cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pattern Theory-Based Interpretation of Activities

We present a novel framework, based on Germander's pattern theoretic concepts, for high-level interpretation of video activities. This framework allows us to elegantly integrate ontological constraints and machine learning classifiers in one formalism to construct high-level semantic interpretations that describe video activity. The unit of analysis is a generator that could represent either an ontological label as well as a group of features from a video. These generators are linked using bonds with different constraints. An interpretation of a video is a configuration of these connected generators, which results in a graph structure that is richer than conventional graphs used in computer vision. The quality of the interpretation is quantified by an energy function that is optimized using Markov Chain Monte Carlo based simulated annealing. We demonstrate the superiority of our approach over a purely machine learning based approach (SVM) using more than 650 video shots from the You Cook dataset. This dataset is very challenging in terms of complexity of background, presence of camera motion, object occlusion, clutter, and actor variability. We find significantly improved performance in nearly all cases. Our results show that the pattern theory inference process is able to construct the correct interpretation by leveraging the ontological constraints even when the machine learning classifier is poor and the most confident labels are wrong.
The role of thyroid hormone and brown adipose tissue in energy homoeostasis

The presence of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adults has become increasingly well defined as a result of functional imaging studies of thermogenically active BAT. Findings from these studies have created a surge of scientific interest in BAT, because it represents a potential therapeutic target for obesity--a condition with profound health consequences and few successful therapies. BAT contributes to overall energy expenditure in small mammals and neonates through adaptive thermogenesis. Thyroid-hormone signalling, particularly through induction of type II deiodinase, has a central role in brown adipogenesis in vitro and BAT development in mouse embryos. Additionally, because of high intracellular expression of type II deiodinase, adult BAT has enhanced thyroid-hormone signalling with several thyroid-hormone-dependent thermogenic pathways, including expression of the genes Ppargc1a and Ucp1. BAT thermogenesis explains the essential part played by thyroid hormone in energy homoeostasis and adaptation to cold. Stimulation of BAT in adults, specifically through thyroid-hormone-mediated pathways, is a promising therapeutic target for obesity.
Novel reinforced polymers based on blends of polystyrene and a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer

A thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP), when added to polystyrene (PS), can function as both a processing aid and a reinforcing filler. Thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of the pure components and blends containing up to 10 percent LCP are reported. The LCP used is immiscible with PS, and when an extensional component of flow is present during processing, the LCP forms an elongated fibrous phase oriented in the flow direction. This oriented phase lubricates the melt, substantially lowering the viscosity. When the processed blend is cooled, the dispersed fibrous LCP phase is preserved in the solidified material. The LCP microfibers behave like short reinforcing fibers to improve the mechanical properties of the blend; for example, at an LCP concentration of 4.5 percent, the modulus is increased about 40 percent vs. pure PS.
Object identification from multiple images based on point matching under a general transformation

This work is motivated by ship identification from a sequence of ISAR images. Maximum likelihood classification, based on point matching, is formulated when the observed images are subject to missing points and phantoms. The 3-D to 2-D transformation is assumed to be known only in a certain parametric form. Proper weights, based on the noise levels for all images, are derived for the classification formula. The new formulation simplifies the computation of matching and makes its extension to object identification from multiple images feasible. Moreover, some theoretical properties of the identification procedure can now be investigated. Guidelines on which groups of objects are easier to distinguish are found from statistical theory followed by intuitive explanation. This method is then applied to ship identification with simulated ISAR images. >
Domestic Violence Organizations on the Web: A New Arena for Domestic Violence Services

This article describes the advantages and challenges that the World Wide Web offers for domestic violence organizations. Discussion and examples are provided of domestic violence organizations' use of the Web for direct services and outreach, community education advocacy, fund-raising, and solicitation of volunteers, goods, and services. Challenges include potential victimization and loss of privacy by users, resource costs, legal issues, lack of evaluation, hostile communications, and duplication of efforts. Areas for further research are suggested.
An Hα survey of eight Abell clusters: the dependence of tidally induced star formation on cluster density

We have undertaken a survey of Hα emission in a substantially complete sample of CGCG galaxies of types Sa and later within 1.5 Abell radii of the centres of eight low-redshift Abell clusters (Abell 262, 347, 400, 426, 569, 779, 1367 and 1656). Some 320 galaxies were surveyed, of which 116 were detected in emission (39 per cent of spirals, 75 per cent of peculiars). Here we present previously unpublished data for 243 galaxies in seven clusters. Detected emission is classified as ‘compact’ or ‘diffuse’. From an analysis of the full survey sample, we confirm our previous identification of compact and diffuse emission with circumnuclear starburst and disc emission respectively. The circumnuclear emission is associated either with the presence of a bar, or with a disturbed galaxy morphology indicative of ongoing tidal interactions (whether galaxy–galaxy, galaxy–group, or galaxy–cluster). The frequency of such tidally induced (circumnuclear) starburst emission in spirals increases from regions of lower to higher local galaxy surface density, and from clusters with lower to higher central galaxy space density. The percentages of spirals classed as disturbed and of galaxies classified as peculiar show a similar trend. These results suggest that tidal interactions for spirals are more frequent in regions of higher local density and for clusters with higher central galaxy density. The prevalence of such tidal interactions in clusters is expected from recent theoretical modelling of clusters with a non-static potential undergoing collapse and infall. Furthermore, in accord with this picture, we suggest that peculiar galaxies are predominantly ongoing mergers. We conclude that tidal interactions are likely to be the main mechanism for the transformation of spirals to S0s in clusters. This mechanism operates more efficiently in higher density environments, as is required by the morphological type–local surface density (T–Σ) relation for galaxies in clusters. For regions of comparable local density, the frequency of tidally induced starburst emission is greater in clusters with higher central galaxy density. This implies that, for a given local density, morphological transformation of disc galaxies proceeds more rapidly in clusters of higher central galaxy density. This effect is considered to be the result of subcluster merging, and could account for the previously considered anomalous absence of a significant T–Σ relation for irregular clusters at intermediate redshift.
Effect of Hypersonic Nonlinear Aerodynamic Loading on Panel Flutter

The system considered is a two-dimensional isotropic panel, or plate-column, on hinged supports, with one end spring restrained in the plane of the panel. Panel geometric nonlinearities and piston-theory aerodynamic nonlinearities are included. Results from an earlier preliminary study indicate that only two second-order nonlinear aerodynamic terms are important. The nonlinear aerodynamic terms introduce the possibility of an amplitude-sensitive instability, where the panel is unstable to disturbances of a certain magnitude but stable for smaller ones. This type of instability is examined for various panel in-plane loads and initial conditions, with other parameters having values representative of current practice. A single new interaction parameter, representing the importance of the nonlinear aerodynamic terms in comparison with the panel geometric nonlinear terms, is introduced. A parameter survey is presented, involving this parameter and the static pressure difference across the panel. Finally, the practical impact of this type of instability is discussed.
Cosmic strings and galaxy formation

The cosmogonical model proposed by Zel'dovich and Vilenkin (1981), in which superconducting cosmic strings act as seeds for the origin of structure in the universe, is discussed, summarizing the results of recent theoretical investigations. Consideration is given to the formation of cosmic strings, the microscopic structure of strings, gravitational effects, cosmic string evolution, and the formation of galaxies and large-scale structure. Simulation results are presented in graphs, and several outstanding issues are listed and briefly characterized.
Selective Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase-13 Increases Collagen Content of Established Mouse Atherosclerosis

Objective— Evidence has linked collagen loss with the onset of acute coronary events. This study tested the hypothesis that selective matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) collagenase inhibition increases collagen content in already established and nascent mouse atheromas. Methods and Results— In vitro and in situ experiments documented the selectivity and efficacy of an orally available MMP-13 inhibitor (MMP13i-A). In vivo observations monitored macrophage accumulation and MMP-13 activity using molecular imaging. After 10 weeks of MMP13i-A treatment, apolipoprotein E–deficient mice with evolving or established lesions exhibited reduced MMP-13 activity without affecting macrophage content, measured either by intravital microscopy or fluorescence reflectance imaging. Histological analysis indicated that MMP13-iA did not affect plaque size or macrophage or smooth muscle cell accumulation. Administration of MMP13i-A to mice with evolving or established atheromas substantially increased plaque interstitial collagen content in the intima and locally in the fibrous cap, compared with vehicle-treated controls. Analysis of collagen revealed thicker collagen fibers within the plaques of treated groups. Conclusion— Pharmacological MMP-13 inhibition yields collagen accumulation in plaques (a feature associated in humans with resistance to rupture), even in established plaques. This study, of considerable clinical relevance, furnishes new mechanistic insight into regulation of the plaque9s extracellular matrix and validates molecular imaging for studying plaque biology.
Depth and Artificial Reef Type Effects on Size and Distribution of Red Snapper in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

AbstractThe Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus is a highly exploited commercial and recreational species that dominates the artificial reef systems in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Off coastal Alabama there are few natural reefs, but in the last 50 years government programs and private fishers have placed numerous artificial reefs in the northeast Gulf of Mexico with the goal of increasing fisheries production. We examined the effects of artificial reef depth and reef type on Red Snapper densities and size distributions. We used hook-and-line, fish trap, and scuba visual surveys to estimate Red Snapper densities on four types of artificial reefs: army tanks, pyramids, small reefs (e.g., metal cages, pipelines), and large reefs (e.g., ships, dry docks, oil platforms). Small Red Snapper ( 33 cm TL) at shallow sites ( 35 m); in contr...
Treatment approaches for interoceptive dysfunctions in drug addiction

There is emerging evidence that individuals with drug addiction have dysfunctions in brain systems that are important for interoceptive processing, which include, among others, the insular and the anterior cingulate cortices. These individuals may not be expending sufficient neural resources to process perturbations of the interoceptive state but may exert over-activation of these systems when processing drug-related stimuli. As a consequence, insufficient detection and processing of interoceptive state changes may result in inadequate anticipation and preparation to adapt to environmental challenges, e.g., adapt to abstinence in the presence of withdrawal symptoms. Here, we integrate interoceptive dysfunction in drug-addicted individuals, with the neural basis for meditation and exercise to develop a heuristic to target the interoceptive system as potential treatments for drug addiction. First, it is suggested that mindfulness-based approaches can modulate both interoceptive function and insular activation patterns. Second, there is an emerging literature showing that the regulation of physical exercise in the brain involves the insula and anterior cingulate cortex and that intense physical exercise is associated with a insula changes that may provide a window to attenuate the increased interoceptive response to drug-related stimuli. It is concluded that the conceptual framework of interoceptive dysfunctions in drug addiction and the experimental findings in meditation and exercise provide a useful approach to develop new interventions for drug addiction.
Science Editing in the Social Sciences: Methods Belong to All of Us

“What other science [than medicine] is better suited to propose laws as the basis of the social structure, in order to make effective those which are inherent in man himself? … Medicine is a social science in its very bone and marrow…” Rudolph Virchow, Die Einheitsbestrebungen, 1849 Editer la science en sciences sociales, Les methodes appartiennent a nous tous : Les sciences sociales doivent faire partie de toutes les conferences IFSE parce que les sciences sociales aujourd'hui, et depuis toujours, ont ete de « vraies » sciences comprenant la production de connaissance et la transformation de cette connaissance en technologies qui ont un impact reel sur la vie des gens. Le developpement historique de plusieurs methodes en sciences sociales, y compris la theorie des probabilites et la regression, fournissent des exemples et montrent que les methodologies ont toujours ete quantitatives et qualitatives en meme temps.
The Selectivity of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling Is Controlled by a Secondary SH2 Domain Binding Site

SH2 domain-mediated interactions represent a crucial step in transmembrane signaling by receptor tyrosine kinases. SH2 domains recognize phosphotyrosine (pY) in the context of particular sequence motifs in receptor phosphorylation sites. However, the modest binding affinity of SH2 domains to pY containing peptides may not account for and likely represents an oversimplified mechanism for regulation of selectivity of signaling pathways in living cells. Here we describe the crystal structure of the activated tyrosine kinase domain of FGFR1 in complex with a phospholipase Cγ fragment. The structural and biochemical data and experiments with cultured cells show that the selectivity of phospholipase Cγ binding and signaling via activated FGFR1 are determined by interactions between a secondary binding site on an SH2 domain and a region in FGFR1 kinase domain in a phosphorylation independent manner. These experiments reveal a mechanism for how SH2 domain selectivity is regulated in vivo to mediate a specific cellular process.
The impact of inclusion on language development and social competence among preschoolers with disabilities

This article describes progress in language development and social competence among 96 preschoolers with disabilities in inclusive and segregated classes. Pretest ability was the strongest predictor of progress. Other child, parent, and family characteristics were not associated with pretest developmental abilities or with progress. Degree of disability did not moderate the impact of placement type on developmental outcomes, controlling for pretest ability. Effect sizes, however, indicated thatposttest scores were comparable in both settings for children with “not severe” disabilities, but not for children with “severe” disabilities. Children with severe disabilities in inclusive classes had higher posttest scores in language development and social skills than their peers in segregated classes, but problem behaviors were lower for children in segregated classes.
Elucidating the Mechanism of Action and Potential Interactions of MAO-B Inhibitors

A critical enzyme in neurotransmitter metabolism is monoamine oxidase (MAO). MAO occurs in two isoforms, MAO-A and MAO-B. MAO inhibitors are classified as selective for a particular subtype of MAO or nonselective and can be reversible or irreversible. Nonselective MAO inhibitors originally were studied as antidepressants. Newer MAO-B selective irreversible inhibitors are indicated for use in treatment of Parkinson's disease. MAO-B inhibitors offer modest antiparkinsonian effects, as they do not inhibit brain MAO-A effectively at the dose used in treating Parkinson's disease. In this article, the mechanism of action of MAO-B inhibitors, their potential neuroprotective effects, interactions such as the cheese reaction, and serotonin syndrome are discussed.
Forgotten classics: Marketing Methods by Ralph Starr Butler (1918)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a retrospective review of an early marketing text, Marketing Methods (1918) by Ralph Starr Butler. Design/methodology/approach – Marketing Methods is summarized, and perspectives of scholars that have occurred since its publication are provided. Findings – Marketing Methods represents the first college textbook to use the term “marketing” and, thus, represents a major and important early work in the field. Originality/value – This review of Marketing Methods provides a retrospective on the development, structure, critical reviews and influence of this text.
Development of steatohepatitis in Ob/Ob mice is dependent on Toll-like receptor 4

Background and aim. The etiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression, and why some patients develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) vs. uncomplicated NAFLD, is not well understood. Obesity and NAFLD are thought to be associated with high circulating levels of leptin; however, the role of leptin in NASH has been controversial. Secondly, as ob/ob mice are known to have elevated circulating levels of TLR4-stimulating endotoxin secondary to increased intestinal permeability. Material and methods. We evaluated the long-term effects of steatosis on the livers of aleptinemic (OB) mice and the role of TLR4 in the development of hepatic sequelae in these animals. Results. At 20 weeks of age OB animals displayed grossly steatotic livers, but also features of early stage NASH including hepatocellular ballooning and numerous necroinflammatory foci with associated changes in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). TLR4 KO did not affect the development of obesity or steatosis in ob/ob mice, but protected these animals from hepatitis and liver injury. Conclusions. In conclusion, the data presented here indicate that steatohepatitis develops in the absence of leptin, and that TLR4 is integral to the development NASH secondary to hyperphagia.
Development of purification processes for fully human bispecific antibodies based upon modification of protein A binding avidity

There is strong interest in the design of bispecific monoclonal antibodies (bsAbs) that can simultaneously bind 2 distinct targets or epitopes to achieve novel mechanisms of action and efficacy. Multiple bispecific formats have been proposed and are currently under development. Regeneron's bispecific technology is based upon a standard fully human IgG antibody in order to minimize immunogenicity and improve the pharmacokinetic profile. A single common light chain and 2 distinct heavy chains combine to form the bispecific molecule. One of the heavy chains contains a chimeric Fc sequence form (called Fc*) that ablates binding to Protein A via the constant region. As a result of co-expression of the 2 heavy chains and the common light chain, 3 products are created, 2 of which are homodimeric for the heavy chains and one that is the desired heterodimeric bispecific product. The Fc* sequence allows selective purification of the FcFc* bispecific product on commercially available affinity columns, due to intermediate binding affinity for Protein A compared to the high avidity FcFc heavy chain homodimer, or the weakly binding Fc*Fc* homodimer. This platform requires the use of Protein A chromatography in both a capture and polishing modality. Several challenges, including variable region Protein A binding, resin selection, selective elution optimization, and impacts upon subsequent non-affinity downstream unit operations, were addressed to create a robust and selective manufacturing process.
Superconducting contacts

The microscopic size of the contact between two crossed superconducting wires offers a practical way to make a class of superconducting devices which are operated at high speed by very small currents. The critical current through the contact can be modulated by a current flowing along one or both of the crossed superconductors. Several device possibilities are presented.
Metastatic Latency and Immune Evasion through Autocrine Inhibition of WNT

Metastasis frequently develops years after the removal of a primary tumor, from a minority of disseminated cancer cells that survived as latent entities through unknown mechanisms. We isolated latency competent cancer (LCC) cells from early stage human lung and breast carcinoma cell lines and defined the mechanisms that suppress outgrowth, support long-term survival, and maintain tumor-initiating potential in these cells during the latent metastasis stage. LCC cells show stem-cell-like characteristics and express SOX2 and SOX9 transcription factors, which are essential for their survival in host organs under immune surveillance and for metastatic outgrowth under permissive conditions. Through expression of the WNT inhibitor DKK1, LCC cells self-impose a slow-cycling state with broad downregulation of ULBP ligands for NK cells and evasion of NK-cell-mediated clearance. By expressing a Sox-dependent stem-like state and actively silencing WNT signaling, LCC cells can enter quiescence and evade innate immunity to remain latent for extended periods.
Decreased steroid responsiveness at night in nocturnal asthma. Is the macrophage responsible

As peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with nocturnal asthma (NA) exhibit reduced steroid responsiveness at 4:00 a.m. as compared with 4:00 p.m., we hypothesized that NA is associated with increased nocturnal airway cell expression of GR β , an endogenous inhibitor of steroid action. Ten subjects with NA and seven subjects with nonnocturnal asthma (NNA) underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. BAL lymphocytes and macrophages were incubated with dexamethasone (DEX) at 10− 5 to 10− 8 M. DEX suppressed proliferation of BAL lymphocytes similarly at 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. in both groups. However, BAL macrophages from NA exhibited less suppression of IL-8 and TNF- α production by DEX at 4:00 a.m. as compared with 4:00 p.m. (p = 0.0001), whereas in the NNA group DEX suppressed IL-8 and TNF- α production equally at both time points. GR β expression was increased at night only in NA, primarily due to significantly increased expression by BAL macrophages (p =...
Assessment of Thinking in Adult Learners

Higher-order thinking is one of the defining characteristics of higher education, yet the rating of such behavior has been neither reliable nor valid. Recent research involving the use of categories has yielded relatively high inter-rater reliability, with nominal categories of behavior identified. The current study applies an ordinal-scale model of hierarchical complexity (MHC) to educational tasks. The initial results suggest that the MHC can be used to score questions with varying degrees of complexity and support, and that future research should concentrate on determining the reliability and validity of this scoring system for educational purposes.
Comparison of Full-Depth Reclamation with Portland Cement and Full-Depth Reclamation with No Stabilizer in Accelerated Loading Test:

Full-depth reclamation (FDR) with or without various stabilizers has been successfully used as a rehabilitation strategy in California since 2001. Long-term field monitoring on several FDR projects that used foamed asphalt with portland cement as the stabilizer combined with a comprehensive laboratory study resulted in the preparation of guidelines and specification language for this rehabilitation strategy in 2008. However, the design criteria were essentially empirical, in line with California design procedures for a rehabilitation project of this level. Recently, interest has grown in the use of cement, engineered emulsion, and no-stabilizer FDR strategies in addition to foamed asphalt and in the use of mechanistic design in a greater range of rehabilitation projects. Consequently, the research initiative was extended to a second phase including accelerated load testing on an instrumented test track constructed with these four FDR strategies to gather data for developing performance models that could b...
Finite Element Analysis for Visco-Plastic Lagrangian Constitutive Models

An integration algorithm is developed for the analysis of viscoplastic Lagrangian contitutive models. The tangent inelastic stiffness matrix is formulated by ignoring second-order terms in the increment of time. Use if made of the generalization approach of the work by Kanchi, Zienkiewicz and Owen [1]. The elastic/visco-plastic constitutive model presented by the authors in [2] is used here in solving complex (i.e., any shape and any deformation) finite strain problems. The model is purely elastic before the plastic state is reached, and becomes elastic/visco-plastic after the plastic state has been exceeded. The visco-plastic strain rate is normal to each point of the rate dependent convex yield surface. The constitutive model displays both kinematic and isotropic hardening. The use of the Lagrangian formulation in this model eliminates the controversy regarding the choice of the appropriate co-rotational stress rate, and provides a more convenient theory than the more common spatial formulation. The algorithm is used to solve the thick plate bending problem subjected to finite deformations. The plate is made of commercially pure aluminum. The finite element mesh of the plate together with its dimensions are shown in Figure 1. The plate is loaded by a line force at the mid-span of the simply supported plate. The load is applied at various rates of loading. The supports of the plate are kept at constant locations and the effect of the beam sliding on the supports has been included in the numerical procedure. The experimental set up of the plate is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 3, the experimental load-deflection curve is shown together with that obtained from the finite element method. The curves are plotted for two different loading rates. The figure indicates the effectiveness of the proposed model in solving complex problems.
Some Recent Developments in the Theoretical Aspects of Segregation Analysis

Segregation analysis can be defined as the statistical methodology used in the analysis of family and pedigree data to determine the mode of inheritance of a particular phenotype, especially with a view to uncovering Mendelian segregation at a single locus. For the past two decades multiparameter models have been available to perform likelihood-based analyses of quantitative or qualitative traits measured on members of sibships or extended pedigrees. By the end of the 1970’s two such models were well established: the transmission probability — or generalized major gene — model and the mixed model (reviewed by Elston, 1981). In this paper I shall describe these two models and how they have evolved over the last decade. For simplicity, the various models will be described in the context of randomly sampled nuclear family data, the complications of extended pedigrees and non-random sampling being briefly dealt with later. Under each model specific statistical hypotheses can be tested about segregation parameters, and I shall compare and contrast these tests for the purpose of detecting major gene segregation. Although the recombination fraction is in fact a segregation parameter, and linkage to a marker has distinct advantages in the detection of major gene segregation, I shall restrict myself to situations in which information on polymorphic genetic markers or any other type of measured genotype information is not available; this is the situation for which those methods of analysis that are usually called segregation analysis were developed. I shall not go into computational details, except to explain the rationale underlying certain approximations used in the likelihood calculations. Finally, I shall discuss certain theoretical aspects of data transformation that do not appear to be well understood.
THE STATISTICAL BASIS OF THERMODYNAMICS

According to quantum mechanics, in a physical system composed of N identical particles, the single-particle energies ɛ i , are discrete and their values depend crucially on the volume V to which the particles are confined. Accordingly, the possible values of the total energy E are also discrete. However, when the value of V is high, the spacing of the different energy values is so small in comparison with the total energy of the system that the parameter E might well be regarded as a continuous variable. The specification of the actual values of the parameters N , V, and E then defines a macrostate of the given system. At the molecular level, however, a large number of possibilities still exist because, in general, there will be numerous different ways in which the macrostate ( N , V , E ) of the given system can be realized at that level. In other words, there will be numerous ways in which the total energy E of the system can be distributed among the N particles constituting it. Each of these (different) ways specifies a microstate—or complexion—of the given system. This chapter gives a brief account of the significance of parameters N , V , and E and the uses of these parameters in statistical approaches to define various topics such as ideal gas, entropy of mixing, and the Gibbs paradox. The chapter also uses this approach to give an enumeration of the microstates of a system.
The disconnect between healthcare provider tasks and privacy requirements

Abstract Objectives Healthcare organizations have been digitizing their Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) for several years now and one of the primary concerns of their widespread implementation is the assurance of privacy for the sensitive information [22,23]. The objective of this study is to shed light into healthcare providers׳ attitudes towards privacy with regards to EMRs. We argue that healthcare providers place a priority on privacy issues given regulatory, fiscal, and reputation repercussions. Methods Using Information Boundary Theory [41] as a theoretical framework, we established four research questions. These questions formed the basis for the hypotheses that healthcare providers would agree with withholding information (to prevent loss and increase gains) as well as disagree with sharing information. We constructed a survey from this framework and administered it to 327 subjects (with a 45% response rate). Survey validation was conducted as well as hypothesis testing. Results The analysis of the data yielded a result that indicated that the survey responses did not support the hypotheses. Healthcare providers strongly disagreed that they would withhold information to solidify gains or mitigate losses. The subjects also agreed that they would share information in order to solidify gains or mitigate losses. Conclusions This led to the surprising conclusion that healthcare providers do not place privacy as a high-priority within the context of their duties. Healthcare professionals prioritize personal and organizational gain as well as mitigating personal and organizational loss over privacy of EMRs.
Tunable transmission Gap in graphene p-n junction

For its unique electronic characteristics [1,2], graphene has been a material of great interest for scientists since its discovery. While its incredibly high mobility is attractive for high frequency field effect transistor realizations [3], the zero bandgap energy spectrum gives a modest transistor reliability for digital logic applications. And opening a bandgap with structural change or quantum confinement loses the advantage of high mobility. In this paper, we propose an efficient switching device using graphene p-n junction (GPNJ) by manipulating its the geometric optics like transport. Similarity between electronics and optics has been revitalized with GPNJ with recent theoretical [4] and experimental research [5]. By analytical and quantum simulation with atomistic Non-Equilibrium Green's function Formalism (NEGF), we demonstrate that electron trajectories in graphene p-n junction are determined by analogous Snell's law when electrons are injected with a point source. We also show that the ON-OFF ratio can be improved substantially by using an external barrier in the middle of the device, removing low angle, high longitudinal energy electrons responsible for high leakage current. The low longitudinal energy electrons are eliminated by total internal reflection (TIR) outside a critical angle which depends on gate voltages. This gate voltage dependence together with the external barrier leads to a tunable transmission gap and produces sub-thermal sub-threshold swing.
LOCALIZATION OF A HEPARIN BINDING SITE OF FIBRONECTIN WITH THE AID OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Publisher Summary This chapter describes an analysis in which monoclonal antibodies to fibronectin have been produced to study structure–function relationships. The analysis has concentrated on the C-terminal portion of fibronectin. With the aid of these antibodies, the location of proteolytic fragments of fibronectin in the intact molecule has been determined. The result of the analysis shows a nested set of heparin-binding fragments ranging in size from 23–200kd has been identified, which extend into the C-terminal region of fibronectin. One of the monoclonal antibodies is of particular interest because it binds to the nested set of heparin-binding fragments and blocks the binding of heparin to fibronectin. This antibody should provide a useful probe to determine the function of the heparin-binding site and its role in the various biological activities of fibronectin.
IBD: Management of a Painful Anal Fissure and Skin Tags in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

Perianal manifestations of CD disease are usually chronic in nature, and often characterized by waxing and waning symptoms. The goals of treatment are typically achieved through multimodal management, which minimizes ablative surgical intervention and preserves the sphincter complex [1, 2]. While there is a spectrum of severity in the observed impact of perianal CD, even the minor issues of skin tags and fissuring can present the clinician with difficult decisions in management. In this chapter, we have attempted to provide some clarity to the decision process.
Transient enalapril attenuates the reduction in glomerular filtration rate in prenatally programmed rats.

A maternal low‐protein diet has been shown to program hypertension and a reduction in glomerular filtration rate in adult offspring. This study examined the effect of continuous administration of enalapril in the drinking water and transient administration of enalapril administered from 21 to 42 days of age on blood pressure and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in male rats whose mothers were fed a 20% protein diet (control) or a 6% protein diet (programmed) during the last half of pregnancy. After birth all rats were fed a 20% protein diet. Programmed rats (maternal 6% protein diet) were hypertensive at 15 months of age compared to control rats and both continuous and transient administration of enalapril had no effect on blood pressure on control offspring, but normalized the blood pressure of programmed offspring. GFR was 3.2 ± 0.1 mL/min in the control group and 1.7 ± 0.1 mL/min in the programmed rats at 17 months of age ( P < 0.001). The GFR was 3.0 ± 0.1 mL/min in the control and 2.7 ± 0.1 mL/min in the programmed group that received continuous enalapril in their drinking water showing that enalapril can prevent the decrease in GFR in programmed rats. Transient administration of enalapril had no effect on GFR in the control group (3.2 ± 0.1 mL/min) and prevented the decrease in GFR in the programmed group (2.9 ± 0.1 mL/min). In conclusion, transient exposure to enalapril for 3 weeks after weaning can prevent the hypertension and decrease in GFR in prenatal programmed rats.
Reza Shah’s journey into exile

AbstractOn September 16, 1941, three weeks after British and Soviet troops invaded Iran in the Second World War and occupied the country, Reza Shah abdicated the throne in favor of his son, quit Iranian soil and boarded a British ship to go into exile. The British refused to allow Reza Shah to choose his own place of exile (South America) and sent him to the island of Mauritius. This article examines British thinking that resulted in the choice of Mauritius as the place of exile. It traces Reza Shah’s journey across Iran as he prepared to leave the country; details the composition of the large party of family and staff that accompanied him; provides an account of Reza’s Shah’s reminiscences and reflections at this difficult and emotion-laden moment when he was forced to surrender power, and describes the ‘stooped and aged man’ he had become. It ends with the arrival of the ship carrying Reza Shah and the royal party in Mauritius.
Detection and Prevention of Perinatal Infection: Cytomegalovirus and Zika Virus

Congenital cytomegalovirus is the most common viral congenital infection, and affects up to 2% of neonates. Significant sequelae may develop after congenital cytomegalovirus, including hearing loss, cognitive defects, seizures, and death. Zika virus is an emerging virus with perinatal implications; a congenital Zika virus syndrome has been identified, and includes findings such as microcephaly, fetal nervous system abnormalities, and neurologic sequelae after birth. Screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of these perinatal infections are reviewed in this article.
Hecke Algebras and K–Theory

Let R ⊂ P be a reduced (not necessarily finite) root system as defined, e.g., in 3.1.22. There is a slight difference with 3.1.22, since now we are working with lattices instead of vector spaces. This makes axiom 3.1.22(3) superfluous. Thus it is assumed only that, in addition to the above data, a subset R v ⊂ P v, called the dual root system, and a specified bijection R ↔ R v, α ↔ ᾰ are given such that the following three properties hold.
The Evolution of Induction Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) represents 5% of newly diagnosed cancers in adult patients seen in the United States. Although HNSCC is a highly curable malignancy when diagnosed at an early stage, many patients present with advanced local-regional disease. Locally advanced disease can be separated into either intermediate (stage III; T3N0M0 or T1-3N1M0) or advanced (stage IV; T4N0-1M0 or T1-4N2-3M0) (1). Stage III patients are generally resectable, and although their prognosis is better a stage IV patients, the prognosis for all these patients, particularly those who are unresectable has remained poor (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). The potential for surgical resection, whether surgery is advised or not, defines a better prognosis than the presence of unresectable disease. Thus resectability, site, stage, and performance status are the major prognostic factors for patients with HNSCC. Standard therapy with surgery and/or radiotherapy can be associated with significant morbidity and functional disability, particularly when the tumor arises in the larynx, piriform sinus, or oropharynx (9). In addition, despite aggressive local therapy with surgery or radiotherapy, between 50 and 60% will develop locoregional recurrences, and 20 to 30% will develop distant metastases within 2 yr. Only 20 to 45% will remain disease free and alive at 3 yr.
Are 24-hour motor activity patterns associated with continued rapid response to ketamine?

Purpose This study examined the links between 24-hour activity patterns (specifically, amplitude and timing of wrist activity) and the persisting qualities of clinical antidepressant response to the glutamatergic modulator ketamine. Methods Twenty-four-hour activity patterns were compared across 5 days of 24-hour activity rhythms in patients with major depressive disorder who displayed either a brief antidepressant response (24-48 hours), a continued antidepressant response (>72 hours), or no antidepressant response to ketamine. These postinfusion-response profiles were then used retrospectively to examine cohort-specific fitted parameters at baseline, postinfusion day 1 (D1), and postinfusion D3. Results Relative to the nonresponders, the cohort experiencing a brief antidepressant response had blunted 24-hour amplitude that extended from baseline through D3 and postketamine phase advance of activity on D1 that reverted to baseline on D3. Relative to the nonresponders, the cohort experiencing a continued antidepressant response to ketamine had phase-advanced activity at both baseline and D1, as well as increased amplitude on D1 and D3. Conclusion Taken together, the results suggest that the time course of antidepressant response to ketamine is influenced by underlying biological differences in motor activity timekeeping. These differences may provide clues that link durable mood response with the molecular machinery of the circadian system, thus leading to more effective interventions. In addition, biomarkers of preinfusion motor activity (eg, amplitude, timing) may be useful for recommending future individualized treatment interventions, to the extent that they help identify patients who may relapse quickly after treatment.
Real-Time Dense Reconstruction of Tissue Surface From Stereo Optical Video

We propose an approach to reconstruct dense three-dimensional (3D) model of tissue surface from stereo optical videos in real-time, the basic idea of which is to first extract 3D information from video frames by using stereo matching, and then to mosaic the reconstructed 3D models. To handle the common low-texture regions on tissue surfaces, we propose effective post-processing steps for the local stereo matching method to enlarge the radius of constraint, which include outliers removal, hole filling, and smoothing. Since the tissue models obtained by stereo matching are limited to the field of view of the imaging modality, we propose a model mosaicking method by using a novel feature-based simultaneously localization and mapping (SLAM) method to align the models. Low-texture regions and the varying illumination condition may lead to a large percentage of feature matching outliers. To solve this problem, we propose several algorithms to improve the robustness of the SLAM, which mainly include 1) a histogram voting-based method to roughly select possible inliers from the feature matching results; 2) a novel 1-point RANSAC-based $\text{P}{n}\text{P}$ algorithm called as DynamicR1PP ${n}\text{P}$ to track the camera motion; and 3) a GPU-based iterative closest points (ICP) and bundle adjustment (BA) method to refine the camera motion estimation results. Experimental results on ex - and in vivo data showed that the reconstructed 3D models have high-resolution texture with an accuracy error of less than 2 mm. Most algorithms are highly parallelized for GPU computation, and the average runtime for processing one key frame is 76.3 ms on stereo images with ${960}\times {540}$ resolution.
Statistical Outlier Identification in Multi-robot Visual SLAM using Expectation Maximization.

This paper introduces a novel and distributed method for detecting inter-map loop closure outliers in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). The proposed algorithm does not rely on a good initialization and can handle more than two maps at a time. In multi-robot SLAM applications, maps made by different agents have nonidentical spatial frames of reference which makes initialization very difficult in the presence of outliers. This paper presents a probabilistic approach for detecting incorrect orientation measurements prior to pose graph optimization by checking the geometric consistency of rotation measurements. Expectation-Maximization is used to fine-tune the model parameters. As ancillary contributions, a new approximate discrete inference procedure is presented which uses evidence on loops in a graph and is based on optimization (Alternate Direction Method of Multipliers). This method yields superior results compared to Belief Propagation and has convergence guarantees. Simulation and experimental results are presented that evaluate the performance of the outlier detection method and the inference algorithm on synthetic and real-world data.
Effect of Kaiso on immune signaling of breast cancer exosomes.

3088Background: Exosomes are communication vesicles that act as mediators of intracellular transfer of genetic information, an important role in intercommunication between tumor cells and immune ce...
FlexPool: A Distributed Model-Free Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for Joint Passengers & Goods Transportation

The growth in online goods delivery is causing a dramatic surge in urban vehicle traffic from last-mile deliveries. On the other hand, ride-sharing has been on the rise with the success of ride-sharing platforms and increased research on using autonomous vehicle technologies for routing and matching. The future of urban mobility for passengers and goods relies on leveraging new methods that minimize operational costs and environmental footprints of transportation systems. This paper considers combining passenger transportation with goods delivery to improve vehicle-based transportation. Even though the problem has been studied with a defined dynamics model of the transportation system environment, this paper considers a model-free approach that has been demonstrated to be adaptable to new or erratic environment dynamics. We propose FlexPool, a distributed model-free deep reinforcement learning algorithm that jointly serves passengers & goods workloads by learning optimal dispatch policies from its interaction with the environment. The proposed algorithm pools passengers for a ride-sharing service and delivers goods using a multi-hop transit method. These flexibilities decrease the fleet's operational cost and environmental footprint while maintaining service levels for passengers and goods. Through simulations on a realistic multi-agent urban mobility platform, we demonstrate that FlexPool outperforms other model-free settings in serving the demands from passengers & goods. FlexPool achieves 30% higher fleet utilization and 35% higher fuel efficiency in comparison to (i) model-free approaches where vehicles transport a combination of passengers & goods without the use of multi-hop transit, and (ii) model-free approaches where vehicles exclusively transport either passengers or goods.
L'Art de la catastrophe chez Jean-Philippe Toussaint

In Faire l’amour, Jean-Philippe Toussaint engages in a playful dynamic with the occurrence of “catastrophe” turning this very notion upside down by questioning it and making it emerge from multiple...