cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trailer generation via a point process-based visual attractiveness model

Producing attractive trailers for videos needs human expertise and creativity, and hence is challenging and costly. Different from video summarization that focuses on capturing storylines or important scenes, trailer generation aims at producing trailers that are attractive so that viewers will be eager to watch the original video. In this work, we study the problem of automatic trailer generation, in which an attractive trailer is produced given a video and a piece of music. We propose a surrogate measure of video attractiveness named fixation variance, and learn a novel self-correcting point process-based attractiveness model that can effectively describe the dynamics of attractiveness of a video. Furthermore, based on the attractiveness model learned from existing training trailers, we propose an efficient graph-based trailer generation algorithm to produce a max-attractiveness trailer. Experiments demonstrate that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art trailer generators in terms of both quality and efficiency.
Toward Restoring Integrity in "Praetorian Times": The Value of "Putting Cruelty First"

This article discusses the historical and cultural conditions that have undermined public life and have brought about a resurgence of corrupt "Praetorian times." An analysis of American regime values, focusing on individualism and the dominance of technical rationality, outlines the pathway to a withered public sphere made worse by the ascendancy of the market-state. Understanding current conditions as Praetorian, as unmasked by the financial meltdown of 2007-2008, suggests that the path toward restoring public integrity begins by focusing on public vices. Doing so may avoid further harm to the fabric of society and institutions, especially great or catastrophic harm, by "putting cruelty first."
Alterations in fatty acid metabolism in muscle, liver and heart of non-obese diabetic rats

1696 Objectives The epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is on the rise; however, it is often neglected that 20% of diabetic patients are non-obese. Since alterations in lipid metabolism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM and obesity, the objective of this was to characterize fatty acid (FA) metabolism in the heart, liver and muscle of non-obese diabetic rats. Methods We used 24wk-old non-obese Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, which spontaneously develop T2DM. GK (N=9) and Wistar control rats (N=7) were subjected to a multi-tracer preclinical PET imaging protocol consisting of a 20-minute dynamic PET acquisition with [11C] Acetate (0.6-0.8mCi) to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) and 0.6-0.8mCi of [11C]Palmitate to quantify FA metabolism. After imaging, rats were sacrificed and tissues were flash frozen. The expression of 84 genes involved in FA metabolism was determined for a subset of 4 randomly selected rats per group. . PET images were quantified as previously described (Nemanich et al., 2013). For qPCR, genes were normalized to Ldha. Normalization and statistical analysis were conducted independently for each tissue. Results were subjected to student’s t-test and p Results Analyses of PET data indicates that GK rat hearts exhibit nearly a two-fold increased uptake and metabolism of FA whereas GK liver exhibit two-fold decrease. Muscle did not exhibit significant differences in uptake rate-constants. Supporting our PET results, gene expression analyses suggest that out of 84 genes analyzed for, majority of the significantly altered genes were up-regulated in the heart 2-12 fold and down regulated in the liver 2-4 fold, while muscle shows a mixed response. Conclusions GK rats exhibit enhanced preference to FA metabolism independent of obesity, suggesting that GK rats can be employed to investigate the efficacy of therapies in multiple tissues independent of confounding factors associated with obesity. Research Support This work was funded by NIH/NIDDK grant 5R01DK085298 and NIH/NHLBI grant R01EB012284.
Abstract POSTER-BIOL-1344: Epigenetic regulation of SPARC in ovarian cancer

Abstracts: 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; September 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA Background: We have previously reported the tumor suppressor effect of Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo . We reported that SPARC suppresses ovarian cancer cells interactions with the surrounding environmental cues within the peritoneal milieu. We also reported that the expression of SPARC was decreased in established ovarian cancer cell lines and micro-dissected ovarian cancer cells from advanced tumors consistent with hypermethylation of its promoter. However, the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation of SPARC in ovarian cancer (and other morbidities) are unraveled. Experimental Procedures: In silico analysis, human ovarian cancer tissue microarrays, a panel of established human ovarian cancer cell lines and in vitro ovarian cancer cell models were used. Genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of NFκB subunits and DNA methyl transferases (DNMTs) were used to investigate their involvement in the transcriptional regulation of SPARC expression and function. Results: In silico mapping of SPARC promoter identified consensus binding sites for subunits (RelA and NFκB1). Pharmacologic inhibition of NFκB as well as knockdown of p65-RelA and p50 subunits restored SPARC expression and function in ovarian cancer cells. Treatment of ovarian cancer cells with demethylating agent 5’-azacytidine and knockdown of DNMTs (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) indicated that NFκB-mediated SPARC repression is due to promoter methylation through DNMT3a. In ovarian cancer tissue microarrays, SPARC expression in cancer cells significantly and progressively decreased in advanced stage. The expression of SPARC in cancer cells inversely correlated with nuclear p65-RelA and DNMT3a expression. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that activated NFκB integrates inflammatory signals to exert epigenetic pressure suppressing tumor-SPARC through promoter methylation. Pharmacologic inhibitors of NFκB as well as anti-inflammatory agents may provide a significant therapeutic opportunity. Citation Format: Dylan P. Matthews, Sherine Taylor, Neveen A. Said. Epigenetic regulation of SPARC in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(16 Suppl):Abstract nr POSTER-BIOL-1344.
Earthquakes: Megathrusts and mountain building

Coastlines above subduction zones slowly emerge from the sea despite repeated drowning by great, shallow earthquakes. Analysis of the Chilean coast suggests that moderate-to-large, deeper earthquakes may be responsible for the net uplift.
Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis and Carbaryl on an Elm Spanworm Egg Parasite Telenomus alsophilae

Immature stages of Telenomus alsophilae Viereck, an egg parasite of the elm span worm, Ennomos subsignarius (Hubner), were unaffected by field application of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner and carbaryl in early June. Immature parasites were killed when the host’s eggs were dipped in 0.2 lb/gal of carbaryl 7 days before adult emergence.
Visualization study of electrohydradynamic flow field in electrostatic separator

The electrohydradynamic(EHD) flow characteristics of micron size(2 μm) oil droplets in a wire-plate electrostatic separator were investigated by particle image velocimetry(PIV) method.The typical flow patterns and velocity distribution under fully developed laminar flow(gas flow velocity of 0.16 m/s) were presented with the applied voltage changed.The results show that the EHD flow patterns and velocity distribution were significantly influenced by the applied voltage.When the applied voltage is below the onset corona discharge voltage(8 kV),the flow field does not change significantly.With the increase of applied voltage(8-12 kV),oil droplets at the discharge electrode and the downstream of the separator move towards to the two collecting plates in the form of jet.The transverse velocity and axial velocity at upstream increase as the applied voltage increases.When the voltage is above 12 kV,the EHD secondary flow at upstream of discharge electrode appears in the form of two symmetric counter rotating vortices.The sizes of vortices increase with the voltage increasing.The maximum transverse velocity can reach up to 0.4 m/s.Meanwhile,the EHD reverse flow appears at the downstream of the separator.The appearance of EHD secondary and reverse flow blocks the flow along axial direction.The separation efficiency increases with the increase of the applied voltage.
ANALYSIS ON THE EVOLUTION OF INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE OF PEARL RIVER DELTA SINCE ECONOMY REFORM AND OPEN POLICY

Since 1978,with the fast rising of economy and industrialization,industrial structure of Pearl River Delta(PRD) has changed observably.Based on the analysis of gross production value and increasing value of industry of PRD,this paper studies the evolution of industrial structure of PRD by demonstration and dynamic analysis,through light-heavy industry structure,dominant industry structure and the difference among the districts in PRD.The results obtained demonstrate that the industrial structure of PRD has been evolving and optimizing since economy reform and open-door policy of China.Meanwhile,the industry has entered into the middle phase of the industrialization course,it shows the trend of heavy-industrialization.
In Situ GISAXS Investigation of Low-Temperature Aging in Oriented Surfactant-Mesostructured Titania Thin Films

The mechanism of forming orthogonally oriented hexagonal close-packed (o-HCP) mesostructures during aging of surfactant-templated titania thin films is elucidated using in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) in a controlled-environment chamber. To promote orthogonal orientation, glass slides are modified with cross-linked Pluronic P123, to provide surfaces chemically neutral toward both blocks of mesophase template P123. At 4 °C and 80% RH, the o-HCP mesophase emerges in thin (∼60 nm) films by a direct disorder-to-order transition, with no intermediate ordered mesophase. The Pluronic/titania o-HCP GISAXS intensity emerges only after ∼10–12 min, much slower than previously reported for small-molecule surfactants. The Avrami model applied to the data suggests 2D growth with nucleation at the start of the process with a half-life of 39.7 min for the aging time just after the induction period of 7 min, followed by a period consistent with 1D growth kinetics. Surprisingly, films that a...
The Exchange Grid: A mechanism for data exchange between Earth System components on independent grids

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a mechanism for exchange of quantities among components of a coupled earth system model, where each component is independently discretized. The exchange grid is formed by overlaying two grids such that each exchange grid cell has a unique parent cell on each of its antecedent grids. In earth system models, processes occurring near component surfaces require special surface-boundary-layer physical processes to be represented on the exchange grid. The exchange grid is thus more than just a stage in a sequence of regridding between component grids. The exchange grid is designed not as a sparse matrix among all possible pairs of parent grid cells but as a compact array pointing back to the parents. When parent grids have dynamic tiles, each tile appears as an independent cell on the exchange grid rather than an extra tile dimension. The chapter also presents the design and use of a two-dimensional exchange grid on a horizontal planetary surface in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) flexible modeling system (FMS), highlighting issues of parallelism and performance.
Blazed metasurface grating: The planar equivalent of a sawtooth grating

The blazing behavior of non-planar sawtooth gratings are mimicked with a planar metasurface. We show that with an appropriate design, an equivalent planar “blazed metasurface” can reflect most of the incident power back in the path of incidence, and with reduced power reflected in the specular direction. We then utilize such metasurface to create high rejection stopband in a waveguide, by lining the sidewall of the guide with this metasurface. The results are justified by theory, as well as simulations and measurements. The blazed metasurface may find various applications in microwaves up to optical frequencies, e.g. for stopband filters, Fabry-Perot resonator mirrors, or replacing corner reflectors.
Informatics in the classroom: an evaluation of innovative and effective use of technology in online courses

Informatics is a field of study that emphasizes the interaction between individuals, groups, or larger social contexts, and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Distance learning is emerging as one of the most common mediums for person-technology interaction, and therefore is of particular interest to informatics researchers. The current study explores the relationship between perceptions of effective use of technology in online courses with an administrator and student satisfaction in a sample of adult learners. These results show that satisfaction with online courses is significantly related to the instructors' ability to deploy the available course management tools in an innovative way. Additionally, while administrator and student ratings for overall course satisfaction were positively correlated, there was no statistically significant relationship between administrator ratings of innovation and student perceptions of effective technology use.
Clonidine-Activation of Epileptic Foci

The effects of clonidine, an adrenergic a2 agonist hypotensive agent, and methoxital, a short-acting barbiturate anesthetic, on epileptiform discharges detected by presurgical magnetoencephalography (MEG) were investigated in 14 patients with medically intractable focal epilepsies treated at the University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Germany.
Opening plenary speaker: Human genomics, precision medicine, and advancing human health

Starting with the launch of the Human Genome Project in 1990, the past quarter-century has brought spectacular achievements in genomics that dramatically empower the study of human biology and disease. The human genomics enterprise is now in the midst of an important transition, as the growing foundation of genomic knowledge is being used by researchers and clinicians to tackle increasingly complex problems in biomedicine. Of particular prominence is the use of revolutionary new DNA sequencing technologies for generating prodigious amounts of DNA sequence data to elucidate the complexities of genome structure, function, and evolution, as well as to unravel the genomic bases of rare and common diseases. Together, these developments are ushering in the era of genomic medicine. Augmenting the advances in human genomics have been innovations in technologies for measuring environmental and lifestyle information, electronic health records, and data science; together, these provide opportunities of unprecedented scale and scope for investigating the underpinnings of health and disease. To capitalize on these opportunities, U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced a major new research endeavor — the U.S. Precision Medicine Initiative. This bold effort will be framed around several key aims, which include accelerating the use of genomically informed approaches to cancer care, making important policy and regulatory changes, and establishing a large research cohort of >1 million volunteers to facilitate precision medicine research. The latter will include making the partnership with all participants a centerpiece feature in the cohort's design and development. The Precision Medicine Initiative represents a broad-based research program that will allow new approaches for individualized medical care to be rigorously tested, so as to establish a new evidence base for advancing clinical practice and, eventually, human health.
Growth of and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus parasiticus in a Medium Containing Potassium Chloride or a Mixture of Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride.

Twenty-five milliliters of glucose-yeast-salts medium containing 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% KCl or a mixture of NaCl (%) and KCl (%) (0:0, 1.5:0.5, 3.25:0.75, 4.75:1.25, 6.5:1.5, and 8:2) was inoculated with 1 ml of a spore suspension containing 106 conidia of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 and incubated at 28°C for 10 d. The pH, dry weight of mycelium and aflatoxin production were determined after 3, 7 and 10 d of incubation. Amounts of aflatoxin produced were determined using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mold growing in the presence of 0, 2 and 4% KCl produced maximum amounts of aflatoxin after 3 d, whereas in the presence of 6, 8 and 10% KCl it did so after 7 d. This trend was also true when the mold grew in the presence of mixtures of NaCl and KC1. Amounts of aflatoxin produced decreased with increasing concentrations of KCl or of the mixture of NaCl and KCl. The mycelial dry weight increased with increasing concentrations of KCl or the mixture of NaCl and KCl, although there was an extended lag phase at higher concentrations of both treatments.
Focusing on Teacher Learning Opportunities to Identify Potentially Productive Coaching Activities

Instructional improvement initiatives in many districts include instructional coaching as a primary form of job-embedded support for teachers. However, the coaching literature provides little guidance about what activities coaches should engage in with teachers to improve instruction. When researchers do propose activities, they rarely justify why those activities might support teacher learning. Drawing on the preservice and inservice teacher education literatures, we present a conceptual analysis of learning activities that have the potential to support mathematics and science teachers to improve practice. We argue that our analysis can inform research on mathematics and science coaching, coaching policies, and the design of professional learning for coaches.
The History of American Higher Education: Learning and Culture from the Founding to World War Two Roger L. Geiger. Princeton University Press, 2015.

The History of American Higher Education: Learning and Culture from the Founding to World War Two Roger L. Geiger. Princeton University Press, 2015.Since the 1990s, there has been a belief in the United States that all citizens should go to college; indeed, this trope has been part and parcel of most politicians' stump speeches since the Clinton presidency. While most citizens of the United States view the idea of "going to college" favorably, they do not understand the true purpose of what a university means or the differences among institutions. A reading of Roger Geiger's excellent The History of American Higher Education will help fill in some of these blanks: readers will understand that the purpose of higher education is not, nor has it ever been, "learn more earn more"; instead, as Geiger argues, higher education in the United States has achieved four results that rank the system among the best in the world:It [has] preserved and entrenched a tradition of liberal education as a fundamental attribute of a college education for all students, not just an elite. It [has] augmented that tradition by incorporating applied and practical studies on the same collegiate and postgraduate levels. It thus produced the first system of mass higher education, largely through individual public and private institutions responding independently to student demand. It also developed the capacity to teach and advance academic subjects on the highest level, achieving world-leading status for American science. (x)Geiger is arguably the most prolific scholar of higher education in historic context in the United States. In previous works, he has focused on particular eras (To Advance Knowledge: The Growth of American Research Universities, 1900-1940, 1986) or trends (Knowledge and Money: Research Universities and the Paradox of the Marketplace, 2004) within higher education. Exceeding the limits of any of the excellent institutional case studies published in the last few decades, Geiger's latest volume is the most comprehensive he has produced to date, expanding chronologically and thematically from other texts such as Frederick Rudolph's The American College and University: A History (1990) or the Michael Bastedo, Philip Altbach, and Patricia Gumport edited collection, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Social, Political and Economic Challenges (2016).Broken out into fifty sections organized into twelve chapters, the overall purpose of the work is to "emphasize change over time, the essence of historical analysis" (xi) regarding US higher education. The first two chapters explore higher education through the colonial era. Chapter One looks at the first three universities in the United States: Harvard, Yale, and William and Mary. …
Mexican American College Students’ Perceived Experiences of Discrimination, Ethnic Identity, and Adjustment: The Protective Role of Sibling Support

Given the salience of sibling relationships for Mexican American individuals, we examined the role of sibling support in the associations between discrimination, ethnic identity (EI), and the adjus...
Effect of visual dependence and task loads on the TUG sub-components in old and young adults

The Timed Up & Go (TUG) is one of the recommended tools in rehabilitation settings to assess the probability of falling in the elderly. However, the test does not incorporate any of the environmental or multitasking elements identified as increasing risk for falls. Older adults are more visually dependent than younger adults; thus, they are more likely to fall when visual or other distractions disrupt their multisensory integration. We have used virtual reality in a dual tasking paradigm that coupled a visual dynamic environment with a common motor task during the TUG test to gain insight into the sensorimotor integration in older adults. Our results suggest that negotiating a visual scene in a dual tasking paradigm can reveal kinematic difference in motor behavior in some of the activities of the TUG test more than the standard TUG test score, which is only time-based.
Infusion Room–Based Transition to Practice Model for Teaching Cancer Systemic Therapy Management

Purpose:Oncology training requirements mandate that fellows demonstrate competence in delivery of cancer therapeutics, understand clinical indications for treatment, and manage toxicities by completion of training. An academic training environment may hinder fellows’ engagement in prescribing, monitoring, and adjusting cancer therapy; thus, trainees may complete their fellowship with limited experience in developing such critical skills. To provide hands-on experience in cancer systemic therapy management, we created a novel infusion room–based rotation in the final year of training; here we report the structure, logistics, and evaluation of this innovative program.Methods:In 2004, The University of Florida Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program created an outpatient infusion room rotation called Transition to Practice (TTP). We surveyed 20 graduates of the program to assess the ability of the rotation to teach skills necessary for systemic therapy management and identify which fellowship rotations had an...
Comparisons of Protein Dynamics from Experimental Structure Ensembles, Molecular Dynamics Ensembles, and Coarse-Grained Elastic Network Models.

Predicting protein motions is important for bridging the gap between protein structure and function. With growing numbers of structures of the same or closely related proteins becoming available, it is now possible to understand more about the intrinsic dynamics of a protein with principal component analysis (PCA) of the motions apparent within ensembles of experimental structures. In this paper, we compare the motions extracted from experimental ensembles of 50 different proteins with the modes of motion predicted by several types of coarse-grained elastic network models (ENMs) which additionally take into account more details of either the protein geometry or the amino acid specificity. We further compare the structural variations in the experimental ensembles with the motions sampled in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for a smaller subset of 17 proteins with available trajectories. We find that the correlations between the motions extracted from MD trajectories and experimental structure ensembles ...
Random Hill’s Equations, Random Walks, and Products of Random Matrices

Hill’s equations arise in a wide variety of physical problems, and are specified by a natural frequency, a periodic forcing function, and a forcing strength parameter. This classic problem can be generalized by allowing the forcing strength q k , the frequency λ k , and the period (Δ τ) k of the forcing function to vary from cycle to cycle. The growth rates for the solutions are then given by the growth rates of a matrix transformation, under matrix multiplication, where the elements vary from cycle to cycle. Simplified models of such problems are given by products of 2 ×2 random matrices drawn from a given class.
Collecting Nursing Research Data 24 Hours a Day: Challenges, Lessons, and Recommendations.

Background Research on many routine nursing interventions requires data collection around the clock each day (24/7). Strategies for implementing and coordinating a study 24/7 are not discussed in the literature, and best practices are needed. Objective To identify strategies incorporated into implementing a nursing intervention trial 24/7, including key lessons learned. Methods Strategies to facilitate implementation of a clinical trial of a nursing intervention with patients undergoing mechanical ventilation are shared. Challenges and changes for future studies also are discussed. Results Adequate planning, including a detailed operations manual, guides study implementation. Staffing is the most challenging and costly part of a study but is essential to a study's success. Other important strategies include communication among the study personnel and with collaborators and direct care staff. An electronic method of recording study-related data also is essential. Conclusions A nursing clinical trial that requires interventions on a 24/7 basis can be done with thorough planning, staffing, and continuous quality improvement activities.
Mixed matters in Australia

Mapping attitudes toward intermarriage – who is and who is NOT considered an acceptable mate – offers an incisive means through which imaginings of belonging – ethnicity, nationhood, citizenship, r...
The Effect of Product Misperception on Economic Outcomes: Evidence from the Extended Warranty Market

Panel and experimental data are used to analyse the economic outcomes in the extended warranty market. We establish that the strong demand and high profits in this market are driven by consumers distorting the failure probability of the insured product, rather than standard risk aversion or sellers’ market power. Providing information to consumers about failure probabilities significantly reduces their willingness to pay for warranties, indicating the important role of information, or lack of, in driving consumers’ purchase behaviour. Such information provision is shown to be more effective in enhancing consumer welfare than additional market competition.
Heat-assisted microwave amplifier.

In a magnetic tunnel junction, Joule heat increases the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect in the free layer and thereby pushes the amplification gain for microwaves beyond one.
Why Does Deep Convection Have Different Sensitivities to Temperature Perturbations in the Lower versus Upper Troposphere

AbstractPrevious studies have documented that deep convection responds more strongly to above-the-cloud-base temperature perturbations in the lower troposphere than to those in the upper tropospher...
Modeling the interactions between stimulation and physiologically induced APs in a mammalian nerve fiber: dependence on frequency and fiber diameter

Electrical stimulation of nerve fibers is used as a therapeutic tool to treat neurophysiological disorders. Despite efforts to model the effects of stimulation, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Current mechanistic models quantify the effects that the electrical field produces near the fiber but do not capture interactions between action potentials (APs) initiated by stimulus and APs initiated by underlying physiological activity. In this study, we aim to quantify the effects of stimulation frequency and fiber diameter on AP interactions involving collisions and loss of excitability. We constructed a mechanistic model of a myelinated nerve fiber receiving two inputs: the underlying physiological activity at the terminal end of the fiber, and an external stimulus applied to the middle of the fiber. We define conduction reliability as the percentage of physiological APs that make it to the somatic end of the nerve fiber. At low input frequencies, conduction reliability is greater than 95% and decreases with increasing frequency due to an increase in AP interactions. Conduction reliability is less sensitive to fiber diameter and only decreases slightly with increasing fiber diameter. Finally, both the number and type of AP interactions significantly vary with both input frequencies and fiber diameter. Modeling the interactions between APs initiated by stimulus and APs initiated by underlying physiological activity in a nerve fiber opens opportunities towards understanding mechanisms of electrical stimulation therapies.
Smart Home Occupant Identification via Sensor Fusion Across On-Object Devices

Occupant identification proves crucial in many smart home applications such as automated home control and activity recognition. Previous solutions are limited in terms of deployment costs, identification accuracy, or usability. We propose SenseTribute, a novel occupant identification solution that makes use of existing and prevalent on-object sensors that are originally designed to monitor the status of objects to which they are attached. SenseTribute extracts richer information content from such on-object sensors and analyzes the data to accurately identify the person interacting with the objects. This approach is based on the physical phenomenon that different occupants interact with objects in different ways. Moreover, SenseTribute may not rely on users’ true identities, so the approach works even without labeled training data. However, resolution of information from a single on-object sensor may not be sufficient to differentiate occupants, which may lead to errors in identification. To overcome this problem, SenseTribute operates over a sequence of events within a user activity, leveraging recent work on activity segmentation. We evaluate SenseTribute using real-world experiments by deploying sensors on five distinct objects in a kitchen and inviting participants to interact with the objects. We demonstrate that SenseTribute can correctly identify occupants in 96% of trials without labeled training data, while per-sensor identification yields only 74% accuracy even with training data.
The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy. By Jay Cost. (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2018. Pp. ix, 223. $27.00.)

Together James Madison and Alexander Hamilton authored the bulk of what would become The Federalist Papers. Initially aligned philosophically about the wisdom of the proposed Constitution, their su...
Gout Presenting as Acute Hip Pain in a Young Woman: A Case Report.

Case A 28-year-old previously healthy woman developed worsening right hip pain without any preceding trauma or injury. Because of concern for septic arthritis, she underwent arthroscopic irrigation and debridement. The culture specimens were negative; crystal analysis showed monosodium urate crystals, which are consistent with an acute gout flare. The patient was started on naproxen and prednisone therapy and had substantial improvement in hip pain. Conclusion Gout is a common cause of joint pain in older individuals. While rare in younger patients, our case report shows that gout should be included in the differential diagnosis when a patient presents with acute monoarthritis, regardless of age.
Economic Modelling of Predatory Journal Publishing

This article applies an economic model to analyze the supply and demand relationship of predatory journal publishing. It uses the quantity of journals and articles as the supply index and the number of researchers as the demand index, attempting to examine how the changes in their condition will influence an economic equilibrium. Instead of using price as the determinant of market balance, the article highlights the quality of publications as the measure. It suggests that an increase in open access journal publishing has overtaken the growth of researcher population worldwide. Particularly, the rapid and massive development of predatory journals, those that lack peer review but charge for article processing fees, has resulted in a decline in publication quality.
Quantifying myelination at the individual axon scale using color spatial light interference microscopy (cSLIM) (Conference Presentation)

Deficient myelination in the internal capsule of the brain is associated with neurodevelopmental delays, particularly in high-risk infants such as those born small for gestational age (SGA). MRI technology has been effective at measuring brain growth and composition but lacks myelin specificity and is low resolution. There is an unmet need for developing of new quantitative approaches that are rapid and precise, which can complement MRI and provide insight into the pathology of deficient myelination and efficacy of nutritional interventions. To meet this challenge, we developed Color Spatial Light Interference Microscopy (cSLIM), a method that is cable of generating refractive index maps of stained specimens. Using paraffin embedded brain tissue sections, stained myelin was segmented from a brightfield image and, using a binary mask, those portions were quantitatively analyzed by cSLIM. Due to cSLIM’s nanoscale sensitivity to optical pathlengths and independence with respect to the stain intensity, we quantified subtle variations in myelin density at the single axon scale.
Laser excited fluorescence in criminalistics

Applications of laser-excited fluorescence can be found in numerous areas of criminalistics, including document examination, fiber analysis, serology and latent fingerprint development. This paper focuses on the latter application. The present mature procedures for laser fingerprint detection are described to set the stage for discussion of current research, which primarily deals with time-resolved imaging to take advantage of the difference between the lifetimes of substrate and fingerprint fluorescences. The principal procedure for laser detection of latent prints on smooth surfaces involves first the fuming with cyanoacrylate ester, which results in the formation of a polymer on the fingerprint residue. Thus stabilized latent prints can then be solution stained with fluorescent dyes. Porous items are treated with ninhydrin or its analogs, which react with amino acids of the fingerprint residue. Subsequent reaction with group II B metal salts yields intensely fluorescent products. Time-resolved imaging involves modulated laser excitation and gated imaging with a microchannel plate image intensifier. The critical requirement for such imaging is the identification of reagents or stains that yield lifetimes which are longer than those of the substrates (typically 1 ns or less) and also at least comparable to the laser cutoff and image intensifier turn-on time (about 5 ns). Two general approaches are presented. One involves compounds that yield long-lived d-π* intramolecular charge transfer states. The other involves chemical reactions with fingerprint residue that lead to formation of organo-rare earth complexes which display long-lived rare earth emission. The structural and photophysical features which underlie the luminescence properties of fingerprints treated with ninhydrin or its analogs and subsequently with metal salts are discussed with the aim of providing guidelines for the design of optimized fingerprint detection reagents.
Regularity of the solution to fractional diffusion, advection, reaction equations

In this report we investigate the regularity of the solution to the fractional diffusion, advection, reaction equation on a bounded domain in $\mathbb{R}^{1}$. The analysis is performed in the weighted Sobolev spaces, $H_{(a , b)}^{s}(\mathrm{I})$. Three different characterizations of $H_{(a , b)}^{s}(\mathrm{I})$ are presented, together with needed embedding theorems for these spaces. The analysis shows that the regularity of the solution is bounded by the endpoint behavior of the solution, which is determined by the parameters $\alpha$ and $r$ defining the fractional diffusion operator. Additionally, the analysis shows that for a sufficiently smooth right hand side function, the regularity of the solution to fractional diffusion reaction equation is lower than that of the fractional diffusion equation. Also, the regularity of the solution to fractional diffusion advection reaction equation is two orders lower than that of the fractional diffusion reaction equation.
Autonomous Navigation in Inclement Weather Based on a Localizing Ground Penetrating Radar

Most autonomous driving solutions require some method of localization within their environment. Typically, onboard sensors are used to localize the vehicle precisely in a previously recorded map. However, these solutions are sensitive to ambient lighting conditions such as darkness and inclement weather. Additionally, the maps can become outdated in a rapidly changing environment and require continuous updating. While LiDAR systems don't require visible light, they are sensitive to weather such as fog or snow, which can interfere with localization. In this letter, we utilize a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to obtain precise vehicle localization. By mapping and localizing using features beneath the ground, we obtain features that are both stable over time, and maintain their appearance during changing ambient weather and lighting conditions. We incorporate this solution into a full-scale autonomous vehicle and evaluate the performance on over 17 km of testing data in a variety of challenging weather conditions. We find that this novel sensing modality is capable of providing precise localization for autonomous navigation without using cameras or LiDAR sensors.
Abstract PR13: Adjuvant TLR-3 administration enhances proinflammatory immune responses and is associated with extended survival in glioblastoma patients treated with dendritic cell vaccination

Malignant glioma, associated with a poor prognosis, is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. We and others have documented immune responses following dendritic cell (DC) vaccination as an active immunotherapeutic treatment for these patients. In this phase II clinical trial, we randomized malignant glioma patients to receive autologous tumor lysate pulsed DC vaccination with and without adjuvant Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. TLRs are present on dendritic cells and serve to modulate immune responses. Twenty-three patients with WHO grade III or IV glioma were treated with three intradermal injections of autologous tumor lysate-pulsed DC on days 0, 14, and 28 followed by an adjuvant placebo, TLR-7 agonist (resiquimod), or TLR-3 agonist (Poly ICLC). Mass cytometry (CyTOF) was used to analyze immune cell populations of patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) before and following treatment. DC-vaccinated patients who received adjuvant Poly ICLC treatment had a significantly improved median survival of 54 months over placebo (11 months) and adjuvant resiquimod (17 months) groups (P This abstract is also being presented as Poster B27. Citation Format: Joseph P. Antonios, Richard G. Everson, Aaron Mochizuki, Sara Khattab, Horacio Soto, Prashant Romiyo, Matthew Z. Sun, Diana Moughon, Emma Billingslea-Yoon, Sylvia Odesa, Gang Li, Eric Kawaguchi, Alex Salazar, William Yong, Jason Schlossman, Benjamin Ellingson, Anthony C. Wang, Timothy Cloughesy, Robert M. Prins, Linda M. Liau. Adjuvant TLR-3 administration enhances proinflammatory immune responses and is associated with extended survival in glioblastoma patients treated with dendritic cell vaccination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2019 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2020;8(3 Suppl):Abstract nr PR13.
Research reportThe effects of varenicline on methamphetamine self-administration and drug-primed reinstatement in male rats☆

Methamphetamine (meth) addiction is a costly burden to both the individual user and society as a whole. Establishing effective pharmacotherapies to treat meth dependence is needed to help solve this health problem. The study reported herein examined the effects of varenicline, a partial α4β2 and full α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, on meth self-administration and reinstatement in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following indwelling jugular catheter surgery, rats were either trained to self-administer meth or saline on a variable ratio (VR) 3 schedule of reinforcement. Self-administration sessions (2 h duration; 19 total sessions) were conducted daily. The effect of varenicline pretreatment on meth and saline self-administration was then determined using a within-study design. All rats received varenicline (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg) prior to 4 different test sessions. Dose order was randomly assigned and each test was separated by 2 standard self-administration sessions to assess stability of responding. Fifteen extinction sessions (no meth available) followed the last test. Extinction was followed by meth-primed (0.3 mg/kg IP) reinstatement tests to examine the effect of varenicline on meth-seeking behavior. All rats again received all doses of varenicline over 4 separate reinstatement tests performed on 4 consecutive days. Varenicline did not alter self-administration of meth or saline. Additionally, the 0.3 and 1.0 doses of varenicline non-specifically increased active lever responding during the reinstatement test sessions. This latter finding suggests that varenicline may increase relapse liability and should not be utilized as pharmacotherapy to treat meth dependence.
Synthesis of TiN Nanoparticles by Pulsed Laser Ablation for Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy

Spherical titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles (NPs) (<50 nm) demonstrating high quality plasmon resonances are synthesized from commercially available much larger TiN NPs using pulsed laser ablation with an 800 nm femtosecond laser.
Impact of geographic distribution of accredited breast centers.

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBCs) is dedicated to improving the quality of care in patients with breast disease. Geographic distribution of health care resources is an important measure of quality, yet little is known regarding breast center allocation patterns concerning population demand and impact on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to analyze the distribution of NAPBC programs in the United States (USA) and evaluate the impact on breast cancer survival. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014 data base, we identified the incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer by state. We also determined the concentration of NAPBC programs in each state (ie, the number of centers per 1000 cases of breast cancer). Data were analyzed using Spearman's (nonparametric) rank correlation coefficients. Five hundred and seventy NAPBC programs were identified. Across the United States, there was a mean of 2.8 programs/1000 breast cancer diagnoses. A positive correlation (r = .45) between breast cancer incidence and the number of programs was identified (P = .0009). There was no statistically significant correlation between mortality and NAPBC program concentration (r = -0.20, P = .16). NAPBC-accredited program distribution within the United States correlates with breast cancer incidence per state. However, the number of NAPBC programs per state did not alter overall mortality rates. Added measures beyond survival, as well as further insight into referral patterns to NAPBC programs, may be required to demonstrate the value and impact of NAPBC accreditation.
Advances in removing mass transport limitations for more physiologically relevant in vitro 3D cell constructs

Spheroids and organoids are promising models for biomedical applications ranging from human disease modeling to drug discovery. A main goal of these 3D cell-based platforms is to recapitulate important physiological parameters of their in vivo organ counterparts. One way to achieve improved biomimetic architectures and functions is to culture cells at higher density and larger total numbers. However, poor nutrient and waste transport lead to low stability, survival, and functionality over extended periods of time, presenting outstanding challenges in this field. Fortunately, important improvements in culture strategies have enhanced the survival and function of cells within engineered microtissues/organs. Here, we first discuss the challenges of growing large spheroids/organoids with a focus on mass transport limitations, then highlight recent tools and methodologies that are available for producing and sustaining functional 3D in vitro models. This information points toward the fact that there is a critical need for the continued development of novel cell culture strategies that address mass transport in a physiologically relevant human setting to generate long-lasting and large-sized spheroids/organoids.
A systematic review of the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in patients with pancreatic cancer

The genetics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is complex with patients reported to harbor germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in many different genes. PDAC patients with familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) are more likely to carry germline PVs but there is no consensus main gene involved in FPC. We performed a systematic review of publications from PubMed and Scopus reporting PVs in patients with FPC, sporadic pancreatic cancer (SPC) and unselected cohorts of PDAC patients undergoing genetic testing and calculated a cumulative prevalence of PVs for each gene evaluated across these three groups of patients. When available, variants in the selected publications were reclassified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics classification system and used for prevalence calculations if classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. We observed an increased prevalence of PVs in FPC compared to SPC or unselected PDAC patients for most of the 41 genes reported. The genes with the highest prevalence of carriers of PVs in FPC were ATM, BRCA2, and CDKN2A. BRCA2 and ATM showed the highest prevalence of PVs in both SPC and unselected PDAC cohorts. Several genes with the highest prevalence of PVs are involved in breast and ovarian cancer suggesting strong overlap with underlying genetics in these disorders but no single gene was predominant. More research is needed to further understand the risk of PDAC associated with these many diverse genes.