cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QN-ACTR Modeling of Multitask Performance of Dynamic and Complex Cognitive Tasks

This paper reports the latest development of QN-ACTR, which integrates two complementary cognitive architectures, Queueing Network and Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational. The integrated architecture can model multitask performance in dynamic and complex cognitive task situations that each architecture alone has difficulties to model. It also allows the examination of several important modeling issues in ACTR from the QN perspective. Benefits from the integration are illustrated in model simulation of a transcription typing and reading comprehension dual-task. Future steps of the integration are discussed.
Nanoscale RGD Peptide Organization Regulates Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) containing peptide sequences, common cell attachment sites present in many extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, mediate many important cellular processes. The role of nanoscale organization of RGD peptides in the regulation of the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of both preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and multipotential (D1) cell lines in vitro was investigated in this study. Alginate polymer chains with varying RGD peptide degree of substitution were mixed with unmodified polymer chains at different ratios to allow variation of RGD peptide spacing in the nanometer scale, independently of the overall bulk density of peptides presented from the material. Proliferation of both cell types was observed to be closely correlated to RGD island (defined as a cluster of RGD peptides) spacing, independently of overall bulk ligand density, following cell adhesion to alginate hydrogels. Increased RGD island spacing was observed to promote spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells while simultaneously suppressing their proliferation. However, increased RGD island spacing decreased spreading of D1 cells while also decreasing proliferation. Moreover, differentiation of preosteoblasts was significantly upregulated in response to decreased RGD island spacing, whereas differentiation of multipotential cells was modestly regulated by this variable. These results demonstrate that the nanoscale organization of adhesion ligands may be an important variable in controlling cell phenotype and function. In addition, cellular responses to nanoscale ligand organization differ depending on the cell type, and this may be related to the differentiation stage of the cells.
On the Alleged Inseparability of Morality and Religion

In his Morality and Religion,' W. W. Bartley III states that 'the chief aim of this study is to get clearer about the extent to which morality and religion may be interdependent' (p. i).2 After stating various possible alternatives, in terms of the logical relationships of derivability and compatibility, which are relevant to this issue, Prof. Bartley in fact devotes his book to a consid eration of four views:
An agile accelerated aging, characterization and scenario simulation system for gate controlled power transistors

To advance the field of electronics prognostics, the study of transistor fault modes and their precursors is essential. This paper reports on a platform for the aging, characterization, and scenario simulation of gate controlled power transistors. The platform supports thermal cycling, dielectric over-voltage, acute/chronic thermal stress, current overstress and application specific scenario simulation. In addition, the platform supports in-situ transistor state monitoring, including measurements of the steady-state voltages and currents, measurements of electrical transient response, measurement of thermal transients, and extrapolated semiconductor impedances, all conducted at varying gate and drain voltage levels. The aging and characterization platform consists of an acquisition and aging hardware system, an agile software architecture for experiment control and a collection of industry developed test equipment.
An epistatic ratchet constrains the direction of glucocorticoid receptor evolution

Whether evolution can go back to an ancestral structure just by reversing the selection pressure on function has been a long-standing issue, but one hard to address based on just the history of forms. Bridgham et al. have now physically reconstituted ancient versions of a regulatory protein (the glucocorticoid receptor) and dissected the structural constraints imposed on the evolution of their function (which hormone they bind) at atomic resolution. They find that amino acids that were essential in an ancestral protein become neutral in a more recent form, where they are then subject to erosion by genetic drift. This loss deprives natural selection of the necessary raw material with which to reverse the historical substitutions — they are no longer 'adaptive' as they were in the other direction. Evolutionarily speaking, there is no turning back. Whether evolution can go back to an ancestral structure by reversing the selection pressure on function has long fascinated biologists. Here, the evolution of hormone specificity in the vertebrate glucocorticoid receptor is used as a case-study to investigate this issue; the mutations that optimized the new specificity of the glucocorticoid receptor are found to have destabilized elements of the protein structure that were required to support the ancestral conformation. The extent to which evolution is reversible has long fascinated biologists1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Most previous work on the reversibility of morphological and life-history evolution9,10,11,12,13 has been indecisive, because of uncertainty and bias in the methods used to infer ancestral states for such characters14,15. Further, despite theoretical work on the factors that could contribute to irreversibility1,8,16, there is little empirical evidence on its causes, because sufficient understanding of the mechanistic basis for the evolution of new or ancestral phenotypes is seldom available3,8,17. By studying the reversibility of evolutionary changes in protein structure and function, these limitations can be overcome. Here we show, using the evolution of hormone specificity in the vertebrate glucocorticoid receptor as a case-study, that the evolutionary path by which this protein acquired its new function soon became inaccessible to reverse exploration. Using ancestral gene reconstruction, protein engineering and X-ray crystallography, we demonstrate that five subsequent ‘restrictive’ mutations, which optimized the new specificity of the glucocorticoid receptor, also destabilized elements of the protein structure that were required to support the ancestral conformation. Unless these ratchet-like epistatic substitutions are restored to their ancestral states, reversing the key function-switching mutations yields a non-functional protein. Reversing the restrictive substitutions first, however, does nothing to enhance the ancestral function. Our findings indicate that even if selection for the ancestral function were imposed, direct reversal would be extremely unlikely, suggesting an important role for historical contingency in protein evolution.
Unsupervised and semi-supervised learning via ℓ 1 -norm graph

In this paper, we propose a novel l 1 -norm graph model to perform unsupervised and semi-supervised learning methods. Instead of minimizing the l 2 -norm of spectral embedding as traditional graph based learning methods, our new graph learning model minimizes the l 1 -norm of spectral embedding with well motivation. The sparsity produced by the l 1 -norm minimization results in the solutions with much clearer cluster structures, which are suitable for both image clustering and classification tasks. We introduce a new efficient iterative algorithm to solve the l 1 -norm of spectral embedding minimization problem, and prove the convergence of the algorithm. More specifically, our algorithm adaptively re-weight the original weights of graph to discover clearer cluster structure. Experimental results on both toy data and real image data sets show the effectiveness and advantages of our proposed method.
Using graph grammars for data structure manipulation

The replacement of pointers with graph grammar productions is discussed. Such a replacement provides a substantial improvement in the programming model used, makes better use of current high-resolution screen technology than a strictly text-based language, and provides improved support for parallel processing due to characteristics of the graph grammar formulation used. The background of this project, and the relationship to visual languages, is described. The use of graph grammars in programming and the graph grammar programming languages are described. The editing environment being developed for programming in graph grammars is presented. Compiler development for the system is described. >
Pathology of Obstructive Coronary Disease

Stenosis of the takeoff of a coronary artery from the Ao may result either from spasm or from organic lesions. Organic lesions involve the coronary artery intrinsically or, more commonly, are secondary to diseases of the Ao.
Neuere Ergebnisse bei Viren des Respirationstraktes

Das Interesse an der Erforschung der Atiologie von akuten Viruserkrankungen der Atemwege hat in der letzten Zeit stark zugenommen Diese Erkrankungen vermogen, auch wenn sie nur leicht verlaufen und nicht epidemisch auftreten, durch ihre Haufigkeit auserordentliche volkswirtschaftliche Schaden zu verursachen (Huebner, Baroyan, McDonald, Matumoto). Verbesserte und neue Methoden in der virologischen Diagnostik haben in den letzten Jahren zu der Entdeckung einer grosen Anzahl von Viren gefuhrt, die haufig als „neuere“Respirationstrakt-Viren den „klassischen“Influenza-Viren und Viren der Ornithose-Psittakose-Gruppe gegenubergestellt werden. Es steht heute fest, das auserhalb von Influenzaepidemien und -pandemien die uberwiegende Anzahl der akuten Virusinfektionen der Atemwege durch die neueren Respirationstrakt-Viren bedingt ist. In der vorliegenden Ubersicht werden diejenigen dieser Viren besprochen werden, die sich bereits in wohldefinierte Gruppen einteilen lassen und/oder deren Bedeutung fur die Atiologie von Respirationstrakterkrankungen besonders gros ist.
The Effect of Sarbanes-Oxley on Earnings Management Behavior

This paper investigates the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) on managers’ earnings management choices (i.e., accrual management and real earnings management). Specifically, I use a large sample of firms from 1987-2004 to investigate whether firms reduce their use of accrual management and increase their use of real earnings management post-SOX. SOX likely increases the cost of engaging in accrual management because of increased legal liability, greater auditor independence, and increased public awareness of aggressive accounting treatments. An increased cost of accrual management is likely to lead managers to use other methods to manage earnings (e.g., real earnings management through sales manipulation, reduction of discretionary expenditures, and overproduction). Consistent with this expectation, this paper finds an increased association between certain types of real earnings management (overproduction and sales manipulation) and the propensity to beat the profit and earnings change benchmarks. Results also indicate that the associations between abnormal accruals and beating the profit and earnings change benchmarks do not change post-SOX.
Quasi-Static Bifurcations

In this chapter we analyze the canonical models (6.17) and (6.24) for singu­larly perturbed WCNNs at quasi-static saddle-node and quasi-static cusp bifurcations. In particular, we consider the canonical models in the special case $$ \alpha _1 = \ldots = \alpha _n = \alpha > 0. $$ .
Stroke care cost variability between physicians at a comprehensive stroke center is low (P7.329)

OBJECTIVE: to compare stroke care costs among physicians at a comprehensive stroke center BACKGROUND: The Porter equation for value in health care is quality + access/costs = value. As we move toward value-based models for health care including payments to delivery systems, controlling costs becomes more vital than ever before. If costs of care are inconsistent among providers in a care group, an overall positive contribution margin could be severely diminished or erased. DESIGN/METHODS: Inpatient stroke discharges were analyzed by admitting physician. Variation in case mix index, observed and expected average length of stay, length of stay index and outlier cases were used to explain variation in direct cost per case. Analysis was performed at the clinical resource level to explore specific provider variation. RESULTS: Among six stroke neurologists, average direct costs per case was $5,327 (range from $4,951 to $6,144, n= 629, avg. CMI=1.3079). Including non-stroke physician admissions, average direct costs per case only rose to $5,923 (total n=805, avg. CMI=1.3789). CONCLUSIONS: We found low variability between physicians for stroke care costs. This is reassuring in an environment of payment reform where hospitals may need to negotiate and share bundled payments for episodes of care. Stroke episodes are ideal for consideration of value based, episode-based payment methods. Reasons that may explain low, predictable care costs in the study group may include: care pathways are followed by physicians; structured handoffs of care; outcomes and core measures are tracked and reported; proactive processes avoid complications; the team intensively reviews outlier episodes, mortality cases and readmissions; and all team members are accountable for patient outcomes. Definitive validation of ways to control stroke care costs would require further study. Disclosure: Dr. Dobbs has nothing to disclose. Dr. Heck has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boulanger has nothing to disclose.
MACHIAVELLIANISM AND PERCEIVED MANAGERIAL JOB ENVIRONMENT DIMENSIONS

Data from 65 managers substantiate the contention that Machiavellianism for managers is significantly related to perceived managerial job environment dimensions.
Analysis and improvement of semi-supervised clustering algorithm based on affinity propagation

Parity exemplars often appear when Semi-supervised clustering algorithm based on Affinity Propagation(SAP) is applied on small dataset,and then the exemplar judgment criterioni,.e.an exemplar xk must satisfy E(k,k)0 in the decision matrix Ei,s not complete.In this paper,properties of affinity propagation algorithm are analyzed and the occurrence reason of parity exemplars is found.Finallya,n improved algorithm is proposed to solute this problem.
Relationship between Participation in Patient- and Family-Centered Care Training and Communication Adaptability among Medical Students: Changing Hearts, Changing Minds

A census of 43 third-year medical students at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine participated in Parents Reaching Out: Families as Faculty program during their pediatric rotation. Analysis of variance revealed statistical significance for the factor "appropriate disclosure" (meaning students have become more sensitive to the level of intimacy that the other person is seeking and the student is willing to offer more information). There was a positive correlation between pretest and posttests in social experience, wit, and social confirmation.
An in vitro technic for quantitating and studying the dynamics of leukocyte agglutination.

1. An in vitro technic for quantitating leukocyte agglutination has been described. 2. With this technic the dynamics of leukocyte agglutination and the response of leukocytes to antigenic agents in both sensitive and nonsensitive systems have been studied. 3. The relationship of this study to the problem of agranulocytosis is discussed.
TMS Mapping of Motor Development After Perinatal Brain Injury

Abstract Many, but not all patients with hemiparesis due to pre- or perinatally acquired unilateral brain lesions (unilateral spastic cerebral palsy) possess ipsilateral corticospinal projections from the contralesional hemisphere to the paretic hand. This pathway often conveys a useful, but hardly ever normal hand function, and intended unimanual movements are typically accompanied with involuntary co-contractions of the other hand – a phenomenon called mirror movements. Such patients respond differently to functional therapies like constraint-induced movement therapy; when hemispherotomy (of the lesioned hemisphere) has to be performed for the control of pharmaco-refractory epilepsies, the grasping function of the paretic hand is usually preserved, since it is controlled by the contralesional hemisphere.
Deep Brain Stimulation

In this chapter, we will discuss what we know about how deep brain stimulation (DBS) works, and we will review emerging clinical applications beyond Parkinson's disease (see chapter: Parkinson's Disease ), including the treatment of psychiatric disorders. As we will see, unraveling the effects of DBS on interconnected circuits requires the integration of cellular, network, and behavioral studies.
p53-inducible long non-coding RNA PICART1 mediates cancer cell proliferation and migration

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) function in the development and progression of cancer, but only a small portion of lncRNAs have been characterized to date. A novel lncRNA transcript, 2.53 kb in length, was identified by transcriptome sequencing analysis, and was named p53-inducible cancer-associated RNA transcript 1 (PICART1). PICART1 was found to be upregulated by p53 through a p53-binding site at -1808 to -1783 bp. In breast and colorectal cancer cells and tissues, PICART1 expression was found to be decreased. Ectopic expression of PICART1 suppressed the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and HCT116 cells whereas silencing of PICART1 stimulated cell growth and migration. In these cells, the expression of PICART1 suppressed levels of p-AKT (Thr308 and Ser473) and p-GSK3β (Ser9), and accordingly, β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression were decreased, while p21Waf/cip1 expression was increased. Together these data suggest that PICART1 is a novel p53-inducible tumor-suppressor lncRNA, functioning through the AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling cascade.
Brechas sociales en colombia

Este articulo analiza los niveles y la evolucion de las desigualdades sociales en Colombia en los ultimos 25 anos, describiendo las principales tendencias recientes del desarrollo social colombiano, comparandolas con periodos historicos previos y contrastandolas con las de otros paises. Ante todo se presenta una estimacion reciente de la distribucion del ingreso y el resto de los indicadores sociales. En seguida, se analizan las tendencias distributivas del ingreso monetario en el periodo 1938-1993, se examina el impacto del gasto social sobre la distribucion secundaria del ingreso y sobre estas bases se evaluan las tendencias en la distribucion del ingreso efectivamente recibido por los individuos. Luego se describe y compara la evolucion de la pobreza y de otros indicadores de bienestar. Por ultimo se formulan algunas reflexiones sobre las perspectivas sociales en Colombia. Se concluye que el pais ha experimentado enormes cambios distributivos y de bienestar que han ido reduciendo la desigualdad y la pobreza, pero que al parecer ha habido un desplazamiento de los problemas sociales predominantes en el pais, ya que las insuficiencias y desigualdades en el nivel educativo y las esperanzas de vida de la poblacion joven habrian comenzado a tener un papel dominante.
Oncolytic adenovirus and tumor-targeting immune modulatory therapy improve autologous cancer vaccination

Oncolytic viruses selectively lyse tumor cells, disrupt immunosuppression within the tumor, and reactivate antitumor immunity, but they have yet to live up to their therapeutic potential. Immune checkpoint modulation has been efficacious in a variety of cancer with an immunogenic microenvironment, but is associated with toxicity due to nonspecific T-cell activation. Therefore, combining these two strategies would likely result in both effective and specific cancer therapy. To test the hypothesis, we first constructed oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGDOX expressing the immune costimulator OX40 ligand (OX40L). Like its predecessor Delta-24-RGD, Delta-24-RGDOX induced immunogenic cell death and recruit lymphocytes to the tumor site. Compared with Delta-24-RGD, Delta-24-RGDOX exhibited superior tumor-specific activation of lymphocytes and proliferation of CD8+ T cells specific to tumor-associated antigens, resulting in cancer-specific immunity. Delta-24-RGDOX mediated more potent antiglioma activity in immunocompetent C57BL/6 but not immunodeficient athymic mice, leading to specific immune memory against the tumor. To further overcome the immune suppression mediated by programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on cancer cells accompanied with virotherapy, intratumoral injection of Delta-24-RGDOX and an anti-PD-L1 antibody showed synergistic inhibition of gliomas and significantly increased survival in mice. Our data demonstrate that combining an oncolytic virus with tumor-targeting immune checkpoint modulators elicits potent in situ autologous cancer vaccination, resulting in an efficacious, tumor-specific, and long-lasting therapeutic effect. Cancer Res; 77(14); 3894-907. ©2017 AACR.
Understanding Parent Reactions to Coming Out as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual: A Theoretical Framework

Existing theories and the development of new theoretical models have been used to better understand the experiences of parents who have lesbian, gay, and bisexual children. However, these models tend to only capture a single aspect of the parent experience. This article combines existing theory and data from published research studies to propose a theoretical framework that can be used to explain parent reactions to coming out. Next steps include refining and empirically testing the proposed framework.
Learning expert knowledge by improving the explanations provided by the system

This chapter presents a framework for integrating all possible sources of explications: those stemming from explanation-based learning (EBL) and those describing the relationships of a recognition function with the positive or negative examples of the concept it is supposed to cover. For those directly obtained from a human expert, refer to Chapter 19. The deep analogy between these different explanatory sources is explained and carefully exemplified. The chapter starts with a description of what expert knowledge, a knowledge fit to symbolic approaches, is, as opposed to casual knowledge, fit to numeric approaches. Our main point is that expert knowledge is almost as much devoted to efficiency as to explication. We then explain how much the improvement and progressive refinement of a generalization depends on the quality of the explanations one can get—“why the generalization is good or bad.” Finally, we propose some general methodology to improve the explanations themselves.
Heats of Solution of Group IB Metals in Liquid Tin

An isothermal calorimeter suitable for measurements of heats of solution in liquid tin as solvent is described. Measurements of the heats of solution of gold, silver, copper, and a gold-silver alloy are reported. The heat of formation of this gold-silver alloy is also reported.
Clinical Course and Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy HCM is the most common genetic disorder of the heart, with 1 case per 200 to 500 persons, and often remains clinically silent. HCM is the most common cause of sudden dea...
Characterization of Material Transfer in Friction Stir Processing With a Consumable Tool

This is a study of material transfer from a consumable tool to a substrate. The major advantage of this technique is material adheres by mechanical bonding at relatively low temperature, with potential benefits of high bonding strength, low temperature and thermal effects, high tolerance to contamination, environmentally benign, and low cost of materials, tooling, and process. There is an increasing need for dissimilar material surfacing and coating applications, leading to the study of the friction surfacing process. Friction surfacing experiments were done for depositing different materials to a steel substrate. Subsequent surface roughness and material analysis was done to characterize the nature of material transfer and adhesion to the substrate. The results suggest that friction stir processing by a consumable tool is capable of producing a smooth coating with good metallurgical properties.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
AN EVALUATION OF ONGOING CHANGE AFFECTING ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGIC MAPPING IN THE TEXAS COASTAL ZONE

Abstract: Although the Texas Coastal Zone, an area of some 51,800 sq km, includes 6 percent of the total area of the state, approximately 34 percent of the state's economic resources are found adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. This distribution of resources results, in part, from the abundance of hydrocarbon reserves, ground-water supplies, transportation facilities, fish and wildlife resources, and recreational opportunities in a region which includes 5,439 sq km of bays and estuaries. Industrial growth, residential development, agriculture, and other activities continue to increase, and to change the area. In order to evaluate these changes, basic mapping and periodic assessments of the map data are required. The Environmental Geologic Atlas of the Texas Coastal Zone, prepared by the Bureau of Economic Geology, includes environmental geologic maps dependent upon revised U. S. Geological Survey topographic maps, and upon black-and-white photographic mosaics dating from 1956–1959. These environmental geologic maps provide information on substrate materials, geologic processes, botanical zones, and man-made units. Comparison of the gulfward half of each map with 1975 color-infrared aerial photography located 1,105 changes. Nearly one-half of these alterations involved channel dredging and spoil disposal, while other man-induced and natural alterations of coastal ponds and marshlands accounted for 25 percent of the changes. Such results suggest that thorough, detailed mapping, even when based on older photography, provides a viable, open-ended document which can then be supplemented by an evaluation of ongoing change.
Health Care in the Age of Interoperability Part 5: The Personal Health Record

About this series This is the fifth in a series of articles on the dramatic transformation taking place in health informatics in large part because of the new Health Level 7 (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard. The first article provided background on health care, electronic health record systems for physicians, and the challenges they both face along with the potential of interoperability to help overcome them. The second introduced the basics of the FHIR standard and some suggested resources for those who are interested in its further exploration. The third introduced SMART on FHIR which, based on its wide adoption, has become the default standard FHIR app platform. The fourth looked at clinical decision support, arguably the single most important provider-facing use case for FHIR. This article introduces the personal health record and tools that can utilize the data stored in it as an important use case for FHIR in support of patients. The articles in this series are intended to introduce researchers from other fields to this one and assume no prior knowledge of health care or health informatics. They are abstracted from the author’s recently published book, Health Informatics on FHIR: How HL7’s New API is Transforming Healthcare ( Springer International Publishing: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319934136 ).
Investigation into the thermodynamics and kinetics of the binding of Cu2+ and Pb2+ to TiS2 nanoparticles synthesized using a solvothermal process.

Abstract In the present study, titanium (IV) sulfide (TiS2) was synthesized and investigated for the removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions. TiS2 nanoparticles synthesized through a solvothermal synthesis were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average particle size for the TiS2 material was determined to be 8.03 ± 0.98 nm from the diffraction pattern. Studies were performed to examine the effects of pH, temperature, time, and interfering ions on the binding of Cu2+ and Pb2+ to the TiS2. As well isotherm studies were performed to determine the binding capacity of TiS2 for both Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions. The pH profile studies showed optimal binding occurred at pH 2 for the sorption of both Cu2+ and Pb2+ to the TiS2. The isotherm studies showed the adsorption capacities at temperatures of 4, 22, and 45 °C for Cu2+ were 243, 222, and 153 mg/g, respectively. An opposite trend in the adsorption was observed for Pb2+ binding to the TiS2. The observed binding capacities for Pb2+ were 32, 166, and 357 mg/g, at temperatures of 4, 22, and 45 °C, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters for binding showed a non-spontaneous process for the sorption of Cu2+ whereas a spontaneous binding process was observed for the sorption of Pb2+. Additionally, the binding of Cu2+ on TiS2 in the presence of interfering ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, and/or Ca2+) was observed to decrease at high concentrations; however, the binding of Pb2+ was unaffected by the presence of the same cations.
A Circuit-based Approach to the Synthesis of 2-D Omega Materials

In one dimension, a circuit network equivalence has been established for omega materials. However, 2-D circuit-based or transmission-line metamaterials have previously been restricted to magnetic and electric responses. This paper proposes 2-D circuit-based omega materials using asymmetric circuits. A general formulation is provided in terms of ABCD-parameters and an example is shown using π-networks. These metamaterials could enable the design of compact beamformers, power dividers, and other microwave devices.
Do the Right Thing @ 30: representation, politics, critical assessment

How do we go about assessing Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing after 30 years, given all that has changed and all that has not changed in the intervening decades? Black cinema has flourished – not onl...
Climate-Related Trends of Within-Storm Intensities Using Dimensionless Temporal-Storm Distributions

AbstractHuff curves are probabilistic time distributions of rainfall expressed as dimensionless cumulative percentages of storm depth and duration. Previous studies have documented development fact...
Sex, synchrony, and skin contact: integrating multiple behaviors to assess pathogen transmission risk

Stephan T. Leu, Pratha Sah, Ewa Krzyszczyk, Ann-Marie Jacoby, Janet Mann, and Shweta Bansal
Improving accuracy and robustness of deep convolutional neural network based thoracic OAR segmentation

Deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) has shown great success in various medical image segmentation tasks, including organ-at-risk (OAR) segmentation from computed tomography (CT) images. However, most studies use the dataset from the same source(s) for training and testing so that the ability of a trained DCNN to generalize to a different dataset is not well studied, as well as the strategy to address the issue of performance drop on a different dataset. In this study we investigated the performance of a well-trained DCNN model from a public dataset for thoracic OAR segmentation on a local dataset and explored the systematic differences between the datasets. We observed that a subtle shift of organs inside patient body due to the abdominal compression technique during image acquisition caused significantly worse performance on the local dataset. Furthermore, we developed an optimal strategy via incorporating different numbers of new cases from the local institution and using transfer learning to improve the accuracy and robustness of the trained DCNN model. We found that by adding as few as 10 cases from the local institution, the performance can reach the same level as in the original dataset. With transfer learning, the training time can be significantly shortened with slightly worse performance for heart segmentation.
A numerical study of mid-ocean mesoscale eddies

Abstract The statistical predictions of a multi-layered quasi-geostrophic periodic, numerical model have been compared with the MODE observations. The length and time scales and westward propagation speed of the eddies were successfully predicted; however, the model appears to underpredict the eddy energy at small scales and in the baroclinic components. To within the experimental errors this comparison is consistent with the hypothesis of the model that the eddy structure is locally determined. A cursory investigation into the sensitivity of the results to variations in eddy energy and the height of the bathymetry shows that even moderate change radically alter the character of the flow.
The Bribed Tool

Clyde Barrow’s recent work provides a detailed account, and theoretical reevaluation, of Marx and Engel’s concept of the “lumpenproletariat,” carefully examining its history and potential relevance...
Co-Design of Commercial Building HVAC using Bayesian Optimization

Sequential approaches to system and control design produce sub-optimal solutions due to unidirectional coupling between the system and control variables, i.e., the system design prescribes the control approach but not vice versa. A critical challenge to co-design is the complex coupling between heterogeneous variables: the time-independent system design variables and the time-varying control parameters. Traditional optimization-based co-design methods are unsuitable for large-scale engineering systems where the plant design is complex and accurate control-oriented, white-box models may not be available. These challenges have led to the widespread adoption of industry guidelines that often oversize commercial HVAC systems by 25–50% to satisfy conservative estimates of building peak-loads and redundancy margins. Significant energy, peak-demand, and capital cost savings can be realized with properly sized HVAC units and optimized control operation. In this paper, we develop a data-driven, black-box, co-design framework using Bayesian Optimization (BO) to co-optimize the system and control design variables for commercial building HVAC system. Using real chiller data, a detailed economic assessment and numerical study is conducted to illustrate the energy, peakload and capital cost savings against existing baseline strategies for chiller sizing and plant configuration.
Multi-level loop equations for $\beta$-corners processes

The goal of the paper is to introduce a new set of tools for the study of discrete and continuous $\beta$-corners processes. In the continuous setting, our work provides a multi-level extension of the loop equations (also called Schwinger-Dyson equations) for $\beta$-log gases obtained by Borot and Guionnet in (Commun. Math. Phys. 317, 447-483, 2013). In the discrete setting, our work provides a multi-level extension of the loop equations (also called Nekrasov equations) for discrete $\beta$-ensembles obtained by Borodin, Gorin and Guionnet in (Publications math{\' e}matiques de l'IH{\' E}S 125, 1-78, 2017).
Introduction: Current Directions in Community Archaeology of the African Diaspora.

This article introduces the special issue, “Community Archaeology of the African Diaspora.” This collection of papers grew out of a session at the 2020 Society for Historical Archaeology conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional authors invited to add further geographical and methodological diversity. The papers in this issue address a single question—how are archaeologists currently involved with community archaeology projects related to the African Diaspora?—and reflects the wide array of approaches currently being implemented across the discipline.
Conversion total hip arthroplasty for early failure following unstable intertrochanteric hip fracture: what can patients expect?

To report surgical outcomes in patients treated with conversion total hip arthroplasty (CTHA) for early failure of cephalomedullary nails (CMNs). A retrospective review was conducted of CTHA for treatment of failed CMN within 1 year of initial surgery for intertrochanteric (IT) hip fractures. The cohort was matched 1:5 to patients who underwent elective primary THA (PTHA). Patient demographics, mechanism of CMN failure, surgical outcomes, and complication rates were assessed. 22 patients met criteria with a mean time to failure of 145 days. Modes of failure included: lag screw cut-out with superior migration (9, 40.9%), or medialization (8, 36.4%), and aseptic nonunion with implant failure (2, 9.0%) and without implant failure (3, 13.6%). Fourteen of the patients (63.6%) had acetabular-sided damage secondary to lag screw penetration, all in the screw cut-out groups. Patient demographics were similar between cohorts. Compared to PTHA, CTHA patients had increased operative time, blood loss, LOS, and readmission rates. After IMN failure, the operative leg was shorter than the contralateral leg in all cases. CTHA restored leg lengths to < = 10 mm in 15 (68.1%) of patients, with an average leg length discrepancy after CTHA of 6.7 mm. CTHA patients had increased rates of overall surgical complications and medical complications, specifically anemia (all p < 0.01). Tranexamic acid was used less often in the CTHA group (p < 0.01). Rate of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), dislocation, and revision were all higher in the CTHA, though did not reach statistical significance. The majority (77.3%) of CMN implant failure for nonunion within 1 year was due to screw cut-out. CTHA is a salvage option for early failed IT hip fracture repair, but expected surgical outcomes are more similar to revision THA than primary THA, with increased risk of readmission, longer surgery and LOS, increased blood loss, and higher complication rates. III, Retrospective comparative study.
Boccaccio and the Invention of Italian Literature: Dante, Petrarch, Cavalcanti, and the Authority of the Vernacular

Introduction: Boccaccio between Dante and Petrarch: cultivating vernacular literary community in the Chigi codex 1. Dante's dirty feet and the limping republic: Boccaccio's defense of literature in the Vita di Dante 2. Dante's shame and Boccaccio's paratextual praise: editing the Vita nuova, Commedia, and canzoni distese 3. The making of Petrarch's vernacular Book of Fragments (Fragmentorum liber) 4. The inventive scribe: glossing Cavalcanti in the Chigi and Decameron 6.9 Epilogue: the allegory of the vernacular: Boccaccio's Esposizioni and Petrarch's Griselda.
Can We Assess Suitability at Admission? A Review of MSW Application Procedures

The gatekeeping role in social work education begins with the admissions review process. This article reports on findings from a 1995-96 national survey of MSW programs that focused on the nonacademic admissions criteria and procedures they use to assess applicants. Over 80% of the respondents identified nonacademic indicators used to assess the suitability of applicants; 100% reported using some form of screening procedure (e.g., reference letters, personal interviews); and 66% provided samples of admissions review materials. The authors assess the commonalities found among sample materials, describe challenges in using nonacademic admission criteria, and present a model for defining and assessing student suitability throughout the professional education process.
Influence Of Stream-Groundwater Interactions In The Streambed Sediments On NO3 Flux To A Low-Relief Coastal Stream

[1] Water-saturated, organic-rich sediments immediately surrounding a stream channel can provide a protective buffer between streams and adjacent land-based activities by removing plant nutrients from shallow groundwater flowing through them, but the hydrological factors that influence the effectiveness of nitrate removal are not well characterized. A two-dimensional, fully distributed, variably saturated flow and transport model was evaluated for its success in using mechanisms of biological reaction in streambed sediments to quantify nitrate flux into the stream under base flow conditions. The model was used to interpret the observed hydrological dynamics during storms at Cobb Mill Creek, Virginia. During base flow conditions, relatively deep groundwater flow paths carrying water containing high nitrate concentrations discharged through the streambed sediments, and high denitrification rates were observed along with a substantial reduction in the nitrate concentration. During storm events, reduced discharge of groundwater in the face of a diminished hydraulic gradient during passage of a flood wave led to longer residence times for water in the biologically active sediments underlying the stream channel, thus providing an opportunity for enhanced denitrification to further reduce nitrate loads to the stream. We conclude that in cases of low-relief streams with substantial hillslopes adjacent to the stream combined with transmissive sediments, storm events can actually contribute to enhanced removal of nitrate locally (at the hillslope scale) as opposed to a simple lowering of concentration due to dilution.
Predictors of relationship dissolution in lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents.

Little work has examined relationship dissolution or divorce in adoptive parents or same-sex parent couples. The current study examined predictors of relationship dissolution across the first 5 years of parenthood among a sample of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male adoptive couples. Of the 190 couples in the study, 15 (7.9%) dissolved their relationships during the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Specifically, 7 of 57 lesbian couples (12.3%), 1 of 49 gay male couples (2.0%), and 7 of 84 heterosexual couples (8.3%) dissolved their unions. Results of our logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of relationship dissolution were significantly higher for (a) couples who adopted a non-infant (i.e., older) child); (b) participants who reported feeling less prepared for the adoption, three months post-adoptive placement; and (c) couples in which both partners reported very low, or very high, pre-adoption levels of relationship maintenance behaviors. Findings have implications for adoption professionals seeking to support same-sex and heterosexual prospective adopters, as well as societal debates and policy regarding same-sex relationships and parenting.
Ionic regulation of proliferation in normal and cancer cells

The use of electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) in association with appropriate cell and tissue preparative procedures has allowed several laboratories to measure the intracellular levels of a number of ions during mitogenesis. It has been possible to study changes in the ionic concentration of normal, preneoplastic, and overtly neoplastic cells for determining the stage of involvement of ionic changes during carcinogenesis. A demonstration of such preneoplastic changes in ionic concentration could provide the basis for differential diagnosis of cancer by EPXMA and could ultimately provide a basis for rational cancer chemotherapeutic intervention. The use of EPXMA in association with appropriate cell and tissue preparative procedures has allowed several laboratories to measure and to test Cone's prediction that the intracellular levels of Na + are changed in rapidly dividing and overt tumor cells as compared to slowly dividing or nondividing normal cells. An advantage of such a microprobe procedure is that quantitative data can be simultaneously obtained on several elements in a single analysis.
Chapter 9 Modeling and simulations of carbon nanotubes

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the modeling and simulation efforts for the investigations of physical properties of C nanotubes and their potential applications. A nanotube is a sheet of graphite (or graphene), coaxially rolled to create a cylindrical surface. Each nanotube is characterized by a set of two integers related to the components of the chiral vector. A nanotube's electronic structure can be viewed as a zone-folded version of the electronic band structure of the graphene. When the parallel lines of nanotube wave vectors pass through the corners, the nanotube is metallic. Otherwise, the nanotube is a semiconductor with a gap of about 1 eV, which reduces as the diameter of the tube increases. Thus, the electronic structures of nanotubes are determined by their chirality and diameter, that is, simply by their chiral vectors. A nanotube can be an ideal quantum wire for electronic transport. Two sub-bands crossing at the Fermi level nominally give rise to two conducting channels.
Salvage Therapy with Bendamustine for Methotrexate Refractory Recurrent Primary CNS Lymphoma: A Retrospective Case Series (P7.259)

OBJECTIVE: Assess response and toxicity of bendamustine in recurrent PCNSL following prior salvage therapy in a retrospective case series. BACKGROUND: There is comparatively limited therapy for recurrent primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). Salvage therapies include re-challenge with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), whole brain radiotherapy, temozolomide, topotecan and premetrexed. Bendamustine is a novel bifunctional alkylator with established activity in B-cell systemic lymphomas but never previously evaluated in PCNSL. DESIGN/METHODS: RESULTS: Twelve adults (6 males; 6 females: median age 59 years {range 43-74}) with HD-MTX refractory recurrent PCNSL were treated with bendamustine. All patients were treated at second recurrence following failure of prior salvage therapy. A cycle of bendamustine was defined as 2 consecutive days of treatment (100mg/m2/day) administered once every 4 weeks (maximum number of cycles 6). Toxicities seen were grade 2 (24 episodes 10 patients) and 3 (10 episodes in 5 patients) only and included lymphopenia (8 patients), hyperglycemia (7 patients), fatigue (7 patients) and nausea (4 patients). The median number of cycles of therapy was 3.5 (range 1-6). Radiographic response was progressive disease in 5, stable disease in 1, partial response in 3 and complete response in 3. Median progr CONCLUSIONS: n this small retrospective series of select patients with recurrent PCNSL refractory to HD-MTX, bendamustine appears to have modest single agent activity with manageable toxicity. Confirmation in a larger series of similar patients is required. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Chamberlain has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech/Roche as a speaker. Dr. Chamberlain has received compensation for serving on the advisory boards of Genentech/Roche. Dr. Chamberlain has received research support from Exelixis, MedImmune, Myriad, NCCN and Northwestern University/Genentech.
Process improvements and shared medical appointments for cardiovascular disease prevention in women

AbstractProblemCardiovascular disease (CVD) is clinically unique in women and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Chronic diseases account for 75% of healthcare expenditures in the United States, of which 70% are preventable through lifestyle changes and active medical management. Lifestyle mo
Pediatric emergency department census during major sporting events.

OBJECTIVES: Our study attempted to evaluate the effects of major sporting events on the census of a pediatric emergency department (ED) in the United States specifically related to the National Football League Super Bowl, National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, and Major League Baseball World Series. METHODS: We performed a retrospective data analysis of our pediatric ED census on the number of visits during major sporting events over a 5-year period. Data during the same period 1 week after the major sporting event were collected for comparison as the control. We evaluated the medians of 2-hour increments around the event start time. Subgroup analysis was performed for games involving the local sporting teams. RESULTS: Our results showed no significant difference in ED census during the sporting events, except in the post 6 to 8 hours of the NBA finals. Subgroup analysis of the Los Angeles Lakers showed the same significant findings in the post 6 to 8 hours of the NBA finals. CONCLUSIONS: No major difference in pediatric ED census is observed during the most major sporting events in the United States. Language: en