cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquid Water Transport in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells With Multi-Layer Diffusion Media

A two-phase, multi-component, full cell model is developed in order to analyze the two-phase transport in polymer electrolyte fuel cells with multi-layer cathode gas diffusion media, consisting of a coarse gas diffusion layer (GDL) (average pore size ~10 µm) and a micro-porous layer (MPL) (average pore size ~0.2-2 µm). The relevant structural properties of MPL, including average pore size, wettability, thickness and porosity are examined and their effects on liquid water transport are discussed. It is found that MPL promotes back-flow of liquid water across the membrane towards the anode, consequently alleviating cathode flooding. Furthermore, it is seen that unique porous and wetting characteristics of MPL causes a discontinuity in the liquid saturation at MPL-GDL interface, which in turn reduces the amount of liquid water in cathode catalyst layer-gas diffusion medium interface in some cases. Our analyses show that the back-flow of liquid water increases with the increasing thickness and decreasing pore size, hydrophobicity and bulk porosity of the MPL.
Do American Crows Pay Attention to Human Gaze and Facial Expressions

Interactions between species can lead to the evolution of interspecific communication. Non-verbal communication by humans, both intentional and unintentional, can be interpreted by other species. We tested whether American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) were sensitive to human facial features under field conditions by comparing flight initiation distances and urgency of escape behavior to human approaches varying in eye contact and facial expression. We first examined whether crows distinguish between an approaching human who is directly gazing at them and a human approaching them with an averted gaze. In a second experiment, we tested whether crows differentiate a smiling from scowling human approaching them with direct or averted gaze. In the first experiment, we found that crows fled sooner and more urgently when humans were directly gazing at them. Similarly, in the second experiment, crows responded sooner to a direct vs. averted gaze; however, they did not react differently to varying human facial expressions. We suggest that crows use human gaze as a reliable visual cue compared with facial expressions when making decisions about responding to approaching humans. This is the first study to show that a wild corvid species changes its behavior based on human gaze, possibly representing an adaptation to living in human-dominated urban areas and suggesting crows might perceive human intention by this visual cue.
Available copper ligands and the apparent bioavailability of copper to natural phytoplankton assemblages

Abstract The relationship between the apparent copper (Cu) complexing capacity and the effect of added Cu on phytoplankton photosynthesis was investigated at sixteen stations in the western North Atlantic. The data showed that coastal, continental shelf, and oceanic environments may be classed as different chemical regimes. Within each regime, the effect of added Cu on phytoplankton is highly correlated with parameters related to Cu complexing capacity and independent of biotic species composition or community structure. The data further indicate that the Cu complexing capacity of some coastal environments may be so great as to reduce the level of biologically available Cu to the point of being nutritionally limiting to phytoplankton.
IKKβ Couples Hepatocyte Death to Cytokine-Driven Compensatory Proliferation that Promotes Chemical Hepatocarcinogenesis

IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta), required for NF-kappaB activation, links chronic inflammation with carcinogenesis. We investigated whether IKKbeta is involved in chemically induced liver cancer, a model not involving overt inflammation. Surprisingly, mice lacking IKKbeta only in hepatocytes (Ikkbeta(Deltahep) mice) exhibited a marked increase in hepatocarcinogenesis caused by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). This correlated with enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, increased JNK activation, and hepatocyte death, giving rise to augmented compensatory proliferation of surviving hepatocytes. Brief oral administration of an antioxidant around the time of DEN exposure blocked prolonged JNK activation and compensatory proliferation and prevented excessive DEN-induced carcinogenesis in Ikkbeta(Deltahep) mice. Decreased hepatocarcinogenesis was also found in mice lacking IKKbeta in both hepatocytes and hematopoietic-derived Kupffer cells. These mice exhibited reduced hepatocyte regeneration and diminished induction of hepatomitogens, which were unaltered in Ikkbeta(Deltahep) mice. IKKbeta, therefore, orchestrates inflammatory crosstalk between hepatocytes and hematopoietic-derived cells that promotes chemical hepatocarcinogenesis.
Preventing ischial pressure ulcers: I. Review of neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Objective: Pressure ulcers PUs are common and debilitating wounds that arise when immobilized patients cannot shift their weight. Treatment is expensive and recurrence rates are high. Pathophysiological mechanisms include reduced bulk and perfusion of chronically atrophic muscles as well as prolonged occlusion of blood flow to soft tissues from lack of voluntary postural shifting of body weight. This has suggested that PUs might be prevented by reanimating the paralyzed muscles using neuromuscular electrical stimulation NMES. A review of the published literature over the past 2 decades is detailed. Outcomes: Historically gluteus maximus GM has been an important target for NMES, but results have been difficult to interpret and suitable technology has been lacking. Conclusions: NMES of the buttock muscles appears to be valuable in terms of its trophic effects, improving vascularity and soft tissue bulk. It remains unclear, however, whether GM can actually achieve sufficient unloading of normal forces to permit blood flow in the capillary beds of the skin and muscle. Analysis of the skeletal biomechanics is required to assess the relative value of GM vs. hamstring HS hip extensors in this regard.
Diethylaminoethyl-dextran requirement for Poly I:C-induced interferon effective against foot-and-mouth disease virus in vitro.

Interferon effective against foot-and-mouth disease virus was induced in bovine kidney cells by polyribonucleic acid (Poly I∶C) only when reacted with DEAE dextran. Furthermore, a high DEAE dextran to Poly I∶C ratio was necessary to elicit maximal response. Interferon was observed first in the cell and reached a peak at 8 hours after induction. Release of interferon from the cell reached significant levels after 8 hours and continued to accumulate in the supernatant fluid. Differences were observed between different preparations of Poly I∶C., which might be related to the extent of double-strandedness.
Multiple Stressors and Amphibians: Contributions of Adverse Health Effects and Altered Hydroperiod to Population Decline and Extinction

Abstract Amphibian decline is a well-recognized globally occurring problem. Hypothesized and demonstrated causes of decline are varied and include disease, contaminants, habitat loss, and climate change. Future research and management efforts may be further improved by understanding how different anthropogenic stress factors contribute to amphibian population declines for different species. I used a stochastic, density-dependent population model of the pool-breeding amphibian, Gastrophryne carolinensis, to explore the relative contribution of different simulated stress factors operating individually and in combination on a number of different life-cycle components. The simulations revealed that catastrophic reproductive failure (CRF) as may occur under climate-induced reductions in hydroperiod was a strong driver of extinction risk and that, in the absence of CRF, extinction risks were low (<1%) even under some reduction in recruitment and terrestrial survival for this species. When reductions in vital ra...
A Method for Estimating In Situ Reaction Rates from Push-Pull Experiments for Arbitrary Solute Background Concentrations

This paper presents a general method and the mathematical equations for estimating in situ reaction rates from the tracer and reactive solute breakthrough curves obtained from single-well push-pull tests (PPTs). The in situ zeroth-order reaction rates can be obtained through the linear regression of the net mass transfer of reactive solutes versus time. The method was first tested for scenarios of various concentrations of reactive constituents and conservative tracer in background and injection solution using a numerical reactive transport model and was then applied to a set of field biostimulation data from PPTs performed at the U.S. Department of Energy9s Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program9s Field Research Center (Oak Ridge, TN). The results show that the method is general and can be applied to each of the scenarios as long as the concentrations in background water are known. While the method presents practitioners with a simplified and economic tool for a first approximation analysis of in situ reaction rates from PPT data, the derived reaction orders and rates are apparent and bulk properties by nature, masking the complexity of competing reactions regarding the reactive solute of interest.
A discontinuous Galerkin method for two-dimensional shock wave modeling

A numerical scheme based on discontinuous Galerkin method is proposed for the two-dimensional shallow water flows. The scheme is applied to model flows with shock waves. The form of shallow water equations that can eliminate numerical imbalance between flux term and source term and simplify computation is adopted here. The HLL approximate Riemann solver is employed to calculate the mass and momentum flux. A slope limiting procedure that is suitable for incompressible two-dimensional flows is presented. A simple method is adapted for flow over initially dry bed. A new formulation is introduced for modeling the net pressure force and gravity terms in discontinuous Galerkinmethod. To validate the scheme, numerical tests are performed to model steady and unsteady shock waves. Applications include circular dam break with shock, shock waves in channel contraction, and dam break in channel with 45? bend. Numerical results show that the scheme is accurate and efficient to model two-dimensional shallow water flows with shock waves.
High humidity leads to loss of infectious influenza virus from simulated coughs.

Background: The role of relative humidity in the aerosol transmission of influenza was examined in a simulated examination room containing coughing and breathing manikins. Methods: Nebulized influenza was coughed into the examination room and Bioaerosol samplers collected size-fractionated aerosols (,1 mM, 1–4 mM, and .4 mM aerodynamic diameters) adjacent to the breathing manikin’s mouth and also at other locations within the room. At constant temperature, the RH was varied from 7–73% and infectivity was assessed by the viral plaque assay. Results: Total virus collected for 60 minutes retained 70.6–77.3% infectivity at relative humidity #23% but only 14.6–22.2% at relative humidity $43%. Analysis of the individual aerosol fractions showed a similar loss in infectivity among the fractions. Time interval analysis showed that most of the loss in infectivity within each aerosol fraction occurred 0–15 minutes after coughing. Thereafter, losses in infectivity continued up to 5 hours after coughing, however, the rate of decline at 45% relative humidity was not statistically different than that at 20% regardless of the aerosol fraction analyzed. Conclusion: At low relative humidity, influenza retains maximal infectivity and inactivation of the virus at higher relative humidity occurs rapidly after coughing. Although virus carried on aerosol particles ,4 mM have the potential for remaining suspended in air currents longer and traveling further distances than those on larger particles, their rapid inactivation at high humidity tempers this concern. Maintaining indoor relative humidity .40% will significantly reduce the infectivity of aerosolized virus.
Signal restoration from data aliased in time

This paper deals with the problem of signal restoration from data aliased in time. The signal, which is in general noncausal, is split into a causal and an anticausal part. The causal part and the time-reversed anticausal part are then modeled as impulse responses of rational pole-zero models. The parameters of these models are then estimated by solving sets of overdetermined equations. The choice of model orders, i.e., number of poles and zeros of rational models, is also discussed. It is shown that if the aliasing period is large enough, there is sufficient information for all the parameters to be estimated. The special cases of a purely causal signal or a purely anticausal signal are discussed. Simulation results show that the signal can be recovered with excellent accuracy.
Blind nonlinear channel equalization based on efficient sub-space algorithms

In this paper, we discuss the sub-space based blind nonlinear channel equalization problem. The conditions required for exciting the zero force equalizer and an MMSE equalizer based on the sub-space algorithm are given. Using these conditions, we propose several efficient sub-space-based blind nonlinear channel equalization algorithms. These provide: 1) a blind zero force equalizer for a nonlinear channel whose linear portion has maximum memory length, 2) an MMSE equalizer for a nonlinear channel whose nonlinear distortion is weak and 3) an MMSE equalizer for a nonlinear channel whose linear part has minimum memory length while the inputs to the linear and nonlinear parts are uncorrelated to each other. Our proposed algorithms are more efficient than currently available methods and work over a broader range of channels. As a result, our algorithms have significant practical application
Identification of Nymphs of Midwestern Species and Instars of Sinea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae)

The harpactorine reduviid genus Sinea is represented in the midwestern United States by three species: Sinea complexa Caudell, Sinea diadema (F.), and Sinea spinipes (Herrich-Schaeffer). Although the nymphs of these species have been described, no key has been developed for their identification. Here, we present a key to the nymphs of these taxa to the species and instar levels.
Regulation of Neural Stem Cell Death

Nervous system development is a complex process that begins with a small number of cells and ends with a highly organized and specialized organ. Neural stem cells play a critical role in this process. These cells have the capacity to self-renew, proliferate, and give rise to lineage-restricted neuronal and/or glial progenitor cells and postmitotic specialized daughter cells. The number of neural stem cells contributing to neural development depends on the balance between proliferation, self-renewal, differentiation, and cell death. Studies of apoptosis-associated molecules have indicated significant cell death in neural precursor cells, defined as neural stem cells and lineage restricted progenitors, and immature neurons prior to the generation of synaptic contacts. These studies complement the extensive body of work dedicated to cell death regulation in mature neurons, where competition for limited amounts of target-derived neurotrophic factors plays a direct role in activating cell death pathways during neuronal histogenesis and cell injury. The striking neurodevelopmental abnormalities observed in mice with targeted disruptions in genes regulating cell death emphasizes the importance of programmed cell death during development. Studies of these animals further reveal that cell death regulation is remarkably specific to cell type and stage of neural differentiation.
Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aircraft instrument and validation of the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS)

S-HIS developments improve aircraft capabilities for observing the earth-emitted spectrum in great detail and high accuracy. With its spatial mapping, S-HIS is a powerful tool to validate spectra from AIRS on the NASA Aqua satellite.
Gamma rays from thermal neutron capture in Kr 86

The most intense ..gamma.. rays from capture of thermal neutrons in /sup 86/Kr are measured with pair and Compton-suppressed spectrometers. The Q value for the reaction is found to be 5515.4 +- 0.8 keV and the reaction cross section is estimated to be about 3 mb. Energy levels of the /sup 87/Kr nucleus observed in this study are compared with those seen in reaction studies and in the ..beta.. decay of /sup 87/Br.
Prognostic factors after resection of colorectal liver metastases following preoperative second-line chemotherapy: Impact of RAS mutations.

Abstract Background After resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM), RAS mutations are associated with modest survival benefit and second-line chemotherapy confers limited hope for cure. Objective To evaluate the impact of RAS mutation after second-line chemotherapy for patients undergoing potentially curative liver resection for CLM. Methods Among 1357 patients operated for CLM between January 2005 and November 2014, patients with known RAS mutational status were identified. Outcomes after second-line chemotherapy were analyzed by RAS status. Results Among 635 patients undergoing resection of CLM, 46 received second-line chemotherapy before resection, including 14 patients (30%) with RAS mutations. Patients who received second-line chemotherapy had significantly larger and greater number of liver metastases and were more likely to undergo major hepatectomy. Median overall (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) were significantly worse among patients requiring second-line chemotherapy (OS: 44.4 vs. 61.1 months, p = 0.021; RFS: 7.3 vs. 12.0 months, p = 0.001). Among patients undergoing liver resection after second-line chemotherapy, RAS mutations were associated with worse median OS and RFS (OS: 35.2 vs. 60.7 months, p = 0.038; RFS: 3.6 vs. 8.3 months, p = 0.015). RAS mutation was the only independent factor associated with OS and RFS. All patients with RAS mutations recurred within 18 months. Among patients with RAS wild-type tumors, the receipt of second-line chemotherapy did not affect OS (p = 0.493). Conclusion Among patients undergoing resection of CLM after second-line chemotherapy, RAS mutational status is an independent predictor of survival and outweighs other factors to select patients for liver resection.
Nutrition, monocrotaline, and aflatoxin B1 in liver carcinogenesis.

(1973). Nutrition, Monocrotaline, and Aflatoxin B1 in Liver Carcinogenesis. Plant Foods for Man: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 23-31.
Examination of the reactivity of benzoxaboroles and related compounds with a cis-diol.

Benzoxaboroles have been emerging as an interesting and useful scaffold in drug discovery due to their apparently unique reactivity toward diols under physiological conditions. In this work, the reaction of benzoxaborole with the diol-containing, fluorescent dye Alizarin Red S is probed. Steady-state and presteady-state experiments have been conducted for the characterization of the reactions over a wide range of pH. Results indicate that Alizarin Red S reacts with both the boronic (neutral, trigonal) form as well as the boronate (anionic, tetrahedral) form of benzoxaborole in a reaction largely analogous to that previously determined for the simple phenylboronic acid. However, in certain key aspects, the reactivity of the benzoxaborole was found to differ from that of simple phenylboronic acid. The structural origin of these differences has been explored by examination of compounds related to both benzoxaborole and phenylboronic acid. These results may be applied to rational drug discovery efforts aimed ...
mtDNA PHYLOGENY OF ANDEAN MICE: A TEST OF DIVERSIFICATION ACROSS ECOLOGICAL GRADIENTS.

Parapatric speciation across sharp ecological gradients is an alternative to the more usual allopatric model as both a general explanation of organismal diversification and as an explicit statement regarding differentiation of tropical forest biotas (Endler, 1977, 1982a, 1982b). The relevance of this model to species of small mammals distributed across a 3,000 meter gradient on the eastern flank of the Peruvian Andes is examined here by phylogenetic analysis of comparative mitochondrial DNA sequences, relying on both freshly collected samples and extracts taken from skins preserved in museum collections. These analyses falsify the applicability of the gradient model in this case. Moreover, the phylogenetic approach employed here provides an explicit test of the feasibility of the gradient model for any other taxon, either plant or animal, of the lowland Amazonian forest.
Facile Formation of Graphene P–N Junctions Using Self-Assembled Monolayers

Monolithic and patterned aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) layers are used to create n-doped graphene, graphene p–n junctions, and FET devices containing p–n junctions in the device channel through transfer of CVD graphene onto APTES coated substrates. APTES doping is shown to not result in introduction of defects. I–V measurements of FET devices containing patterned APTES layers show it is possible to control the position of the two current minima (two Dirac points) in the ambipolar p–n junction.
Why the Partnership Model's Usefulness Far Exceeds That of the Client Model: Reply to Armstrong

The article compares the student-as-client model with the partnership model for business education. The student-as-client model fails in comparison to the partnership model in several significant w...
NOAA NESDIS global automated satellite-based snow mapping system and products

Accurate, timely and spatially detailed information on the snow cover distribution and on the snow pack properties is needed in various research and practical applications including numerical weather prediction, climate modeling, river runoff estimates and flood forecasts. Owing to the wide area coverage, high spatial resolution and short repeat cycle of observations satellites present one of the key components of the global snow and ice cover monitoring system. The Global Multisensor Automated Snow and Ice Mapping System (GMASI) has been developed at the request of NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA National Ice Center (NIC) to facilitate NOAA operational monitoring of snow and ice cover and to provide information on snow and ice for use in NWP models. Since 2006 the system has been routinely generating daily snow and ice cover maps using combined observations in the visible/infrared and in the microwave from operational meteorological satellites. The output product provides continuous (gap free) characterization of the global snow and ice cover distribution at 4 km spatial resolution. The paper presents a basic description of the snow and ice mapping algorithms incorporated in the system as well as of the product generated with GMASI. It explains the approach used to validate the derived snow and ice maps and provides the results of their accuracy assessment.
Genetic analysis of enterovirus 71 isolates in Huzhou from 2011 to 2012

Objective To characterize the genetic features of VP1 region of the enterovirus 71( EV71) strains isolated in Huzhou from 2011 to 2012. Methods Clinical specimens were collected from HFMD patients from 2011 to 2012 to detect the enterovirus nucleic acid by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR. The EV71 RNA positive samples were inoculated into Vero cell and RD cell to separate the EV71. Then 24 representative EV71 isolates were selected for sequencing and analysis of VP1 gene. Results There were 166 EV71 positive strains in 587 specimens,the positive rate was 28. 28%. Sequence analysis for VP1 gene of EV71 isolates in Huzhou showed the homology of nucleotides and amino acids of VP1 gene were 92. 7% ~ 100% and 98. 3% ~ 100%,respectively,highly homologous to C4a subgenotype of EV71( 97. 6% ~ 99. 1%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 24 EV71 strains were in different lineages in the phylogenetic tree,indicating these strains belonged to different viral transmission chains. Conclusion The major epidemic strain of EV71 in Huzhou from 2011 to 2012 is C4a genotype, without import and change of other virus genotypes.
A Probabilistic Formulation for Creep-Fatigue Failure Analysis

Creep-fatigue damage has long been recognized as one of the principal damage mechanisms in high-temperature pressure vessel and piping systems. Accordingly it has been the focus of extensive study, and a variety of predictive models for creep-fatigue failure have been developed, e.g., [1]–[6]. Almost without exception, these models have been of a deterministic nature. However, it is well-known that both pure fatigue and pure creep failure behavior show marked amounts of scatter in the number of cycles-to-failure at a given strain range, e.g., [7], and in the time-to-failure at a given stress level, e.g. [8]–[9], respectively. Hence it is reasonable to infer that failure data under replicated creep-fatigue loading would show a similar degree of scatter, although to the authors’ knowledge, there exists little, if any, replicated creep-fatigue data to support this inference.
Building Efficient Radial Basis Function Kernel Classifiers using Iterative Methods

Training algorithms for radial basis function Kernel classifiers (RBFKCs), such as the canonical support vector machine (SVM), often produce computationally burdensome classifiers when large training data sets are used. Additionally, this complexity is not directly controllable by the developer. A least-squares variant of the SVM is used as a starting point for a proposed algorithm called the incremental asymmetric proximal support vector machine (IAPSVM). IAPSVM employs a greedy search method across the training data to select the centers of each RBF transform. This iterative building process produces a final classifier that compares favorably with both the SVM and another available complexity reduction algorithm (as measured by the number of RBF kernel transforms that must be evaluated to classify an unknown sample). Unlike SVM methods, IAPSVM enables an a priori decision for the complexity of the classifier. This capability is often important for developers when building RBFKCs for resource-constrained systems.
A review and retrospective analysis of mental health services provided after the september 11 attacks

Objective:Various mental health services were provided in New York City in the response to the September 11 attacks. This article describes these services and the subsequent research in disaster ps...
RO(\Pi B)-Graded Ordinary Homology and Cohomology

As we’ve already mentioned, R O(G)-graded ordinary homology is not adequate to give Poincare duality for G-manifolds except in the case of manifolds modeled on a single representation. To get Poincare duality for general G-manifolds, we need to extend to a theory indexed on representations of \(\Pi X\). (For simplicity of notation we shall now write \(\Pi X\) for \(\Pi _{G}X\).) That is, the homology and cohomology of X should be graded on representations of \(\Pi X\). A construction of the \(RO(\Pi X)\)-graded theory for finite G was given in Costenoble and Waner (Michigan Math J 39:325–351, 1992), and the theory was used in Costenoble and Waner (Michigan Math J 39:415–424, 1992) and Michigan Math J (40:577–604, 1993) to obtain π–π theorems for equivariant Poincare duality spaces and equivariant simple Poincare duality spaces. In this chapter we give the construction for all compact Lie groups.
The clinical utility of the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) in an alcohol pharmacotherapy trial

Abstract Background Medication nonadherence is a ubiquitous problem in pharmacology treatment for alcohol use disorders. Unintentional and purposeful nonadherence as measured by the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) has been shown to predict problems with medication adherence; however, feedback from the MAQ has never been incorporated into a behavioral intervention to facilitate medication adherence. We assessed the integration of the MAQ into medical management (MM), a counseling approach frequently employed in conjunction with alcohol pharmacotherapy, to determine whether prior patterns of nonadherence could be addressed effectively to promote medication adherence. Methods We conducted a post-hoc analysis of data from 131 alcohol dependent smokers who participated in a double blind, placebo controlled study of varenicline for the treatment of alcohol dependence. At baseline, participants completed a single administration of the MAQ, which asks 2 questions about unintentional nonadherence (e.g., forgetting) and 2 questions about purposeful nonadherence (e.g., stopping because feeling good or feeling bad). Based on these responses, participants were divided into 1 of 3 three categories. Adherent ( n =60), Unintentional or Purposeful Nonadherent ( n =50) and Unintentional and Purposeful Nonadherent ( n =21). Over the course of the 16-week treatment period, patients were expected to participate in 12 medical management (MM) sessions; a brief psychosocial treatment. Feedback based on the MAQ responses was integrated into the MM sessions to facilitate medication and treatment adherence. Results The 3 adherence groups were compared on baseline characteristics, medication adherence, treatment attendance and end-of-treatment patient ratings of treatment helpfulness. Baseline demographics and characteristics were not significantly different among the three categories. We found no statistically significant differences among the three groups with respect to pill adherence, treatment attendance, and treatment satisfaction ratings. Conclusions The findings suggest that the incorporation of MAQ feedback into the MM approach could be effective in mitigating risks associated with prior patterns of nonadherence suggesting that further testing of the integrated behavioral approach is warranted.
MIML-AI: Mixed-supervision multi-instance multi-label learning with auxiliary information

Manual labeling of individual instances is time-consuming. This is commonly resolved by labeling a bag-of-instances with a single common label or label-set. However, this approach is still time-costly for large datasets. In this paper, we propose a mixed-supervision multi-instance multi-label learning model for learning from easily available meta data information (MIML-AI). This auxiliary information is normally collected automatically with the data, e.g., an image location information or a document author name. We propose a discriminative graphical model with exact inferences to train a classifier based on auxiliary label information and a small number of labeled bags. This strategy utilizes meta data as means of providing a weaker label as an alternative to intensive manual labeling. Experiment on real data illustrates the effectiveness of our proposed method relative to current approaches, which do not use the information from bags that contain only meta-data label information.
A Systems Approach to Prostate Cancer Classification-Response.

We are gratified to learn that Thysell and colleagues investigated the PCS1–3 classification system ([1, 2][1]) in an independent prostate cancer cohort. The analysis of prostate cancer metastases from their cohort ([3, 4][2]) showed clear separation of the tumor samples into three categories,
Does ICT Use matter? How information and communication technology use affects perceived mattering among a predominantly female sample of older adults residing in retirement communities

Within the next 15 years, roughly 20% of individuals in the United States will be aged 65 years and older. As such, a significant portion of the population enters old age, it is imperative to under...
Limits of multifunctionality in tunable networks

Nature is rife with networks that are functionally optimized to propagate inputs to perform specific tasks. Whether via genetic evolution or dynamic adaptation, many networks create functionality by locally tuning interactions between nodes. Here we explore this behavior in two contexts: strain propagation in mechanical networks and pressure redistribution in flow networks. By adding and removing links, we are able to optimize both types of networks to perform specific functions. We define a single function as a tuned response of a single "target" link when another, predetermined part of the network is activated. Using network structures generated via such optimization, we investigate how many simultaneous functions such networks can be programed to fulfill. We find that both flow and mechanical networks display qualitatively similar phase transitions in the number of targets that can be tuned, along with the same robust finite-size scaling behavior. We discuss how these properties can be understood in the context of constraint-satisfaction problems.
Experiment in Upgrading the Nonprofessional Worker

Home health assistants demonstrate that the work of the multidisciplined nonprofessional is invaluable on an integrated medical care team
Byzantine Fault Tolerance as a Service

In this paper, we argue for the need and benefits for providing Byzantine fault tolerance as a service to mission critical Web applications. In this new approach to Byzantine fault tolerance, an application server can partition the incoming requests into different domains for concurrent processing, decide which set of messages that should be totally ordered, or not at all, based its application semantics. This flexibility would reduce the end-to-end latency experienced by the clients and significantly increase the system throughput. Perhaps most importantly, we propose a middleware framework that provides a uniform interface to the applications so that they are not strongly tied to any particular Byzantine fault tolerance algorithm implementation.
Clinical Effect of Opioid Antagonists on Clinical Pruritus

Increased opioidergic tone is associated with pruritus. Evidence suggests that in cholestasis there is increased opioidergic tone. The amelioration of the pruritus of cholestasis and its behavioral manifestation, scratching activity, by opiate antagonists supports the idea that this type of neurotransmission contributes at least in part, to the pruritus experienced by patients with liver disease. Opiate antagonists have been reported to decrease pruritus associated with other conditions including malignancy and kidney disease, suggesting that increase in opioidergic tone contributes to the pathophysiology of chronic pruritus.
Abstract 2274: Cancer genomics visualization and interpretation using UCSC Xena

The UCSC Xena platform (http://xena.ucsc.edu/) allows biologists and bioinformaticians to securely analyze and visualize functional genomics data. Our unique Visual Spreadsheet shows multiple data types side by side enabling discovery of correlations across and within genes and genomic regions. Dynamic Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assesses survival stratification in addition to scatter plots, bar graphs, and boxplots all shown with statistical tests. In addition to the commonly available SNPs, INDELs, CNV, and gene expression datasets, we support DNA methylation, exon-, transcript-, miRNA-, lncRNA-expression and structural variants. We also support clinical data such as phenotypes, subtype classifications and biomarkers. Our new whole genome views allow users to easily visualize non-coding regions for both copy number variation and somatic mutations. All of our data is available for download via our python API or through AWS S3 buckets. Our expanding public Xena Data Hubs currently host 1500+ datasets from more than 35 cancer types, as well as Pan-Cancer datasets. In addition to serving seminal cancer genomic datasets to the scientific community, including the latest from the GDC, TCGA, TARGET, and ICGC, we also host 9normal tissue9 datasets from GTEx. A recompute of TCGA, TARGET and GTEx datasets through the same bioinformatics pipeline allows users to compare expression between tumor and normal tissues. In addition to exploring these public datasets, the UCSC Xena Browser can easily display an investigator9s genomic and clinical data on their own Xena Hub. By empowering users to install and load data into their own hub, our architecture ensures that the investigator9s data remains private. The lightweight Xena Data Hubs are straightforward to install on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems and loading data is easy using either our application or command line interface. Citation Format: Mary Goldman, Brian Craft, Jingchun Zhu, David Haussler. Cancer genomics visualization and interpretation using UCSC Xena [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2274.
The functions of consonance and dissonance in the dialogue of secondary-level literacy coaching

ABSTRACTThis multiple case study of literacy coaching with two secondary-level teachers of English language learners (ELLs) explored dialogical factors leading to changes in teachers’ thinking and ...
Political economy of labor repression in the United States

Kolin’s book Political Economy of Labor Repression in the United States seeks to plug a vast hole in labor history. The canons of labor history are replete with accounts of campaigns to repress org...
Weight Bias Internalization Is Negatively Associated With Weight-Related Quality of Life in Persons Seeking Weight Loss.

Research has shown a negative relationship between weight bias internalization (WBI) and general measures of health-related quality of life (QOL), such as the Short Form–36. Less is known about the impact of WBI on weight-specific domains of QOL. This study examined the relationship between WBI and weight-related QOL, as measured by the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life (IWQOL-Lite) scale. Participants were 178 adults with obesity (71.3% black, 87.6% female, mean body mass index [BMI]=40.9±5.9 kg/m2) enrolled in a weight loss trial testing the effects of lorcaserin on weight loss maintenance. At baseline, participants completed the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), the IWQOL-Lite and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess symptoms of depression. Total scores for the IWQOL-Lite and its five subscales (Physical Function, Self-Esteem, Sexual Life, Public Distress and Work) were calculated. The WBIS was negatively correlated with the IWQOL-Lite total and subscales scores (r values=-0.28 to -0.76, p values<0.001). Linear regression analyses showed that WBIS scores were associated with the IWQOL-Lite total score and all subscales above and beyond the effects of demographic variables, BMI, and depressive symptoms (beta values=-0.17 to -0.70, p values<0.03). The relationship between WBIS and the IWQOL-Lite scales did not differ by gender or race. WBI was associated with mental and physical aspects of weight-related QOL in a predominantly black and female treatment-seeking sample of patients with obesity. Prioritizing the development of interventions to reduce WBI may be important for improving weight-related QOL.
Realistic cataloguing of nanopores.

Despite an enormous number of nanopores that could, in principle, be formed in atomically thin materials, advanced modelling reveals that in typical experiments rather limited ensembles of most likely nanopores should be observed.
The rabbit brachial plexus as a model for nerve injury and repair Part 1: Anatomic study of the biceps and triceps innervation.

Purpose Animal models can be helpful in evaluating new surgical strategies for brachial plexus reconstruction. While several groups have already used the rabbit brachial plexus to model injury, reports conflict in anatomic detail and do not identify a nerve-muscle pair to measure motor function recovery after reconstruction. The purpose of the current study is to describe the innervations of the biceps and triceps muscles in rabbits, which are both amenable to study in brachial plexus injury models. Materials and methods Thirteen rabbits weighing 2-2.5 kg were anesthetized. Six rabbits were sacrificed and dissected using loupe and microscope magnification to understand the overall morphology of the brachial plexus. Seven rabbits underwent electrophysiologic investigation. A bipolar nerve stimulator was used to systematically stimulate the roots, trunks and divisions, and nerve branches of the rabbit brachial plexus and compound muscle action potential was used to record muscle response. Nerve length and width measurements were not recorded. Results Roots contributing to the brachial plexus were C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1. In contrast to other anatomical studies, T2 did not contribute to the brachial plexus. The triceps was innervated by the radial nerve, which received contributions from C6 (1.6 mA), C7 (1.9 mA), C8, and T1 (12.2 mA).The biceps had dual innervation (proximally and distally). The proximal branch received contributions from C6 (3.5 mA) and C7 (5mA). The distal portion was innervated by a branch from the median nerve, which received innervation from C6, C7, C8, and T1. Conclusions The overall structure of rabbit brachial plexus is described and innervation of the biceps and triceps is described in detail. This anatomic investigation will form the basis of a future brachial plexus model of injury and repair.
The medial safe zone for treating intraneural ganglion cysts in the tarsal tunnel: a technical note.

Intraneural ganglion cysts in the tarsal tunnel are rare but are being increasingly reported. The cysts involve the tibial or plantar nerves and are most commonly derived from a neighboring (degenerative) joint, (i.e., the tibiotalar or subtalar) via an articular branch arising from the medial aspect of the nerve. We describe a safe zone for approaching these cysts in the tarsal tunnel that allows for identification of the joint connection without injury to important distal branches. We present a case of an intraneural ganglion cyst within the tarsal tunnel in a patient with symptoms consistent with tarsal tunnel syndrome. Using intraoperative photographs and artist rendering, we describe a technique to safely disconnect the abnormal joint connection while preserving the important distal branches of the tibial nerve. The safe zone for the tibial nerve in the tarsal tunnel can be exposed by mobilization and gentle retraction of the vascular bundle. In cases of intraneural ganglion cysts, all apparent connections between the nerve and degenerative joints within this safe zone can be resected without injury to important distal nerve branches.
Karl Mittermaier’s Pursuit of Classical Liberal Coherence

Karl Mittermaier (1938-2016) was a classical liberal economist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He completed a work in 1986 titled The Hand Behind the Invisible Hand: Dogmatic and Pragmatic Views on Free Markets and the State of Economic Theory, being published in 2020 for the first time. Here I treat Mittermaier’s rich meditation, which I interpret as a pursuit of greater coherence in classical liberal thought. Mittermaier emphasizes the moral, cultural, and institutional preconditions of a liberal market order, and he says that some of the preconditions depend on people feeling that they have reason to embrace such classical liberal principles. The preconditions, then, depend in part on the perception of coherence and appeal of the liberal order. The present essay is written for the new volume presenting The Hand Behind the Invisible Hand.
The interactive effect of the serotonin transporter genotype and drug use on suicidal behaviors in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Abstract Background : Suicide is a public health crisis, accounting for more than 47,000 deaths in the United States annually. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD) are at a disproportionately greater risk of suicidal behaviors. Prior studies indicate the significant role of genotype and drug use individually on suicidal behaviors. We hypothesized that, consistent with the gene X environment (GXE) framework, an interaction between serotonin receptor (5-HTTLPR) gene and drug use would influence suicidal behaviors in BD patients. Methods : One hundred and fifty BD patients at a public urban behavioral health clinic enrolled. The majority were females (n 104, 69.3%), between 19 and 65 years of age (M 39.5, SD= 10.9), African American (n 110, 73.3%), unemployed (78.7%, n 118) with 32% identifying as homeless (n 48). Measures of current mood symptoms, historic suicidal behaviors, and recent substance use were completed, and buccal swabs collected. A moderation analysis was employed for data analysis. Results : Suicidal behaviors were significantly associated with genotype X drug use interaction (B 0.41, 95%CI= [0.06, 0.77], p= .03) followed by gender (B = 1.92, 95%CI= [0.59, 3.25], p= .005), genotype (B= -1.93, 95%CI= [-3.49, -0.36], p= .02), and employment (B= -1.72, 95%CI= [-3.12, -0.31], p= .02). Limitations : The relatively small sample size primarily comprised of an indigent urban population may limit generalizability. Drug use and suicide risk measures were self-reported and potentially influenced by social desirability bias. Conclusions : The 5-HTTLPR plays a moderating role on the association between drug use-suicidal behaviors with a differential impact of short and long alleles.
Transjugular Liver Biopsy in Hemophilia Is Safe with a Minimum of Two Doses of Factor.

Abstract Over 80% of adults with hemophilia are infected with hepatitis C (HCV) infection through exposure to clotting factor concentrates 20 or more years ago. Although liver biopsy is considered the gold standard to assess the severity of HCV liver disease, the majority of those with hemophilia do not undergo biopsy, even by the less invasive transjugular route. Little is known about the actual or perceived bleeding risks which may affect patient decisions about biopsy. Further, little is known about the minimal hemostatic dose of factor replacement which may affect physician decisions about biopsy. Of 161 hemophilic men enrolled in the multicenter H IV and H CV in H emophilia (HHH) study which evaluates extent of and risks for HCV disease progression, 112 (69.6%) have decided against biopsy. Among the reasons, given by 75 of the latter, were fear of the procedure, in 23 (30.7%); lack of insurance, in 11 (14.7%); past biopsy, in 11 (14.7%); lack of time, in 10 (13.3%); lack of perceived indication, in 6 (8.0%); presence of an inhibitor, in 5 (6.7%); fear of bleeding, in 5 (6.7%); and other illness or uncertainty, in 4 (5.3%). The 49 (30.4%) agreeing to liver biopsy were more likely than those declining biopsy to be HIV+ (53.1% vs. 34.8%, p 0.05. At the time of biopsy, the median platelet count was 185,000/ul (38,000–366,000/ul), the median PT was 12.0 seconds (9.4–15.4 sec), and the median INR was 1.0 (0.9–1.2). All patients received two doses of factor, and 25 (71.4%) received a third dose; three (8.6%) received a fourth dose for unrelated procedures. The median pre- and post-biopsy F.VIII doses were 49.5 U/kg, 26.6 U/kg at 1–4 hours and 45.0 U/kg at 24–48 hours; and the median F.IX doses were 74.0 U/kg, 44.3 U/kg, and 45.0 U/kg, respectively. No biopsy-related bleeding occurred. Minor adverse events included fever in two, liver function abnormality in one, and duodenal ulcer bleeding in one. The median Knodell, Ishak, and Metavir scores did not differ significantly by HIV status (+ vs.), type hemophilia (A vs. B), age (>35 vs ≤ 35 yr), HCV genotype (1 vs. non-1), or race (Caucasian vs. non-Caucasian). Although preliminary, these findings suggest that fear of the procedure is the most common deterrent to liver biopsy in patients with hemophilia. Yet, when performed by the transjugular route, liver biopsy appears to be safe, with excellent hemostasis achieved with a minimum of two doses of factor, including a 100% dose pre- and a 50% dose post-biopsy. These findings will require confirmation in larger numbers of subjects.
Join the fight against poverty: utilizing HRD practices to support pathways to sustainable employment and decent work

HRD as a field has long been motivated by a humanistic view and concerns itself with national development, societal development, and critical issues in addition to performance improvement in organi...