cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cultural Honours and Career Promotions: Re-conceptualizing Prizes in the Field of Cultural Production

Despite their implications for careers, cultural goods and honours in the field of cultural production have rarely been examined as career events by culture researchers. More typically, cultural prizes are examined as they relate to the process of cultural valorization or are used to construct samples of venerated cultural products or producers for subsequent analysis. However, embedding cultural goods and distinctions in the career trajectories of cultural producers provides important neglected context. The example of the Academy Awards, the equivalent of a promotion in film acting, demonstrates the usefulness of the perspective. The research concludes that previously understood gendered age disparities are linked to earlier life course events, social networks, and structural factors that govern access to the career track. Implications for cultural policy are discussed.
Why We Must Leave Our Organs to Others

Organ procurement presents several ethical concerns (from what constitutes acceptable criteria for death to issues involved in specifically designating to whom an organ can be given), but none is more central than the concern for what are appropriate means for acquiring organs. The following discussion attempts a different perspective on the issue of organ procurement by arguing that, rather than appealing to our charitable consciences or our pocketbooks, relinquishing our organs after death in this day and age is, in fact, obligatory for most people. Each of us is pressed by the growing demand for our organs should we die "rightly," and that desperate need has risen to such a level that not to release our organs for transplantation would constitute a serious moral wrong.
Outlier rejection for autonomous acoustic navigation

Navigation is a critical requirement for the operation of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). In this paper we present acoustic navigation results for the Odyssey II AUV obtained by using a Kalman filter that integrates dead-reckoning with acoustic range measurements made to an array of acoustic beacons pre-deployed in the operating environment. Because spurious acoustic measurements due to multipath propagation are common, initialization and outlier rejection techniques are addressed. The navigation algorithm has been extensively tested by post-processing of real data acquired by Odyssey II during field operations in a variety of environments. These include the Charles River Basin, the Atlantic Ocean (1.5 km off the Florida coast), and the Pacific Ocean (375 km off the Oregon coast). Our results show improved performance over prior techniques based exclusively on fix computation and dead reckoning.
Use of Whole-Genome Phylogeny and Comparisons for Development of a Multiplex PCR Assay To Identify Sequence Type 36 Vibrio parahaemolyticus

ABSTRACT Vibrio parahaemolyticus sequence type 36 (ST36) strains that are native to the Pacific Ocean have recently caused multistate outbreaks of gastroenteritis linked to shellfish harvested from the Atlantic Ocean. Whole-genome comparisons of 295 genomes of V. parahaemolyticus, including several traced to northeastern U.S. sources, were used to identify diagnostic loci, one putatively encoding an endonuclease (prp), and two others potentially conferring O-antigenic properties (cps and flp). The combination of all three loci was present in only one clade of closely related strains of ST36, ST59, and one additional unknown sequence type. However, each locus was also identified outside this clade, with prp and flp occurring in only two nonclade isolates and cps in four. Based on the distribution of these loci in sequenced genomes, prp identified clade strains with >99% accuracy, but the addition of one more locus increased accuracy to 100%. Oligonucleotide primers targeting prp and cps were combined in a multiplex PCR method that defines species using the tlh locus and determines the presence of both the tdh and trh hemolysin-encoding genes, which are also present in ST36. Application of the method in vitro to a collection of 94 clinical isolates collected over a 4-year period in three northeastern U.S. states and 87 environmental isolates revealed that the prp and cps amplicons were detected only in clinical isolates identified as belonging to the ST36 clade and in no environmental isolates from the region. The assay should improve detection and surveillance, thereby reducing infections.
Assessment of diastolic function with Doppler tissue imaging to predict genotype in preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background— Unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is considered diagnostic of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) but fails to identify all genetically affected individuals. Altered diastolic function has been hypothesized to represent an earlier manifestation of HCM before the development of LVH; however, data regarding the clinical utility of imaging techniques that assess this parameter are limited. Methods and Results— Echocardiographic studies including Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) were performed in a genotyped HCM population with β-myosin heavy chain (β -MHC) mutations. Genotype (+) individuals with LVH (G+/LVH+; n=18) and genotype (+) individuals without LVH (G+/LVH−; n=18) were compared with normal control subjects (n=36). Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was significantly higher in both genotype (+) groups (75±5% and 71±6%, respectively, versus 64± 5% in control subjects; P<0.0001). Mean early diastolic myocardial velocities (Ea) were significantly lower in both genotype (+) subgrou...
Healthy hearts: a cross-sectional study of clinical cardiovascular disease risk factors in Northern Colorado school children (1992-2013).

Despite significant declines in cardiovascular disease (CVD), it remains the number one cause of death in the United States. Determining factors that may be associated with CVD risk at a young age may allow us to better prevent CVD deaths in the future. The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors among 4th grade children who participated in a community-wide CVD education program; as well as the association of these risk factors with weight status and the prevalence of CVD risk factors among family members. The Poudre Valley Health Systems, Healthy Hearts Club has provided a cardiovascular screening program (1992–2013) to identify risk factors among students in six Northern Colorado school districts. There were 9,694 children (mean age, 10.3 years, 50 % female) included. Data were collected cross-sectionally with objective measures of total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Surveys were filled out by the parent and/or legal guardian and included questions about risk factors among family members. Means and frequencies were compared using SPSS software version 22 (IBM, Inc.). There were a significant number of children with elevated risk factors, including 35 % with total cholesterol ≥ 170 mg/dl, 22 % with HDL-C < 40 mg/dl, 13 % with Non-HDL-C ≥ 145 mg/dL, 6 % and 7 % with systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≥ 120 mmHg, and ≥ 80 mmHg respectively, and 21 % with BMI ≥ 85 % for age and sex. All the risk factors increased significantly when comparing normal weight to overweight and obese children. Further, among children with zero risk factors, 32.2 % reported a family member (other than the child) being overweight, while 56.5 % reported such among those children with five or six risk factors. Overall, the prevalence of CVD risk factors in these children is similar to national levels and these factors are meaningfully associated with overweight and obesity, both within the child as well as within the family. This data suggests CVD risk factor reduction and prevention must focus on overweight and obesity and not be done in isolation of the family.
Asynchronous multiplexing

This paper will consider theoretical limitations and capabilities of general types of asynchronous multiplexing systems for networks of the type shown in Fig. 1. The kth station of the ith channel of the network is Sik. All stations belonging to a channel are in communication with each other. The purpose of the multiplexing system is to provide this communication when stations of all channels use a common transmission medium in which signals and noise mix additively. Fig. 1 adequately describes a mobile communication system, for instance, in which the individual communication paths vary widely in direction and length.
Sex Differences in Music: A Female Advantage at Recognizing Familiar Melodies

Although sex differences have been observed in various cognitive domains, there has been little work examining sex differences in the cognition of music. We tested the prediction that women would be better than men at recognizing familiar melodies, since memories of specific melodies are likely to be learned (at least in part) by declarative memory, which shows female advantages. Participants were 24 men and 24 women, with half musicians and half non-musicians in each group. The two groups were matched on age, education, and various measures of musical training. Participants were presented with well-known and novel melodies, and were asked to indicate their recognition of familiar melodies as rapidly as possible. The women were significantly faster than the men in responding, with a large effect size. The female advantage held across musicians and non-musicians, and across melodies with and without commonly associated lyrics, as evidenced by an absence of interactions between sex and these factors. Additionally, the results did not seem to be explained by sex differences in response biases, or in basic auditory or motor processes as tested in a control task. Though caution is warranted given that this is the first study to examine sex differences in familiar melody recognition, the results are consistent with the hypothesis motivating our prediction, namely that declarative memory underlies knowledge about music (particularly about familiar melodies), and that the female advantage at declarative memory may thus lead to female advantages in music cognition (particularly at familiar melody recognition). Additionally, the findings argue against the view that female advantages at tasks involving verbal (or verbalizable) material are due solely to a sex difference specific to the verbal domain. Further, the results may help explain previously-reported cognitive commonalities between music and language: since declarative memory also underlies language, such commonalities may be partly due to a common dependence on this memory system. More generally, because declarative memory is well studied at many levels, evidence that music cognition depends on this system may lead to a powerful research program generating a wide range of novel predictions for the neurocognition of music, potentially advancing the field.
Mesoporous matrix encapsulation for the synthesis of monodisperse Pd5P2 nanoparticle hydrodesulfurization catalysts.

The synthesis of monodisperse 5–10 nm Pd5P2 catalytic particles by encapsulation in a mesoporous silica network, along with preliminary data on hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity, is reported. Precursor Pd–P amorphous nanoparticles are prepared by solution-phase reaction of palladium(II) acetylacetonate with trioctylphosphine at temperatures up to 300 °C. Direct crystallization of Pd5P2 in solution by increasing the temperature to 360 °C leads to sintering, but particle size can be maintained during the transformation by encapsulation of the amorphous Pd–P particles in a mesoporous silica shell, followed by treatment of the solid at 500 °C under a reducing atmosphere, yielding Pd5P2@mSiO2. The resultant materials exhibit high BET surface areas (>1000 m2/g) and an average pore size of 3.7 nm. Access to the catalyst surface is demonstrated by dibenzodithiophene (DBT) HDS testing. Pd5P2@mSiO2 shows a consistent increase in HDS activity as a function of temperature, with DBT conversion approaching 60% at 402...
VUME: The voluntary-use methodology for evaluations

In an attempt to better understand how controlled research results impact actual voluntary use of 3D user interfaces (3D Uls), we developed a new evaluation approach. Using this approach, we conducted two studies evaluating two head-mounted displays (HMDs)-a Sensics zSight and an Oculus Rift Development Kit 1 (DK1). The results of the first study indicate that the DK1 affords significantly better user performances. In the second study, we used a between-subjects design to determine if participants would voluntarily explore and interact with a virtual environment more with the DK1 than the zSight. We did not find a significant difference between the two HMDs, but statistically proved that the HMDs were equivalent. This indicates that results found in controlled evaluations do not always play a significant role in the voluntary use of a 3D UI.
Immunoglobulin containing cells in the tracheobronchial tree of cattle: relationship to age.

The cells of the pulmonary immune system of cattle were examined using an immunoperoxidase technique to identify cytoplasmic immunoglobulins. Cells reacting immunohistochemically with bovine IgG1, IgG2, IgA and IgM antisera were quantified in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues from systematically selected sites within the tracheobronchial tree. Non-pneumonic lungs were selected for study from five groups of cattle which ranged in age from neonatal calves to aged adult cattle. Age associated differences were found. Neonatal calves lacked immunoglobulin containing cells ( icc ). The numbers of icc in 18-month-old cattle were significantly greater than in other age groups. The relative frequency of each immunoglobulin class among the cells of the airway mucosa was lgA>IgG1» IgG2» IgM for all cattle four months and older (n = 20) with an IgA to IgG, ratio of 3·46. All airway categories from trachea to bronchiole had similar proportions of cells in each immunoglobulin class although the cell density declined in the distal airways.
Evaluation of two nutrition education modules for hospital staff members.

Personnel from 16 Pennsylvania hospitals tested the nutrition education modules, with one food or nutrition professional from each hospital acting as leader. Three-fourths of the participants rated the sessions as “very good” to “excellent.”
Antimicrobial treatment of minor soft tissue lacerations: a critical review.

SUMMARY This article is a collective review of all the prospective clinical studies that assessed the therapeutic value of antibiotics in minor soft tissue lacerations. This review critically evaluates each study that tests the hypothesis that antibiotic treatment reduces the incidence of infection. Even though the design of each of the studies was scientifically inadequate, important factors were identified that influenced the incidence of infection. On the basis of this collective review as well as other studies, indications for antibiotic therapy of minor soft tissue lacerations have been identified. Future clinical studies must be designed to test more precisely the validity of these recommendations.
Thou shalt ASQFor and shalt receive the semantic answer

The combination of data, semantics, and the Web has led to an ever growing and increasingly complex body of semantic data. Accessing such structured data requires learning formal query languages, such as SPARQL, which poses significant difficulties for non-expert users. Many existing interfaces for querying Ontologies are based on approaches that rely on predefined templates and require expensive customization. To avoid the pitfalls of existing approaches, while at the same time retaining the ability to capture users' complex information needs, we have developed a simple keyword-based search interface to the Semantic Web. In this demonstration, we will present ASQFor, a systematic framework for automated SPARQL query formulation and execution over RDF repository using simple concept-based search primitives. Allowing end-users to express simple queries based on a list of "key-value" pairs that are then translated on-the-fly into SPARQL queries is a hard problem. In this demonstration, we will discuss the challenges that we have addressed to bring ASQFor to real practice, and also the difficult problems that remain to be solved in future work. During our demonstration, we will show how ASQFor can be used for decision support as well as an intelligent Q/A System.
Who Should Ration

Bedside rationing based on ethnicity, gender, or skin color can lead to some patients not receiving treatments to which they are entitled.
Correlates of Motivational Interviewing Use Among Substance Use Treatment Programs Serving American Indians/Alaska Natives.

Motivational interviewing (MI) offers a treatment modality that can help meet the treatment needs of American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) with substance use disorders. This report presents results from a national survey of 192 AI/AN substance abuse treatment programs with regard to their use of MI and factors related to its implementation, including program characteristics, workforce issues, clinician perceptions of MI, and how clinicians learned about MI. Sixty-six percent of programs reported having implemented the use of MI in their programs. In the final logistic regression model, the odds of implementing MI were significantly higher when programs were tribally owned (OR = 2.946; CI95 1.014, 8.564), where more than 50% of staff were Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs) (OR = 5.469; CI95 1.330, 22.487), and in programs in which the survey respondent perceived that MI fit well with their staff's expertise and training (OR = 3.321; CI95 1.287, 8.569).
The Physiological and Pathological Role of the Kallikrein-Kallidin System

The biochemical characterization of the kallikrein-kallidin system has led to speculation that endogenous release of these potent vasodilator polypeptides may play a role in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. The techniques necessary to support or refute proposals involving the activation of this enzyme system in vivo, however, are only now being evolved.
V(D)J Recombination Exploits DNA Damage Responses to Promote Immunity

It has been recognized for 40 years that the variable (diversity) joining [V(D)J] recombination-mediated assembly of diverse B and T lymphocyte antigen receptor (AgR) genes is not only essential for adaptive immunity, but also a risk for autoimmunity and lymphoid malignancies. Over the past few years, several studies have revealed that recombination-activating gene (RAG) endonuclease-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) transcend hazardous intermediates during antigen receptor gene assembly. RAG cleavage within the genomes of lymphocyte progenitors and immature lymphocytes regulates the expression of ubiquitous and lymphocyte-specific gene transcripts to control the differentiation and function of both adaptive and innate immune cell lineages. These unexpected discoveries raise important new questions that have broad implications for basic immunology research and the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of human immunological disease.
Climate science, truth, and democracy

This essay was written almost ten years ago when the urgency of America's failure as a nation to respond to the threats of climate change first came to preoccupy me. Although the essay was never published in full, I circulated it informally in an attempt to provoke a more public engagement among my colleagues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science. In particular, it was written in almost direct response to Philip Kitcher's own book, Science, Truth and Democracy (2001), in an attempt to clarify what was special about Climate Science in its relation to truth and democracy. Kitcher's response was immensely encouraging, and it led to an extended dialogue that resulted, first, in a course we co-taught at Columbia University, and later, to the book The Seasons Alter: How to Save Our Planet in Six Acts (W. W. Norton) published this spring. The book was finished just after the Paris Climate Accord, and it reflects the relative optimism of that moment. Unfortunately events since have begun to evoke, once again, the darker mood of this essay. I am grateful to Greg Radick for suggesting its publication.
The next frontier of clinical trials: personalized medicine for devices.

Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) have convincingly proven that in patients with advanced (New York Heart Association functional class III/IV) systolic (left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction ≤35%) heart failure and wide QRS complex (QRS ≥120 ms), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
Increasing Concentration in the Agricultural Supply Chain: Implications for Market Power and Sector Performance

Increasing consolidation and vertical coordination in the food chain have made the prospect of market power abuses by powerful food manufacturers and retailers an issue and a policy concern worldwide, in terms of potential impacts on farmer and consumer welfare and sector efficiency. We address the extent to which traditional wisdom and standard conceptual and empirical models that have girded thought about market power in the food chain for decades apply in modern food-market contexts and examine recent work on competition in the food chain to gauge the most promising paths forward. A key conclusion is that considerations that go beyond the bounds of standard models likely cause market power to be less than would be predicted based on the highly concentrated structures of many modern agricultural and food markets. These considerations include downstream buyers who rationally internalize long-run implications of their pricing decisions to farmers, powerful food manufacturers and retailers who countervail ...
Cloaking malware with the trusted platform module

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is commonly thought of as hardware that can increase platform security. However, it can also be used for malicious purposes. The TPM, along with other hardware, can implement a cloaked computation, whose memory state cannot be observed by any other software, including the operating system and hypervisor. We show that malware can use cloaked computations to hide essential secrets (like the target of an attack) from a malware analyst. We describe and implement a protocol that establishes an encryption key under control of the TPM that can only be used by a specific infection program. An infected host then proves the legitimacy of this key to a remote malware distribution platform, and receives and executes an encrypted payload in a way that prevents software visibility of the decrypted payload. We detail how malware can benefit from cloaked computations and discuss defenses against our protocol. Hardening legitimate uses of the TPM against attack improves the resilience of our malware, creating a Catch-22 for secure computing technology.
CO2 — Heavy Oil Flooding — Economic Design

In general, the design of an enhanced oil recovery project is a multiple-hurdle decision making task. Five phases are usually involved as shown on the decision tree of Figure 1. Phase I encompasses the data gathering process, including lab and field measurements, production data and geologic information. It also includes the identification of critical reservoir parameters and preliminary screening of the field for potential EOR applications. Phase II then involves reservoir response predictions and economic evaluation. Phase III incorporates pilot test design and implementation, and reevaluation of the proposed process in a prospective reservoir as a result of the pilot test. Phase IV represents the final design and development of the project and Phase V involves the project’s later commercial operation.
An Event-Related Potential Analysis of Coding Processes in Human Memory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an event-related potential (ERP) analysis of coding processes in human memory. The endogenous ERPs have been shown to vary in the context of learning and memory tasks. For example, several lines of evidence indicate that the contingent negative variation (CNV) and P300 components reflect the processes of acquisition and retention in short term memory situations. One question to emerge from these results is the extent to which ERP changes can be related to retention over the longer term, i.e., in situations where memory is not tested immediately on every trial. It would be of interest to observe the extent to which ERPs reflect the level of perceptual processing at acquisition, and how such processing manifests itself in memory performance. Phonemic encodings yield intermediate performance. An ancillary finding is that words yielding a “yes” response to a query are better remembered than those yielding a “no” response in phonemic and semantic levels of processing. These effects have been obtained in a number of other experiments and represent a robust behavioral phenomenon with which to test the utility of ERPs as indices of learning and memory.
Effect of Improved Optimization of DFE Equalization on Crosstalk and Jitter in High Speed Links with Multi-level Signal

The signal in channels with high-speed designs is attenuated by channel loss, inter-symbol interference, jitter, noise and crosstalk. The main way to recover the signal is by using equalizations, such as Feed-Forward Equalizer, Continuous Time-Linear Equalizer and Decision Feedback Equalizer. One of the important problems of high-speed design and channel simulations is to develop fast optimization algorithms for choosing best tap coefficients for equalizers. Equalization of multi-level signal is more complicated and optimization algorithms require specific approach. The paper proposes a new efficient optimization of Decision Feedback Equalization (DFE) for binary and multi-level signals. Mathematical formulation of the optimization is given. Simulations were conducted for channels with different characteristics and comparison results are shown.
‘You see a baby die and you’re not fine:’ a case study of stress and coping strategies in volunteer emergency medical technicians

This study investigates the experiences of volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with respect to stress and coping strategies they employ. Research has shown negative implications of work ...
My Association and Collaboration with George Andrews

These are personal reflections on my association, and a report of my collaboration, with George Andrews given at the International Conference on Lattice Path Combinatorics and Applications, California Polytechnic University, Pomona.
THE ROLES OF MEMBRANE AND SUBSTRATES IN THE MODULATION OF CYTOCHROME P-450 FUNCTION

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the roles of membrane and substrates in the modulation of cytochrome P-450 function. Substrates addition to cytochrome P-450 of adrenal and liver causes spectral changes, which appear to be reversible interconversions between 390 nm and 420 nm absorbing states of the enzyme and were shown to represent an interconversion between low-spin and high-spin states of the ferric cytochrome P-450 iron. Temperature also affects the equilibrium between the high- and low-spin states of ferric cytochrome P-450, perhaps explaining the inability to quantitatively relate the type I spectral change with electron spin resonance measurements. The difference in enthalpy and equilibrium constants at the various temperatures could be eliminated by the addition of chloroform/methanol extracts of fresh microsomes to the soluble cytochrome P-450. Fractionation of the lipid into discrete lipid classes to determine the lipid causing the high proportion of high-spin cytochrome in microsomes reveals that the free fatty acid was responsible for it. Phospholipid addition to the partially purified rat cytochrome caused a shift of some of the high-spin ferric hemoprotein to the low-spin configuration despite the fact that the enzyme was already about 85% low spin.
Updates on Treatment Approaches for Cutaneous Field Cancerization.

Field cancerization describes the phenomenon that multiple heterogenous mutations may arise in an area exposed to chronic carcinogenic stimuli. Advances in the understanding of cutaneous field cancerization have led to novel therapeutic approaches to the management of actinic keratoses (AKs). Herein, we review the literature on the pathophysiology and emerging research of field cancerization in dermatology. The classification systems for grading AK lesions are being refined with investigations focusing on their clinical utility. There is a growing shift toward field-directed treatment for AKs as the importance of field cancerization becomes clearer. Current field-directed therapies are being optimized and novel therapeutic modalities are being studied. Field cancerization underlies the transformation of photodamaged skin into AKs and potentially cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Clinically meaningful classification systems for AKs are needed to better inform decisions regarding treatment. As we learn more about the role of field characterization in photodamage, AKs, and cSCCs, therapeutic strategies are becoming more field-directed rather than lesion-directed.
Pathways and challenges for efficient solar-thermal desalination

Solar-thermal desalination (STD) is a potentially low-cost, sustainable approach for providing high-quality fresh water in the absence of water and energy infrastructures. Despite recent efforts to advance STD by improving heat-absorbing materials and system designs, the best strategies for maximizing STD performance remain uncertain. To address this problem, we identify three major steps in distillation-based STD: (i) light-to-heat energy conversion, (ii) thermal vapor generation, and (iii) conversion of vapor to water via condensation. Using specific water productivity as a quantitative metric for energy efficiency, we show that efficient recovery of the latent heat of condensation is critical for STD performance enhancement, because solar vapor generation has already been pushed toward its performance limit. We also demonstrate that STD cannot compete with photovoltaic reverse osmosis desalination in energy efficiency. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of factors other than energy efficiency, including cost, ease of maintenance, and applicability to hypersaline waters.
A New Language and Input–Output Hidden Markov Model for Automated Audit Inquiry

This article presents a mathematical coding language to express dynamic interactions between auditors and client personnel. Then, an input-output hidden Markov model is presented that represents clients as well as auditors, and models the coupled system. The calibrated model can be used to design optimal automated auditors, and can also be used to perform analysis of client inquiry responses. A case study is performed using data collected with subjects simulating auditor–client communications in a controlled environment. We also discuss the details of model calibration, validations, and significance of results.
Peroneal Sheath Volumes Are Greater in Patients With Peroneal Pathology Compared With Controls.

BackgroundPeroneal tendon pathology is common. Several factors have been implicated, including low-lying muscles and accessory tendons. Studies have reported on the presence and length measurements...
Doing economics otherwise, from one crisis to the next

This is a fated, if fraught time, to offer some thoughts on the state of the community that surrounds the Journal of Cultural Economy (JCE). When I originally conceived the idea of writing an edito...
Terrified of Group Therapy: Investigating Obstacles to Entering or Leading Groups

Despite substantial evidence that group therapy is effective, many individuals are reluctant to join groups, and clinicians are reluctant to refer patients to them or to lead a group themselves. Th...
COMPARISON OF SPECTRALIS AND CIRRUS OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FOR THE DETECTION OF INCOMPLETE AND COMPLETE RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM AND OUTER RETINAL ATROPHY.

Purpose To evaluate and compare the detection of incomplete and complete retinal pigment epithelial and outer retinal atrophy (iRORA and cRORA) using Spectralis and Cirrus optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices. Methods Subjects with late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were imaged on the same day with Spectralis and Cirrus OCT. Two masked, independent and experienced retina specialist graders evaluated each case for the presence of cRORA and iRORA lesions. Results A significantly higher number of lesions were observed using Spectralis compared with Cirrus (239 vs 226 and 223 vs 209). Higher number of iRORA lesions were identified with Spectralis (105 vs 90 and 96 vs 82) and no significant difference was observed between devices for cRORA lesions (134 vs 136 and 128 vs 126). When considering the presence or absence of iRORA or cRORA, the agreement between devices for both graders was excellent for cRORA and good for iRORA. Conclusions Spectralis and Cirrus OCT identified a similar number of cRORA lesions, though more iRORA lesions could be detected with Spectralis OCT. These findings may have implications for developing acquisition protocols for trials based on the intended atrophy targets and highlight the importance of using a consistent OCT instrument across a study.
Hydrophobic 2,7-Octadienyl Ether-Cellulose Nanofibrils Using Butadiene Sulfone as the Dual Reagent and Medium

This is the first proof of concept of generating hydrophobic nanocelluloses by facile one-pot solventless telomerization using butadiene sulfone (BDS) to serve the dual functions of 1,3-butadiene (...
Rethink of Orthographic Constraints On RNN and its Application in Acoustic Sensor Data Modelling

The parametrization of recurrent neural network (RNN) to solve the gradient vanishing and exploding problem is critical for sequential learning. The reason lies on eigenvalue of the gradient of loss function against the recurrent weight matrix in recurrent weight matrix. To control the eigenvalues, the orthogonal constraint is imposed on the recurrent weight matrix. In this paper, we analyze the designing mechanism of decomposition methods of three orthogonal constrained RNNs (OCRNN) and derive their corresponding training algorithms. We compare the performance of the four OCRNNs and the standard long short term memory (LSTM) network on the synthetic baseline copying and adding tasks. We find out that the coordinate descent based iteration of the two OCRNNs proposed by us can achieve comparative or better testing error and convergence speed than the rest model. The above two OCRNN models are more cost-effective in terms of total number of parameters, which save the storage of the model. Furthermore, we introduce the pseudo-spectrum to visualize and monitor the evolving of the orthogonality of the recurrent weight matrix and find that the orthogonality is a empirically useful condition but not rigorously theoretical guarantee for convergence speed. Finally, we deploy the three OCRNNs on the acoustic polyp detection problem based on the and formulate the detection problem as the sequential binary classification. We also demonstrate that our proposed two OCRNNs can achieve comparative accuracy with less total number of network parameters. The quick inference time demonstrates its ability for internet of things (IoT) application.
Leveraging scale economies and policy incentives: Carbon capture, utilization & storage in Gulf clusters

Abstract Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) represents a set of technologies essential to meeting ambitious mid-to late-century decarbonization goals. Yet deployment of CCUS has been slow, with fewer than 20 large-scale facilities operating worldwide in 2019. We estimate the total and marginal cost of constructing and operating new CCUS facilities and associated infrastructure to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from current and planned industrial facilities on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. We compare these cost estimates to scheduled CCUS tax incentives through 2026 under section 45Q of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code to quantify cost-effective emissions abatement. Our analysis measures the cost-reducing potential of economies of scale in regional CO2 pipeline networks. We also compare CCUS costs to one measure of the benefits of carbon capture, the social cost of carbon. Results suggest that U.S. federal tax incentives currently in place through 2026 could justify between 3.3 million and 77.6 million tons of annual CCUS in the Gulf region, depending on the choice of storage technology and the degree of pipeline network coordination. Finally, we highlight several potential policy barriers that may explain low adoption of CCUS in the Gulf Region and elsewhere.
Evaluation of short-term multi-component exercise programming on major variables that directly influence fall risk in older women: a pilot study.

Falls are linked to gait and balance inconsistencies influenced by a combination of variables including muscle strength and power. Multicomponent athlete training models that incorporate high-inten...
The Hereditary Model of GDP and Employment

In this section we derive a hereditary model of gross domestic product, y, and employment L by invoking the “demand and supply principle”, and the “rational expectations hypothesis” which assumes that the expected values of economic variables are functions of the current and past values. Indeed let the aggregate demand function z i be given by $$z_i = I_i + C_i + X_i + G_i,\quad i = 1, 2$$ (7.1)
Database system architecture – a walk through time: from centralized platform to mobile computing – keynote address

Classical distributed database systems monolithically offer distribution transparency and higher performance. This is made possible by making data available and closer to the application domain(s) that uses it by means such as the data distribution, duplication, and fragmentation. However, with the advances in technologies this monolithic and top down approach becomes insufficient. In the new networked computational environment, the data distribution issue has evolved into data integration from several heterogeneous and autonomous data sources. Heterogeneous distributed databases are designed to deal with issue of data integration and interoperability. They are developed to allow timely and reliable access to heterogeneous and autonomous data sources in an environment that is characterized as “sometime, somewhere.” The concept of mobility, where users access information through a remote connection with portable devices, has introduced additional complexities and restrictions to the heterogeneous distributed database system. This keynote address first introduces a three dimensional space to classify and identify the evolution of different classes of database systems. It also extensively discusses Heterogeneous Distributed Database Systems (HDDBS) and Mobile Data Access Systems (MDAS). Finally, it will address several research issues and their potential solutions.
Mechanism of the Heparin Effect on the Nitroblue-Tetrazolium Slide Test

Abstract The nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) slide test has been applied widely to assist in the diagnosis of bacterial infection. The test involves mixing a small amount of heparinized blood with a solution of NBT and noting the percentage of neutrophils that contain reduced NBT after a fixed period of incubation. Although it has been recognized that anticoagulants can influence the scores obtained, the mechanism of this effect has not been widely appreciated. We have observed that particles are formed when NBT and heparin are mixed, and that these particles are ingested by human neutrophils. Major changes in human neutrophil metabolism result from minor changes in the relative concentrations of heparin and NBT. These observations may explain many discrepancies that have been reported on the NBT slide test by various investigators.
Theories of Programming Languages: Program Specifications and Their Proofs

In this chapter, we will explore methods of specifying programs in the simple imperative language and of proving such specifications formally. We will consider both partial correctness, where one specifies that a program will behave properly if it terminates, and total correctness, where one also specifies that a program will terminate. For partial correctness we will use the form of specification invented by C. A. R. Hoare, while for total correctness we will use an analogous form based on the ideas of E. W. Dijkstra. At the outset, it should be stressed that formal proofs are quite different than the traditional proofs of mathematics. A formal proof is sufficiently detailed that its correctness can be verified mechanically. In contrast, a traditional mathematical proof can be thought of as a blueprint that provides just enough information to allow a well-trained reader to construct a formal proof. In fact, formal proofs are more prevalent in computer science than in mathematics. The most obvious reason is that only formal methods can be mechanized soundly. A more subtle reason, however, is the different nature of the proof task. Mathematical conjectures often contain no hint of why they might be true, but programs are invariably written by people who have at least a vague idea of why they should work. Thus the task of program proving is not to search over a broad space of arguments, but to refine an already existing argument until all of its flaws have been revealed. This is not to say that every program merits formal proof. Experience with formal proof methods, however, also increases a programmer's ability to detect flaws in informal arguments.
The imminent return of the advertising jingle

For the past decade or so, much has been written about the demise of the classic advertising jingle. Belch and Belch (2015, 325) define jingles as ‘…catchy songs about a product or service that usu...
MicroRNA-34a A New Piece in the Cardiac Aging Puzzle

> 1. Boon RA, Iekushi K, Lechner S, Seeger T, Fischer A, Heydt S, Kaluza D, Treguer K, Carmona G, Bonauer A, Horrevoets AJ, Didier N, Girmatsion Z, Biliczki P, Ehrlich JR, Katus HA, Muller OJ, Potente M, Zeiher AM, Hermeking H, Dimmeler S. MicroRNA-34a regulates cardiac ageing and function. Nature . 2013;495:107–110. Aging is associated with structural remodeling and functional decline in the heart and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Aging results in increased prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy, impaired diastolic function, and compromised myocardial performance. Although the phenotypes of cardiac aging are well characterized, the underlying mechanisms of cardiac aging remain puzzling. Recently, researchers have made important advances in piecing together the cardiac aging puzzle. A study by Loffredo et al1 demonstrated that the blood of young mice can rejuvenate aged mouse hearts and identified growth differentiation factor 11 to be the circulating factor that reverses age-related cardiac hypertrophy. In another study, Flynn et al2 showed that 3-month treatment with rapamycin can reverse cardiac dysfunction in old mice. The 2 studies provide important therapeutic insights in improving myocardial function in the geriatric population. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) inhibit expression of …
After the September Tragedy

The events of last year's tragic September—the international terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC—highlight important new factors in international life that, without exaggeration, signify the beginning of a new era. Several issues of enormous significance, previously considered latent, have broken through their "shell" and joined the ranks of phenomena that characterize the state of planetary affairs.
Estimating the quality-of-life-adjusted gap time distribution of successive events subject to censoring

SUMMARY When treatment effects are studied in the context of successive or recurrent life events, separate analyses of the quality-of-life scores and of the inter-event, gap, times might lead to possibly contradictory conclusions. In an attempt to reconcile this, we propose a unitary and more comprehensive nonparametric analysis that combines the two separate analyses by introducing the quality-of-life-adjusted gap time concept. Inverse probability of censoring estimators of the quality-of-life-adjusted gap time joint and con ditional distributions are proposed and are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. Simulations performed in a variety of scenarios indicate that the joint and conditional quality-of-life-adjusted gap time distribution estimators are virtually unbiased, with properly estimated standard errors and asymptotic normality features. An example from the International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial V illustrates the use of the proposed estimators.
Amino acid composition of the protein components of influenza virus A.

Abstract A study has been made of the amino acid composition of the three protein components, soluble antigen, hemagglutinin, and membrane protein released from influenza virus particles by treatment with ether. The results are compared with analyses of similar proteins present in cytoplasmic particles released from normal cells. In all the proteins analyzed eighteen amino acids were found, and nine of these (alanine, aspartic acid, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine, and tyrosine) were present in all the proteins in amounts that did not differ by more than the experimental error (±10%) of the method. Significant differences were found in the content of arginine, cystine, glutamic acid, histidine, lysine, proline, threonine, tryptophan, and valine in the various proteins examined. The soluble antigen protein differed from all the other proteins tested in its content of arginine (9.8%), which was almost double that found in any of the others. The virus hemagglutinin and membrane proteins appeared to have the same composition. This closely resembled the composition of normal cell membrane protein but differed from it in having a much higher content of histidine.
Bounds on Scattering Phase Shifts: Static Central Potentials

It has recently been shown that rigorous upper bounds on scattering lengths can be obtained by adding to the Kohn variational expression certain integrals involving approximate wave functions for each of the negative-energy states. For potentials which vanish identically beyond a certain point, it is possible to extend the method to positive-energy scattering; one obtains upper bounds on ${(\ensuremath{-}kcot\ensuremath{\eta})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, where $\ensuremath{\eta}$ is the phase shift. In addition to the negative-energy states one must now take into account a finite number of states with positive energies lying below the scattering energy. The states in this associated energy eigenvalue problem are defined by the imposition of certain boundary conditions on the wave functions. A second approach, involving an associated potential-strength eigenvalue problem, is also used. The second method includes the first as a special case and, more significantly, can be extended to scattering by compound systems. If some states are not accounted for, a bound on $cot\ensuremath{\eta}$ is not obtained; nevertheless it is still possible to obtain a rigorous lower bound on $\ensuremath{\eta}$. Upper bounds on $\ensuremath{\eta}$ may also be obtained, but in a way which is probably not too useful for many-body scattering problems.