cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strut-adjusted volume implant (SAVI) brachytherapy-based accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in African American women.

To examine the clinical outcomes of postmenopausal African American (AA) women treated with strut-adjusted volume implant brachytherapy-based accelerated partial breast irradiation for early-stage node-negative breast cancer. From January 2011 through April 2015, a total of 50 AA patients, meeting criteria to receive APBI as defined by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-39 (NASBP B-39), completed treatment with the SAVI breast brachytherapy device at Howard University Hospital. 4% ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and 2% breast cancer-specific mortality was observed. Median follow-up has been 3.8 years with a range of 0.29–4.69 years. Dosimetry parameters yielded a median V90 of 96.22% (range 77.86–105.00%), a median V150 of 31.27 cm3 (range 23.30–49.15 mL), and a median V200 of 14.53 cm3 (range 5.92–19.38 mL). Cosmesis was excellent. There were no infections, persistent seromas, fat necrosis, or telangiectasias observed to date. This study is the first study to describe the use of SAVI as APBI in an exclusively AA population. This study has demonstrated excellent local control in appropriately selected patients, similar clinical outcomes to the general population, and good to excellent cosmesis in AA women to date.
Assessment of vascularity in glioblastoma and its implications on patient outcomes.

There is little data on why glioblastomas (GBM) hemorrhage and how it may affect patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of hemorrhage in glioblastoma by examining molecular and genetic features by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and mRNA expression profiles in association with imaging and clinical outcomes. An observational retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 43 FFPE GBM tissue samples. MR images were assessed for the presence of hemorrhage and extent of resection. Specimens were examined for CD34 and CD105 expression using IHC. Tumor mRNA expression profiles were analyzed for 92 genes related to angiogenesis and vascularity. Forty-three specimens were analyzed, and 20 showed signs of hemorrhage, 23 did not. The average OS for patients with GBM with hemorrhage was 19.12 months (95% CI 10.39–27.84), versus 13.85 months (95% CI 8.85–18.85) in those without hemorrhage (p > 0.05). Tumors that hemorrhaged had higher IHC staining for CD34 and CD105. mRNA expression analysis revealed tumor hemorrhage was associated with increased expression of HIF1α and MDK, and decreased expression of F3. Hemorrhage in GBM was not associated with worsened OS. Increased expression of angiogenic factors and increased CD34 and CD105 IHC staining in tumors with hemorrhage suggests that increased hypoxia-induced angiogenesis and vessel density may play a role in glioblastoma hemorrhage. Characterizing tumors that are prone to hemorrhage and mechanisms behind the development of these hemorrhages may provide insights that can lead to the development of targeted, individualized therapies for glioblastoma.
"What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate": Association of Preferred Language With the Rate of Psychiatric Consultation.

Background In the United States, people with limited English proficiency (LEP) receive poorer medical care than those proficient in English. Few studies demonstrate how linguistic barriers complicate psychiatric care; in consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry, there are no published data about care disparities for patients with LEP or for whom English is not the preferred language (PL). Objective We sought to determine if PL affects the psychiatric consultation rate. Methods Among adult patients admitted during 1 year to a large urban academic medical center, we compared psychiatric consultation rates in English PL patients with non-English PL patients. PL was ascertained from demographics during the medical record. The occurrence of psychiatric consultation was ascertained from C-L service logs. Results There were 54,534 admissions: the no-consultation group ( N = 53,196) and the consultation group ( N = 1,398). English as PL was more common in the consult group (72.0% of consult group, 62.0% of no-consult group, χ 2 = 92.98, p χ 2 = 98.78, p Conclusion Primary teams requested more consultations for patients whose PL was English than for patients with other PLs, suggesting that psychiatric needs of patients with non-English PL may be unaddressed. This is the first study to demonstrate a disproportionately low rate of general hospital psychiatric consultations in this population. Further study is necessary to confirm and understand this disparity. We recommend routine use of professional interpreters and low threshold for consultation in patients with non-English PL.
Posttraumatic symptoms among maltreated youth using classification and regression tree analysis

Individual psychological factors have been shown to exacerbate risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth following maltreatment, but the novel contribution of the present study includes a focus on interactive relationships between these factors on specific PTSD symptom clusters. This study identified maltreated youth at highest risk for re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptom clusters via cognitive, affective, and demographic variables. Participants (n=400) included ethnically diverse maltreated youth. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, a form of binary recursive partitioning (BRP), identified subgroups of maltreated youth at highest risk for three core PTSD symptom clusters. Posttraumatic cognitions, anhedonia, negative mood, processing speed, and ethnicity best predicted re-experiencing symptoms. Depersonalization/derealization, verbal comprehension, sexual maltreatment, and age best predicted avoidance symptoms. Negative cognitions about self, IQ, dissociation, working memory, and posttraumatic cognitions best predicted hyperarousal symptoms. Core PTSD symptom clusters may thus be associated with unique collections of risk factors for maltreated youth. Clinical protocols for this population could be recalibrated to be more sensitive to specific profiles that more accurately identify highest risk maltreated youth and better inform evidence-based treatment practices.
Access to Preventive Services for Working-Age Adults With Physical Limitations.

Abstract Objective To examine differences in access to preventive services for working-age adults with physical limitations, nonphysical limitations, and no limitations. Design Observational data were pooled across calendar years 2003 through 2012 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. Setting Community. Participants Working-age adults (N=75,145; age range, 18–64y) who responded to all 5 rounds of the MEPS during 2003 through 2012. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Blood pressure checks, flu shots, and dental visits, in the last 12 months. Results Multivariate analyses showed that adults with physical limitations were more likely to receive a blood pressure check (92.2% vs 69.6%, respectively; P P P Conclusions The study has implications for providers and policymakers. Policies that support the adequacy of provider networks and continuity with a usual source of care may increase the use of preventive services in adults with physical limitations.
Case 19-2017 — A 53-Year-Old Woman with Leg Numbness and Weakness

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of progressive asymmetric hypoesthesia and weakness in the legs. Urinary retention, absence of rectal tone, and saddle anesthesia developed. A diagnostic test was performed.
Where and how to restore in a changing world: a demographic-based assessment of resilience

Summary Managers are increasingly looking to apply concepts of resilience to better anticipate and understand conservation and restoration in a changing environment. In this study, we explore how information on demography (recruitment, growth and survival) and competitive effects in different environments and with different starting species abundances can be used to better understand resilience. We use observational and experimental data to better understand dynamics between native Stipa pulchra and exotic Avena barbata and fatua, grasses characteristic of native and invaded grasslands in California, at three different levels of nitrogen (N) representative of a range of pollution via atmospheric deposition. A modelling framework that incorporates this information on demography and competition allows us to forecast dynamics over time. Our results showed that resilience of native grasslands depends on N inputs, where natural recovery should be possible at low N levels whereas native persistence would be difficult at high N levels. Hysteresis was evident at moderate N levels, where the starting conditions mattered. Synthesis and applications. The resilience of both invaded and native grasslands is influenced by nitrogen inputs. Our modelling approach gives direction about how best to allocate limited management resources as baselines shift: where natural recovery is possible, where best to allocate active restoration efforts, and where native remnants may be most vulnerable.
Proper Motions from Schmidt Plate Scans at STScI

We describe a program of determining proper motions from digitized scans of Palomar Oschin Schmidt telescope plates at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Our method is most useful over 11 ≲ V ≲ 18 and .
Thermally tunable III-V photonic crystals for coherent nonlinear optical circuits

We present a hybrid photonic architecture using gallium arsenide photonic crystals coupled to silicon nitride waveguides. Chrome microheaters are integrated in the system for tuning the cavities. The combination of low-energy switching elements, combined with low loss photonic waveguides provides an ideal architecture for applications in dedicated optical computing and machine learning applications.
Anforderungen an eine betriebswirtschaftliche Organisationstheorie

Die vorangegangenen Ausfuhrungen befasten sich mit dem logischen Charakter wissenschaftlicher Aussagen und ihrem Geltungsbereich. Sie liesen jedoch auch die Komplexitat und Schwierigkeit erkennen, die der Prozes des Aufbaus einer erfahrungswissenschaftlichen Theorie mit sich bringt. Dabei wurde deutlich, das der Forschungsprozes der Bildung und Prufung von Theorien in seiner Wirkung nicht linear gerichtet ist, sondern sich im Wege des „Versuchs und Irrtums“ vollzieht1). Theorien sind zumeist das Ergebnis einer Fulle von Einzelleistungen vieler Forscher uber lange Zeitraume hin2). Diese Einzelleistungen beruhen mehr auf der Kreativitat des Forschers3), wenngleich die rein geistige Arbeit den Forschungsprozes umschliest. Es gibt daher nicht einen Weg zur Erkenntnisgewinnung, dem dogmatisch zu folgen ist, sondern individuell verschiedene, ausgerichtet an den beschriebenen methodologischen Regeln. Diese geben den Handlungsrahmen an, nach dem die Aussagen zu beurteilen sind. Aussagen uber organisatorische Sachverhalte bedurfen deshalb der Bezugnahme auf das wissenschaftstheoretische Aussagensystem, unter Beachtung der spezifisch organisatorischen Forschungsproblematik. Die nachfolgenden Ausfuhrungen knupfen dabei an die Systematik der vorgetragenen wissenschaftstheoretischen Konzeption an.
Characterisation of regional skin temperatures in recreational surfers wearing a 2-mm wetsuit.

The purpose of this study was to investigate skin temperatures across surfers’ bodies while wearing a wetsuit during recreational surfing. Forty-six male recreational surfers participated in this s...
Some notions of entropy for cryptography

This paper presents a brief and (necessarily) incomplete survey of some notions of entropy that have been recently used in the analysis of cryptographic constructions. It focuses on min-entropy and its extensions to the cases when the adversary has correlated information and/or is computationally bounded. It also presents results that can be used to bound such entropy and apply it to the analysis of cryptographic constructions.
Approximation Algorithms for Dependency-Aware Rule-Caching in Software-Defined Networks

Software-defined networks (SDNs) can support fine- grained forwarding policies in the underlying switches. The new content addressable memory, Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), enables fast lookups for matching rules in message forwarding, represented as binary strings with wild-cards. However, the cost and power limit the number of matching rules a TCAM can support. Therefore, rule caching is needed to place high-weight (high-hit) rules in the TCAM hardware, while large, but slow, software switches handle cache-miss traffic. We assume that matching these rules form a forest of trees. A rule R&#8242; is a descendant of another rule R if R&#8242; is a special case of R. Dependent rules are evaluated in a particular matching order: when a rule is included in the cache, all its descendants in the rule set have to be included as well. Our objective is to maximize the number of rule hits, while limiting the number of cached rules. Three greedy rule-caching algorithms are proposed, including two with approximation ratios of 2 and 24&#x002F;5, respectively. In addition, we propose a dynamic programming solution that is optimal but slow. The efficiency of the proposed approaches are evaluated through real data-driven simulations.
Character Strengths: The Pathway to Well-Being

This chapter is the first chapter of Section Two which deals with positive psychology and Seligman’s (Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being, Free Press, New York, NY, 2011) well-being theory as a proposed antecedent to servant leadership. A character strength is “a disposition to act, desire, and feel that involves the exercise of judgment and leads to a recognizable human excellence or instance of human flourishing” (Yearley in Mencius and Aquinas: Theories of virtue and conceptions of courage, State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, p. 13, 1990). Using our character strengths enables one to be their best and also provides an important pathway to the other elements of well-being, each of which will be discussed in succeeding chapters. While traditional psychology has focused on what is “wrong” with us, positive psychology is focused on what is “right” with us. The first step in this process was to identify virtues which are needed to say one is of good character. Through a rigorous process six virtues (wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence) were identified along with 24 character strengths that enable us to be virtuous. These strengths can be identified and developed. Seligman refers to character strengths as foundational to his well-being theory and that knowing and acting upon one’s character strengths “gives you more positive emotions, gives you more engagement, gives you better relationships, gives you more meaning, and it gives you accomplishment” said Seligman.
An energy-based nanoindentation method to assess localized residual stresses and mechanical properties on shot-peened materials

Concurrently assessing localized residual stresses and mechanical properties in cases where there are gradients in stresses and properties (such as those resulting in metallic alloys from shot peening processes) is challenging. Most indentation-based stress measurements assume uniform properties, which is not necessarily the case in this common industrial process. By using the energy envelope describing the total work of indentation by a load–displacement curve from instrumented indentation, localized residual stresses after shot peening were evaluated experimentally. A framework is developed to describe the appropriate indentation depth at which to assess properties that effectively define the volumetric resolution of the method. The residual stresses predicted via the nanoindentation experiment and energy analysis were validated with X-ray measurement of residual stresses on a shot-peened 52100 steel. The energy method can be applied directly from the indentation load–displacement curve without considering the contact area.
Endoscopic management of a prolapsed posterior costal cartilage graft in laryngotracheal reconstruction

Laryngotracheal reconstruction is the standard of care for management of high grade pediatric laryngotracheal stenosis. One of the complications of a reconstruction with a posterior costal cartilage graft is graft prolapse. Typically, a revision laryngotracheal reconstruction will be needed to correct this complication. We describe a case in which a non-invasive endoscopic approach using laser was undertaken for a prolapsed posterior costal cartilage graft in a child who had undergone an anterior-posterior costal cartilage laryngotracheal reconstruction for Grade 3 stenosis. This, according to our knowledge, has not been previously described and provides an alternative to revision surgery.
Activity space metrics not associated with sociodemographic variables, diet or health outcomes in the Seattle Obesity Study II

Abstract Background Activity spaces (AS), captured using GPS tracking devices, are measures of dynamic exposure to the built environment (BE). Methods Seven days of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) tracking data were obtained for 433 adult participants in the Seattle Obesity Study (SOS II). Heights and weights were measured. Dietary intakes from a food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate Healthy Eating Index (HEI 2010) scores. Linear regression analyses examined associations between AS measures: daily route length, convex hull, and radius of gyration, and diet quality and health outcomes, adjusting for covariates. Results AS measures did not vary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. AS measures were not associated with diet quality or with self-reported obesity or diabetes. One AS measure, route length (in miles), was associated with being employed, living in the suburbs, and with distance and time commuting to work. Conclusion Spatial mobility studies based on GPS tracking of environmental exposure need to demonstrate a link to relevant health outcomes.
Eliciting Consumer Choice Heuristics: Sales Representives' Persuasion Strategies

Research has shown that consumers spend little cognitive effort in marketplace decisions (i.e., information acquisition, evaluation of alternatives). In fact, consumers simplify decision making by using decision rules learned from previous purchases. The present research explores the notion that during the course of a sales interaction, sales representatives may use expressions (i.e., primes) that encourage consumers to invoke previously used decision rules. These decision rules lead consumers to consider factors not necessarily relevant to the purchase decision (e.g., what others will think, reciprocate sales representatives' efforts, missed opportunities). Thus, consumers' thoughts are diverted from more pertinent factors such as budget and timing of the purchase. Moreover, consumers persuade themselves to purchase via thoughts concerning the decision rule and visual imagery associated with consumption. The notions of priming and schema- directed thinking are used to explain how sales representatives el...
Community resilience, natural hazards, and climate change: Is the present a prologue to the future?

The nexus of natural hazards, climate change, and community resilience poses both conceptual and methodological challenges. One key consideration is the underlying notion of dynamic change or trans...
Apparent total tract digestibility, fecal characteristics, and blood parameters of healthy adult dogs fed high fat diets

Pet foods may be formulated with decreased starch to meet consumer demands for less processed diets. Fats and oils may be added to low-starch diets to meet energy requirements, but little is known about its effects on canine health. The study objective was to evaluate the effects of feeding healthy adult dogs low carbohydrate, high-fat diets on apparent total tract digestibility, fecal characteristics, and overall health status. Eight adult Beagles were enrolled in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin Square design feeding trial. Dogs were randomly assigned to one of four dietary fat level treatments (T) within each period: 32% (T1), 37% (T2), 42% (T3), and 47% (T4) fat on a dry matter basis. Fat levels were adjusted with the inclusion of canola oil added to a commercial diet. Each dog was fed to exceed its energy requirement based on NRC (2006). Blood samples were analyzed for complete blood counts, chemistry profiles, and canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity levels. Apparent total tract digestibility improved (P < 0.05) as the fat level increased for dry matter, organic matter, fat, and gross energy. Fecal output decreased as levels of fat increased in the diet (P = 0.002). There was no effect of fat level on stool quality or short-chain fatty acid and ammonia concentrations in fecal samples (P ≥ 0.20). Blood urea nitrogen levels decreased with increased fat level (P = 0.035). No significant differences were seen in canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (P = 0.110). All blood parameters remained within normal reference intervals. In summary, increased dietary fat improved apparent total tract digestibility, did not alter fecal characteristics, and maintained the health status of all dogs.
Ariadne: analysis for machine learning programs

Machine learning has transformed domains like vision and translation, and is now increasingly used in science, where the correctness of such code is vital. Python is popular for machine learning, in part because of its wealth of machine learning libraries, and is felt to make development faster; however, this dynamic language has less support for error detection at code creation time than tools like Eclipse. This is especially problematic for machine learning: given its statistical nature, code with subtle errors may run and produce results that look plausible but are meaningless. This can vitiate scientific results. We report on : applying a static framework, WALA, to machine learning code that uses TensorFlow. We have created static analysis for Python, a type system for tracking tensors—Tensorflow’s core data structures—and a data flow analysis to track their usage. We report on how it was built and present some early results.
Improving inferences about private land conservation by accounting for incomplete reporting

Private lands provide key habitat for imperiled species and are core components of function protectected area networks; yet, their incorporation into national and regional conservation planning has been challenging. Identifying locations where private landowners are likely to participate in conservation initiatives can help avoid conflict and clarify trade-offs between ecological benefits and sociopolitical costs. Empirical, spatially explicit assessment of the factors associated with conservation on private land is an emerging tool for identifying future conservation opportunities. However, most data on private land conservation are voluntarily reported and incomplete, which complicates these assessments. We used a novel application of occupancy models to analyze the occurrence of conservation easements on private land. We compared multiple formulations of occupancy models with a logistic regression model to predict the locations of conservation easements based on a spatially explicit social-ecological systems framework. We combined a simulation experiment with a case study of easement data in Idaho and Montana (United States) to illustrate the utility of the occupancy framework for modeling conservation on private land. Occupancy models that explicitly accounted for variation in reporting produced estimates of predictors that were substantially less biased than estimates produced by logistic regression under all simulated conditions. Occupancy models produced estimates for the 6 predictors we evaluated in our case study that were larger in magnitude, but less certain than those produced by logistic regression. These results suggest that occupancy models result in qualitatively different inferences regarding the effects of predictors on conservation easement occurrence than logistic regression and highlight the importance of integrating variable and incomplete reporting of participation in empirical analysis of conservation initiatives. Failure to do so can lead to emphasizing the wrong social, institutional, and environmental factors that enable conservation and underestimating conservation opportunities in landscapes where social norms or institutional constraints inhibit reporting.
Automatic whole slide pathology image diagnosis framework via unit stochastic selection and attention fusion

Abstract Pathology tissue slides are taken as the gold standard for the diagnosis of most cancer diseases. Automatic pathology slide diagnosis is still a challenging task for researchers because of the high-resolution, significant morphological variation, and ambiguity between malignant and benign regions in whole slide images (WSIs). In this study, we introduce a general framework to automatically diagnose different types of WSIs via unit stochastic selection and attention fusion. For example, a unit can denote a patch in a histopathology slide or a cell in a cytopathology slide. To be specific, we first train a unit-level convolutional neural network (CNN) to perform two tasks: constructing feature extractors for the units and for estimating a unit’s non-benign probability. Then we use our novel stochastic selection algorithm to choose a small subset of units that are most likely to be non-benign, referred to as the Units Of Interest (UOI), as determined by CNN. Next, we use the attention mechanism to fuse the representations of the UOI to form a fixed-length descriptor for the WSI’s diagnosis. We evaluate the proposed framework on three datasets: histological thyroid frozen sections, histological colonoscopy tissue slides, and cytological cervical pap smear slides. The framework achieves diagnosis accuracies higher than 0.8 and AUC values higher than 0.85 in all three applications. Experiments demonstrate the generality and effectiveness of the proposed framework and its potentiality for clinical applications.
Trends in overdose experiences and prevention behaviors among people who use opioids in Baltimore, MD, 2017-2019.

Abstract Background Little is known about trends in overdose behaviors. This study explored non-fatal overdose and engagement in overdose prevention behaviors and compared these trends to city-wide overdose fatality rates from 2017 to 2019 in Baltimore, MD. Methods The analysis included people who used opioids (PWUO; N = 502) recruited through a community-based study. Enrollment date was used to categorize participants into annual quarters. Logistic regression models examined change in overdose experiences and prevention behaviors with time. Baltimore’s fatal overdoses were also mapped over the study period to assess overlaps in trends. Results The majority of the sample were male(68 %), Black(61 %), reported past 6 months homelessness(56 %), and were on average 45 years old. Most had witnessed(61 %), and 28 % had personally experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. Witnessing overdose marginally increased(aβ = 0.182;p = 0.058) while experiencing overdose did not significantly change by enrollment quarter. Most participants had or had been prescribed naloxone(72 %), and one fifth(22 %) regularly carried naloxone, with both access to(aβ = 0,408;p = 0.002) and carrying naloxone(aβ = 0.302;p = 0.006) increasing over time. Overdose communication remained stable, with 63 % of participants reporting discussing overdose sometimes/often. Among participants who injected (n = 376), regularly injecting alone decreased(aβ=-0.207;p = 0.055), and reporting others often/always having naloxone with them when injecting increased over time(aβ = 0.573;p Conclusions Witnessed overdose marginally increased from 2017 to 2019, aligning with city trends of fatal overdose. Overdose prevention behaviors significantly increased over time. Despite reporting having naloxone or a naloxone prescription, most PWUO did not regularly carry naloxone, and many used alone. Social network diffusion interventions may be a strategy to promote normative overdose prevention behaviors.
Certified Evaluations of Hölder Continuous Functions at Roots of Polynomials

Various methods can obtain certified estimates for roots of polynomials. Many applications in science and engineering additionally utilize the value of functions evaluated at roots. For example, critical values are obtained by evaluating an objective function at critical points. For analytic evaluation functions, Newton’s method naturally applies to yield certified estimates. These estimates no longer apply, however, for Holder continuous functions, which are a generalization of Lipschitz continuous functions where continuous derivatives need not exist. This work develops and analyzes an alternative approach for certified estimates of evaluating locally Holder continuous functions at roots of polynomials. An implementation of the method in Maple demonstrates efficacy and efficiency.
Nursing Student Experiences in Turmoil: A Year of the Pandemic and Social Strife During Final Clinical Rotations

Abstract Background The duration and magnitude of the coronavirus (COVID-19) posed unique challenges for nursing students, whose education was altered because of the pandemic. Purpose To explore the perceptions and experiences of nursing students whose clinical rotations were abruptly interrupted by COVID-19's initial surge in the United States. Methods This qualitative study was conducted at a midwestern, academic medical center to elicit senior nursing students' experiences. An online survey was administered with eight open-ended questions asking about: initial impressions of the pandemic; experiences of being a senior nursing student; sources of stress and coping mechanisms; preparing to work as a registered nurse; and views on the nursing profession. Results Among the 26 students who completed the survey, the majority were female (92%), aged 28 ∓ 4.1 years. A total of 18 subcategories emerged with four main themes identified as: a) breakdown of normal systems, b) feeling alone and the inability to escape, c) protective factors/adaptability, and d) role identify and formation. Conclusions Findings indicate students implemented a variety of strategies while adapting to the abrupt interruption of in-person clinical rotations, mandated restrictions, and social unrest. The cascading themes illustrate the enormity of sudden changes and their significant impact on daily life.
On the Existence of Coproducts in Categories of q-Matroids

q-Matroids form the q-analogue of classical matroids. In this paper we introduce various types of maps between q-matroids. These maps are not necessarily linear, but they must map subspaces to subspaces and respect the q-matroid structure in certain ways. The various types of maps give rise to different categories of q-matroids. We show that only one of these categories possesses a coproduct. This is the category where the morphisms are linear weak maps, that is, the rank of the image of any subspace is not larger than the rank of the subspace itself. The coproduct in this category is the very recently introduced direct sum of q-matroids.
Short Selling, Earnings Management, and Firm Value

This paper studies the interaction between short selling and earnings management (misreporting). I show informed short selling and uninformed short selling play different interaction roles. Ex post, informed short selling facilitates the detection of misreporting, whereas uninformed short selling distorts the detection of misreporting. Ex ante, short selling can affect the manager's choice of misreporting level. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: (1) Whether uninformed short selling should be banned can depend on the trade-off between the ex-ante reduction in misreporting and the ex-post increase in distortion; (2) banning informed short selling may reduce misreporting, but always reduces firm value.
MO‐FG‐207‐01: Technological Advances and Challenges: Experience with the First Integrated Whole‐Body PET/MRI

The use of integrated PET/MRI systems in clinical applications can best benefit from understanding their technological advances and limitations. The currently available clinical PET/MRI systems have their own characteristics. Thorough analyses of existing technical data and evaluation of necessary performance metrics for quality assurances could be conducted to optimize application-specific PET/MRI protocols. This Symposium will focus on technical advances and limitations of clinical PET/MRI systems, and how this exciting imaging modality can be utilized in applications that can benefit from both PET and MRI. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the technological advances of clinical PET/MRI systems 2. To correctly identify clinical applications that can benefit from PET/MRI 3. To understand ongoing work to further improve the current PET/MRI technology Floris Jansen is a GE Healthcare employee.
Realization of Defect Automatic Inspection System for Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC)

Automatic optical inspection equipment in Asiapacific region market has grown rapidly in recent years. In this paper, an industrial FPC application of automated optical inspection system is presented. An illumination delivers high intensity and uniform lighting. A flat vacuum table applys sufficient suction to overcome panel warping. The processor of the system receives the images and software algorithms to analyze the acquired image. The false alarm rate of the system is less than 10%.
On establishing classic performance measures for reset control systems

Reset controllers are linear controllers that reset some of their states to zero when their inputs reach a threshold. We are interested in their feedback connection with linear plants, and in this context, the objective of this paper is twofold. First, to motivate the use of reset control through theory, simulations and experiments, and secondly, to summarize some of our recent results which establish classic performance properties ranging from quadratic and BIBO stability to steady-state and transient performance.
Implant-supported fixed dental rehabilitation with monolithic zirconia: a clinical case report.

Objective Veneer chipping in bilayered ceramic restorations is a current problem reported with significant frequency. Clinical Considerations This clinical report describes the use of a monolithic, implant-supported restoration with gingiva-colored ceramics. Good esthetic and functional results were achieved with no complications reported after 3 years. Conclusions Prosthetic rehabilitation using monolithic zirconia may help to prevent complications associated with bilayered ceramics systems. Further studies are essential to provide long-term data about the performance of this type of prostheses.
Distributed rate and power control for CDMA uplink

We consider a distributed CDMA system in which mobiles are able to control their transmission rate and power based on their radio conditions. Each mobile is assumed to be myopic, that is, its solitary goal is to maximize the payoff, which is the difference between the effective throughput and the price that the system charges for the received power on behalf of the mobile. We prove that the distributed system converges to a Nash equilibrium such that users near the base station transmit in the full rate while farther users transmit at the full power. Our simulation results present a numerical view of this distributed scheme.
Board social capital and excess CEO returns

Excess CEO returns refer to CEO financial returns in excess of shareholder returns. How do boards rein in excess CEO returns? Introducing a social capital view of board monitoring, we suggest that boards face two competing normative pressures—corporate elite norms and monitoring norms. How boards conform to such normative pressures for controlling excess CEO returns is affected by their external and internal social capital. Further, we substantiate our arguments by showing that powerful CEOs and institutional investors may facilitate or constrain the normative pressures existing in the social network and alter the effects of board social capital on excess CEO returns. Data from a sample of U.S. corporations listed on the Standard and Poor's 1,500 index from 1999 to 2010 largely support our framework.
Ultraviolet-Absorbing Compounds in Urine of Normal Newborns and Young Children

Ultraviolet-absorbing compounds excreted in the urine of normal newborns, infants, and children have been measured by high-pressure anion-exchange chromatography. The chromatograms increased in complexity with increasing age of the subject. Preliminary data indicate that the excretion of pseudouridine and uridine was significantly higher in newborns and infants than in older children and adults. Excretion of hippuric acid was low in the newborn. Excretion of ergothioneine was lower in older children than in newborns, infants, or adults. However, hypoxanthine excretion was constant in all groups.
A human anti-polysialic acid antibody as a potential treatment to improve function in multiple sclerosis patients.

We previously identified a human monoclonal antibody, termed HIgM12 that stimulates spontaneous locomotor activity in a chronically demyelinating mouse model of multiple sclerosis. When tested as a molecular substrate, HIgM12 stimulated neurite outgrowth in vitro . We recently reported that polysialic acid (PSA) attached to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is one of the cellular antigens for HIgM12. Fluorescent double-labeling of astrocytes using HIgM12 and commercially available anti-PSA antibody showed dramatic co-localization. Neural tissue homogenates and primary CNS cultures from mice lacking the three major NCAM splice variants NCAM180, NCAM140 and NCAM120 (NCAM KO) were no longer able to bind HIgM12. Furthermore, enzymatic digestion of PSA on wild type (WT) glia abolished HIgM12-binding. Moreover, neurons and glia from NCAM KO animals did not attach to HIgM12-coated nitrocellulose in neurite outgrowth assays. We conclude that HIgM12 targets PSA attached to NCAM, and that the PSA moiety mediates neuronal and glial adhesion and subsequent neurite outgrowth in our in vitro assay. Therefore, this anti-PSA antibody may serve as a future therapeutic to stimulate functional improvement in multiple sclerosis patients and other neurodegenerative diseases. Journal of Nature and Science, 1(8):e141, 2015.
Proximal Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolus Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

It has been proposed that prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) will lead to a reduction in pulmonary embolism (PE). This retrospective comparative study examines the association between symptomatic proximal DVT (occurring at or proximal to the popliteal fossa) and PE in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients. We evaluated 1031 patients with DVT symptoms and 428 with PE symptoms. A total of 227 patients were evaluated for both. No statistically significant association found between developing PE and DVT within 90 days after TJA (P=0.94). Our findings raise into question the mechanical propagation theory. Formation of DVT and PE may be independent events in patients undergoing TJA. Evaluating the efficacy of thromboprophylaxis using DVT as end point may not reflect its efficacy for prevention of PE.
High level interleukin-12 production, but diminished interferon-γ production, by cord blood mononuclear cells

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in neonates is relatively deficient when compared with adults. Defects in cytokine production and/or regulation may contribute to heightened susceptibility to infection by intracellular pathogens. The heterodimeric cytokine IL-12 is a key regulator of CMI and inducer of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. We report here that umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cells (MNC) are capable of producing IL-12 (p40 subunit, measured by RIA, and IL-12 p70 heterodimer, by ELISA) at levels comparable to or greater than adult peripheral blood MNC, after stimulation with heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus in 18-h cultures. As in adult MNC, S. aureus induced IL-12 p40 mRNA accumulation in cord blood MNC. IFN-γ was also produced in the S. aureus-stimulated cultures, in an IL-12-dependent manner, but cord blood MNC produced 5-fold lower levels of IFN-γ compared with adult MNC(p < 0.05). Preincubation with IL-10 inhibited IL-12 p40 production by cord blood and adult peripheral blood MNC in a dose-dependent fashion, whereas neutralization of endogenous IL-10 enhanced IL-12 and IFN-γ levels. The results demonstrate that the relative CMI deficiency in neonates is not due to an intrinsic defect in the capacity of neonatal MNC to produce IL-12. The underlying factors responsible for diminished IFN-γ production are not known, but may lie in the balance of stimulatory and inhibitory signals delivered to the IFN-γ secreting cells along with IL-12, or may relate more to the absence of memory T cells among cord blood MNC.
Improving class separability using extended pixel planes: a comparative study

In this work we explored class separability in feature spaces built on extended representations of pixel planes (EPP) produced using scale pyramid, subband pyramid, and image transforms. The image transforms included Chebyshev, Fourier, wavelets, gradient, and Laplacian; we also utilized transform combinations, including Fourier, Chebyshev, and wavelets of the gradient transform, as well as Fourier of the Laplacian transform. We demonstrate that all three types of EPP promote class separation. We also explored the effect of EPP on suboptimal feature libraries, using only textural features in one case and only Haralick features in another. The effect of EPP was especially clear for these suboptimal libraries, where the transform-based representations were found to increase separability to a greater extent than scale or subband pyramids. EPP can be particularly useful in new applications where optimal features have not yet been developed.
CAMS-RS: clustering algorithm for large-scale mass spectrometry data using restricted search space and intelligent random sampling

High-throughput mass spectrometers can produce massive amounts of redundant data at an astonishing rate with many of them having poor signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. These low S/N ratio spectra may not get interpreted using conventional spectra-to-database matching techniques. In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm, CAMS-RS (Clustering Algorithm for Mass Spectra using Restricted Space and Sampling) for clustering of raw mass spectrometry data. CAMS-RS utilizes a novel metric (called F-set) that exploits the temporal and spatial patterns to accurately assess similarity between two given spectra. The F-set similarity metric is independent of the retention time and allows clustering of mass spectrometry data from independent LC-MS/MS runs. A novel restricted search space strategy is devised to limit the comparisons of the number of spectra. An intelligent sampling method is executed on individual bins that allow merging of the results to make the final clusters. Our experiments, using experimentally generated data sets, show that the proposed algorithm is able to cluster spectra with high accuracy and is helpful in interpreting low S/N ratio spectra. The CAMS-RS algorithm is highly scalable with increasing number of spectra and our implementation allows clustering of up to a million spectra within minutes.
Developing a Faculty Advisory Group

ABSTRACT Faculty advisory boards are great tools for soliciting information on library collections and services, but they can also focus on operational issues or personal gripes with the library attempting to micromanage the library or the library dean. Managing faculty advisory boards is a challenge for academic library deans but with planning, training, and attention, an advisory group can provide insight into services and be a strong advocate for the libraries to the university and community. This article will explore the techniques to turn complainers into champions for an academic library. These techniques may also apply to student boards and friends groups.
One pot preparation of plasmonic photocatalyst at low temperature

Plasmonic photocatalysts have attracted intensive interests both with respect to applied and fundamental points of views because their photocatalytic performance can benefit from both plasmon resonance and charge separation effect of noble metals. In this paper, the AgCl-Ag plasmonic photocatalysts with different Ag content were prepared through a facile one-pot chemical route at low temperature. All the samples were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. It is shown that the Ag clusters can form on the surface of AgCl nanoparticles with the assistance of ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. This study may provide a new insight into the synthesis and structure manipulation of metal-semiconductor composites.
The relation of mitotic index, cell density, and growth to pattern regulation in regenerating Ambystoma maculatum forelimbs

Mitotic index and cell density were determined for all stages of larval Ambystoma maculatum upper arm and wrist regeneration up to the notch. Intrinsic growth rates and proportions of skeletal segments of upper arm and wrist regenerates were determined for stages of regeneration from notch to 25 days post-amputation. Mitotic index was always higher in the blastema of the regenerate than in the dedifferentiating tissue proximal to it. Mitotic activity along the proximal-distal axis of the blastema proper was relatively uniform until the onset of redifferentiation, when it declined in a distal to proximal direction in the proximal half of the blastema. Cell density tended to parallel mitotic index in both wrist and upper arm regenerates. There was no evidence that apical growth of the blastema is controlled by an inverse relationship between cell density (contact inhibition) and mitotic index. The relationship between the intrinsic growth rates of the regenerating skeletal segments were such that the proportions of the segments remained unchanged throughout their redifferentiation in upper arm regenerates, but were shifted slightly in wrist regenerates. These findings are discussed in relation to the progress zone model of limb development (Summerbell et al., '73).
“As thu wer a wedow”: Margery Kempe's Wifehood and Widowhood

AbstractRepresentations of maidenhood and wifehood in The Book of Margery Kempe have overshadowed Margery's careful use of widowhood. This essay examines how she manipulates narrative time and traditional female social roles to forge a new identity for herself between chaste wife and independent widow. Selectively drawing from both of those types, she licenses herself as a female writer and spiritual authority. This literary strategy demonstrates that the Book has a significant aesthetic dimension, which Margery substantially shaped.