cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MDD propagation for sequence constraints

We study propagation for the Sequence constraint in the context of constraint programming based on limited-width MDDs. Our first contribution is proving that establishing MDD-consistency for Sequence is NP-hard. Yet, we also show that this task is fixed parameter tractable with respect to the length of the sub-sequences. In addition, we propose a partial filtering algorithm that relies on a specific decomposition of the constraint and a novel extension of MDD filtering to node domains. We experimentally evaluate the performance of our proposed filtering algorithm, and demonstrate that the strength of the MDD propagation increases as the maximum width is increased. In particular, MDD propagation can outperform conventional domain propagation for Sequence by reducing the search tree size and solving time by several orders of magnitude. Similar improvements are observed with respect to the current best MDD approach that applies the decomposition of Sequence into Among constraints.
Monitoring Treatment Integrity: An Alternative to the ‘Consult and Hope’ Strategy in School-Based Behavioural Consultation

An international trend in school psychology services is a shift from an emphasis on assessment-based activities to a paradigm of consultation problem-solving and behavioural intervention. As the profession experiences an expansion of roles and functions, school psychologists should have an understanding of a critical aspect of behaviour change: treatment integrity (Gresham, 1989). Treatment integrity (or fidelity) refers to the extent to which an intervention is implemented as intended (or planned). This article describes the construct of treatment integrity as it relates to the implementation of consultation-derived behaviour intervention plans. Practical approaches for assessing and monitoring the integrity of treatments are presented. A treatment-monitoring interview (TMI) is proposed as an initial step towards developing a technology to assess and facilitate treatment integrity in school-based behavioural consultation practice. Limitations, implications for practice and future research directions are ...
Candida Osteomyelitis and Diskitis after Spinal Surgery: An Outbreak That Implicates Artificial Nail Use

Postoperative wound infection after laminectomy is uncommon. In February 1997, 3 patients were confirmed to have postlaminectomy deep wound infections due to Candida albicans. No similar case had been seen during the previous 10 years. The infections were indolent, with a mean time from initial operation to diagnosis of 54 days (range, 26-83 days). All patients were successfully treated. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed the Candida isolates to be identical. A case-controlled study and medical record review revealed that a single operating room technician scrubbed on all 3 infected case patients but on only 32% of the uninfected controls. The technician had worn artificial nails for a 3-month period that included the dates of laminectomy site infections, and C. albicans was isolated from her throat. She was treated with fluconazole and removed from duty. No subsequent cases have occurred during the ensuing 3 years. Artificial nails are known to promote subungual growth of gram-negative bacilli and yeast. This may be clinically relevant, and hospitals should enforce policies to prevent operating room personnel from wearing artificial nails.
ENTERIC TEARS : CHLORIDE SECRETION AND ITS NEURAL REGULATION

Neural reflex circuits within the submucosal plexus and axon reflexes via extrinsic primary afferents control chloride secretion by intestinal epithelial cells. The regulation of chloride secretion is a complex interplay between excitatory and inhibitory influences from neurotransmitters and chemical messengers released from epithelial, endocrine, and immune cells.
Is brimonidine ophthalmic a safe therapy for infants

Brimonidine is a topical alpha-2 agonist commonly used in the treatment of glaucoma. Brimonidine toxicity resembles that of clonidine overdose and is probably due to both imidazoline and alpha-2 adrenergic receptor effects. We report a case of a 6-week-old infant with congenital glaucoma who developed bradycardia and hypotension following the administration of brimonidine 0.15% ophthalmic solution. There are occasional reports of brimonidine toxicity in the paediatric population but its overall safety profile in children<2 years of age remains uncertain. Brimonidine is not dosed by weight and therefore paediatric patients may be at increased risk for systemic toxicity. It is recommended that the use of this medication be carefully considered in children<2 years of age. Physicians should be aware of its side effect profile because of its general use in the paediatric population.
Mathematical modelling of diffusion and reaction in blocked zeolite catalysts

A mathematical model for diffusion and reaction in blocked zeolites is developed which takes into account nonidealities arising from interaction between sorbed molecules as well as the effect of pore and surface blocking. The model combines a microscopic approach, in which expressions for chemical potential and diffusive fluxes are calculated within the lattice-gas framework, with the more traditional continuum approach which takes into account the effect of surface blocking. The effect of pore blocking on the diffusive fluxes in accounted for through an effective medium approximation. The effects of crystal size and blocking on the activity-selectivity characteristics of the crystal are illustrated through an example that is qualitatively similar to industrially important reactions such as alkylation of toluene in blocked ZSM-5 zeolite.
Pressure Induced Phase Transformations in Silica

Silica, SiO2, is one of the most widely studied substance because of its complex and unusual properties. We have used a recently developed 2-body interaction force field {xc[1]} to study the structural phase transformations in silica under various pressure loading conditions. The specific transformations we studied are the α-quartz to stishovite, coesite to stishovite and fused glass to a dominantly six-coordinated dense glassy phase. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed under constant loading rates ranging from 0.1 GPa/ps to 1.0 GPa/ps, with final pressures upto 100 GPa and at temperatures of 300, 500, and 700 K. We observe the crystal to crystal transformations to occur reconstructively, whereas it occurs in a smooth and displacive manner from glass to a stishovite-like phase confirming earlier conjectures.{xc[2]} We studied the dependence of transition pressure on the loading rate and the temperature to elucidate the shock loading experiments. We also studied the unloading behavior of each transformation to assess the hysterisis effect.
Mediator reflections on practice: Connecting select demographics and preferred orientations

This article uses several indicators of a mediator's orientation: (1) his or her goals, (2) focus on the process of mediation, (3) perceptions of personal strengths, (4) the signals that tell him or her that a mediation is working, and (5) his or her preferred outcome. We examine how select demographic and practice characteristics—sex, experience as a mediator, professional background, and organizational context—relate to orientations. The characteristics of sex and professional background significantly modify the general pattern in ways that confirm assumptions common in the literatures on negotiation and mediation.
Per-Tone Equalizer Design and Analysis of Filtered Multitone Communication Systems over Time-Varying Frequency-Selective Channels

Although orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication systems that use inverse discrete Fourier (IDFT) for multicarrier modulation and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) for demodulation are dominantly adopted in the current broadband standards, there have been some reports in recent years that discuss the shortcomings of OFDM in highly mobile and/or multiple access environments. To resolve these problem, a number of authors have proposed a shift from OFDM to filterbank-based multicarrier techniques. This paper is also along the same line. We present a thorough study of filtered multitone (FMT)in time-varying frequency selective channels. We derive close-form equations for the optimum parameters of per tone fractionally spaced equalizers and also signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and use these to evaluate FMT in typical wireless mobile environments.
An unexpected role of neuroligin-2 in regulating KCC2 and GABA functional switch

GABAA receptors are ligand-gated Cl- channels, and the intracellular Cl- concentration governs whether GABA function is excitatory or inhibitory. During early brain development, GABA undergoes functional switch from excitation to inhibition: GABA depolarizes immature neurons but hyperpolarizes mature neurons due to a developmental decrease of intracellular Cl- concentration. This GABA functional switch is mainly mediated by the up-regulation of KCC2, a potassium-chloride cotransporter that pumps Cl- outside neurons. However, the upstream factor that regulates KCC2 expression is unclear. We report here that KCC2 is unexpectedly regulated by neuroligin-2 (NL2), a cell adhesion molecule specifically localized at GABAergic synapses. The expression of NL2 precedes that of KCC2 in early postnatal development. Upon knockdown of NL2, the expression level of KCC2 is significantly decreased, and GABA functional switch is significantly delayed during early development. Overexpression of shRNA-proof NL2 rescues both KCC2 reduction and delayed GABA functional switch induced by NL2 shRNAs. Moreover, NL2 appears to be required to maintain GABA inhibitory function even in mature neurons, because knockdown NL2 reverses GABA action to excitatory. Gramicidin-perforated patch clamp recordings confirm that NL2 directly regulates the GABA equilibrium potential. We further demonstrate that knockdown of NL2 decreases dendritic spines through down-regulating KCC2. Our data suggest that in addition to its conventional role as a cell adhesion molecule to regulate GABAergic synaptogenesis, NL2 also regulates KCC2 to modulate GABA functional switch and even glutamatergic synapses. Therefore, NL2 may serve as a master regulator in balancing excitation and inhibition in the brain.
Generating a plane wave with a linear array of line sources

Creating a plane wave across an antenna under test is important for accurate antenna measurements. This paper optimizes the location and weightings of an array of line sources in order to approximate a plane wave at a given location in space. The amplitude and phase ripples across a desired test aperture are optimized to be much less than that of a uniform array with the same number of elements. Results are presented for a nine-element array with optimized amplitude and phase weights, with optimized weights and spacing in the x-direction, and with optimized weights and spacing in the x and z directions. The optimized approximate plane wave is a significant improvement over a uniform array or a single line source.
A totally recombinant human fibrin sealant

Abstract Background Applications of plasma-derived human fibrin sealants (pdhFS) have been limited because of cost, limited supply of pathogen-screened plasma, the need for bioengineering improvements, and regulatory issues associated with federal approval. We describe a totally recombinant human fibrin sealant (rhFS), which may engender an abundant, safe, and cost-effective supply of efficacious fibrin sealant. Materials and methods A first-generation rhFS made from recombinant human fibrinogen (rhFI; produced in the milk of transgenic cows), activated recombinant human factor XIII (rhFXIIIa; produced in yeast), and recombinant human thrombin (rhFIIa; purchased, made in animal cell culture) was formulated using thromboelastography (TEG). The hemostatic efficacy of rhFS versus commercial pdhFS was compared in a nonlethal porcine hepatic wedge excision model. Results The maximal clot strength of rhFS measured in vitro by TEG was not statistically different than that of pdhFS. TEG analysis also showed that the rhFS gained strength more quickly as reflected by a steeper α angle; however, the rhFS achieved this clot strength with a 5-fold lower factor I content than the pdhFS. When these fibrin sealants were studied in a porcine hepatic wedge excision model, the hemostatic scores of the rhFS were equivalent or better than that of the pdhFS. Conclusions The bioengineered rhFS had equivalent or better hemostatic efficacy than the pdhFS in a nonlethal hemorrhage model, despite the factor I concentration in the rhFS being about one-fifth that in the pdhFS. Because the rhFS is amenable to large-scale production, the rhFS has the potential to be more economical and abundant than the pdhFS, while having a decreased risk of blood-borne pathogen transmission.
Précis of Images of Mind.

This volume explores how functional brain imaging techniques like positron emission tomography have influenced cognitive studies. The first chapter outlines efforts to relate human thought and cognition in terms of great books from the late 1800s through the present. Chapter 2 describes mental operations as they are measured in cognitive science studies. It develops a framework for relating mental operations to activity in nerve cells. In Chapter 3, the PET method is reviewed and studies are presented that use PET to map the striate cortex and to activate extrastriate motion, color, and form areas. Chapter 4 shows how top down processes involving attention can lead to activation of these same areas in the detection of targets, visual search, and visual imagery. This chapter reveals complex networks of activations. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with the presentation of words. Chapter 5 illustrates PET studies of the anatomy of visual word processing and shows how the circuitry used for generating novel uses of words changes as the task becomes automated. Chapter 6 applies high density electrical recording to explore these activations in real time and to show how a constant anatomy can be reprogrammed by task instructions to produce and perform different cognitive tasks. Chapter 7 shows how studies of brain lesions and PET converge on common networks underlying attentional functions such as visual orienting, target detection, and maintenance of the alert state. Chapters 8 and 9 apply the network approach to examine normal development of attention in infants and pathological conditions resulting from brain damage, and psychiatric pathologies of depression, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder. In Chapter 10, new developments such as functional MRI are discussed in terms of future developments and integration of cognitive neuroscience.
Large cavity single layer quantum dot laser diodes

Large cavity, very low threshold single layer quantum dot laser diodes with threshold current density of 10 A/cm2, output power > 2 W, and very-low internal loss of 0.25 cm-1 are achieved at CW room-temperature. Mode-locked operation of a large cavity laser diode with 40 mum stripe width is demonstrated at 3.75 GHz repetition rate.
Cranial base and facial skeleton asymmetries in individuals with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Abstract Objective: Individuals with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) manifest a plethora of phenotypic characteristics, including asymmetric development of the middle and lower facial skeleton. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the development of cranial base asymmetries in patients with UCLP noted on posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs. Methods: Thirty individuals with UCLP and 64 controls participated in this study. Medial and lateral cranial base asymmetries were analyzed on frontal cephalometric radiographs relative to three developmental stages. Furthermore, the development of horizontal and vertical lower facial asymmetry in these patients with UCLP was assessed in relation to cranial base, nasomaxillary, and dentoalveolar structures. Results: Individuals with UCLP demonstrated cranial base asymmetries that did not significantly differ from individuals without cleft. In addition, lower facial asymmetry in patients with UCLP correlated with horizontal lower fac...
Office Diva

Office Diva is a simulation of a monstrous ego; whining and writhing as she obsesses over her life. We see her as a fiery homunculus or dripping rain cloud barely holding together. We hear her stream-of-consciousness rant, and it becomes clear that this is a disturbed mind trapped by its own solipsistic and unreal processing of daily events.
Length scale effects in finite strain micromorphic linear isotropic elasticity: finite element analysis of three-dimensional cubical microindentation

A three-dimensional finite strain micromorphic materially linear isotropic elastic model is formulated in two ways for finite element implementation: (i) direct finite strain elasticity; and (ii) rate form with semi-implicit time integration. The model is based upon the finite strain isotropic micromorphic elasticity model proposed by Eringen and Suhubi in 1964. For (i), the direct formulation, the constitutive equations are calculated in the reference configuration, and the resulting stresses are mapped to the current configuration. For (ii), the rate formulation, the constitutive equations are integrated in time in the current configuration using the Truesdell objective stress rates. After formulating the coupled weak form, the balance of linear momentum and the balance of first moment of momentum are linearized to construct the consistent tangent for solution by the Newton–Raphson method. Three-dimensional numerical examples are analysed to compare the two formulations (i) and (ii) for standard finite ...
Video Self-Modeling Interventions for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Implementing evidenced-based interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the educational setting is of utmost importance for their long-term success. Unfortunately, interventi...
Treatment of ununited fractures by onlay bone grafts without screw or tie fixation and without breaking down of the fibrous union.

1. Ununited fractures of the shaft in which the fragments are in acceptable position have been treated by the application of one or two large bone grafts to a denuded level surface of the cortex across the fracture site, without fixation of graft to fragments with screws or ties, and usually without removal of the fibrous intermediary callus. 2. The grafted bone is held in position by the periosteum and soft parts sutured tightly over it; the fragments are adequately fixed by the remaining callus and attached periosteum, and by the plaster dressing. 3. The graft becomes solidly attached to the fragments, the inteimediary callus ossifies, and bony union is established in a high proportion of cases, with a low incidence of infection. There has been no instance of fracture of the graft. 4. If there has been infection of the fracture which has already healed, it is possible to use this technique relatively soon after healing by placing the incision in healthy tissue away from tile scar and applying the graft across the fracture line on the opposite side of the shaft. In this way the period of disability may be shortened by several weeks or months. 5. The results of the operation demonstrate the falsity of the teaching that, in order to obtain hotly union of this type of fracture, it is necessary to remove the intermediary and medullary callus and to fix rigidly the graft to the fragments. 6. The operation is short, simple, and suitable for a majority of ununited fractures of the shaft. By this operation, the use of screws, plates, and wire is largely avoided.
SU-F-T-626: Intracranial SRS Re-Treatment Without Acquisition of New CT Images

Purpose: Linear accelerator based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for multiple intracranial lesions with frequent surveillance is becoming a popular treatment option. This strategy leads to retreatment with SRS as new lesions arise. Currently, each course of treatment uses magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) images for treatment planning. We propose that new MR images, with course 1 CT images, may be used for future treatment plans with negligible loss of dosimetric accuracy. Methods: Ten patients that received multiple courses of SRS were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment plans and contours from non-initial courses were copied to the initial CTs and recalculated. Doses metrics for the plans calculated on the initial CTs and later CTs were compared. All CT scans were acquired on a Philips CT scanner with a 600 mm field of view and 1 mm slice thickness (Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA). All targets were planned to 20 Gy and calculated in Eclipse V. 13.6 (Varian, Palo Alto, CA) using analytic anisotropic algorithm with 1 mm calculation grid. Results: Sixteen lesions were evaluated. The mean time between courses was 250 +/− 215 days (range 103–979). The mean target volume was 2.0 +/− 2.9 cc (range 0.1–10.1). The average difference in mean target dose between the two calculations was 0.2 +/− 0.3 Gy (range 0.0 – 1.0). The mean conformity index (CI) was 1.28 +/− 0.14 (range 1.07 – 1.82). The average difference in CI was 0.03 +/− 0.16 (range 0.00 – 0.44). Targets volumes < 0.5 cc showed the largest changes in both metrics. Conclusion: Continued treatment based on initial CT images is feasible. Dose calculation on the initial CT for future treatments provides reasonable dosimetric accuracy. Changes in dose metrics are largest for small volumes, and are likely dominated by partial volume effects in target definition.
Economics and Energy Utilization Aspects of the Application of Microwaves: A Tutorial Review

ABSTRACTThe objective of this paper is to present a logical and systematic analysis of the economic and energy utilization factors that should be reviewed when an organization decides to consider the use of microwave energy for industrial applications.This will be accomplished by first presenting background material concerning the adoption rate of microwave energy, an argument about energy consumption, and a discussion of industrial processes and industries using ?hese processes. The economic factors that should be reviewed are then introduced and finally a model is developed.
Tuberculosis transmission in nontraditional settings: A decision-tree approach

Background Tuberculosis (TB) transmission in nontraditional settings and relationships (non-TSR) often eludes detection by conventional contact investigation and is increasingly common. The U.S.-based National Tuberculosis Genotyping and Surveillance Network collected epidemiologic data and genotyping results of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from 1996 to 2000. Methods In 2003–2004, we determined the number and characteristics of TB patients in non-TSR that were involved in recent transmission, generated a decision tree to profile those patients, and performed a case-control study to identify predictors of being in non-TSR. Results Of 10,844 culture-positive reported TB cases that were genotyped, 4724 (43.6%) M. tuberculosis isolates were clustered with at least one other isolate. Among these, 520 (11%) had epidemiologic linkages discovered during conventional contact investigation or cluster investigation and confirmed by genotyping results. The decision tree identified race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white or black) as having the greatest predictive ability to determine patients in non-TSR, followed by being aged 15 to 24 years and having positive or unknown HIV infection status. From the 520, 85 (16.4%) had non-TSR, and 435 (83.6%) had traditional settings and relationships (TSR). In multivariate analyses, patients in non-TSR were significantly more likely than those in TSR to be non-Hispanic white (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.7–21.1]) or to have an M. tuberculosis isolate resistant to rifampin (aOR=5.2; 95% CI=1.5–17.7). Conclusions Decision-tree analyses can be used to enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of TB prevention and control activities in identifying patients in non-TSR.
Design of peripheral edema measurement device for home use

Due to improvements in cardiovascular care, more patients are living longer but ultimately developing heart failure. It is important for patients with chronic conditions, like heart failure, to self-manage and monitor their symptoms. One symptoms that can be indicative of worsening heart failure is peripheral edema. Therefore, we present a concept for a HeartSMART system capable of edema measurement in the home with remote connection to and feedback from providers. The goal of the system is to provide a tool for heart failure patients to manage their disease. The work presented herein describes the system design and preliminary testing using simulated edema models. The system uses displacement and force sensors and mimics the gold standard finger indentation performed by care providers. The results for the edema models (foam) show increasing displacement with edema severity.
Systematics of the Genus Palaeictops Matthew, 1899 (Mammalia: Leptictidae), with the Description of Two New Species from the Middle Eocene of Utah and Wyoming

ABSTRACT Palaeictops is a genus of Early Cenozoic Leptictidae, currently comprising six species known from Eocene faunas in the United States and Canada. Two new species, Palaeictops altimontis and P. robustus, are represented by nearly complete skulls and mandibles from the Tepee Trail (Middle Eocene) and Uinta (Middle Eocene) formations of Wyoming and Utah, respectively. They are similar to other species of Palaeictops in having a single sagittal crest, small suprameatal foramen, and an expanded cochlear fossula. Phylogenetic analysis recovered a monophyletic Palaeictops and a sister relationship of P. bicuspis and P. multicuspis with P. matthewi sister to this clade. The subfamily Leptictinae is herein recognized to comprise Blacktops, Leptictis, Megaleptictis, and Palaeictops. This group is distinctive in having a number of features that indicate a less sectorial cheektooth dentition than in the nonleptictine Prodiacodon and Myrmecoboides. The leptictines Palaeictops and Leptictis are also known from ...
Local Immigration Enforcement and Local Economies

We examine the impacts of a locally enforced immigration program—287(g)—on private employer reports to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Using contiguous‐county pairs to account for time‐varying local economic shocks, we identify impacts on immigrant‐intensive industries that are robust to prepolicy time trends, implementation timing, and the exclusion of pairs with large prepolicy differences. Reported employment was 4 percent higher in manufacturing, but 7–10 percent lower in administrative services. These results are consistent with adverse labor‐supply shocks, and, to a lesser extent, a decline in labor demand for locally produced goods and services.
The Metabolic Phenotype of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in men in the United States. Cancer metabolism has emerged as a contemporary topic of great interest for improved mechanistic understanding of tumorigenesis. Prostate cancer is a disease model of great interest from a metabolic perspective. Prostatic tissue exhibits unique metabolic activity under baseline conditions. Benign prostate cells accumulate zinc and this excess zinc inhibits citrate oxidation and metabolism within the citric acid cycle, effectively resulting in citrate production. Malignant cells, however, actively oxidize citrate and resume more typical citric acid cycle function. Of further interest, prostate cancer does not exhibit the Warburg effect, an increase in glucose uptake, seen in many other cancers. These cellular metabolic differences and others are of clinical interest as they present a variety of potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, understanding of the metabolic profile differences between benign prostate versus low and high-grade prostate cancers also represents an avenue to better understand cancer progression and potentially develop new diagnostic testing. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge on the metabolic phenotypes of prostate cancer.
Dynamics and limiting behavior of Julia sets of König's method for multiple roots

Abstract A well known result of J. Hubbard, D. Schleicher and S. Sutherland (see [27] ) shows that if f is a complex polynomial of degree d , then there is a finite set S d depending only on d such that, given any root α of f , there exists at least one point in S d converging under iterations of N f to α . Their proof depends heavily on the simply connectedness of the immediate basins of attraction of Newton's method. We show that for all order σ ≥ 2 , there exists a complex polynomial f such that the Julia set of Konig's method for multiple roots applied to it is disconnected. Consequently, our result establishes restrictions for extending the main result in [27] to higher order root-finding methods. As far as we know, there are no pictures of disconnected Julia sets for root finding algorithms applied to polynomials. Here we give a proof and provide pictures that illustrate such disconnectedness. We also show that the Fatou set of Konig's method for multiple roots converges to the Voronoi diagram under order of convergence growth, in the Hausdorff complementary metric.
Computing worst-case expectations given marginals via simulation

We study a direct Monte-Carlo-based approach for computing the worst-case expectation of two multidimensional random variables given a specification of their marginal distributions. This problem is motivated by several applications in risk quantification and statistics. We show that if one of the random variables takes finitely many values, a direct Monte Carlo approach allows to evaluate such worst case expectation with O(n-1/2) convergence rate as the number of Monte Carlo samples, n, increases to infinity.
Broadband absorption with gradient metasurfaces

A metasurface with appropriately designed transverse spatial inhomogeneities can provide the desired phase redistribution in response to an incident wave with arbitrary incident angle. This property of gradient metasurfaces has been used to modify light propagation in unusual manners, to transform the impinging optical wavefront with large flexibility. In this work, we show how gradient metasurfaces can be tailored to offer high absorption in thin absorptive layers, and how to design realistic metasurfaces for this purpose using dielectric materials.
Preference Learning and Optimization for Partial Lexicographic Preference Forests over Combinatorial Domains.

We study preference representation models based on partial lexicographic preference trees (PLP-trees). We propose to represent preference relations as forests of small PLP-trees (PLP-forests), and to use voting rules to aggregate orders represented by the individual trees into a single order to be taken as a model of the agent’s preference relation. We show that when learned from examples, PLP-forests have better accuracy than single PLP-trees. We also show that the choice of a voting rule does not have a major effect on the aggregated order, thus rendering the problem of selecting the “right” rule less critical. Next, for the proposed PLP-forest preference models, we develop methods to compute optimal and near-optimal outcomes, the tasks that appear difficult for some other common preference models. Lastly, we compare our models with those based on decision trees, which brings up questions for future research.
Quality and quantity of infant-directed speech by maternal caregivers predicts later speech-language outcomes in children with cochlear implants

Caregivers speaking to children often adjust segmental and suprasegmental qualities of their speech relative to adult-directed (AD) speech. The quality and quantity of infant-directed (ID) speech has been shown to support word learning and word segmentation by normal-hearing infants, but the extent to which children with cochlear implants (CIs) benefit linguistically from ID speech is unclear. The present study investigated the extent to which the quantity and quality of ID speech produced in the lab by each of 40 mothers to her child with a CI predicted the child’s speech-language outcome measures at two years post-implantation. Multiple measures of ID and AD speech for each mother were taken, including ID speech quantity in one minute, and several measures of ID speech quality, including fundamental frequency characteristics, speech rate, and the area of the vowel triangle formed by corner vowels in F1-F2 space. Forward stepwise regression showed that both quantity and quality of speech significantly predicted language outcomes measured by the Preschool Language Scales, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Reynell Developmental Language Scales. These results support the hypothesis that hearing more ID speech that has acoustic modifications typical of IDS promotes language proficiency in children with CIs.
Antenatal Hospital Utilization Among Women at Risk for Disability.

Abstract Background: Little is known about the effect of potentially disabling health conditions on healthcare utilization during pregnancy. Using hospital discharge data, we identified women at ri...
Structure and cell-free synthesis of alkane-1,2-diols of the uropygial gland of white crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys.

Abstract The major alkane-1,2-diols in the uropygial gland excretion of white crowned sparrow were identified to be C 16 and C 18 with smaller amounts of C 17 , C 15 and C 14 by subjecting their trimethylsilyl ethers to a combination of gas liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. A 16000 × g supernatant prepared from the gland catalyzed reduction of hydroxy fatty acids to the alkane-1,2-diols in the presence of ATP, CoA, NADH and NADPH. The product of reduction was identified by chromatographic techniques and by periodate cleavage and analysis of products.
Gamete Membrane Interactions

Fertilization takes place in a series of discrete steps (Fig. 1). The sperm actually interacts with the egg on three separate levels: first with the cumulus cells and the hyaluronic acid extracellular matrix (ECM) in which they are embedded, secondly with the egg’s own ECM, called the zona pellucida (ZP), and finally with the egg plasma membrane (Fig. 1). The binding of the sperm to specific ZP glycoproteins (ZP3 in the mouse) induces the sperm to undergo the “acrosome reaction” the exocytosis of the acrosome vesicle on the head of the sperm (1). The acrosome reaction allows the sperm to penetrate the ZP and exposes or modifies portions of the sperm membrane, including the inner acrosomal membrane and the equatorial segment (shown in Fig 1). These acrosome reaction-induced changes in the sperm are critical for fertilization success, as these modified regions of the sperm head participate in initial gamete membrane binding or subsequent sperm-egg membrane fusion (1–3). Thus, the acrosome reaction is a necessary prerequisite step for sperm-egg plasma membrane interactions to occur, as only acrosome-reacted sperm can bind and fuse with the egg plasma membrane (1).
Diet and Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis

The variation in human breast cancer incidence rates worldwide suggests that lifestyle factors, especially diet, influence breast cancer risk. There is convincing evidence that diets associated with rapid growth and greater adult height increase breast cancer risk. In addition, diet and other lifestyle factors which lead to high body mass, especially during postmenopausal years, also appear to increase risk. Several dietary components have been evaluated in epidemiological and animal studies for their role in breast cancer. Dietary fat was once implicated in the high incidence of breast cancer in the Western world, but its role in breast cancer is now controversial. In contrast, alcohol consumption is currently recognized as the best-established dietary risk factor in this disease. Carcinogens that cause mammary gland cancer in rats such as heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in cooked meat, but it is not yet known if these carcinogens are etiological factors in human breast cancer. Fruits and vegetables are rich in potential chemopreventive factors that may lower breast cancer risk. Practical approaches to dietary modification that include increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, eating a low fat diet, reducing cooked meat consumption, and avoiding alcohol are likely to be of potential overall benefit in lowering the risk of human breast cancer.
Effect of waste milk pasteurization on fecal shedding of Salmonella in preweaned calves.

ABSTRACT The objective of the current research was to determine if pasteurization of nonsaleable waste milk influences fecal Salmonella concentrations and prevalence, or antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype of the cultured isolates. Holstein dairy calves (n = 211) were housed on a single commercial dairy in the southwestern United States and randomly allotted to be fed either pasteurized (PWM; n = 128 calves) or nonpasteurized waste milk (NPWM; n = 83 calves). Fecal samples were collected via rectal palpation or from freshly voided, undisturbed fecal pats, weekly during the first 4 wk of the animal's life and then again at weaning. Eight total collections were made and 1,117 fecal samples cultured for Salmonella . One isolate from each culture-positive fecal sample was preserved for antimicrobial susceptibility screening and serotyping. Sixty-nine percent of the fecal samples were culture positive for Salmonella with no difference due to treatment (67.7 and 69% Salmonella positive for PWM and NPWM treatments, respectively). Few fecal samples (178/1,117; 15.9%) contained Salmonella concentrations above the limit of detection (∼1 cfu/g of feces) with concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 6.46 cfu (log 10 )/g of feces. Concentration was not affected by treatment. Seventeen different serotypes were identified, the majority of which were Montevideo and Anatum. A greater percentage of Typhimurium (87 vs. 13%), Muenchen (88 vs. 12%), and Derby (91 vs. 9%) were recovered from calves fed PWM compared with NPWM-fed calves. Conversely, Newport (12.5 vs. 86%), Bredeney (22.2 vs. 77.8%), and Muenster (12.5 vs. 87.5%) were lower in PWM compared with NPWM treatments. The majority (66.7%) of isolates were susceptible to all of the antibiotics examined. Results from this one commercial dairy suggest that milkborne Salmonella is not an important vector of transmission in dairy neonates, nor does pasteurization of waste milk influence fecal shedding of this pathogen. Caution should be used, however, when extrapolating results to other farms as Salmonella contamination of milk on farm is well documented. The potential benefits of pasteurization in disease prevention outweigh the potential risks of feeding a nonpasteurized product and warrants incorporation into any calf-rearing program using nonsaleable waste milk for feeding young dairy neonates.
Lateralization of interaural time and level differences measured with cochlear implant sound processors

Recently, our lab developed a novel technique that enables binaural sensitivity to be measured via unsynchronized clinical cochlear implant (CI) sound processors. By using a transposed-tone complex with carrier frequencies at the center frequency of the patient MAP, bilateral CI users have measurable sensitivity to interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD, respectively) that is on par with results from bilaterally synchronized research platforms. In this work, we measure the extent to which a transposed-tone complex presented via clinical processors can be mapped to lateral locations in the head as a function of changes in ITD and ILD. In addition, lateralization was measured when ITDs and ILDs co-varied. Results show that listeners are able to lateralize the tone complex throughout the range of the head. However, the slope of the ITD lateralization function appears to be shallower than that of ILDs. When ITDs and ILDs co-vary, the slope of the lateralization function appears to follow that of ILDs, suggesting that bilateral CI users may not be combining the two cues for sound source lateralization.
Study of Decoherence in Quantum Computers: A Circuit-Design Perspective.

Decoherence of quantum states is a major hurdle towards scalable and reliable quantum computing. Lower decoherence (i.e., higher fidelity) can alleviate the error correction overhead and obviate the need for energy-intensive noise reduction techniques e.g., cryogenic cooling. In this paper, we performed a noise-induced decoherence analysis of single and multi-qubit quantum gates using physics-based simulations. The analysis indicates that (i) decoherence depends on the input state and the gate type. Larger number of $|1\rangle$ states worsen the decoherence; (ii) amplitude damping is more detrimental than phase damping; (iii) shorter depth implementation of a quantum function can achieve lower decoherence. Simulations indicate 20\% improvement in the fidelity of a quantum adder when realized using lower depth topology. The insights developed in this paper can be exploited by the circuit designer to choose the right gates and logic implementation to optimize the system-level fidelity.
Redefining Teaching and Learning in Educational Administration

Recent attention to alternatives for traditional educational leadership program delivery models is part of an evolutionary process that serves to redefine teaching and learning. The conventional li...
Inter-generational Effects of Technology: Why Millennial Physicians May Be Less at Risk for Burnout Than Baby Boomers.

Younger generations of physicians are using technology more fluently than previous generations. This has significant implications for healthcare as these digital natives become a majority of the population’s patients, clinicians, and healthcare leaders. Historically, healthcare has been slow to adopt new technology. Many physicians have attributed burnout symptoms to technology-related causes like the EMR. This is partly due to policies and practices led by those who were less familiar and comfortable with using new technologies. Younger physicians will drive technological advancement and integration faster than previous generations, allowing technology to adapt more quickly to serve the needs of clinicians and patients. These changes will improve efficiency, allow more flexible working arrangements, and increase convenience for patients and physicians. The next generation of physicians will use technology to support their work and lifestyle preferences, making them more resilient to burnout than previous generations.
Sleep, Hypometabolism, and Torpor in Birds

Endothermy is energetically expensive, yet it has enabled birds and mammals to exploit a wide variety of extreme habitats where energy demands are high and food is frequently scarce. Increased energy demand coupled with decreased opportunity to feed may occur on a daily or on a seasonal basis. It is not surprising, therefore, that endotherms have evolved adaptations to reduce energy expenditure on daily and seasonal time scales. The oldest and most ubiquitous of these adaptations may be sleep. The argument has been advanced that specifically slow wave sleep, (SWS), also known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep evolved in parallel with endothermy as a means of reducing energy expenditure during the portion of the day that the animals were inactive (Walker & Berger, 1980). More extreme forms of adaptive hypometabolism, and shallow, daily torpor, and deep hibernation, may have evolved from the general mammalian and avian phenomenon of sleep (Heller et al, 1978).
Higher-order exponential integrators for constrained semi-linear parabolic problems

This paper provides an introduction to exponential integrators for constrained parabolic systems. In addition, building on existing results, schemes with an expected order of convergence of three and four are established and numerically tested on parabolic problems with nonlinear dynamic boundary conditions. The simulations reinforce the subjected error behaviour.
Some Considerations of the Role of Antidiuretic Hormone in Water Homeostasis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effects of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) on water and solute permeation rates in mammalian collecting tubules and effects of ADH on water and hydrophilic solute transport coefficients. The chapter also discusses pathway for water permeation, origin of cellular constraints to diffusion, transcellular versus paracellular water flow, permeation of moderately lipophilic solutes, activation energies for water and solute permeation, and comparison of ADH effects in collecting tubules and amphibian epithelia. It has been found that in cortical collecting tubules and possibly other ADH-sensitive tissues, water and moderately lipophilic solutes traverse luminal plasma membranes by parallel diffusion pathways narrow aqueous channels for water and hydrophobic regions for moderately lipophilic solutes. Both regions, but particularly the hydrophobic pathway for moderately lipophilic solute transport, may be in a higher entropy state than the remaining, impermeant regions of luminal membranes. Moreover, ADH increases the number of these specialized pathways without necessarily affecting the ordering of the regions of luminal membranes that are impermeant to water and solutes. Thus, the total ADH-dependent change in the entropy of luminal membranes will depend on the magnitude of the hormone-mediated increase in the fractional area occupied by the specialized water and solute permeation pathways.
Multifaceted impact of COVID-19 on dental practice: American dental care professionals prepared and ready during unprecedented challenges.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practices and their readiness to resume dental practice during arduous circumstances. Methods The authors distributed an observational survey study approved by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Institutional Review Board to dental care practitioners and their office staff members using Qualtrics XM software. The survey was completed anonymously. The authors analyzed the data using R statistical computing software, χ2 test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results Nearly all participants (98%) felt prepared to resume dental practice and were confident of the safety precautions (96%). Only 21% of dentists felt the COVID-19 pandemic changed their dental treatment protocols, with at least two-thirds agreeing that precautions would influence their efficiency adversely. Although most participants were satisfied with the resources their dental practice provided for support during the pandemic (95%), most were concerned about the impact on their general health and safety (77%) and to their dental practice (90%), found working during the pandemic difficult (≈ 60%), and agreed there are challenges and long-term impacts on the dental profession (> 75%). Conclusions Dental care professionals, although affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and at high risk of developing COVID-19, were prepared to resume dental practice during most challenging circumstances. Practical Implications The pandemic has affected dental care practitioners substantially; thus, there is need to formulate psychological interventions and safety precautions to mitigate its impact. Further research should evaluate the long-term effects on dentistry and oral health and interceptive measures for better communication and programming around future challenges.