cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics and Equilibrium of Gas Adsorption on RPM1-Co and Cu-BTC Metal-Organic Frameworks: Potential for Gas Separation Applications

We report on the results of kinetic and equilibrium adsorption measurements for two gases, CF4 and Ar, on RPM1-Co and Cu-BTC metal-organic framework materials. The kinetic experiments were performed at similar relative temperatures (T/Tcritical = 0.52 and 0.597) on both adsorbents. The results show that both gases behave differently on Cu-BTC from the way they do on RPM1-Co. In addition, the equilibrium isotherms indicate that there are some sites on Cu-BTC which are accessible to Ar but not to CF4. Taken together, our results for the kinetic and equilibrium experiments suggest that these MOFs have high potential for use in gas separation applications. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
A novel haptics-based interface and sculpting system for physics-based geometric design

Abstract Conventional geometric design techniques based on B-splines and NURBS often require tedious control-point manipulation and/or painstaking constraint specification via unnatural mouse-based computer interfaces. In this paper, we propose a novel and natural haptic interface and present a physics-based geometric modeling approach that facilitates interactive sculpting of spline-based virtual material. Using the PHANToM haptic device, modelers can feel the physically realistic presence of virtual spline objects and interactively deform virtual materials with force feedback throughout the design process. We develop various haptic sculpting tools to expedite the deformation of B-spline surfaces with haptic feedback and constraints. The most significant contribution of this paper is that point, normal, and curvature constraints can be specified interactively and modified naturally using forces. To achieve the real-time sculpting performance, we devise a novel dual representation for B-spline surfaces in both physical and mathematical space: the physics-based mass-spring model is mathematically constrained by the B-spline surface throughout the sculpting session. We envision that the integration of haptics with traditional computer-aided design makes it possible to realize all the potential offered by both haptic sculpting and physics-based modeling in CAD/CAM, virtual prototyping, human–computer interface, and medical training and simulation.
The return of Pacific waters to the upper layers of the central Arctic Ocean

Temperature, salinity, and chemical measurements, including the nutrients silicic acid (Si), nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2), ammonium (NH4), and phosphate (PO4 or P), the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater (d 18 O), and barium (Ba) concentrations were obtained from the central Arctic Ocean along transects radiating from the North Pole in early spring, 2000–2006. Stations that were reoccupied over this time period were grouped into five regions: from Ellesmere Island, (1) north along 701W and (2) northwest along 901W; near the North Pole, (3) on the Amundsen Basin flank and (4) directly over the Lomonosov Ridge; (5) through the Makarov Basin along 170–1801W. These regions had been shown by others to have undergone marked changes in water-mass assemblies in the early 1990s, but our time series tracer hydrographic data indicate a partial return of Pacific origin water within the mixed layer and the upper halocline layers beginning in 2003–2004. Back-trajectories derived from satellite-tracked ice buoys for these stations indicate that the upper levels of Pacific water in the central Arctic in 2004–2006 transited westward from the Bering Strait along the Siberian continental slope into the East Siberian Sea before entering the Transpolar Drift Stream (TPD). By 2004, the TPD shifted back from an alignment over the Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge toward the Lomonosov Ridge, as was characteristic prior to the early 1990s. At most stations occupied in 2006, a decrease in the Pacific influence was observed, both in the mixed layer and in the upper halocline, which suggests the Canadian branch of the TPD was shifting back toward North America. Clearly the system is more variable than has been previously appreciated. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Laparoscopic approach is safe and effective in the management of Mirizzi syndrome

Context: Mirizzi syndrome (MS), an unusual complication of gallstone disease is due to mechanical obstruction of the common hepatic duct and is associated with clinical presentation of obstructive jaundice. Pre-operative identification of this entity is difficult and surgical management constitutes a formidable challenge to the operating surgeon. Aim: To analyse the clinical presentation, pre-operative diagnostic strategies, operative management and outcome of patients operated for MS in a tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study identified patients operated for MS between January 2006 and August 2013 and recorded and analysed their pre-operative demographics, pre-operative diagnostic strategies, operative management, and outcome. Results: A total of 20 patients was identified out of 1530 cholecystectomies performed during the study period giving an incidence of 1.4%. There were 11 males and 9 females with a mean age of 55.6 years. Abdomen pain and jaundice were predominant symptoms and alteration of liver function test was seen in 14 patients. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) the mainstay of diagnosis was diagnostic of MS in 72% of patients, while the rest were identified intra-operatively. The most common type of MS was Type II with an incidence of 40%. Cholecystectomy was completed by laparoscopy in 14 patients with a conversion rate of 30%. A choledochoplasty was sufficed in most of the patients and none required a hepaticojejunostomy. The laparoscopic cohort had a shorter length of hospital stay when compared to the entire group. Conclusion: MS, a rare complication of cholelithiasis is a formidable diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and pre-operative ERCP as a main diagnostic strategy enables the surgeon to identify and minimize bile duct injury. A choledochoplasty might be sufficient in the majority of the types of MS, while a laparoscopic approach is feasible and safe in most cases as well.
Internal variability of an energy-balance model with delayed albedo effects

A simple, deterministic energy-balance model with possible relevance to climatic variations on the time scale of glaciation cycles, is presented. The lag between ice-sheet extent and zonally-averaged temperature is modeled as a time delay in the ice-albedo feedback. The model exhibits self-sustained oscillations which are quasi-periodic or aperiodic in character. Fourier spectra of solutions have the features of many paleoclimatic records: peaks of variable height and width superimposed on a continuous, red-noise type background.
Environmental Valuation Using Cross-City Hedonic Methods

This chapter focuses on cross-city hedonic estimation. Hedonics recovers implicit prices that can be used to form indices and to compare the marginal consumer's valuation of different local public goods. Many cross-city hedonic studies implicitly assume that the set of city-specific local public goods are like climate in that they are exogenously supplied. Cross-city hedonic researchers have often assumed that each person in a city is exposed to the average level of local public goods in the city. The econometric techniques used in the cross-city hedonic literature have been relatively simple. An investigation of the state of the art of hedonic research matters because this technique remains one of the major tools used by environmental and real estate economists to value non-market goods. The best data exists on climate and air pollution, but, due to data limitations, other important measures of environmental quality such as water quality and exposures to toxics have been under-researched using hedonic methods.
The Km for radiosensitization of human tumor cells by oxygen is much greater than 3 mmHg and is further increased by elevated levels of cysteine

Abstract Horan, A. D. and Koch, C. J. The Km for Radiosensitization of Human Tumor Cells by Oxygen is Much Greater than 3 mmHg and is Further Increased by Elevated Levels of Cysteine. Radiat. Res. 156, 388–398 (2001). We studied the role of cysteine as an intracellular radiation protector under conditions in which both oxygen and thiols were monitored at 37°C. In HCT-116 human colon cancer cells, the intracellular cysteine content affects the radiation survival dramatically at intermediate oxygen levels, but not at zero or high oxygen levels. Using a spin-through-oil method with a dual radioactive label detection system, we measured intracellular cysteine and glutathione (GSH) levels for cells in suspension culture. A comparison of the cysteine levels of monolayer cells lysed in situ and of trypsinized monolayer cells in suspension (Horan et al., Cytometry 29, 76–82, 1997) revealed that, upon trypsinization from monolayer culture and transfer to a spinner apparatus at 37°C, HCT-116 cells lose most of thei...
An Interaction Balance Based Approach for Autonomic Performance Management in a Cloud Computing Environment

In this paper, an autonomic performance management approach is introduced that provides dynamic resource allocation for deploying a set of services over a federated cloud computing infrastructure by considering both, the availability and the demand of the cloud computing resources. This distributed control based approach is developed by using an interaction balance (decomposition-coordination) methodology for interactive bidding of computing resources in cloud computing environment. The primary goals of the proposed approach are to maintain the service level agreements, maximize the profit, and minimize the operating cost for both, the service providers and the cloud brokers. The cloud brokers are considered third party organizations that work as intermediaries between the service providers and the cloud providers to sublet the cloud resources that the cloud brokers rent or lease from a number of cloud providers. The developed approach is novel in applying interaction balance methodology, and giving priority to the profit maximization for both the cloud broker and service providers, while assigning the cloud computing resources.
Properties, Principles, and Parameters of the Gecko Adhesive System

Current understanding of the adhesion system of geckos is the culmination of efforts by investigators throughout the biological and applied sciences. Continuing research in this area promises dividends in areas such as biomechanics, evolution, ecology, adhesive technology, and robotics. We describe here the key topics involved in the gecko adhesion system: the notable properties, the underlying physical principles, and the parameters that govern system performance. Additionally, we highlight the most important unresolved issues and propose productive directions related to gecko adhesion research and bioinspired engineering.
Arizona Supreme Court: Its 1999-2000 Decisions

This article is the third annual review of the Arizona Supreme Court's published opinions. This third review covers the period from August 1, 1999 through July 31, 2000. In this period of review, the Arizona Supreme Court has continued to give meaning to the Arizona Constitution, to interpret the laws promulgated by the Arizona Legislature, and to develop the common law of the state. In so doing, the Arizona Supreme Court has rendered many decisions of legal significance and public importance. This annual review provides a summary statistical analysis of the supreme court's decisions, followed by a detailed student-authored assessment of specific decisions from the year under evaluation.
Trust in Diverse, Integrated Cities: An Empirical Investigation

A large body of recent research claims that diversity hinders general trust, but these studies suffer from omitted variables bias by excluding the institutional context of intergroup relations and specifically segregation. This article re-examines the issue by considering how the residential isolation of minorities alters general trust and prejudicial attitudes of metropolitan area residents. The hypothesis advanced here is that integration offers opportunities for mutually beneficial transactions and friendly interactions, and these exchanges, when in the context of equal rights under law and a broad division of labor, reduce prejudice and foster greater trust of minorities and their political allies. The results are consistent with this hypothesis and are robust to a variety of specifications. High levels of trust have been identified as a source of good governance and economic performance; integration is likely to enhance these attributes under fair institutions, regardless of the level of diversity. Future research should investigate how political and racial trust and integration are related.
Dynamic vision

The architecture of a dynamic vision system is discussed and issues related to motion detection and segmentation, incremental recovery of structure from motion, the environment and world models, and control structures based on qualitative approaches are examined. The ideas presented here are dynamic, and the approach is evolving. The approach does not require image flow field. In some cases, some properties of image flow fields are used, but computation of the field is not necessary. The emphasis here is on recovering robust information using the principles of least commitment and graceful degradation. >
Lumbar Puncture Simulation Training Improves Medical Student Knowledge and Confidence (P06.027)

Objective: Investigation into whether lumbar puncture training with a simulator improves confidence and knowledge in medical students during a neurology clerkship. Background Patients typically are apprehensive about undergoing a lumbar puncture. A physician9s ability to understand and explain the procedure with confidence results in reassurance and acceptance of the procedure by the patient. Practice on models has been shown in other specialties to improve outcomes, performance and confidence of practitioners. Design/Methods: Medical students during the neurology rotation were surveyed on their perspective on lumbar puncture simulation. Using six questions on a Likert scale ranging from 1-5 (5 being "expert, 1 being "unconfident", score total 30) medical students were surveyed before and after their use of a lumbar puncture simulator. Results: A total of 17 students were surveyed (11 MSIII and 6 MS IV). All students recorded an increase in confidence after use of the simulator. Typically fourth year students were more confident at baseline than third year students (13/30; 11/30) with greatly improved scores in comfort levels after use of the simulator (21/30, 22/30). Additional comments were all positive and students felt "more prepared for the wards". Conclusions: Medical students find the lumbar puncture simulation training useful. It increases their levels of confidence and understanding of the indications and risks and benefits of the procedure. Further study into the translation of simulation expertise to positive procedure outcome will be explored. Disclosure: Dr. Westwood has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hohler has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience as a speaker.
Currency Carry Trade and Bank's Foreign Exchange Risk Management

The role of the market makers is crucial in determining the foreign exchange risk premium in currency carry trade. A typical market maker of foreign exchange is a highly leveraged commercial bank or investment bank. I derive a model of foreign exchange risk premium from the perspective of a market maker, in which the required foreign exchange risk premium is proportional to the volatility of foreign exchange rate, the net foreign exchange exposure, and the financial leverage. The financial leverage amplifies small changes in net foreign exposure and volatility into large changes in the risk premium. This amplifier effect offers an explanation to the foreign exchange risk premium puzzle. I use this model to examine the negative interest rate differential between Japan and the U.S. in the 1990s.
Combined Radiographic and Manometric Assessment of Urethral Sphincter Function

A technique combining manometric, radiographic and electromyographic data to investigate primary urethral sphincter weakness is presented. These data indicate that closure of the intraabdominal urethra by smooth muscular activity is of critical importance in passive continence.
Hyperkalemia and high-dose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole

Evidence from the literature strongly supports that high doses of TMP, as used in the treatment of PCP in AIDS patients, have the propensity to cause hyperkalemia by inhibiting sodium channels in the distal nephron, thereby impairing potassium secretion. The mechanism of TMP-induced hyperkalemia is believed to be similar to that of triamterene and amiloride because of the structural similarity of these agents. It is also possible that declining renal function, which is a natural progression of HIV disease, may contribute to the hyperkalemia seen in this patient population. In addition, patients with AIDS also may exhibit a defect in adrenal function, potentiating the hyperkalemic effect of TMP therapy. Therefore, it is crucial for clinicians to monitor closely the serum potassium concentration in this patient population, especially during therapy with high doses of TMP.
Getting a Cloud

Depending on your needs and uses for R, it can be convenient to have a reasonable amount of memory and processor capability. Often this power is necessary only on occasion, and it may not be cost-effective to own the hardware. This is where hosting R on the cloud may be helpful. Cloud instances bring on-demand resources that are readily scaled up or down as each situation requires. These days, there are several tolerable outfits that provide such services at very reasonable prices. The challenge we face is threefold, and we walk through those steps over the next three chapters. We need to get a cloud, we need to administer our cloud’s operating system, and we need to do some fun things with R.
MULTIPLICATION OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM IN SKIMMILK WITH AND WITHOUT ADDED HYDROCHLORIC, LACTIC, AND CITRIC ACIDS1

Cells of Salmonella typhimurium grown in nutrient broth at 37 C were inoculated into samples of sterile skimmilk (approximately 103 cells per ml) which were then acidified with hydrochloric, lactic, or citric acids and incubated at 22 and 37 C. Acids were added at 2-hr intervals in uniform increments sufficient to reduce the pH from 6.70 to 4.0 (hydrochloric acid), 4.25 (lactic acid), or 4.48 (citric acid). Samples taken at 4-hr intervals were plated, and plates incubated at 37 C for 24 hr. At 37 C, maximum numbers (109 cells per ml) were attained after 12 hr, whereas maximum numbers (>108 cells per ml) in acidified milks appeared after 16 hr of incubation. Citric acid was most inhibitory and was followed in order by lactic and hydrochloric acids. At 22 C, highest numbers appeared in all milks after 16 hr of incubation. Again, citric acid proved most inhibitory, and it was followed in order by lactic and hydrochloric acids.
First-line therapy for young patients with CLL.

A 61-year-old man with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) presents with complaints of worsening fatigue and night sweats. He was diagnosed with CLL 3 years ago on routine blood count testing. He has no major medical comorbidities. On examination, he has several 2- to 3-cm lymph nodes in the cervical and axillary area. Spleen is palpable 5 cm below the costal margin. Blood counts show lymphocytosis with thrombocytopenia and anemia. Prognostic markers include deletion 13q by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and mutated IGHV. You are asked by the hematology fellow you are supervising about the best treatment of this patient.
Materials in vacuum environment

This is a summary of the “Materials in Vacuum Environment” session of the International Conference on Vacuum Metallurgy, held in New York on June 13–16, 1967, under the co-sponsorship of The Metallurgical Society and the Vacuum Metallurgy Div. of the American Vacuum Society. The major results of authors who presented papers in this session are cited and listed in the references at the end of the article. An attempt is made to define some of the metallurgical problems which are compounded when metals and alloys are used in vacuum or space applications. The space environment is described in terms of altitude, composition, pressure, density, and temperature, which in turn are compared to space simulation in vacuum chambers. High-temperature problems such as metals evaporation, surface gas-metal reactions, and the effects of vacuum on mechanical properties are delineated. Lower temperature problems such as metallic adhesion and lubrication are also discussed.
The tectonic stress and tectonic motion direction in the Pacific and Adjacent areas as calculated from earthquake fault plane solutions

Abstract The best P and T axes as well as the best normals to the null directions were calculated for groups of earthquake fault plane solutions belonging to 29 areas of the Pacific Basin and vicinity. The method employed was one developed in an earlier paper of the writer; it is based on a calculation of the eigenvectors of a quadratic form. It is shown that the principal horizontal stress (PHS) directions obtained in this fashion are in excellent agreement with those obtained from other evidence. In the Western Pacific Basin and vicinity the calculations were sufficiently dense to determine PHS trajectories; the latter are shown and yield a consistent picture of the area in question.
Applications of Linear Differential Equations

This chapter presents projects employing linear differential equations. The first project involves Lanchester's combat models. Frederick William Lanchester was an English engineer who died after the end of World War II in 1946. He had a long time interest in aircraft and was one of the first to realize the extent to which the use of air power would alter warfare. This project investigates some of Lanchester's work on modeling combat. Two forces numbering x ( t ) and y(t) are assumed to be in combat with each other. Lanchester assumed that if the forces were fighting a conventional war, then the combat loss rates would be proportional to the total number of enemy forces. The second project on drug dynamics and pharmacokinetics shows how differential equations are useful in studying the dynamics of a drug in the body.
Endophthalmitis After Vitrectomy Surgery: A Case–Control Analysis:

Purpose:To identify risk factors associated with endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) surgery.Methods:All eyes that presented with endophthalmitis after PPV from 2005 to 2015 in a comm...
The Contemporary China Collection in the Asian Division the Library of Congress

1 Report of the Librarian of Congress for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1901. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1901. p. 15. 2 Report of the Librarian of Congress and Report of the Superintendent of the Library Building and Grounds for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1915. Washington, DC: Government Print Office, 1915. pp. 38-43. 3 Hu, Shu Chao.(胡述兆 ) The Development of the Chinese Collection in the Library of Congress. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 1979. pp. 53-54.
Was verursacht was

Wir sind bestrebt zu erfahren, was wir tun mussen, um dieses oder jenes Erlebnis oder Ereignis herbeizufuhren oder auch zu vermeiden. Wir mochten einfach wissen, was durch was verursacht wird, auch wenn die Dinge sind wie sie sind und wir daran nichts andern konnen. Wie vertrauen dabei auf ein einfaches Grundkonzept, das der Kausalitat. Aus psychologischer Sicht ist die Kausalitat ein Paradox: Wir verwenden das Konzept zwar, um die vielfaltigen Ereignisse unseres taglichen Lebens zu hinterfragen, die Ursachen jedoch entziehen sich unseren Sinnen – sie konnen nicht in unmittelbarer Weise wahrgenommen werden. Was verursacht also was? Dieses Kapitel befasst sich mit Frage der Kausalitat.
SINGLE ATOM-FIELD COUPLED QUANTUM OSCILLATORS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses single atom-field coupled quantum oscillators. Atomic line center frequency shifts induced by the presence of the cavity have been observed. All these effects have been attributed to cavity-induced changes in the density of modes of the surrounding vacuum. The frequency shifts and broadening of these peaks, as well as their relative heights, are determined by the atom-field coupling constant, g. The observation of this two-peaked spectrum reported here demonstrates the symmetrical roles played by the atom and cavity oscillators. Therefore, the cavity exerts an influence on the atomic oscillator only insofar as it modifies the density of modes. This approach considers only the influence of the cavity on the atomic oscillator and not that of the atomic oscillator on the cavity.
Lymph and blood capillaries of the human gastric mucosa: A morphologic basis for metastasis in early gastric carcinoma

Abstract The distribution of lymph and blood capillaries has been studied by light and transmission electron microscopy in 16 endoscopic and surgical specimens of human gastric mucosa and submucosa. Four specimens were completely normal, seven showed mild gastritis, and five showed severe gastritis. On light microscopy, no definite distinction could be made between small mucosal lymph and blood capillaries. The distinction was achieved only by transmission electron microscopy where lymph capillaries could be identified by the presence of anchoring filaments and the demonstration of open gaps and overlapping endothelial cell processes, as well as by the absence of a basement membrane and "fenestrations" typical of the endothelial cells of blood capillaries. Although large lymph vessels were observed in the submucosa, lymph capillaries were found only in the deep lamina propria adjacent to and within the muscularis mucosae. The upper and middle levels of the lamina propria of the gastric mucosa contained no lymph capillaries. The entire mucosa showed a rich supply of blood capillaries, many of which were adjacent to the basal lamina of gastric glands and the surface epithelium. These morphologic findings correlate with clinicopathologic observations on early gastric cancer. The particularly low incidence of lymph node metastases in the subtype of early gastric cancer that remains confined to the mucosa may be explained by the rarity of lymph capillaries in the mucosa. The high percentage of blood-borne metastases in recurrent early gastric cancer may be related to the rich vascularity of gastric mucosa.
Towards a logic of ethnodentistry at Antongobe, Southwestern Madagascar

Mahafaly uses of plants to treat toothache in the Antongobe region are consistent with those from other countries where related species grow. We identify eight wild plants used in herbal dentistry, describe their manner of preparation and medicinal uses, and discuss their pharmacological properties. We also indicate briefly where dental problems belong in the larger ethnomedical system.
Filtering of Hidden Weak Markov Chain -Discrete Range Observations

In this paper we consider a hidden discrete time finite state process X whose behavior at the present time t depends on its behavior at the previous k time steps, which is a generalization of the usual hidden finite state Markov chain, in which k equals to one. We consider the case when the range space of our observations is finite. We present filtering equations for certain functionals of the chain and perform related error analysis.
Diagnosis and Medical Treatment of Infertility

In recent years, those who seek medical treatment for infertility often attempt to assimilate a great deal of information regarding diagnostic and treatment procedures. In order to provide support for infertile couples undergoing such procedures and to investigate this process adequately, therapists and researchers who study psychological adjustment to infertility require a working knowledge of its causes, diagnosis, and treatment. The present chapter is intended to provide an overview of current knowledge in this area. In addition, a description of the optimal approach to the infertility evaluation is offered. An infertile couple who receives less than optimal evaluation and treatment is likely to experience even greater distress than that arising from their inability to conceive.
Predation on Crinoids

Over the last 25 years a conceptual shift has occurred in paleobiologists’ view of the importance of predation as an ecological and evolutionary force. The importance of predation pressure on crinoids and its effects on morphological evolution and on biogeographic patterns of this group serves as a clear illustration of this shift: whereas prior to the 1970’s crinoids were generally thought to be immune from predation, since then predation has been invoked as a probable cause of: (a) the success of extant stalkless crinoids, the comatulids, in shallow water settings (Meyer, 1977 and Macurda, 1977); (b) the retreat of isocrinids, a group of stalked crinoids, into deeper water since the Cretaceous that culminated in their present bathymetric distribution (Meyer, 1977 and Macurda, 1977; Meyer, 1985; Oji, 1996); (c) trends in arm morphology of isocrinids and comatulids (Oji, 1994 and Okamoto, 1994); (d) trends in cup plate thickness and spinosity in Devonian and post-Devonian crinoids (Signor, 1984 and Brett, 1984); (e) evolution of the cladid and disparid anal sac as an anti-predatory device (Lane, 1984); and (f) evolution of morphological and behavioral escape strategies among articulate crinoids (Baumiller, 2000), among others. In this chapter we will illustrate this conceptual shift using examples from the literature that span the interval of time during which this shift occurred, review some of the studies that present evidence of predation on crinoids and argue for its importance to their ecology and evolution, and, finally, provide additional data on predation from a couple of Paleozoic examples of regeneration.
Lengthening and Deformity Correction of the Upper Extremity by the Ilizarov Technique

Correction of deformities of the upper extremity, postoperative treatments, and complications are the topics addressed in this article. Both forearm and humeral lengthening are included along with details of results and a discussion section.
Shared Autonomy for an Interactive AI System

Across many domains, interactive systems either make decisions for us autonomously or yield decision-making authority to us and play a supporting role. However, many settings, such as those in education or the workplace, benefit from sharing this autonomy between the user and the system, and thus from a system that adapts to them over time. In this paper, we pursue two primary research questions: (1) How do we design interfaces to share autonomy between the user and the system? (2) How does shared autonomy alter a user"s perception of a system? We present SharedKeys, an interactive shared autonomy system for piano instruction that plays different video segments of a piece for students to emulate and practice. Underlying our approach to shared autonomy is a mixed-observability Markov decision process that estimates a user"s desired autonomy level based on her performance and attentiveness. Pilot studies revealed that students sharing autonomy with the system learned more quickly and perceived the system as more intelligent.
Thermal and Vapor Smoothing of Thermoplastic for Reduced Surface Roughness of Additive Manufactured RF Electronics

Additive manufacturing (AM) of electronics provides a route for creating customized systems with novel geometries that are not feasible with traditional methods. Standard AM processes such as extrusion can produce substrates on which electrical traces can be deposited. However, the surface roughness of plastic extrusion reduces the effective electrical conductivity and can introduce anisotropy, especially in radio frequency (RF) devices. The roughness can be reduced using vapor smoothing (VS), but solvent absorption changes the surface composition slightly, can be environmentally hazardous, and is not feasible with all thermoplastics. A new method introduced here—coined thermal smoothing (TS)—utilizes a heat source to locally reflow the material, thus minimizing the roughness of the undulating surfaces without the drawbacks of VS. This research work compares the surface roughness impacts of both smoothing processes with profilometry and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Both smoothing processes significantly reduce the surface roughness of extruded components by 80% and 90% for TS and VS, respectively. This paper also examines the influence of surface smoothing on high-frequency conductivity of microdispensed conductors (CB028 paste) deposited on the substrates. The measured loss on coplanar waveguides shows an improvement of up to 40% at 7 GHz.
Measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate: current status and future directions.

Evaluation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is central to the assessment of kidney function in medical practice, research and public health. Measured GFR (mGFR) remains the reference standard, but the past 20 years have seen major advances in estimated GFR (eGFR). Both eGFR and mGFR are associated with error compared with true GFR. eGFR is now recommended by clinical practice guidelines, regulatory agencies and public health agencies for the initial evaluation of GFR, with measured GFR (mGFR) typically considered an important confirmatory test, depending on how accurate the assessment of GFR needs to be for application to the clinical, research or public health setting. Our approach is to use initial and confirmatory tests as needed to develop a final assessment of true GFR. We suggest that GFR evaluation might be improved by more complete implementation of current recommendations and by further research to improve the accuracy of mGFR and eGFR. The authors of this Perspectives article describe the physiological and statistical principles underlying measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). They discuss their limitations, the circumstances under which mGFR and eGFR should be used, and approaches to improve these methodologies.
Geographic-Level Association of Contemporary Changes in Localized and Metastatic Prostate Cancer Incidence in the Era of Decreasing PSA Screening:

Decreased prostate-specific antigen screening since 2008 has generated much concern, including report of recent increase in metastatic prostate cancer incidence among older men. Although increased metastatic disease was temporally proceeded by decreased screening and decreased localized prostate cancer at diagnosis, it is unclear whether the 2 trends are geographically connected. We therefore used the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to assess geographic-specific associations between changes in localized (2008-2011) and later changes in metastatic prostate cancer incidence (2012-2015). We examined trends from 200 health-care service areas (HSAs) within SEER 18 registries. While on average for each HSA, localized incidence decreased by 27.4 and metastatic incidence increased by 2.3 per 100 000 men per year, individual HSA-level changes in localized incidence did not correlate with later changes in metastatic disease. Decreased detection of localized disease may not fully explain the recent increase in metastatic disease at diagnosis.
Childhood determinants of internal youth migration in Senegal

Background: Internal migration, mostly composed of young adults and the poor, constitutes the largest flow of people in developing countries. Few studies document the patterns and determinants of internal youth migration in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: This paper analyzes the socioeconomic determinants of the decisions of young adults to internally migrate in Senegal. We focus on whether their decisions to migrate are influenced by individual characteristics, as well as the circumstances in the households and communities where they grew up, and whether these factors are differentiated by gender. Methods: Using a unique migration household survey in Senegal, we estimate multinomial logit models to analyze the role of childhood socioeconomic determinants in decisions to later migrate to rural and urban areas. Results: We find that young people undertake mostly rural-to-rural and urban-to-urban migrations, and more than half of them are temporary migrants. We also find that the determinants are heterogeneous by gender and destination. The higher the fathers’ education, the more (less) likely are their daughters to move to urban (rural) areas. Young individuals who spend their childhood in better-off households are more likely to move to urban areas. The presence of younger siblings during childhood increases the propensity of moving to rural areas. Access to primary schools from the childhood residence decreases the likelihood of migrating to urban areas for both men and women. Contribution: We contribute to the sparse literature on internal youth migration in developing countries by highlighting the role of family- and community-level characteristics during childhood in predicting later migration.
Current Transplant Criteria for Hepatocellular Carcinoma—Overuse or Underuse

In the USA, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has the most rapidly increasing cancer incidence since 1980, has a rate of death that has increased by 43% between 2000 and 2016 and is currently the second most lethal tumor with a 5-year survival of 18%. While the expected 5-year survival after liver transplant (LT) in patients with HCC is attractive at over 70%, LT is limited by extreme shortage of organs and post-LT immunosuppression. Numerous changes to the liver allocation system for HCC in the USA have been applied since 2002. However, for the most part, USA HCC patients continue to receive similar priority for LT despite ample evidence that tumor size and number is only one of many contributors to urgency (i.e. waitlist dropout), utility (i.e. post-LT survival) and LT survival benefit. In this review, we examine where current LT criteria for HCC has resulted in overuse including 1) compensated patients with a single, small, well-treated tumor and 2) patients with HCC amenable to up-front resection. We further examine where current LT criteria for HCC has resulted in underuse including 1) patients with HCC outside of standard criteria but who have favorable markers of tumor biology based on response to local regional therapies, alpha-fetoprotein and other serum biomarker levels, 18F-FDG-PET scan results and tumor biopsy as well as 2) HCC patients with decompensated cirrhosis who have an increased risk of waitlist dropout and thus likely merit additional priority given their increased LT survival benefit.
SaYoPillow: Blockchain-Integrated Privacy-Assured IoMT Framework for Stress Management Considering Sleeping Habits

Considering today’s lifestyle, people just sleep forgetting the benefits sleep provides to the human body. Smart-Yoga Pillow (SaYoPillow) is proposed to help in understanding the relationship between stress and sleep and to fully materialize the idea of “Smart-Sleeping” by proposing an edge device. An edge processor with a model analyzing the physiological changes that occur during sleep along with the sleeping habits is proposed. Based on these changes during sleep, stress prediction for the following day is proposed. The secure transfer of the analyzed stress data along with the average physiological changes to the IoT cloud for storage is implemented. A secure transfer of any data from the cloud to any third party applications is also proposed. A user interface is provided allowing the user to control the data accessibility and visibility. SaYoPillow is novel, with security features as well as consideration of sleeping habits for stress reduction, with an accuracy of up to 96%.
Polypharmacy among older adults with dementia compared with those without dementia in the United States

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES In older persons with dementia (PWD), extensive medication use is often unnecessary, discordant with goals of care, and possibly harmful. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and medication constituents of polypharmacy among older PWD attending outpatient visits in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS PWD and persons without dementia (PWOD) aged ≥65 years attending outpatient visits recorded in the nationally representative National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), 2014-2016. MEASUREMENTS PWD were identified as those with a diagnosis of dementia on the NAMCS encounter form and/or those receiving an anti-dementia medication. Visits with PWD and PWOD were compared in terms of sociodemographic, practice/physician factors, comorbidities, and prescribing outcomes. Regression analyses examined the effect of dementia diagnosis on contributions by clinically relevant medication categories to polypharmacy (defined as being prescribed ≥5 prescription and/or nonprescription medications). RESULTS The unweighted sample involved 918 visits for PWD and 26,543 visits for PWOD, representing 29.0 and 780 million outpatient visits. PWD had a median age of 81 and on average had 2.8 comorbidities other than dementia; 63% were female. The median number of medications in PWD was eight compared with three in PWOD (p < 0.001). After adjustment, PWD had significantly higher odds of being prescribed ≥5 medications (AOR 3.0; 95% CI: 2.1-4.3) or ≥10 medications (AOR 2.8; 95% CI: 2.0-4.2) compared with PWOD. The largest sources of medications among PWD were cardiovascular and central nervous system medications; usage from other categories was generally elevated in PWD compared with PWOD. PWD had higher odds of receiving at least one highly sedating or anticholinergic medication (AOR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.6-3.9). CONCLUSION In a representative sample of outpatient visits, polypharmacy was extremely common among PWD, driven by a wide array of medication categories. Addressing polypharmacy in PWD will require cross-cutting and multidisciplinary approaches.
The Method of Hypothesis and the Nature of Soul in Plato's Phaedo

This study of Plato's Phaedo promotes better understanding of its arguments for the soul's immortality by showing how Plato intended them, not as proofs, but as properly dialectical arguments functioning in accordance with the method of hypothesis. Unlike the argument for the soul's immortality in the Phaedrus, which does seem intended as a proof, the Phaedo arguments are proceeding toward the first principles that could serve as the basis for a proof - the most important being an account of the soul's own essential nature. This study attends to the substantial progress the Phaedo makes toward such an account. It also considers Socrates' epistemic situation in the dialogue and the problem of whether his confidence in the face of death is misplaced if his arguments have not been proofs before considering how the concluding myth draws together several of the dialogue's main themes.
Upcycling Postconsumer High-Density Polyethylene (PC-HDPE): Thermal Stability and Kinetics Study of the Filaments Extruded from PC-HDPE

Thermal stability and kinetics of thermolysis of postconsumer milk containers made of high-density polyethylene (PC-HDPE) and filament rods extruded from them (HDPE-F) were examined by thermogravim...
Basement membrane molecule expression attendant to chondrogenesis by nucleus pulposus cells and mesenchymal stem cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent an autologous cell source for nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue engineering and regeneration. Although studies have demonstrated the ability of MSCs to differentiate to NP-like chondrocytic cells, few have comparatively studied the matrix synthesis and composition of the cartilaginous tissue formed in vitro from both cell types, particularly with respect to the expression of basement membrane (BM) molecules. The objective of this study was to evaluate chondrogenesis and expression of BM molecules, laminin and type IV collagen, in monolayer and in pellet cultures of caprine NP cells and MSCs. Both cell types demonstrated comparable levels of chondrogenesis, indicated by the percentage of chondrocytic cells, and the amounts of glycosaminoglycan and type II collagen. Laminin and type IV collagen were expressed intracellularly by NP cells and MSCs cultured in monolayer. During chondrogenesis in pellet cultures, the deposition of BM molecules in NP and MSC pellets followed an orderly spatiotemporal shift in pattern from a diffuse territorial and interterritorial distribution to a defined pericellular localization, as seen in normal adult NP. These results inform the use of MSCs for NP regeneration and suggest the possible involvement of certain BM molecules in chondrogenesis and cartilage regeneration.
Inhibitory role of the spinal cholinergic system in the control of urethral continence reflex during sneezing in rats.

Aims The urethral continence reflex during stress conditions such as sneezing or coughing is an important mechanism preventing stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Although the spinal noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways are known to modulate this reflex activity, the role of spinal cholinergic pathways in the control of urethral continence reflex has not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the effect of intrathecal administration of an acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitor, which increases ACh in synaptic terminals, and anti-cholinergic agents on the sneeze-induced urethral reflex in rats. Methods Female SD rats were anesthetized with urethane. Urethral function was evaluated during sneezing induced by insertion of the rat whisker into the nostril. Effects of an AChE inhibitor, neostigmine, and muscarinic or nicotinic receptor antagonists administered at the level of L6-S1 spinal cord were examined. Results Neostigmine dose-dependently and significantly decreased the amplitude of urethral responses during sneezing (A-URS) with an approximately 70% reduction at 3 nmol, without changing urethral baseline pressure. The neostigmine-induced decrease in A-URS was significantly reversed by pretreatment with atropine (nonselective muscarinic receptor antagonist), methoctramine (M2 receptor antagonist) or 4-DAMP (M3 receptor antagonist), but not with pirenzepine (M1 receptor antagonist), tropicamide (M4 receptor antagonist), or mecamylamine (nicotinic receptor antagonist). Conclusions These results indicate that an increase in endogenous ACh in the lumbosacral spinal cord inhibits the sneeze-induced urethral continence reflex via activation of M2 and/or M3-muscarinic receptors, implying the inhibitory role of spinal cholinergic pathways in the control of urethral continence reflex under stress conditions such as sneezing. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:443–448, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Economic and Financial Management Capacity of Small Water Systems

JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY WATER RESEARCH & EDUCATION Small communities—those with a population less than 3,300—and the small water systems they operate are an important part of the quality of life enjoyed in rural America. In many cases, economic opportunities in rural areas are also connected to the availability of water from these small systems. Small water systems serve a low percentage (13.5%) of the total population, but they comprise the majority (95%) of the water systems operating in the United States. It is important to understand the need for “capacity” and the challenges the very small systems face in operating and maintaining compliance with increasing standards. Small systems face unique challenges in developing sustainability. Locating affordable funding, retaining certified operators, complying with regulatory standards, engaging local leadership, accessing training and technology, meeting unattainable mandates, and finding a community meeting place are just some of the challenges. In this article, I present some inherent barriers built into small water systems and some goals for consideration in overcoming these challenges.