery were evaluated for potential association with conversion. Results Overall, 14/83 cases (17%) required conversion to an open sacrocolpopexy. Patients requiring conversion were found to have a significantly higher BMI compared to those who did not (median 30.2kg/m2 versus 25.8kg/m2; p=0.003). Other medical and surgical factors evaluated were similar between the cohorts. When stratified by increasing BMI, conversion remained associated with an increased BMI. That is, conversion occurred in 3.8% (1/26) of patients with BMI ≤25 kg/m2, 14.7% (5/34) with BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 and 34.7% (8/23) with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (p=0.004). When evaluated as a continuous variable, BMI was also associated with a significantly increased risk of conversion to an open procedure (OR 1.18, p=0.004). Conclusions Higher BMI was the only clinical factor associated with a significantly increased risk of intra-operative conversion during robotic sacrocolpopexy. Recognition of this may aid in pre-operative counseling and surgical patient selection.
Evaluation of room cleaning procedures in a laboratory animal facility

SummaryAnimal room cleaning procedures were developed that could be used routinely and economically in this animal facility. Bacterial samples from the floors of rooms housing rabbits, rats and mic...
The Case for Dynamic Execution on Dynamic Hardware

We present a dynamic dataflow execution model, called the aggregated hierarchical abstract hardware architecture (or AHAHA), for use in FPGA based applications. High level language implementations targetting FPGAs use either handshaking or control-path solutions to schedule computations. Among the handshaking variety are the Compaan VHDL Visitor; the control-path solution uses a simplified form of handshaking which operates only in the same direction as the data flows and is used for example in MAP-C.
Minimization of chloroplast contamination in 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing of insect herbivore bacterial communities

Chloroplast sequence contamination in 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S) analyses can be particularly problematic when sampling microbial communities in plants and folivorous arthropods. We previously encountered high levels of plastid contamination in herbivorous insect samples when we used the predominant 454 pyrosequencing 16S methodologies described in the literature. 799F, a primer previously found to exclude chloroplast sequences, was modified to enhance its efficacy, and we describe, in detail, our methodology throughout amplicon pyrosequencing. Thirteen versions of 799F were assessed for the exclusion of chloroplast sequences from our samples. We found that a shift in the mismatch between 799F and chloroplast 16S resulted in significant reduction of chloroplast reads. Our results also indicate that amplifying sequences from environmental samples in a two-step PCR process, with the addition of the multiplex identifiers and 454 adapters in a second round of PCR, further improved primer specificity. Primers that included 3′ phosphorothioate bonds, which were designed to block primer degradation, did not amplify consistently across samples. The different forward primers do not appear to bias the bacterial communities detected. We provide a methodological framework for reducing chloroplast reads in high-throughput sequencing data sets that can be applied to a number of environmental samples and sequencing techniques.
Dynamic deployment modeling tool for photolithography WIP management

In semiconductor manufacturing, according to Marcoux et al. (1999) tool deployment has been identified as a key factor driving capacity loss and lower operational efficiency. In most cases, the losses are uncovered by analysis of Cycle Time data and investigation of specific tool performance. For the photolithography sector, this feedback approach often highlights problems after they may have already past or have been fixed. This paper will discuss a feed forward model for managing deployment of a large fleet of photolithography tools. This model predicts tool loading using existing tool planning parameters, actual and forecast wafer start data and extensive turn-around-time matrices. The model provides a portable tool with immediate readout of various loading scenarios. The deployment decision process makes use of these simulations. The model output comes in the form of graphs and tables that can summarize load by tool, tool groups, resist groups, technologies, and levels at various time slices. The output identifies where tool qualifications or additional resists may be needed, and deployment adjustments for WIP balance is warranted. These changes prevent operational efficiency loss and maintain cycle time performance.
Magnetic reconnection in comets

Today many of the traditionally puzzling phenomena in the cometary plasma-tail environment can plausibly be linked to magnetic reconnection occurring in several regions of a comet (Niedner and Brandt, 1978 and 1980). The turn-on of these various reconnection sites appears to follow a cyclic pattern in which the plasma-tail disconnection event is the primary feature, and the periodic sector structure of the solar wind is the external driver. The purpose of this review is to discuss these different classes of cometary activity, to state the justifications for linking them to reconnection, to discuss proposed alternate (nonreconnection) models, and to suggest future tests of the hypotheses presented.
Efficacy of silwet L-77 against several arthropod pests of table grape

Silwet L-77, an organosilicone surfactant, was applied to several arthropod pests of California table grapes. Eggs of grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn), and omnivorous leafroller, Platynota stultana Walsingham, were tolerant to 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% treatment solutions; however, eggs of PaciÞc spider mite, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor, were highly susceptible with mortality 99.4% (0.1% Silwet L-77). Mortality of immature and adult stages of cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover), Western sower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande), and PaciÞc spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus McGregor) was 93.8, 98.5, and 99.4% for 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% Silwet L-77, respectively. Grape mealybug crawlers had 100% mortality when treated with 0.5 and 1.0% Silwet L-77 solutions; however, mortality was only 6.7% when 0.1% Silwet L-77 was applied. OThompson SeedlessO table grapes were not damaged when treated with up to 1% Silwet L-77; however, grapes treated with the 0.5 and 1.0% solutions appeared wet after removal from cold storage because of the effect of the surfactant spreading the water condensation. Grapes dried with the normal bloom on the berries when they reached room temperature.
The Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Invasive Bacterial Diarrheas

A fundamental distinction among enteric bacterial pathogens involves the capacity of some, but not all, to invade intestinal epithelial cells and multiply within the gut mucosa.1 This property not only affects the epidemiology of these infections and their clinical presentation but also imposes biological constraints on attempts to control their spread among susceptible populations. This paper will consider the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and potential nutritional consequences of four distinctive invasive bacterial agents of gastroenteritis, the shigellas, the salmonellas (including the causative agents of the enteric fever syndrome), Yersinia enterocolitica, and Campylobacter jejuni, and will attempt to evaluate control strategies based on the biological attributes of the organisms.
The Application of Fixed Point Methods to Economics

The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the applications of fixed point and path following methods to problems in economics, and to present one such application in some detail. The problem for which economists have adopted these methods is the computation of a set of goods prices which represent an economy’s equilibrium. By equilibrium prices, we mean that total market demands match total market supplies for every good, when both consumers and producers maximize their objective functions subject to these prices. Methods of the type described in the other papers in this conference volume are proving to be extremely useful for solving this difficult economic problem. Perhaps economists have accepted these techniques more rapidly than others because of the pathbreaking work in the computation of fixed points by an economist, Herbert Scarf. Scarf’s original articles [1967a, 1967b] and landmark book [1973] deal with the computation of economic equilibria.
Public Choice and the International Harmonization of Antitrust Law

This essay comments on three different articles offered by Diane Wood, Eleanor Fox and Peter Kunzlik at a symposium at the University of Minnesota in honor of the work of E. Thomas Sullivan. Each of the three articles provides different perspectives on the desirability and likelihood of the international harmonization of antitrust law. My comment uses public choice to tie together these three seemingly diverse approaches and to apply public choice theory to examine how, where, and why harmonization of competition law and policy has succeeded or failed.
Irinotecan Delivery by Lipid-Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Shows Improved Efficacy and Safety over Liposomes for Pancreatic Cancer

Urgent intervention is required to improve the 5 year survival rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While the four-drug regimen, FOLFIRINOX (comprising irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin), has a better survival outcome than the more frequently used gemcitabine, the former treatment platform is highly toxic and restricted for use in patients with good performance status. Since irinotecan contributes significantly to FOLFIRINOX toxicity (bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract), our aim was to reduce the toxicity of this drug by a custom-designed mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSNP) platform, which uses a proton gradient for high-dose irinotecan loading across a coated lipid bilayer (LB). The improved stability of the LB-coated MSNP (LB-MSNP) carrier allowed less drug leakage systemically with increased drug concentrations at the tumor sites of an orthotopic Kras-derived PDAC model compared to liposomes. The LB-MSNP nanocarrier was also more efficient for treating tumor metastases. Equally important, the reduced leakage and slower rate of drug release by the LB-MSNP carrier dramatically reduced the rate of bone marrow, gastrointestinal, and liver toxicity compared to the liposomal carrier. We propose that the combination of high efficacy and reduced toxicity by the LB-MSNP carrier could facilitate the use of irinotecan as a first-line therapeutic to improve PDAC survival.
Engaging Social Constructivist Teaching in the Diverse Learning Environment; Perspectives from a First Year Faculty Member

It is no secret that the student attending university classes today is different from the learner of several years ago (Blakefield, 2013). Educators have been recently encouraged to shift the paradigm of traditional lecture-style education to incorporate service-learning and experiential activities involving media and technology whenever possible so that classroom instruction will appeal to the next generation of students (Gagliardi, 2007). This essay will discuss the preparation and personal experiences of a first–year faculty member creating a new course design for teaching History of Psychology to include a socially constructed classroom that appeals to the learner. Course design is based on the social constructivist philosophy that involves discovering truths in a collaborative format with the instructor facilitating truth discovery. Use of technology was left up to the individual learner and learning outcomes were achieved through use of learning contracts. Each student in the classroom set up a cont...
Fatty Acids Differ Significantly in Castes of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Identification and quantitation of fatty acids (FAs) in nymphs, alates, workers, presoldiers, and soldiers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, showing quantitative and qualitative differences among groups. Total FAs content of nymphs and alate females was about 1.5-fold higher than alate males, about 2-fold higher than workers, 6-fold higher than presoldiers, and 12-fold higher than soldiers. Overall differences in total FAs content were due to oleic acid (C18:1), stearic acid (C18:0), linoleic acid (C18:2), and palmitic acid (C16:0). Soldiers contained two unique FAs among the castes—lignoceric (C24:0) and hexacosanoic acid (C26:0). Nymphs had the highest ratio between triacylglycerols and phospholipids probably for energy storage in alate development. Four branched FAs—13-methyl myristic, 14-methyl pentadecenoic, 15-methyl palmitic, and 14-methyl palmitic—and three odd-numbered FAs—pentadecanoic (C15:0), heptadecanoic (C17:0), and heptadecenoic (C17:1)—were found in nymphs, alates, workers, presoldiers, and soldiers. Interestingly, all FAs were distributed in different percentages both in triglycerides and phospholipids of the different developmental stages and castes, indicating a function both for energy storage and membrane components. Five different 2-hydroxy FAs—2-OH C16:0, 2-OH C18:0, 2-OH C20:0, 2-OH C22:0, and 2-OH C24:0—were identified, the latter only in soldiers. Total 2-hydroxy FAs content in soldiers was significantly higher than that in other groups (6.01–7.9-fold vs. presoldiers and 41.7–132.6-fold vs. nymphs, alates, and workers), and the quantity in presoldiers was significantly higher than in nymphs, alates, and workers, with no difference among nymphs, alates, and workers.
SOME DIFFICULTIES IN LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF NEED SATISFACTION RELATED TO MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES

This study reports changes in on-the-job need satisfaction as related to management training and development in Management by Objectives. Previous work (Timm, atensen, Strauss, & Babcock, 1977) indicated that the introduction of Management by Objectives may be related to positive changes in the extent to which various needs are met. One of the methodological difficulties, however, cited in the above study was the reliance upon respondents' recall as to levels of satisfaction prior to the Management by Objectives program. This srudy examines changes in job-related satisfaction before and after a 6-mo. management training program in Management by Objectives in a state correctional agency. This study describes data collected just prior to the initiation and shortly following the program The population smdied included all 50 employees of the stare correctional agency. Data were collected through the use of the Porter-Lawler Needs Questionnaire (Porter. 1961 ) . Deprivation for each of the five need levels decreased following the training program: security needs decreased from a mean of 1.52 (SD = 2.03) to 1.07 (SD = 1.72), social needs decreased slightly from .86 (SD = 1.17) to .83 (SD = 1.48), esteem from 1.60 (SD = 1.71) to 1.20 (SD = 1.54), autonomy needs from 1.61 (SD = 1.63) to 1.42 (SD = 1.58). and self-realization needs from 1.82 (SD = 1.63) to 1.26 (SD = 1.68). Although each of the need levels reflected change in the anticipated direction, none of the changes reported are at acceptable levels of significance (p = .05 for self-realization, however). Results suggest that, although the present design circumvented the previous problem of the unrcliability of respondent's recall in the measurement of change, it nevertheless presents another unanticipated problem in design. There is no reason to believe that respondents reporting a lack of need deprivation prior to the training should report changes in satisfaction; in fact, the only change which is possible is nrgatlve change. In the current design there are no means for identifying and determin~ng the influence of "satisfied" respondents, a task which would require the identification and matching individual responses before and after training, so that the change among "dissatisfied" respondenrs is probably understated, a condition which requires consideration in future research.
Evaluating back pain in older patients

Low back pain in the elderly has a much wider range of possible causes than in younger patients. In addition to nonspecific mechanical causes, malignancy presenting as back pain occurs more often in older patients. Other systemic and visceral causes of back pain such as polymyalgia rheumatica, aortic aneurysm, Paget disease, Parkinson disease, and osteoporosis with compression fracture occur almost exclusively in persons over age 50. Keys to diagnosis and management of low back pain in older patients are presented.
Identity of Archaeologic Grain Amaranths from the Valley of Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico

Coxcatlan Cave has yielded the earliest records of two domesticated species still grown as minor grain crops in Mexico. Amaranthus cruentus , previously unknown archaeologically, is tentatively identified from a level dated at about 4000 B.C. and positively identified from six levels dated between about 2500 B.C. and the time of the Conquest. Amaranthus hypochondriacus was found at two levels dated about A.D. 500. There is no evidence that either species was domesticated locally.
Potential Impacts of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) on the Fresh Vegetable and Beef Trade

ABSTRACTThe Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations influence the global economic position of both the European Union (EU) and the United States (U.S.). Agricultural issues are an important part of the negotiation. There have been several analyses of the aggregate impacts of a T-TIP agreement. This report analyzes the commodity impacts on trade for fresh vegetables and beef. Vegetables represent the situation where the U.S. is a growing net importer and the EU has substantial potential for expanding exports to the U.S. in this highly competitive marketplace. Beef represents the situation where sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on hormone use in production have prohibited consumer choices from being revealed in the marketplace for both the EU and the U.S. The authors provide insight into where the comparative advantages lie in freer trade situations.
The effect of site-to-site variability in ultrasensitive dose responses

In this paper we study the ultrasensitive behavior of multisite phosphorylation or ligand binding systems, under site-to-site variations in the modification rates. Using computational methods and mathematical analysis, we prove that the Hill coefficient reaches its maximum value when all sites are identical to each other. This is shown for a non-cooperative multisite system with arbitrary activation function as well as for the well known MWC model. We also show that the Hill coefficient of the dose response is locally robust to variations in individual modification rates. The results suggest that maximal ultrasensitivity is reached when sites are similar to each other but not necessarily identical, a conformation found in unstructured modification domains present in many experimental systems.
The pressure to publish pushes down quality.

Scientists must publish less, says Daniel Sarewitz, or good research will be swamped by the ever-increasing volume of poor work.
Single-fiber and whole muscle analyses of MHC isoform plasticity : interaction between T3 and unloading

Previous data suggest that separate interventions of hyperthyroidism (T3) and hindlimb suspension (HS) act on some but not all slow type I fibers in the soleus muscle. This may be due to the presence of "refractory" fibers that are unresponsive to either of these interventions. Alternatively, T3 and HS might act on different populations of slow type I fibers in the soleus muscle. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 1) control, 2) T3, 3) HS, or 4) T3+HS. Nine animals were assigned to each group. Single-fiber electrophoretic analyses (n = 40 per muscle) of the soleus muscle demonstrated that the HS reduced the percentage of slow type I fibers from approximately 80% (control) to approximately 40% (HS) of the fiber population. Although hyperthyroidism affected a greater percentage of slow type I fibers than HS, a small population (approximately 10% of the slow type I fibers) were unaffected by T3. The combined intervention, in contrast, transformed all slow type I fibers into fibers expressing various combinations of fast myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. These findings demonstrate that the soleus muscle does not contain so-called refractory fibers. They further suggest that the soleus muscle contains different populations of slow type I fibers that vary in their sensitivity to altered physiological conditions.
Mental Health Nursing Services

This chapter describes the role and functions of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. The chapter begins with a brief description of various nursing roles, nursing’s relationship to the recovery model, and the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship. This is followed by a brief description of the inpatient psychiatric hospital setting and individuals typically served in this setting. Then there is a discussion of treatment planning and the nursing process, and the vital role of the PMH nurse as an interdisciplinary treatment team member. Next, there is a discussion of some of the services nurses provide, including assessments and interventions, with an emphasis on how nurses can incorporate recovery principles into the provision of these services. The chapter concludes with a discussion of some challenges the recovery model poses for nurses providing these services in inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
Perceptual category learning and visual processing

The field of computational cognitive neuroscience (CCN) builds and tests neurobiologically detailed computational models that account for both behavioral and neuroscience data. This article leverages a key advantage of CCNnamely, that it should be possible to interface different CCN models in a plug-and-play fashionto produce a new and biologically detailed model of perceptual category learning. The new model was created from two existing CCN models: the HMAX model of visual object processing and the COVIS model of category learning. Using bitmap images as inputs and by adjusting only a couple of learning-rate parameters, the new HMAX/COVIS model provides impressively good fits to human category-learning data from two qualitatively different experiments that used different types of category structures and different types of visual stimuli. Overall, the model provides a comprehensive neural and behavioral account of basal ganglia-mediated learning.
Pitch shape modulates the time course of tone vs pitch-accent identification in Mandarin Chinese

In Mandarin Chinese pitch is used to express both lexical meanings via tones and sentence-level meanings via pitch-accents raising the question of which information is processed first. While research with meaningful sentence materials suggested a general processing advantage of tone over pitch-accents, research on pure tones and nonce speech in pre-attentive processing found that the f0-shape led to timing and site processing differences. The current study reconciles these results by exploring whether the tone advantage found in meaningful speech materials is modulated by the f0-shape by establishing via a gating paradigm the relative timing of tone and pitch-accent identification. Target words containing static (T1) and dynamic (T2, T4) tones were embedded into meaningful sentences and were divided into 50 ms gates which were added incrementally either from the left- or right-edge of the target word. Results showed that dynamic targets had either a tone or pitch-accent advantage contingent on the direction of gate processing. In contrast, for static T1 targets, tone and pitch-accent were identified simultaneously regardless of the direction of gate processing. Altogether, these results indicate that the f0-shape, as defined by pitch dimensions of f0 and pitch range, mediates the timing of tone and pitch-accent identification in meaningful speech supporting highly interactive models of speech perception.
Efficient Groupwise Registration for Brain MRI by Fast Initialization

Groupwise image registration provides an unbiased registration solution upon a population of images, which can facilitate the subsequent population analysis. However, it is generally computationally expensive for performing groupwise registration on a large set of images. To alleviate this issue, we propose to utilize a fast initialization technique for speeding up the groupwise registration. Our main idea is to generate a set of simulated brain MRI samples with known deformations to their group center. This can be achieved in the training stage by two steps. First, a set of training brain MR images is registered to their group center with a certain existing groupwise registration method. Then, in order to augment the samples, we perform PCA on the set of obtained deformation fields (to the group center) to parameterize the deformation fields. In doing so, we can generate a large number of deformation fields, as well as their respective simulated samples using different parameters for PCA. In the application stage, when given a new set of testing brain MR images, we can mix them with the augmented training samples. Then, for each testing image, we can find its closest sample in the augmented training dataset for fast estimating its deformation field to the group center of the training set. In this way, a tentative group center of the testing image set can be immediately estimated, and the deformation field of each testing image to this estimated group center can be obtained. With this fast initialization for groupwise registration of testing images, we can finally use an existing groupwise registration method to quickly refine the groupwise registration results. Experimental results on ADNI dataset show the significantly improved computational efficiency and competitive registration accuracy, compared to state-of-the-art groupwise registration methods.
From Diagram to Network

This paper aims to remove a constraint of applying network approach to art history. First, it points out, although old diagrams of art history did not use the language of modern network theory, they have already shown ingenuous network thinking to theorize the development of arts. Meanwhile, the indirect visual devices and the embracive tradition of these diagrams, which includes entities in various properties, prevent the application of computer-aided network methods to decipher and re-analyze the contents of this heritage of art historical research. To break this shackle, this paper suggests a multi-mode network approach to “translate” the traditional network thinking of art diagrams to the conceptualization of graph-theoretical network analysis. By doing so, this paper demonstrates how art historical research could benefit from modern sociological approach to network theory. To explain the usefulness and advantage of this method, the diagrams of Covarrubias and Barr are taken as examples to be converted into graph-theoretical networks.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Informed Advisory System with Automated Titration and Dosing of Insulin Reduces Glucose Variability in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Abstract Background: Glucose variability (GV) remains a key limiting factor in the success of diabetes management. While new technologies, for example, accurate continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) ...
A pilot study assessing the spiritual, emotional, physical/environmental, and physiological needs of mechanically ventilated surgical intensive care unit patients via eye tracking devices, head nodding, and communication boards

Background Mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are unable to communicate verbally. We sought to evaluate their needs via a communication board (CB) and a novel eye tracking device (ETD) that verbalizes selections made by gazing. Methods This was a pilot prospective study conducted in a tertiary care surgical ICU. Continuously mechanically ventilated adult surgical ICU patients with a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score of −1 to +1, without cognitive impairment, were eligible. We asked patients four yes-or-no questions to assess basic needs regarding presence of pain, need for endotracheal suction, satisfactory room temperature, and position comfort. Patients were then asked if there was anything else that they wanted to communicate. All responses were confirmed by head nodding. Results The median accuracy of the CB (100% (IQR 100%–100%)) for basic needs communication (yes/no questions) was comparable with that of the ETD (100% (IQR 68.8%–100%); p=0.14) in the 12 enrolled patients. Notably, 83% of patients desired to communicate additional information, ranging from spiritual (eg, desire for prayer/chaplain), emotional (eg, frustration, desire for comfort), physical/environmental (eg, television), to physiological (eg, thirst/hunger) needs. Discussion The majority of patients desired to communicate something other than basic needs. Unless specifically assessed via an assistive communication device (eg, CB or ETD), some of these other needs would have been difficult to discern. Level of evidence IV therapeutic care/management.
Triangle Graphs and Simple Trapezoid Graphs

In this paper, we present results on two subclasses of trapezoid graphs, including simple trapezoid graphs and triangle graphs (also known as PI graph in [3]). Simple trapezoid graphs and triangle graphs are proper subclasses of trapezoid graphs [3, 5]. Here we show that simple trapezoid graphs and triangle graphs are also two distinct subclasses of trapezoid graphs.
Skelettale Effekte der Growth Guide Appliance im Vergleich zur konventionellen Headgear-Therapie – eine retrospektive kephalometrische Kohortenstudie

Das Ziel dieser retrospektiven Kohortenstudie war, mittels kephalometrischer Auswertungen von Fernrontgenseitenbildern zu untersuchen, ob mit einer einfachen Erweiterung eines Headgears zu einer funktionskieferorthopadischen Apparatur das Unterkiefer-Wachstum (UK-WT) positiv beeinflusst werden kann. Zu diesem Zweck wurde das UK-WT von Patienten, die mit einer Growth Guide Appliance behandelt wurden (Durchschnittsalter 10,27 Jahre, 17 Madchen und 8 Knaben) mit Patienten verglichen, die mit einem konventionellen Headgear (HG) therapiert wurden (Durchschnittsalter 10,42 Jahre, 19 Madchen und 8 Knaben). Es wurden alle Patienten miteinbezogen, deren Behandlungsphase in einer Privatpraxis wahrend einem definierten Zeitraum abgeschlossen worden ist. Die Daten wurden „blind“ erfasst und ausgewertet. Die Gruppenunterschiede wurden mit dem nonparametrischen Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon-Test berechnet und zusatzlich den Werten der Zurcher Wachstumsstudie (1982–1984) gegenubergestellt. Die GGA-Gruppe zeigte ein Unterkieferlangenwachstum gemessen an der Distanz CPg von 3,35 mm pro Jahr. Dies entspricht einer signifikanten Steigerung um zusatzliche 1,19 mm (55%) gegenuber der Headgear-Gruppe. Die Zunahme des Sekundarparameters SNB-Winkel betrug 0,69 Grad pro Jahr. Dies entspricht einer signifikanten Steigerung von 0,57 Grad gegenuber der Headgear-Gruppe. Das vorgestellte Konzept zur Korrektur einer moderaten Klasse ll-Malokklusion am wachsenden Patienten mithilfe der Growth Guide Appliance ist ein hilfreiches Behandlungsverfahren zur Erhohung des mandibularen skelettalen Korrekturanteils.
Effect of Food Structure, Water Activity, and Long-Term Storage on X-Ray Irradiation for Inactivating Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 in Low-Moisture Foods

Recent outbreaks and recalls of low-moisture foods contaminated with Salmonella have been recognized as a major public health risk that demands the development of new Salmonella mitigation strategies and technologies. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of X-ray irradiation for inactivating Salmonella on or in almonds (kernels, meal, butter), dates (whole fruit, paste), and wheat (kernels, flour) at various water activities (aw) and storage periods. The raw materials were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis PT30, conditioned to 0.25, 0.45, and 0.65 aw in a humidity-controlled chamber, processed to various fabricated products, and reconditioned to the desired aw before treatment. In a storage study, inoculated almond kernels were stored in sealed tin cans for 7, 15, 27, and 103 weeks, irradiated with X ray (0.5 to 11 kGy, targeting up to a ∼2.5-log reduction) at the end of each storage period, and plated for Salmonella survivors to determine the efficacy of irradiation in terms of D10-value (dose required to reduce 90% of the population). Salmonella was least resistant (D10-value = 0.378 kGy) on the surface of almond kernels at 0.25 aw and most resistant (D10-value = 2.34 kGy) on the surface of dates at 0.45 aw. The Salmonella D10-value was 61% lower in date paste than on whole date fruit. Storage of almonds generally had no effect on the irradiation resistance of Salmonella over 103 weeks. Overall, these results indicate that product structure (whole, meals, powder, or paste), water activity (0.25 to 0.65 aw), and storage period (0 to 103 weeks) should be considered when determining the efficacy of X-ray irradiation for inactivating Salmonella in various low-water-activity foods.
Source Materials and Methods for Gallium Ion Implantation

Gallium (Ga) has been studied as an alternative p-type dopant to Boron (B) due to its higher solid solubility in Germanium (Ge) and silicon germanium (SiGe), which are used in advanced semiconductor devices for performance improvement. Recent developments in advanced PMOS devices reported that ultralow contact resistivity could be achieved by gallium doping [1, 2]. For ion implantation, gaseous dopant sources are generally preferred, however, for gallium implant the most common practical approach is to use a solid gallium compound target that is situated in the ion source plasma. An inert or fluoride containing gas is then flowed allowing physical sputtering and/or chemical reactions to occur with the solid gallium target. In this work, we examined Trimethylgallium (TMG or TMGa) - Ga(CH 3 ) 3 as a gas source material as well as multiple solid gallium compound targets in combination with different gases and gas mixtures. Gallium beam current performance and source conditions are reported to show potential performance benefits.
Characterization of inflammation and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced male C57BL/6J mouse model of obesity.

Background Animal models of diet-induced obesity (DIO) are commonly used in medical research for mimicking human diseases. There is no universal animal model, and careful evaluation of variety of factors needs to be considered when designing new experiments. Here, we investigated the effect of 9 weeks high-fat diet (HFD) intervention, providing 60% energy from fat, on parameters of inflammation and insulin resistance in male C57BL/6J mice. Methods Six weeks old mice were initiated on regular diet (RD) or HFD providing 60 kcal energy from fat for 9 weeks. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured by glucometer, and fasting plasma levels of insulin and proinflammatory cytokines by Luminex assay. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by using QUICKI and HOMA2 indexes. Results HFD mice showed ~ 40% higher body weight and ~ 20% larger abdominal circumference, due to an increase in the white adipose tissue mass. Liver examination revealed increased size and higher hepatic lipid accumulation in livers from HFD mice compared to their RD counterparts. Animals from the HFD group were characterized with significantly higher presence of crown-like structures (CLS) in WAT and higher plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, leptin, MCP-1, PAI-1, and resistin). HFD-fed mice also demonstrated impaired insulin sensitivity (lower QUICKI, higher HOMA-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and lower HOMA-percent sensitivity (HOMA-%S)) index values. Conclusion Male C57BL/6J mice on 9 weeks HFD providing 60 kcal energy from fat display impaired insulin sensitivity and chronic inflammation, thus making this DIO mouse model appropriate for studies of early stages of obesity-related pathology.
Securing HPC using Federated Authentication

Federated authentication can drastically reduce the overhead of basic account maintenance while simultaneously improving overall system security. Integrating with the user’s more frequently used account at their primary organization both provides a better experience to the end user and makes account compromise or changes in affiliation more likely to be noticed and acted upon. Additionally, with many organizations transitioning to multi-factor authentication for all account access, the ability to leverage external federated identity management systems provides the benefit of their efforts without the additional overhead of separately implementing a distinct multi-factor authentication process. This paper describes our experiences and the lessons we learned by enabling federated authentication with the U.S. Government PKI and In Common Federation, scaling it up to the user base of a production HPC system, and the motivations behind those choices. We have received only positive feedback from our users.
Simultaneously Shop, Bag, and Checkout (2SBC-Cart): A Smart Cart for Expedited Supermarket Shopping

Currently supermarket shopping is very labor-intensive, with repeated loading and unloading of goods in and out of the shopping cart. The main idea of the work presented in this paper is to define a radically new methodology for supermarket shopping, eliminating all repeated handling of product, in the process of loading product in and out of the shopping cart, for the purposes of product shopping, bagging, and cashier checkout. This work combines all three (3) of these processes into one (1) single unified activity.
Change in Carotid Blood Flow and Carotid Corrected Flow Time Assessed by Novice Sonologists Fails to Determine Fluid Responsiveness in Spontaneously Breathing Intensive Care Unit Patients

Measurement of carotid blood flow (CBF) and corrected carotid flow time (ccFT) has been proposed as a non-invasive means of determining fluid responsiveness. We evaluated the ability of CBF and ccFT as assessed by novice sonologists to determine fluid responsiveness in intensive care unit patients. Three novice physician sonologists performed carotid ultrasounds before and after a fluid bolus and calculated changes in CBF and ccFT. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a ≥10% increase in cardiac index as measured using bioreactance. Of 112 participants, 56 (50%) were fluid responders. Changes in CBF and ccFT performed poorly at determining fluid responsiveness: 19 mL/min (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.58, 95% confidence interval: 0.47-0.68) and 6 ms (0.59, 0.46-0.65) respectively. Novice physician sonologists are unable to determine fluid responsiveness using CBF or ccFT. Further research is needed to identify the key limiting factors in using carotid ultrasound to determine fluid responsiveness.
The Associations Between Older Driver Licensure Laws with Travel and Passenger Behaviors Among Adults Aged 65 Years or Older (United States, 2003-2017).

Introduction: The aging population has been rapidly growing in the United States (U.S.). In line with this trend, older adults’ mobility and transportation safety are an increasing priority. Many states have implemented driver licensure laws specific to older adults to limit driving among the elderly with driving skill decline. Evaluations of these laws have primarily focused on their safety benefits related to older drivers’ fatal crash rate or injury rate. However, very few studies investigated licensure law effects on older adults’ mobility. Objective: The objective of our study is to evaluate the association between older driver licensure laws and older adult daily traveling and passenger exposure. Methods: The 2003–2017 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data were linked with statewide driver licensure law provisions. Adults aged 55–64 years were used as the reference group to control for the effects of non-licensure-law factors (e.g., economic trend). We used modified Poisson regressions with robust variance to estimate the relationships between licensure law provisions and the likelihoods of older men and women’s daily traveling and passenger behaviors. Results: Laws requiring a vision test at in-person renewal were associated with increased daily traveling likelihood for women aged 75 years or older, primarily as a passenger. Laws requiring a knowledge test were related to a reduced daily overall traveling likelihood for women aged 75 years or older. Conclusions: In general, licensure law provisions are not strongly related to older adults’ mobility, in particular for older male adults. Older female adults’ daily mobility may be more likely to be influenced by the change of licensure laws than older male adults. The existence of gender-based disparities in responding to licensure laws requires future studies to account for the gender difference in estimating the effects of those traffic policies on older adults’ mobility and traffic safety.
The Process of Reframing a Linguistic Mindset (RLM) and Its Implications for Professional Development in Education

This paper discusses the results of a study that yield information on the process of teachers reframing a linguistic mindset from standard language beliefs to linguistically informed, and proposes the Reframing of a Linguistic Mindset (RLM) model as a means of analysis for more impactful professional development. The participants were fourteen teachers who attended language variation workshops, then integrated linguistically informed content into their curricula throughout the year. The study employed mixed methods data analysis principally from transcribed individual and focus-group interviews. Analysis of the data resulted in a theoretical conceptualization of the reframing of a linguistic mindset as a circular process consisting of five phases: confronting new linguistic information; questioning linguistic information and previously held language beliefs; integrating new linguistic information within social contexts; evaluating relational, emotional and cognitive responses to integrating; and reframed views of language. The RLM model addresses a phenomenon in the reframing process where, not only do the phases repeat and inform each other, but the process can also include juxtaposed contrary views where previously held standard language beliefs are reinscribed, and at the same time a linguistically informed awareness is gained from the experience. Link to paper: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:f9431a26-b0c9-4b16-b4ca-ca14e76b4c68