cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian nonparametric modeling of heterogeneous time-to-event data with an unknown number of sub-populations

ABSTRACTTime-to-event data are a broad class of data widely encountered at different stages of the product life cycle. In practice, time-to-event data often exhibit heterogeneity, due to a variety of design and manufacturing issues, such as material quality inhomogeneity, unverified design changes, and manufacturing defects. Existing time-to-event modeling approaches mainly ignore this heterogeneity or account for it by pre-determining a fixed number of sub-populations. However, neglecting heterogeneity hinders the modeling accuracy, whereas pre-determining the number of sub-populations is often subjective or unjustifiable. In this article, a Bayesian nonparametric model is proposed to model heterogeneous time-to-event data by assuming an unknown number of sub-populations and quantifying the influence of possible covariates. An estimation algorithm is further proposed to achieve the joint model estimation and selection and to deal with the non-conjugate priors. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness o...
Wii Nunchuk Controlled Dance Pleo! Dance! to Assist Children with Cerebral Palsy by Play Therapy

Children with cerebral palsy have difficulty moving their hands and muscles due to developmental issues. One way to assist these children is by having them participate in physical therapy. The best form of physical therapy for children is playing. Playing is a natural activity for children, and it also helps in furthering the developments of muscles. This form of therapy is perhaps a greater choice for children because it keeps the child engaged due to the interest the child holds in the activity. By integrating two projects done by previous students, a Pleo that is controlled by a Wii Nunchuk will be able to teach Pleo how to dance. The child will be engaged in this activity for long durations because there are many variations of dance that the Pleo can learn by moving many body parts. Children using this toy will have continuous movement in their arm muscles by moving the Nunchuk for the duration of the activity. This toy will not only help children with severe disabilities feeling equal to their non-disabled peers by allowing them to use controllers found on many game consoles, but it will also enhance the child’s self-esteem and confidence by allowing them to control the outcome of the Pleo.
FPGA-based chirped laser dispersion spectrometer

We present a FPGA based fast data acquisition system which enables continuous, real time chirped laser dispersion spectroscopic chemical sensing. System performance is evaluated using atmospheric methane detection sensing as an example application.
Advances in ultra-low loss silica fibers

Advances in silica-core fiber realizes ultra-low 0.152dB/km loss in commercial products, along with low bending and splice losses due to advanced waveguide design. These technologies are further applied to SDM fiber with ultra-low 0.158dB/km loss.
Racial/ethnic minority segregation and low birth weight: a comparative study of Chicago and Toronto community-level indicators

AbstractWe examined the association between racial/ethnic minority segregation and low birth weight (LBW) in Chicago and Toronto communities. While previous work has documented the importance of contextual effects on LBW, these studies have usually been conducted within a single city. We used Pearson correlation coefficients and OLS regression models to examine potential variability in the association between racial/ethnic minority segregation and LBW in Chicago (N = 77 communities) and Toronto (N = 140 communities). Results indicate that racial/ethnic minority segregation, unemployment, and low educational attainment are not associated with LBW in Toronto, while these indicators have strong and significant associations with LBW in Chicago. In a combined model with data from both cities, a 10% increase in minority composition is associated with a 0.5% increase in LBW, controlling for the effects of unemployment and low educational attainment. Stratified models show that this effect is only significant in ...
Adult protective services and victim services: A review of the literature to increase understanding between these two fields

Abstract Adult protective services (APS) is designated in each state to respond to elder abuse. As elder abuse is increasingly conceptualized as a crime, and victim services expands to encompass victims of elder abuse, these two fields will increasingly cross paths. The fields of APS and victim services are each guided by federal legislation, although the path to that legislation differed for each field. The historical development of each field helps to explain the existence of a sometimes challenging relationship between these two fields. A literature review was undertaken to compare these two fields across three domains: 1) the service providers, 2) the recipients of those services, and 3) how a case typically flows from reporting to outcomes. Four areas of possible contention were identified: mandatory reporting, APS investigation, cognitive capacity of victims, and involuntary interventions. It is anticipated that by illuminating these differences and providing an explanation for them, some tension between the fields may be assuaged. This article concludes, however, that in the myriad other ways in which comparisons were made, no meaningful differences emerged. Increasing an understanding of each other's field is intended to facilitate building relationships between these two fields, with the ultimate goal of benefiting victims.
Psychobiological Studies of Mania

This paper will review some clinical and biological aspects of mania including symptoms, diagnosis and treatments. Special emphasis will be placed on data which may be relevant to understanding mania such as receptor studies, effects of lithium on behavioral supersensitivity, incidence of tardive dyskinesia in mania, and timedependent changes in vulnerability to the switch. Finally, some newer treatments for mania will be briefly discussed.
Synchronized Wireless Measurement of High-Voltage Power System Frequency Using Mobile Embedded Systems

This paper focuses on synchronized wireless measurement of high-voltage (HV) power system frequency using mobile embedded systems (MESs) integrated with a wireless electric field sensor (WEFS). Unlike traditional synchronized frequency measurement devices, which rely on potential transformers and current transformers physically connected to system elements, a WEFS is used to realize wireless signal acquisition in the vicinity of any HV apparatus. The MES performs real-time frequency estimation using a recursive discrete Fourier transform based algorithm. Network time protocol (NTP) is used for time synchronization, increasing the system flexibility by eliminating global positioning system reliance. An NTP-based synchronized sampling control method is proposed and implemented in MES to compensate the sampling time error caused by local time drift and division residue. The proposed system has the advantages of portability and lower cost, making it highly accessible and useful for a wide array of synchronized frequency measurement applications. Experiment results verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed system.
The Future of Memory

Reaction to David Rieff’s book is bound to be mixed. Its particulars are brilliant; its flaws, profuse. In Praise of Forgetting is misleadingly titled, for Rieff focuses primarily on the social functions of memory and its relation to history and forgetfulness. In his view, every event and person, no matter how notable today, will be ultimately forgotten. But in the short run, forgetfulness is benign, leading to reconciliation and peace. Memory, in contrast, is always malignant and distorted, yet so influential as to merge with and erode history. Rieff's assertions are matched against the cases he himself adduces, cases which he describes selectively and with minimal regard for evidence. However tendentious his arguments, the insights and vast erudition to which David Rieff treats his readers are undeniable.
A cascaded high frequency AC link system with reduced switch count and low-voltage ride-through capability for large-scale PV systems

Cascaded high-frequency link (CHFL) system provides an isolated power electronic interface between the low voltage DC sources and the medium voltage AC network. The CHFL uses a high/medium frequency transformer. The main disadvantage for this system is the large number of active switches. In this paper, a new design for the CHFL system based on cascaded half-bridge direct matrix converters is proposed. The proposed design reduce the number of switch count by more than 40% as compared with topologies recently proposed in the literature. A simplified hysteresis current controller is also proposed. A reactive power compensator was adopted in the controller scheme to alleviate the voltage fluctuations at the point of common coupling (PCC) due to the changing injected PV power to the grid. The proposed system complies with the E.ON code for the low-voltage ride-through requirement in order to remain grid-connected and inject active and/or reactive power to support the grid voltage during fault conditions. The results are validated through a number of simulations in large scale PV application.
The Role of Psycho-Sociocultural Factors in Suicide Risk Among Mong/Hmong Youth

This study examined psychological, social, and cultural factors that can affect suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Emerging evidence suggests that Mong/Hmong youth are at an increased risk for suicide (Huang, Lee, & Arganza, 2004; Jesilow & Xiong, 2007). Additionally, initial findings and theories have suggested potential associations between Mong/Hmong youth suicide risk and intergenerational family conflict, ethnic identity, acculturation, depression, and spirituality. The seriousness of suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth in this country has been overlooked for decades; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine these associations with the hope that the findings would be beneficial in future efforts to reduce suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth. This research was a cross-sectional exploratory study that used a purposive sampling method in addition to snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 165 Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25 from three California academic institutions. Results indicated that of 165 respondents, 59% (n=98) have had passing thoughts of suicide. There was a correlation between ethnic identity, intergenerational family conflict, depression, and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, ethnic identity and intergenerational family conflict were significant predictors of depression. Lastly, depression and having a belief in Mong/Hmong traditional spiritual and healing practices were predictors of suicide risk among the sampled population. Two open-ended protective factor questions were explored to encourage participants to reflect on their resilience to suicide by sharing how they responded to thoughts of ending their life and what helped them to overcome those thoughts. Five themes were identified as protective factors: (1) having the cognitive ability to understand how death affects loved ones; (2) optimism and having a positive orientation toward the future; (3) connectedness with family, friends, and community; (4) having a sense of selfworth; and (5) a social life. Implications for social work practice and policy include the development, expansion and delivery of culturally appropriate mental health treatment services for young adults. This entails the incorporation of traditional Mong/Hmong mental health healing practices into western mental health treatment, ongoing clinical research to better understand the mental health needs of the Mong/Hmong young adult population, and educating and empowering the Mong/Hmong community to access the mental health system, thereby reducing the stigma associated with mental health and increasing access
Gamete Interaction in the Sea Urchin A Model for Understanding the Molecular Details of Animal Fertilization

Fertilization is the fusion of a sperm with an egg, resulting in the restoration of the diploid condition and the activation of the metabolically dormant egg, setting the zygote on the pathway to cleavage, organogenesis, and formation of an adult. Fertilization has been studied extensively for over 100 years because of curiosity about the mechanism that gives rise to a new generation. More recently, research on fertilization has become important because of the obvious applications to problems of fertility control. Fertilization also provides an excellent model system to study a variety of cellular phenomena. It is particularly useful as a model for studying cell adhesion and membrane fusion. Fertilization is a rare example of a natural fusion of the plasma membranes of two cells (reviewed in Epel and Vacquier 1978; others are myoblast fusion and fusion of placental trophoblast cells). In addition to the fusion of two plasma membranes, there are two exocytotic events associated with fertilization. One is the fusion of the sperm acrosome granule membrane with the overlying sperm plasma membrane; the second is the massive exocytosis of egg cortical granules seconds after sperm-egg fusion (Epel and Vacquier, 1978). Finally, fertilization is also an excellent model for the study of the biochemical activation of two cells. The sperm undergoes an activation in response to the external egg investments, involving ion fluxes, an increase in respiration, and a change in cell shape involving the polymerization of actin (Tilney et al., 1973). The egg undergoes a dramatic metabolic activation, involving a variety of physiological changes such as ion fluxes, membrane fluidity changes, a membrane depolarization, increases in nucleoside and amino acid transport, and a marked increase in macromolecular synthesis (Epel, 1978).
Identification of Genotoxic Agents in Complex Mixtures of Air Pollutants

Recent surveys have shown that global environmental effects are ranked as a major issue of public concern (109). Numerous newspaper and magazine articles on the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, acid rain, hazardous waste, and air toxics are some of the recent issues which have helped to raise this level of concern.
The Historical Context of Contemporary Forest Management

The federal government controls one-third of the nation’s land—740 million acres. These “public lands” contain tremendous and varied resources. Some of these resources are found on the surface: timber, grazing and agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, recreational and scenic amenities, and wilderness. Others lie beneath the surface: coal, potash, phosphate, sulfur, oil shale, helium, copper, and oil and gas. The resources comprising the public lands are managed by several different federal agencies. The Department of the Interior has jurisdiction over public lands through its Bureau of Land Management (398 million acres), Fish and Wildlife Service (43 million acres) and National Park Service (68 million acres). The Department of Agriculture, through the U.S. Forest Service, controls 187.5 million acres. The remaining acreage is split amongst many different agencies including the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Energy.
A Note on Capitalist Commodification of the Homeless

Under capitalism, the homeless are an oppressed and an exploited class. They are exploited sometimes as part of what Marx identifies as the lower reaches of the surplus labor force, but most usuall...
The regulatory pathways leading to stem-like cells underlie prostate cancer progression

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cause of malignancy in males and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. The standard care for primary PCa with local invasive disease mainly is surgery and radiation. For patients with distant metastases, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a gold standard. Regardless of a favorable outcome of ADT, patients inevitably relapse to an end-stage castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) leading to mortality. Therefore, revealing the mechanism and identifying cellular components driving aggressive PCa is critical for prognosis and therapeutic intervention. Cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotypes characterized as poor differentiation, cancer initiation with self-renewal capabilities, and therapeutic resistance are proposed to contribute to the onset of CRPC. In this review, we discuss the role of CSC in CRPC with the evidence of CSC phenotypes and the possible underlying mechanisms.
Improving QoE of ABR Streaming Sessions through QUIC Retransmissions

While adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming has contributed significantly to the reduction of video playout stalling, ABR clients continue to suffer from the variation of bit rate qualities over the duration of a streaming session. Similar to stalling, these variations in bit rate quality have a negative impact on the users' Quality of Experience (QoE). In this paper, we use a trace from a large-scale CDN to show that such quality changes occur in a significant amount of streaming sessions and investigate an ABR video segment retransmission approach to reduce the number of such quality changes. As the new HTTP/2 standard is becoming increasingly popular, we also see an increase in the usage of QUIC as an alternative protocol for the transmission of web traffic including video streaming. Using various network conditions, we conduct a systematic comparison of existing transport layer approaches for HTTP/2 that is best suited for ABR segment retransmissions. Since it is well known that both protocols provide a series of improvements over HTTP/1.1, we perform experiments both in controlled environments and over transcontinental links in the Internet and find that these benefits also "trickle up'' into the application layer when it comes to ABR video streaming where QUIC retransmissions can significantly improve the average quality bitrate while simultaneously minimizing bit rate variations over the duration of a streaming session.
A Case Report of Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome Complicated by Membranous Nephropathy

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a very rare disorder with less than 500 reported cases. It is characterized by extensive gastrointestinal polyposis and ectodermal anomalies including alopecia, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, and onychodystrophy. Only 3 cases of associated kidney disease (membranous nephropathy [MN]) have been reported. A 71-year-old male with CCS was referred for further evaluation of proteinuria. The patient initially presented with abdominal discomfort, weight loss, dysgeusia, skin hyperpigmentation, alopecia, and dystrophic nails. Endoscopic evaluation showed widespread gastrointestinal nodular inflammation and polyps. Histopathology was consistent with CCS. Initial treatment was with prednisone, azathioprine, and ranitidine. He had moderate clinical improvement but developed nephrotic-range proteinuria. Renal biopsy showed MN, and cyclosporine was started. The patient had significant improvement in his CCS manifestations; however, his proteinuria and renal function worsened. Rituximab was added to his regimen of cyclosporine and azathioprine, which resulted in remission of his MN, marked improvement in his polyposis, and near resolution of his cutaneous symptoms. This case represents a unique presentation of CCS associated with MN treated with rituximab. The excellent clinical response observed for both CCS and MN advocates consideration of this treatment, especially for refractory disease.
Using a Simulation Game to Teach the Concept of ERP

For decades, research has shown how the use of simulations can make a positive impact on student learning. Simulations have the potential to engage students in a higher level of learning that allows understanding of concepts as opposed to rote learning where students “delete” concepts from their brains as soon as they have completed related assessment activities. Simulations are among the most often used pedagogies in industry and government. While the simulations that are used in industry can be much more complex than those integrated into the curriculum, simulations can be extended to student instruction with careful curriculum development. Because undergraduate students have little to no business experience, it can be difficult to understand the concept of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Additionally, post-secondary environments may not have the funding needed to support an ERP for curricular reasons. A simulation game, such as Lemonade Tycoon, can engage students in learning about different modules included in ERP systems along with the concepts of CRM. This simulation or strategy game allows students to manage their own lemonade stand and are responsible for paying rent, hiring staff, purchasing assets and ingredients, manufacturing the product, and collecting customer feedback. These tasks dovetail with several modules included within an ERP such as Manufacturing, Financials, Human Resources, and Sales and Marketing. The use of a simulation in the classroom validates the importance of how information systems are critical to everyone within an organization, not just the IT staff, while involving the students in their own learning.
Modeling the Cooperative Adsorption of Solid-Binding Proteins on Silica: Molecular Insights from Surface Plasmon Resonance Measurements.

Combinatorially selected solid-binding peptides (SBPs) provide a versatile route for synthesizing advanced materials and devices, especially when they are installed within structurally or functiona...
Strong photosynthetic acclimation and enhanced water‐use efficiency in grassland functional groups persist over 21 years of CO2 enrichment, independent of nitrogen supply

Uncertainty about long-term leaf-level responses to atmospheric CO2 rise is a major knowledge gap that exists because of limited empirical data. Thus, it remains unclear how responses of leaf gas exchange to elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) vary among plant species and functional groups, or across different levels of nutrient supply, and whether they persist over time for long-lived perennials. Here, we report the effects of eCO2 on rates of net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in 14 perennial grassland species from four functional groups over two decades in a Minnesota Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiment, BioCON. Monocultures of species belonging to C3 grasses, C4 grasses, forbs, and legumes were exposed to two levels of CO2 and nitrogen supply in factorial combinations over 21 years. eCO2 increased photosynthesis by 12.9% on average in C3 species, substantially less than model predictions of instantaneous responses based on physiological theory and results of other studies, even those spanning multiple years. Acclimation of photosynthesis to eCO2 was observed beginning in the first year and did not strengthen through time. Yet, contrary to expectations, the response of photosynthesis to eCO2 was not enhanced by increased nitrogen supply. Differences in responses among herbaceous plant functional groups were modest, with legumes responding the most and C4 grasses the least as expected, but did not further diverge over time. Leaf-level water-use efficiency increased by 50% under eCO2 primarily because of reduced stomatal conductance. Our results imply that enhanced nitrogen supply will not necessarily diminish photosynthetic acclimation to eCO2 in nitrogen-limited systems, and that significant and consistent declines in stomatal conductance and increases in water-use efficiency under eCO2 may allow plants to better withstand drought.
Primary or salvage stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastatic small cell lung cancer

We evaluated the outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients who developed new or progressive brain disease regardless of whether they had no prior radiation, PCI, or WBRT. We retrospectively identified 90 SCLC patients who had SRS between 1991 and 2018. Thirty-one patients had no evidence of brain disease at the time of initial diagnosis but received prophylactic cranial irradiation. Twenty-six without initial brain disease underwent delayed SRS after brain disease was identified. Seventeen patients with synchronous systemic and brain disease underwent WBRT at the time of diagnosis. Fifteen patients had brain disease detected at the time of initial diagnosis and had initial SRS. We found no difference in overall survival between patients who received initial PCI or WBRT compared to patients treated with SRS alone at the time when brain metastases were identified. PCI was not associated with a longer duration between initial diagnosis and the development of brain metastasis. Local tumor control was achieved in 49 out of 58 patients who had follow up MRI available for review (84.5%). Actuarial local tumor control at 3, 6, and 12 months was calculated as 92%, 85%, and 80%, respectively. Radiation therapy (PCI or WBRT) before SRS was not associated with better or worse local tumor control. In this experience neither prior PCI nor WBRT improved survival or local tumor control in SCLC patients who underwent SRS for new or recurrent brain disease.
Integrating read-based and population-based phasing for dense and accurate haplotyping of individual genomes.

Motivation Reconstruction of haplotypes for human genomes is an important problem in medical and population genetics. Hi-C sequencing generates read pairs with long-range haplotype information that can be computationally assembled to generate chromosome-spanning haplotypes. However, the haplotypes have limited completeness and low accuracy. Haplotype information from population reference panels can potentially be used to improve the completeness and accuracy of Hi-C haplotyping. Results In this paper, we describe a likelihood based method to integrate short-range haplotype information from a population reference panel of haplotypes with the long-range haplotype information present in sequence reads from methods such as Hi-C to assemble dense and highly accurate haplotypes for individual genomes. Our method leverages a statistical phasing method and a maximum spanning tree algorithm to determine the optimal second-order approximation of the population-based haplotype likelihood for an individual genome. The population-based likelihood is encoded using pseudo-reads which are then used as input along with sequence reads for haplotype assembly using an existing tool, HapCUT2. Using whole-genome Hi-C data for two human genomes (NA19240 and NA12878), we demonstrate that this integrated phasing method enables the phasing of 97-98% of variants, reduces the switch error rates by 3-6-fold, and outperforms an existing method for combining phase information from sequence reads with population-based phasing. On Strand-seq data for NA12878, our method improves the haplotype completeness from 71.4 to 94.6% and reduces the switch error rate 2-fold, demonstrating its utility for phasing using multiple sequencing technologies. Availability and implementation Code and datasets are available at https://github.com/vibansal/IntegratedPhasing.
Fear and Loathing at the Cineplex: Gender Differences in Descriptions and Perceptions of Slasher Films

This study investigates gender-specific descriptions and perceptions of slasher films. Sixty Euro-American university students (30 males and 30 females) were asked to recount in a written survey the details of the most memorable slasher film they remember watching and describe the emotional reactions evoked by that film. A text analysis approach was used to examine and interpret informant responses. Males recall a high percentage of descriptive images associated with what is called rural terror, a concept tied to fear of strangers and rural landscapes, whereas females display a greater fear of family terror, which includes themes of betrayed intimacy, stalkings, and spiritual possession. It is found that females report a higher level and a greater number of fear reactions than males, who report more anger and frustration responses. Gender-specific fears as personalized through slasher film recall are discussed with relation to socialization practices and power-control theory.
A review of the use of cefotaxime in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections, with special reference to gram-positive pathogens.

Data compiled from computer-generated summaries of patient records submitted to Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals were reviewed regarding the efficacy and toxicity of cefotaxime in the therapy of skin and skin structure infections associated with gram-positive pathogens. In addition, published open and comparative trials employing cefotaxime in gram-positive and gram-negative skin infections were evaluated with respect to the pathogens isolated and the nature, severity and bacteriological and clinical outcome of the treated infections. Within the limitations of the data reviewed, cefotaxime appeared to be a safe and effective therapy in greater than 90% of infections including cellulitis, abscesses and necrotizing ulcers of the skin and subcutaneous tissues when associated with the isolation of susceptible gram-negative bacilli, methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus, or aerobic or anaerobic gram-positive pathogens susceptible to aqueous penicillin G. The data would indicate that cefotaxime is a suitable therapy for patients with presumed polymicrobial, non-crepitant infections of the skin or skin structures pending microbiological studies. However, cefotaxime cannot be recommended for similar infections due to organisms such as methicillin-resistantS. aureus orPseudomonas aeruginosa that are commonly resistant to cefotaximein vitro. Data regarding skin and skin structure infections associated withClostridium spp. and enterococcal group D streptococci are either lacking or inconclusive with respect to the utility of cefotaxime.
The effect of plate theories and boundary conditions on the bending behavior of a biaxial corrugated core sandwich panel

Abstract In this study, an analytical model was developed to evaluate the bending behavior of a wood composite sandwich panel with a biaxial corrugated core. To explore the effect of shear deformation, two plate theories were considered: classical plate theory (CPT) and a third-order shear deformation plate theory (TOSDPT). The effect of simply supported-simply supported, clamped–clamped, and simply supported-free boundary conditions on the bending behavior of the sandwich panel was investigated. A homogenization method was used to replace the corrugated geometry of the core with a continuous layer. Based on the deformation of the corrugated core, the effective properties of the homogenized layer were obtained. Classical lamination theory and the principle of minimum potential energy were applied to derive the governing equations and apply the boundary conditions. A generalized differential quadrature method was applied to solve the governing differential equations. The bending stiffness of a panel with simply supported-free boundary conditions agreed with the experiment within 3.67% and 0.28% for CPT and TOSDPT, respectively.
Chapter Twelve – Light Sources

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on light source implementations in pbrt software. It introduces the abstract Light class, which defines the interface used for light sources in pbrt software, as well as the implementations of a number of useful light sources. By hiding the implementation of different types of lights behind a carefully designed interface, the light transport routines can operate without knowing which particular types of lights are in the scene, similar to how the acceleration structures can hold collections of primitives without needing to know their actual types. Many flexible light source models have been developed for computer graphics, incorporating control over properties like the rate at which the light falls off with distance, which objects are illuminated by the light, which objects cast shadows from the light, and so on. While controls such as these are quite useful for artistic effects, many of them are incompatible with physically based light transport algorithms and thus can't be provided in the models here.
Making the most of the first prenatal visit: The challenge of expanding prenatal genetic testing options and limited clinical encounter time.

Objective Advances in prenatal genetics place additional challenges as patients must receive information about a growing array of screening and testing options. This raises concerns about how to achieve a shared decision-making process that prepares patients to make an informed decision about their choices about prenatal genetic screening and testing options, calling for a reconsideration of how healthcare providers approach the first prenatal visit. Methods We conducted interviews with 40 pregnant women to identify components of decision-making regarding prenatal genetic screens and tests at this visit. Analysis was approached using grounded theory. Results Participants brought distinct notions of risk to the visit, including skewed perceptions of baseline risk for a fetal genetic condition and the implications of screening and testing. Participants were very concerned about financial considerations associated with these options, ranking out-of-pocket costs on par with medical considerations. Participants noted diverging priorities at the first visit from those of their healthcare provider, leading to barriers to shared decision-making regarding screening and testing during this visit. Conclusion Research is needed to determine how to restructure the initiation of prenatal care in a way that best positions patients to make informed decisions about prenatal genetic screens and tests.
Wildcard: spreadsheet-driven customization of web applications

Many Web applications do not meet the precise needs of their users. Browser extensions offer a way to customize web applications, but most people do not have the programming skills to implement their own extensions. In this paper, we present spreadsheet-driven customization, a technique that enables end users to customize software without doing any traditional programming. The idea is to augment an application’s UI with a spreadsheet that is synchronized with the application’s data. When the user manipulates the spreadsheet, the underlying data is modified and the changes are propagated to the UI, and vice versa. We have implemented this technique in a prototype browser extension called Wildcard. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate that Wildcard can support useful customizations—ranging from sorting lists of search results to showing related data from web APIs—on top of existing websites. We also present the design principles underlying our prototype. Customization can lead to dramatically better experiences with software. We think that spreadsheet-driven customization offers a promising new approach to unlocking this benefit for all users, not just programmers.
A Comparison of the Elixhauser and Charlson Comorbidity Indices: Predicting In-Hospital Complications Following Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusions.

Objective The Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) are commonly used measures that use administrative data to characterize a patient's comorbidity burden. The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of these measures to predict outcomes following anterior lumbar interbody fusion. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all ALIF procedures between 2013 and 2014. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was used to compare the ECI and CCI in their ability to predict postoperative complications when incorporated into a base model containing age, sex, race, and primary payer. Percent superiority was computed using AUC values for ECI, CCI, and base models. Results A total of 43,930 hospitalizations were included in this study. The ECI was superior to the CCI and baseline models in predicting minor (AUC 71 vs. 0.66, P Conclusions The ECI was superior to the CCI in predicting 6 of the 15 complications analyzed in this study. Combined with previous results, the ECI may be a better predictive model in spine surgery.
Net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from feed additive use in California dairy cattle

The livestock industry is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and there is an increasing demand for the industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Several studies have shown that feed additives 3-nitroxypropanol and nitrate to be effective in reducing enteric methane emissions. The objective of this study was to estimate the net mitigating effect of using 3-nitroxypropanol and nitrate on total greenhouse gas emissions in California dairy industry. A life cycle assessment approach was used to conduct a cradle-to-farm gate environmental impact analysis based on dairy production system in California. Emissions associated with crop production, feed additive production, enteric methane, farm management, and manure storage were calculated and expressed as kg CO2 equivalents (CO2e) per kg of energy corrected milk. The total greenhouse gas emissions from baseline, 3-nitroxypropanol and nitrate offered during lactation were 1.12, 0.993, and 1.08 kg CO2e/kg energy corrected milk, respectively. The average net reduction rates for 3-nitroxypropanol and nitrate were 11.7% and 3.95%, respectively. In both cases, using the feed additives on the whole herd slightly improved overall carbon footprint reduction compared to limiting its use during lactation phase. Although both 3-nitroxypropanol and nitrate had effects on decreasing the total greenhouse gas emission, the former was much more effective with no known safety issues in reducing the carbon footprint of dairy production in California.
Consecutive Bilateral Breast Reconstruction Using Stacked Abdominally Based and Posterior Thigh Free Flaps.

Background Multiple perforator flap breast reconstruction is an option that avoids implants in selected patients with minimal donor tissue. The technique addresses the need for additional skin to help create a breast envelope with more natural ptosis and additional volume to help create a body-appropriate breast mound while avoiding serial fat grafting. Using four flaps for the reconstruction of two breasts (bilateral stacked flap reconstruction) has recently become feasible with the advancement of microsurgical techniques, increased experience with alternative perforator flaps, and use of co-surgery. In this article, we describe our early experience with bilateral stacked flap breast reconstruction. Methods From January of 2014 to October of 2018, the senior co-surgeons performed 50 consecutive bilateral stacked flap operations at a single institution. All reconstructions were performed in delayed fashion with a mean operative time of 10 hours. Most breasts (94 percent) were reconstructed with a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap combined with a profunda artery perforator flap. Most flap microanastomoses (91.5 percent) were performed directly with internal mammary vessels. The larger of the two flaps was typically placed inferiorly (66 percent), but there was significant inset variability. Results Of 200 flaps, five were lost (2.5 percent). Seven take-backs were needed for a flap-related concern, which included two negative explorations and a flap salvage. The most common non-flap-related complication was a thigh wound (17 total, eight requiring a procedure). Conclusion The authors' early experience suggests that bilateral stacked flap breast reconstruction is a powerful tool that can be performed with an acceptable microsurgical risk and an acceptable complication profile in highly selected patients. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, IV.
A perspective on the use of ecological momentary assessment and intervention to promote stroke recovery and rehabilitation

Motivated by recent advances in technologies, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and ecological momentary intervention (EMI) have seen a rise in behavioral medicine research that in real-time, ...
State of the research on disaster risk management of interdependent infrastructure systems for community resilience planning

A wide range of community resilience research and projects are motivated by the impacts of catastrophic events in recent decades. Improving community disaster resilience requires enhancing the resi...
COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Through the Lived Experiences of Health Care Personnel: Policy and Legal Considerations

Purpose: To investigate whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaigns targeted at health care personnel (HCP) in the United States have addressed the lived experiences of HCP on...
Mundane Mommies and Doting Daddies: Gendered Parenting and Family Museum Visits

In this paper I use ethnographic fieldwork conducted at four museum sites to explore gendered parenting in one type of middle- and upper-middle-class public setting. I introduce public parenting as an understudied topic, review literature on family-oriented leisure and consumption, and then frame the study’s methods and goals as they relate to these same themes. Comparing mothers to fathers, I show how fathers typically emphasized playfulness with their children while mothers tended to focus on managing their children’s activities; how fathers were more likely to symbolically indulge their children while mothers were more likely to symbolically deprive them; and how fathers generally romanticized family museum visits by regarding them as special and sentimental while mothers were more apt to rationalize those same visits as ordinary and routine. I discuss three factors which help to explain these patterns: contemporary cultures of motherhood and fatherhood, the structuring of paid and unpaid work, and the distinctive social context represented by family-oriented museums. I conclude by addressing the study’s contributions and implications and suggesting opportunities for future research.
Cooperation Between TGF-β and Wnt Pathway Components in Regulating Mesenchymal Stem Cell Function

Stem cells have become a subject of intensive research based on their potential for varied clinical applications. One such stem cell, the mesenchymal stem cell, has attracted attention owing to its ability to differentiate into several mesenchymal lineages such as bone, cartilage, and fat. The molecular pathways which regulate the functions of mesenchymal stem cells are not well-characterized, but the TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways are thought to play critical roles. Here, we describe the importance of TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathway crosstalk in governing mesenchymal stem cell function.
Ecological opportunity and the rate of morphological evolution in the diversification of Greater Antillean anoles.

The pace of phenotypic diversification during adaptive radiation should decrease as ecological opportunity declines. We test this prediction using phylogenetic comparative analyses of a wide range of morphological traits in Greater Antillean Anolis lizards. We find that the rate of diversification along two important axes of Anolis radiation—body size and limb dimensions—decreased as opportunity declined, with opportunity quantified either as time elapsed in the radiation or as the diversity of competing anole lineages inferred to have been present on an island at different times in the past. Most previous studies of the ecological opportunity hypothesis have focused on the rate of species diversification; our results provide a complementary perspective, indicating that the rate of phenotypic diversification declines with decreasing opportunity in an adaptive radiation.
Dietary and tobacco risk factors for adult onset glioma in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA)

The roles of diet and tobacco in the etiology of primary brain cancer are controversial. In this report, we compare dietary and cigarette smoking histories among 434 adults newly diagnosed with glioma in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA) between 1991 and 1994 with frequency age, gender, and ethnicity-matched population-based controls. Data were obtained on use of vitamin supplements and mean weekly consumption of each of 24 food groups. Adjusted for age, family income, and education, for both men and women, cases had higher mean weekly consumption of cured meats and other cured foods, lower consumption of high vitamin A and C fruits and vegetables, and higher average intakes of beer and other alcohol than controls. Men with brain cancer were twice as likely as control men to report high consumption of cured foods and low consumption of foods rich in vitamin C (odds ratio [OR]=2.0, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.2-3.5). This association was less pronounced and not statistically significant in women (OR=1.5, CI=0.8-2.7). Similarly, men with brain cancer were twice as likely as controls to have high nitrite and low vitamin C consumption. Among men only, cases were 1.8 times more likely than controls to report smoking unfiltered cigarettes (CI=0.9-3.4). Moreover, among smokers, cases smoked unfiltered cigarettes almost twice as long as controls (P=0.04) and cases' average total pack-years also significantly exceeded controls. Although these findings support the hypothesis that N-nitroso compounds might be a factor in adult glioma, they are compatible with other dietary hypotheses. In particular, these results also favor the hypothesis that total body burden of oxidants may play a role in brain cancer causation.
Health ratings in relation to illnesses, physical functioning, general mental health and well-being: self-reports of college alumnae, ages <40-80 and older.

Objectives: This paper examines health perception as an outcome in relation to physician-diagnosed illnesses, vitality, mental health and well-being, physical activities, and social and behavioral factors among women, ages late 30's to 80 and older, whose responses were obtained in non-medical settings. Subjects and methods: 3940 college alumnae responded to a self-administered mailed questionnaire, which covered personal and behavioral factors; physical activity; diet; medical history; mental health; physical limitations, and health perception. Results: The prevalence of medical diagnoses, physical limitations, and health rating (good, fair, poor vs. excellent, very good) increased by age. Measures of low vitality and psychological distress varied by age, but not linearly. Stress declined dramatically by age. Irrespective of age, vitality and psychological distress were important predictors of health rating. The multivariate odds ratios (ORs) were, respectively, OR: 3.3, 95% CI (2.6, 4.1), and OR: 1.6, 95% CI (1.3, 2.0). Other predictors of health rating included physical limitations and medical diagnoses of breast and reproductive cancers, respiratory conditions, and chronic back problems. Conclusion: For women across the age span, who rated their health and health-related quality of life in a non-medical setting, having low vitality was a major factor in predicting their perceived health, even when adjusting for medical conditions and physical limitations.