cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Valuations of Possible States (VPS): a quantitative framework for analysis of privacy loss among collaborative personal assistant agents

For agents deployed in real-world settings, such as businesses, universities and research laboratories, it is critical that agents protect their individual users' privacy when interacting with others entities. Indeed, privacy is recognized as a key motivating factor in design of several multiagent algorithms, such as distributed constraint optimization (DCOP) algorithms. Unfortunately, rigorous and general quantitative metrics for analysis and comparison of such multiagent algorithms with respect to privacy loss are lacking. This paper takes a key step towards developing a general quantitative model from which one can analyze and generate metrics of privacy loss by introducing the VPS (Valuations of Possible States) framework. VPS is shown to capture various existing measures of privacy created for specific domains of distributed constraint satisfactions problems (DCSPs). The utility of VPS is further illustrated via analysis of DCOP algorithms, when such algorithms are used by personal assistant agents to schedule meetings among users. In addition, VPS allows us to quantitatively evaluate the properties of several privacy metrics generated through qualitative notions. We obtain the unexpected result that decentralization does not automatically guarantee superior protection of privacy.
The environment understanding interface: detecting and tracking human activity through multimedia sensors

A technique for using economical multimedia sensors to autonomously track human beings is presented. A sequence of color images captured from a video camera is processed in real-time to determine target locations. This data may be used to guide a computer-controlled pantilt-zoom camera, and may be fused with sound information to determine the location of a person speaking. Such capabilities are the foundation of what we call the Environment Understanding Interface, a new paradigm for human-computer interaction. Applications include automated videoconferencing, security/surveillance, home automation, and assistance for the disabled. A prototype of this system has been implemented on an ordinary multimedia PC running OS/2.
On ich-Laut, ach-Laut and Structure Preservation

Hall (1989) introduces a rule of Fricative Assimilation (FA) in German, which, he claims, poses a challenge to the principle of Structure Preservation in Lexical Phonology, as presented in Kiparsky (1985). This claim is based on the observation that FA is demonstrably lexical because it respects morpheme boundaries, but nonetheless introduces a nondistinctive feature, thus violating a marking condition. However, Hall has not appreciated the force of the analysis of Catalan in Kiparsky (1985), which suggests that assimilated sequences may show special behaviour with respect to marking conditions. In this paper we show first, based on arguments in Kiparsky (1985), Hayes (1986) and Ito (1988), that a general constraint on the interpretation of autosegmental formalism specifically rules out the application of the marking condition to the output of FA.
Polynumerization reactor control

The principal difficulties in achieving good control of polymerization reactors are related to inadequate on-line measurement, a lack of understanding of the dynamics of the process, the highly sensitive and nonlinear behavior of these reactors, and the lack of well-developed techniques for the control of nonlinear processes. Some illustrations of these problems and a discussion of potential techniques for overcoming some of these difficulties are provided.
Maximum bounded entropy: application to tomographic reconstruction

A new restoring algorithm, maximum bounded entropy (MBE), has been investigated. It incorporates prior knowledge of both a lower and upper bound in the unknown object. Its outputs are maximum probable estimates of the object under the following conditions: (a) the photons forming the image behave as classical particles; (b) the object is assumed to be biased toward a flat gray scene in the absence of image data; (c) the object is modeled as consisting of high-gradient foreground details riding on top of a smoothly varying background that is not to be restored but rather must be estimated in a separate step; and (d) the image noise is Poisson. The resulting MBE estimator obeys the sum of maximum entropy for the occupied photon sites in the object and maximum entropy for the unoccupied sites. The result is an estimate of the object that obeys an analytic form that functionally cannot take on values outside the known bounds. The algorithm was applied to the problem of reconstructing rod cross sections due to tomographic viewing. This problem is ideal because the object consists only of upper- and lower-bound values. We found that only four projections are needed to provide a good reconstruction and that twenty projections allow for the resolution of a single pixel wide crack in one of the rods.
A Topological Framework for the Interactive Exploration of Large Scale Turbulent Combustion

The advent of highly accurate, large scale volumetric simulations has made data analysis and visualization techniques an integral part of the modern scientific process. To develop new insights from raw data, scientists need the ability to define features of interest in a flexible manner and to understand how changes in the feature definition impact the subsequent analysis of the data. Therefore, simply exploring the raw data is not sufficient. This paper presents a new topological framework for the analysis of large scale, time-varying, turbulent combustion simulations. It allows the scientists to interactively explore the complete parameter space of fuel consumption thresholds for an entire time-dependent combustion simulation. By computing augmented merge trees and their corresponding data segmentations, the system allows the user complete flexibility to segment, select, and track burning cells through time thanks to a linked view interface. We developed this technique in the context of low-swirl turbulent pre-mixed same simulation analysis, where the topological abstractions enable an efficient tracking through time of the burning cells and provide new qualitative and quantitative insights into the dynamics of the combustion process.
ICEAA '07: International Conference on Electromnagnetics in Advanced Applications

The tenth edition, ICEAA'07, held September 17-21, 2007, attracted over three hundred participants from thirty-six countries. In decreasing order of number of papers presented, the ten top countries were the USA, Italy, Germany, France, The Netherlands, the UK, Israel, Iran, Japan, and Turkey. The conference received about five hundred submissions, which were subjected to a rigorous review process, resulting in a rejection rate exceeding forty percent. The proceedings containing the two hundred and seventy-five accepted papers were published as a CDROM and, for the first time in the history of the conference, were posted on IEEE Xplore (IEEE Catalog Number: 07EX1603C; ISBN: 1-4244-0767-2).
Left atrial dissection and intramural hematoma after aortic valve replacement.

Fig 1. LA dissection, left ventricle (LV), LVOT, and aorta (Ao) are visualized in the midesophageal long-axis view after the first AVR. The LA is compressed by the intramural hematoma (white arrows) leading to hypotension. The image is recorded in the process of re-establishing cardiopulmonary bypass. (Color version of figure is available online.)
Making Syntax of Sense: Number Agreement in Sentence Production.

Grammatical agreement flags the parts of sentences that belong together regardless of whether the parts appear together. In English, the major agreement controller is the sentence subject, the major agreement targets are verbs and pronouns, and the major agreement category is number. The authors expand an account of number agreement whose tenets are that pronouns acquire number lexically, whereas verbs acquire it syntactically but with similar contributions from number meaning and from the number morphology of agreement controllers. These tenets were instantiated in a model using existing verb agreement data. The model was then fit to a new, more extensive set of verb data and tested with a parallel set of pronoun data. The theory was supported by the model's outcomes. The results have implications for the integration of words and structures, for the workings of agreement categories, and for the nature of the transition from thought to language.
Follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: genome-wide appraisal of a controversial entity.

The majority of thyroid tumors are classified as papillary (papillary thyroid carcinomas; PTCs) or follicular neoplasms (follicular thyroid adenomas and carcinomas; FTA/FTC) based on nuclear features and the cellular growth pattern. However, classification of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) remains an issue of debate. These tumors contain a predominantly follicular growth pattern but display nuclear features and overall clinical behavior consistent with PTC. In this study, we used comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to compare the global chromosomal aberrations in FVPTC to the PTC of classical variant (classical PTC) and FTA/FTC. In addition, we assessed the presence of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG) alteration, a genetic event specific to FTA/FTC, using Southern blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. In sharp contrast to the findings in classical PTC (4% of cases), CGH analysis demonstrated that both FVPTC (59% of cases) and FTA/FTC (36% of cases) were commonly characterized by aneuploidy (P = 0.0002). Moreover, the pattern of chromosomal aberrations (gains at chromosome arms 2q, 4q, 5q, 6q, 8q, and 13q and deletions at 1p, 9q, 16q, 17q, 19q, and 22q) in the follicular variant of PTC closely resembled that of FTA/FTC. Aberrations in PPARG were uniquely detected in FVPTC and FTA/FTC. Our findings suggest a stronger relationship between the FVPTC and FTA/FTC than previously appreciated and support further consideration of the current classification of thyroid neoplasms. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of macroscopic crack branching patterns in chemically strengthened glass

Residual stress profiles were introduced in sodium aluminosilicate glass disks using an ion-exchange process. They were fractured in two loading conditions: indentation and biaxial flexure. The fractal dimension of the macroscopic crack branching pattern called the crack branching coefficient (CBC), as well as the number of fragments (NOF) were used to quantify the crack patterns. The fracture surfaces were analyzed to determine the stresses responsible for the crack branching patterns. The total strain energy in the body was calculated. The CBC was a good measure of the NOF. They are directly related to the tensile strain energy due to the residual stress profile for fractures due to indentation loading. However, in general for materials with residual stresses, CBC (or NOF) is not related to the strength or the stress at fracture, or even to the total stored tensile strain energy. Instead, the CBC appears to be related, in a complex manner, to the distribution of stresses in the body. Therefore, in general, the characterization of the CBC of fractured materials cannot be used to ascertain the prior stress distribution.
Celio Calcagnini (1479–1541)

Celio Calcagnini's active career falls in a period marked by many men of note and by a number of significant events. He touched some of these directly or indirectly. He was involved in an imperial and in a papal war, in an imperial election, in the controversy stirred up by Luther, in the divorce question precipitated by Henry VIII. He fanned into flame the conflict over the imitation of Cicero. He took an interest in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Independently of Copernicus, Calcagnini made a curious and not altogether ridiculous contribution toward creating an attitude of mind favorable to the new conception of the solar system for which Copernicus was to become famous. He was personally acquainted with the painter Raphael, with Jovius, with Manardi the physician, with Ziegler, the poet Ariosto, the humanist Erasmus. In his home-town of Ferrara he enjoyed a place of honor as university professor, as apostolic prothonotary, as an excellent dinner host. He was considered to be one of the most learned men of Italy. Yet his importance was always that of a bridesmaid rather than of a bride. It has its uses, however, to look at a wedding from a bridesmaid's angle. To see an era reflected in the career of a minor actor may prove rewarding.
Wavelength Division Multiplexed Local Area Networks Using Low-Cost Optoelectronics

We propose the use of multi-mode, multi-wavelength, vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays in high-speed optoelectronic multi-chip modules (OE-MCM’s) and multi-mode fibers for multi Gbyte/s WDM enterprise Networks to deliver 1 Gb/s to the desktop. Using this approach, we will construct point-to-point links using 4 and 8 channels operating at 622 Mb/s to 2.4Gb/s per channel over more than 500 meter distance. More advanced switched networks, in which wavelength is used as a switching parameter, will also be constructed.
EM Ground-Wave Propagation over the Curved Lunar Surface

VLF and LF electromagnetic (EM) ground-wave propagation between points on the surface of a smooth lunar sphere which is surrounded by free space or a cold isotropic plasma is investigated. Following Ward's analysis of recent lunar geophysical data, two mathematical models which are most likely to actually exist were chosen as either a cold homogeneous moon or a hot wet moon. The hot wet model is conceived as a radial stratification of material consisting of a dry outer shell, a wet shell, and a hot interior. Further subdivision results when the uppermost part of the wet shell is assumed to be either frozen (permafrost model) or unfrozen (wet rock model). The conductivities and dielectric constants in the hot wet model were assumed to vary continuously at several different rates within each of the layers, finally attaining the values suggested by Ward. Using the permafrost and wet rock models, the range of variation of the surface impedance and the subsequent variations in the ground-wave attenuation function were calculated versus frequency in the VLF and LF bands on the moon's dark side, and for frequencies above the solar-wind plasma frequency on its sunlit side. It is concluded that conditions for long-distance point-to-point ground-wave propagation are considerably better for the permafrost model. Above 100 kHz there is little difference between any of the assumed models, and the effect of the deeper subsurface stratification becomes second order.
Writing the History of Arabic Grammar

Cet article propose une etude critique de divers ouvrages parus recemment sur la linguistique arabe et plus precisemment la linguistique pratiquee par les Arabes durant l'epoque medievale. L'article s'articule de la maniere suivante : 1- Introduction, 2- Sources, 3- Approches et methodes, 4- points particuliers : les origines, la grammaire et les grammairiens avant Sibawayhi, les Ecoles de Basra, Kufa, Baghdad, les termes techniques, les evolutions de la grammaire, la grammaire en general 5- Conclusion
Tests of a Theory of Human Image Understanding: Part I the Perception of Colored and Partial Objects

Object recognition can be conceptualized as a process in which the perceptual input is successfully matched with a stored representation of the object. A theory of pattern recognition, Recognition by Components(RBC) assumes that objects are represented as simple volumetric primatives (e.g., bricks, cylinders, etc.) in specifed relations to each other. According to RBC, speeded recognition should be possible from only a few components, as long as those components uniquely identify an object. Neither the full complement of an object's components, nor the object's surface characteristics (e.g., color and texture) need be present for rapid identification. The results from two experiments on the perception of briefly presented objects are offered for supporting the sufficiency of the theory. Line drawings are identified about as rapidly and as accurately as full color slides. Partial objects could be rapidly (though not optimally) identified. Complex objects are more readily identified than simple objects.
Relation of Cotton Protein and Tannin to Methyl Parathion Treatment and Cigarette Beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) Growth on Foliage

Foliar protein concentration and number of cigarette beetles (CB), Lasioderma Serricorne (F.), reared from dried cotton foliage, Gossypium hirsutum L., decreased as the plant matured. Foliage from plants treated with recommended field rates of methyl parathion (MP) supported slightly higher CB numbers than controls. A model, y = a - b\*exp(-c\*x) , was used to show the relation between decreases in insect numbers and plant protein content. MP-treated field plants had a slightly higher foliar protein concentration. Foliar tannin concentration in field plants was slightly decreased by exposure to a MP treatment. Greenhouse studies showed that percentage protein was slightly higher in MP-treated plants at the end of the test period. Foliar tannin concentration was decreased in greenhouse plants treated one, two, and three times with MP at recommended field rates. Cotton plants treated with three MP doses had tannin levels lower than those of controls on all sample dates. Capacity of cotton foliage to support higher CB numbers was related to plant exposure to MP and enhanced host-plant suitability associated with elevated nutritional protein levels and decreased detrimental tannin levels.
Performance of Cement-Basedseal Systemcomponents Inawaste Disposal Environment

A grout based on portland cement, Class F fly ash, and bentonite clay was developed as part of the closure system of shallow subsurface structures for disposal of low-activity radioactive wastes. Heat output, volume change, and compressive strength of the sealing grout were monitored with time, at elevated temperature, and in physical models, to determine if this closure grout could maintain adequate volume stability and other required physical properties in the internal environment of the disposal structure. To determine if contact with an alkaline liquid waste would cause chemical deterioration of the sealing grout, cured specimens were immersed in a liquid waste simulant containing high concentrations of sodium and aluminum salts. Over a period of 21 days at 60 °C, specimens increased in mass without significant changes in volume. X-ray diffraction of reacted specimens revealed crystallization of sodium aluminum silicate hydrate. The new phase has an X-ray diffraction pattern similar to that of the commercial syntheticzeolite, Losod. Scanning electron microscopy used with X-ray fluorescence showed that clusters of this phase had formed in grout pores, to increase grout density and decrease its effective porosity. The testing was repeated at 100 °C for 5 days using a simulant containing sodium hydroxide and aluminum nitrate and the results were similar. Physical and chemical tests collectively indicate acceptable performance of this grout as a seal-system component.
Cyclic peptide-selenium nanoparticles as drug transporters

A cyclic peptide composed of five tryptophan, four arginine, and one cysteine [W5R4C] was synthesized. The peptide was evaluated for generating cyclic peptide-capped selenium nanoparticles (CP–SeNPs) in situ. A physical mixing of the cyclic peptide with SeO3–2 solution in water generated [W5R4C]–SeNPs via the combination of reducing and capping properties of amino acids in the peptide structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that [W5R4C]–SeNPs were in the size range of 110–150 nm. Flow cytometry data revealed that a fluorescence-labeled phosphopeptide (F′-PEpYLGLD, where F′ = fluorescein) and an anticancer drug (F′-dasatinib) exhibited approximately 25- and 9-times higher cellular uptake in the presence of [W5R4C]–SeNPs than those of F′-PEpYLGLD and dasatinib alone in human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) cells after 2 h of incubation, respectively. Confocal microscopy also exhibited higher cellular delivery of F′-PEpYLGLD and F′-dasatinib in the presence of [W5R4C]–SeNPs compared to the parent...
Differential requirements for the Ets transcription factor Elf-1 in the development of NKT cells and NK cells

E26 Transformation specific (Ets) family transcription factors control the expression of a large number of genes regulating hematopoietic cell development and function. Two such transcription factors, Ets-1 and myeloid Elf-1–like factor (MEF), have been shown to play critical roles in both natural killer (NK)– and NKT-cell development, but not in the development of conventional T cells. In this study, we address the role of E74-like factor 1 (Elf-1), another Ets family transcription factor that is closely related to MEF but divergent from Ets-1, in NK- and NKT-cell development using Elf-1–deficient (Elf-1−/−) mice. Whereas the proportion of NK cells in Elf-1−/− mice was normal, the proportion of NKT cells was significantly reduced in the thymus and periphery of Elf-1−/− mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Although Ets-1–deficient mice lack NKT cells altogether, Elf-1−/− mice exhibited only a partial block in NKT-cell development caused by a cell-intrinsic defect in the selection, survival, and maturation of NKT cells. In addition, residual NKT cells found in Elf-1−/− mice produced less cytokine upon antigen stimulation compared with WT NKT cells. Our data demonstrate that Elf-1 plays an important and nonredundant role in the development and function of NKT cells, but is not involved in NK-cell development.
Pathobiology of Osteolytic and Osteoblastic Bone Metastases

Some of the most common cancer types have a propensity to metastasize to bone. When cancer metastasizes to bone, it causes osteolysis and abnormal new bone formation. The phenotypes of deregulated bone resorption and new bone formation are the two extremes of the spectrum, but bone metastases are usually heterogeneous and patients will present with both osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions at the histologic examination. The molecular basis of this preferential growth of cancer cells in the bone microenvironment has been an area of active investigation. Although the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain to be elucidated, it is now being recognized that the unique characteristics of the bone niche provide homing signals to cancer cells and create a microenvironment conducive for the cancer cells to colonize. Concomitantly, cancer cells release several regulatory factors that result in abnormal bone destruction and/or formation. This complex bidirectional interplay between tumor cells and bone microenvironment establishes a “vicious cycle” that leads to a selective growth advantage for the cancer cells. The molecular insights gained on the underpinnings of bone metastasis in recent years have also provided us with paths to design innovative approaches for therapeutic intervention.
Probing the Surface Structural Rearrangement of Hydrogels by Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

Cross-linked poly(2-hydroxyethyl)methacrylate (polyHEMA), a widely used biomedical material, was chosen for this study since it has been extensively studied with respect to interfacial phenomena. The SFG spectrum of the surface of hydrated polyHEMA was recorded under water. After removal from water, the material was again analyzed by SFG in air during which time ({approximately} 15 min) the water began to evaporate from the hydrogel. Finally, the material was dried extensively, and the SFG spectrum of the dehydrated sample was recorded in air. The dynamic behavior of polymer surfaces has drawn significant recent attention, particularly in the field of biomedical materials. Theoretical and experimental studies have shown that the surface properties of most polymers change in accordance with the nature of the surrounding medium, the thermodynamic driving force for the restructuring being minimization of interfacial free energy.
Complications and Mortality Following 1 to 2 Level Lumbar Fusion Surgery in Patients Above 80 Years of Age.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective database review. OBJECTIVE To determine the 90-day complication rate and 90-day and 1-year mortality in patients 80 years of age and older who were treated with posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion surgery and to compare these rates against those of elderly patients ages 65 to 79. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Patients over 80 years of age specifically represent a substantial proportion of the US population, with over 11 million such individuals in 2010. Few studies have comprehensively assessed the morbidity associated with spinal fusion surgery in patients older than 80 years. METHODS The PearlDiver database (2005-2012) was utilized to determine morbidity and mortality rates after posterolateral lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion surgery of 2-3 vertebrae. Patients 65 to 79 (72,547) and ≥80-year old (12,187) were selected. Charlson comorbidity index scores were analyzed and compared, as were various comorbid conditions 90-day complication rates and mortality at 90-days and 1 year compared between cohorts. RESULTS The ≥80 year cohort had a higher average Charlson Comorbidity Index score than the 65 to 79 year cohort (7.99 vs. 6.54, P <0.0001). The proportion of patients experiencing at least one major complication was relatively increased by 45.6% in patients ≥80 year (13.87 vs. 9.52%; OR 1.53 95% CI 1.44 - 1.62 P <0.0001). Ninety-day (0.30 vs. 0.09%; OR: 3.50, 95% confidence interval: 2.33-5.26, P <0.0001) and 1-year (0.48 vs. 0.18%; OR: 2.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.90-3.52, P <0.0001) mortality were significantly higher in the ≥80 year cohort compared with the 65 to 79-year-old control group. CONCLUSION Patients 80 years of age or older have significantly greater rates of major medical complication and mortality following 1 to 2 level lumbar spinal posterolateral fusion surgery compared with patients 65 to 79 years of age. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Rotation/Torsion Coupling in H5+, D5+, H4D+, and HD4+ Using Diffusion Monte Carlo

Two methods for studying the rotation/torsion coupling in H5+ are described. The first involves a fixed-node treatment in which the nodal surfaces are obtained from a reduced dimensional calculation in which only the rotations of the outer H2 groups are considered. In the second, the torsion and rotation dependence of the wave function is described in state space, and the other internal coordinates are described in configuration space. Such treatments are necessary for molecules, like H5+, where there is a very low-energy barrier to internal rotation. The results of the two approaches are found to be in good agreement with previously reported energies for J = 0. The diffusion Monte Carlo treatment allows us to extend the calculations to low J, and results are reported for the three lowest energy torsion excited states with J ≤ 3. For the level of rotational and vibrational excitation investigated, only modest changes in the vibrational wave functions are found. The effects of deuteration are also investig...
Assessment of kinetic modeling quality of fit by cluster analysis of residuals: Application to direct reconstruction of cardiac PET data

Direct reconstruction algorithms for PET are capable of producing lower variance parametric images than those from the traditional frame-based approach. However, if the selected kinetic model is not appropriate for all voxels in the field-of-view, structured residuals from poor model fits can propagate bias into neighboring regions where the model is accurate. We previously proposed a direct reconstruction algorithm for cardiac PET that fits the kinetic model only at voxels in a pre-specified mask, and uses cubic B-splines elsewhere. Here we present an automated approach to generate this mask, based on k-means clustering of the residuals from a frame-based fit. In this application, the cluster-based mask allowed the kinetic model to be fit to many more voxels than those defined by a manually drawn myocardium region. However, the resulting parameter estimates had comparable agreement with frame-based estimates as those generated using the more restrictive mask. The hybrid method with either the manually defined or cluster-based mask was in better agreement with the frame-based method than a direct reconstruction using the kinetic model in all voxels, suggesting that the hybrid method with a cluster-based mask can reduce bias from error propagation of non-model fits.
Thermodynamic analysis of a simple Organic Rankine Cycle

Abstract Thermodynamic performance (thermal efficiency and net power output) of a simple subcritical and supercritical Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) was analyzed over a range of operating conditions for a number of working fluids to determine the effect of operating parameters on cycle performance and select the best working fluid. The results show that for an ORC operating with a dry working fluid, thermal efficiency decreases with an increase in the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) due to the convergence of the isobaric lines with temperature. The results also show that efficiency of an ORC operating with isentropic working fluids is higher compared to the dry and wet fluids, and working fluids with higher specific heat capacity provide higher cycle net power output. New expressions for thermal efficiency of a subcritical and supercritical simple ORC are proposed. For a subcritical ORC without the superheat, thermal efficiency is expressed as a function of the Figure of Merit (FOM), while for the superheated subcritical ORC thermal efficiency is given in terms of the modified Jacob number. For the supercritical ORC, thermal efficiency is expressed as a function of dimensionless temperature.
In search of the ‘impenetrable’ volume of a molecule in a noncovalent complex

ABSTRACTWe propose to characterise the “impenetrable” volumes of molecules A and B in a complex A---B by finding that contour of its electronic density that separates the molecular surfaces of A and B but leaves them almost touching. The volume of the complex within that contour is always less than within the 0.001 au contour. The percent difference measures the interpenetration of the two molecules at equilibrium, and is found to directly correlate with the binding energy of the complex. We interpret the volume of each molecule that is enclosed by the almost-touching contour as that molecule's impenetrable volume relative to its particular partner. The percents by which the molecules' relative impenetrable volumes differ from their 0.001 au volumes in the free states also correlate with the strengths of the interactions. This allows the “absolute” impenetrable volume of any molecule to be estimated as ∼25% of its 0.001 au volume in the free state. However this absolute impenetrable volume is only approac...
Abstract 1567: Oncogenesis may result from multiple different combinations of a small number of tumorigenic mutations

Cancer is known to result from genetic mutations, both inherited and somatic. Yet, decades of investigation and the availability of extensive genomic data, have failed to reveal the specific mutations that directly result in tumorigenesis for most cancers. One possible reason is that tumorigenesis may result from one or more of multiple different combinations of mutations, while investigators generally search for a single set of mutations. A mathematical model of the probability of “hitting” one of many possible combinations of a small number of mutations was compared to the actual distribution of accumulated mutations at diagnosis as reported on the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). This “multi-combination multi-hit” model reproduces the distribution of accumulated mutations from the TCGA database with surprising accuracy (RMSD = 1.5%) for a model where one or more of 100 different possible combinations of three mutations result in tumorigenesis. We speculate that each of the three mutations affects one of the several genes in three distinct cell proliferation control pathways, such as senescence, apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis, and different combinations of mutations affecting three of these pathways may result in tumorigenesis. We have identified several such combinations for further investigation. Citation Format: Ramu Anandakrishnan, Robin Varghese, Nick Kinney, Harold R. Garner. Oncogenesis may result from multiple different combinations of a small number of tumorigenic mutations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1567. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1567
P4.78 Using a systems approach to design higher-impact interventions: illustrating levels of leverage for reducing concurrency-linked sexually transmitted infections in african amercian adolescents from disadvantaged communities

Introduction High sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among African American adolescents living in disadvantaged communities represent a complex public health problem that has remained unsolved despite the efforts of governments (both state and federal) and communities. Systems thinking is an approach that can give new insight into why previous attempts to tackle this problem have failed and how to design more impactful and sustainable interventions in the future. In this paper, we introduce a system dynamics framework that describes increasingly impactful levels of leverage that public health actions might target to reduce incidence of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in disadvantaged communities. Then, we use the levels of leverage framework to describe why previous interventions to reduce high STI rates among African American adolescents from disadvantaged communities have had minimal success as well as to suggest some interventions that are likely to have a higher impact. We propose several previously overlooked targets for interventions that are aligned with existing feedback loops affecting STI outcomes, and provide substantial opportunities for creating long-lasting reductions in STI rates. .
The impact of print orientation and raster pattern on fracture toughness in additively manufactured ABS

Abstract Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has been gaining industrial interest due to its potential to simplify and lower the cost of complex manufacturing. To better understand the mechanical response of these materials—due to potential integration of FDM parts into structural components—compact tension samples of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) were printed in three orthogonal orientations to analyze how the fracture toughness varied with mesostructure. Furthermore, in each of these orientations the raster pattern was either an alternating +45/−45° or a 0/90° pattern. When the alignment of extruded filament layers changed from parallel to perpendicular with respect to the crack plane, a 54% increase in fracture toughness was observed. However, the raster pattern only had a significant effect in one of the print orientations; the fracture toughness decreased by 11% when a 0/90° pattern was used in place of a +45/−45° pattern in layers oriented perpendicularly to the crack plane. The orientation of individual tracks of deposited material with respect to the crack tip appeared to have the most pronounced role in altering the fracture toughness of FDM ABS. This research provides useful information and insight to future designers determining how processing affects the crack stability of these new materials used for space hardware
AnonML: Locally Private Machine Learning over a Network of Peers

We present AnonML, a system for privacy-preserving model generation over a network of peers. Our goal is to allow a group of users to combine enough data to generate useful machine learning models without revealing private information. In our setting, each peer has a single row of featurized data according to a shared schema, and an aggregator would like to train a binary classification model on the union of all peers' data. Our system horizontally and vertically partitions the set of all peers' data and assembles a differentially-private histogram for each partition. An ensemble classifier can then be trained on the set of noisy partitions. AnonML can be used with or without differentially private data perturbation. Without perturbation, the resulting classifiers achieve performance competitive with centrally-generated models. With local differential privacy, a strong theoretical guarantee, AnonML is capable of producing useful models for practical prediction problems.
Biology and Treatment of Basal-Like Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers identified among women worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease, with each sub-disease displaying unique clinical and histopathologic characteristics. Based on genomic analysis and gene expression profiling, breast cancer has been classified into several distinct subgroups. Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers can be treated with antiestrogen drugs such as tamoxifen, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancers can be treated with HER2-targeted drugs such as trastuzumab. Because of the low expression of ER and HER2, patients with basal-like breast cancer cannot benefit from these targeted therapies. Thus, to identify and validate pivotal theranostic biomarkers for basal-like breast cancer is of paramount importance. This chapter describes the molecular and histological features of basal-like breast cancer as well as the differences between basal-like breast cancer and the other breast cancer subtypes. It presents current progress in identifying the biomarkers for basal-like breast cancer. It concludes with a description of the current therapeutic strategies to treat basal-like breast cancer and argues that inhibition of basal-like tumor-associated signaling pathways, in conjunction with standard therapies, may enhance the treatment efficacy.
Synaptic Organization in the Thalamus

Nissl (1889), in his initial abstract on the rabbit thalamus, remarked that the nerve cells of one thalamic nucleus often differed greatly in size from those in other nuclei but he made no comment about different classes of neurons within individual nuclei. By 1896, however, von Kolliker had identified three forms of Golgi-impregnated cells in the thalami of cats and rabbits (Fig. 4.1). One cell form, which he termed Buschzell, was found throughout the dorsal thalamus. It was of relatively large size with many short radiating dendrites, sometimes adopting a bitufted form, later recognized by many authors. A second large type or Strahlenull he observed only in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and in what may have been the reticular nucleus. It was more starlike with relatively few long dendrites, studded with protrusions. From Strahlenzellen, unlike from Buschzellen, he could trace axons, von Kolliker gives priority to Marchi for first describing these cells. The third cell type of von Kolliker was described in the thalami of newborn mice. It was small with dendrites of variable length, often beaded and covered in protrusions. Its axon could be traced for only a short distance but it was seen to give off collateral branches.
Antibodies Used to Identify Infectious Diseases

There are antibodies directed against herpes virus proteins. Early efforts produced antibodies with extensive cross-reactivity between subtypes of herpes virus and with varicella viruses. In recent years, more specific antibodies directed against specific members of this virus family have been developed.
Inference in sensor networks: graphical models and particle methods

Sensor networks have quickly risen in importance over the last several years to become an active field of research, full of difficult problems and applications. At the same time, graphical models have shown themselves to be an extremely useful formalism for describing the underlying statistical structure of problems for sensor networks. In part, this is due to a number of efficient methods for solving inference problems defined on graphical models, but even more important is the fact that many of these methods (such as belief propagation) can be interpreted as a set of message passing operations, for which it is not difficult to describe a simple, distributed architecture in which each sensor performs local processing and fusion of information, and passes messages locally among neighboring sensors. At the same time, many of the tasks which are most important in sensor networks are characterized by such features as complex uncertainty and nonlinear observation processes. Particle filtering is one common technique for dealing with inference under these conditions in certain types of sequential problems, such as tracking of mobile objects. However, many sensor network applications do not have the necessary structure to apply particle filtering, and even when they do there are subtleties which arise due to the nature of a distributed inference process performed on a system with limited resources (such as power, bandwidth, and so forth). This thesis explores how the ideas of graphical models and sample based representations of uncertainty such as are used in particle filtering can be applied to problems defined for sensor networks, in which we must consider the impact of resource limitations on our algorithms. In particular, we explore three related themes. We begin by describing how sample-based representations can be applied to solve inference problems defined on general graphical models. Limited communications, the primary restriction in most practical sensor networks, means that the messages which are passed in the inference process must be approximated in some way. Our second theme explores the consequences of such message approximations, and leads to results with implications both for distributed systems and the use of belief propagation more generally. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.) (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Inverse problem calculations for multigroup diffusion theory

Direct and adjoint plane geometry diffusion solutions are combined to provide an inverse method for determining multigroup cross sections and diffusion coefficients; for the equations to work, one group constant for each group must be known. The equations are linear and independent of the slab thickness and require that only the fluxes on the boundaries be measured for a set of experiments with known ingoing currents. The accuracy of the method has been numerically checked using analytical solutions. Another application of the method is to determine the relative concentration of one or more isotopes in a mixture of isotopes whose microscopic cross sections are known.
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia in Free Ranging Woodchucks, Marmota monax

Abstract Multichannel temperature and ECG biotelemetry transmitters were surgically placed in the abdominal cavity of two mature woodchucks, Marmota monax. Following recovery they were released on a 7.6 ha wooded island on Lake Tenkiller in eastern Oklahoma (Cherokee County). Telemetry data were recorded in the field by a magnetic recorder; the record was demodulated in the laboratory and heart rate was counted. Respiration appeared as amplitude modulation of the QRS wave. Of 343 two minute records, 32 showed a marked cardio-respiratory synchrony with heart rate dropping about 50 percent between breaths and accelerating with each inhalation. Heart rate values for a 3.1 kg male woodchuck went from 71 beats per minute (bpm) between breaths to 135 bpm after inhalation and from 87 bpm to 160 bpm for a 2.2 kg female. This is the first report of cardio-respiratory synchrony for a free ranging mammal. The adaptive significance remains to be elucidated but may be related to obligate exposure to hypoxia of these fossorial mammals.
Syntactic Binding Relations in Inuit

In the preceding chapters, the s-structure representations which I propose for Inuit have been shown to account for the agreement facts, structural Case assignment, and a variety of semantic phenomena. In addition to that, the same representations are predicted to determine the syntactic binding relations in the language. Some of the relevant binding-theoretic evidence, which also supports the proposed s-structure representations, has already been discussed in section 8 of chapter 1 and in chapter 2.
Learning Personalized Product Recommendations with Customer Disengagement

Problem definition: We study personalized product recommendations on platforms when customers have unknown preferences. Importantly, customers may disengage when offered poor recommendations. Academic / Practical Relevance: Online platforms often personalize product recommendations using bandit algorithms, which balance an exploration-exploitation tradeoff. However, customer disengagement—a salient feature of platforms in practice—introduces a novel challenge, since exploration may cause customers to abandon the platform. We propose a novel algorithm that constrains exploration to improve performance. Methodology: We present evidence of customer disengagement using data from a major airline’s ad campaign; this motivates our model of disengagement, where a customer may abandon the platform when offered irrelevant recommendations. We formulate the customer preference learning problem as a linear bandit, with the notable difference that the customer’s horizon length is a function of past recommendations. Results: We prove that no algorithm can keep all customers engaged. Unfortunately, classical bandit algorithms provably over-explore, causing every customer to eventually disengage. Motivated by the structural properties of the optimal policy in a scalar instance of our problem, we propose modifying bandit learning strategies by constraining the action space upfront using an integer program. We prove that this simple modification allows our algorithm to perform well by keeping a significant fraction of customers engaged. Managerial Implications: Platforms should be careful to avoid over-exploration when learning customer preferences if customers have a high propensity for disengagement. Numerical experiments on movie recommendations data demonstrate that our algorithm can significantly improve customer engagement.
Advances in optical gyroscopes

This review summarizes the status of three current efforts to develop optical gyroscopes with improved performance over state-of-the-art fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) in terms of accuracy, size, and/or cost. The first approach consists in replacing the temporally incoherent Er-doped fiber source used in FOGs withy a low-coherence laser whose linewidth is broadened to tens of GHz by an external phase modulator driven by noise. A FOG with a 3.24-km coil interrogated by such a source has recently produced a noise and a drift approaching strategic-grade performance, and exhibits a source mean-wavelength stability below 1 ppm. The second approach is the use of a hollow-core fiber (HCF) in the sensing coil of a FOG to reduce thermal drift. A FOG utilizing 250 m of polarization-maintaining HCF and interrogated with a broadened laser is shown to exhibit a noise of 0.135 deg/√h limited by backscattering arising from surface modes in the fiber, and a drift of 1.2 deg/h dominated by polarization coupling. The third investigation is an optical gyroscope made of two coupled ring resonators, one exhibiting loss and the other one gain, operated at or near an exceptional point. Time-domain simulations predict that when operated below threshold and interrogated with a conventional biasing and read-out scheme, this gyroscope exhibits a rotation sensitivity at least 170 times larger than an optimized single-ring resonator with the same radius (5 mm) and loss (0.5 dB). Such systems have a great potential for producing a new generation of gyroscopes with significantly smaller footprints than FOGs.