cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generalized conditioning based approaches to computing confidence intervals for solutions to stochastic variational inequalities

Stochastic variational inequalities (SVI) provide a unified framework for the study of a general class of nonlinear optimization and Nash-type equilibrium problems with uncertain model data. Often the true solution to an SVI cannot be found directly and must be approximated. This paper considers the use of a sample average approximation (SAA), and proposes a new method to compute confidence intervals for individual components of the true SVI solution based on the asymptotic distribution of SAA solutions. We estimate the asymptotic distribution based on one SAA solution instead of generating multiple SAA solutions, and can handle inequality constraints without requiring the strict complementarity condition in the standard nonlinear programming setting. The method in this paper uses the confidence regions to guide the selection of a single piece of a piecewise linear function that governs the asymptotic distribution of SAA solutions, and does not rely on convergence rates of the SAA solutions in probability. It also provides options to control the computation procedure and investigate effects of certain key estimates on the intervals.
Radionuclide observables of underwater nuclear explosive tests

Abstract There remain technical challenges for an On-site Inspection (OSI) in the high seas environment, which gathers evidence of a violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). For terrestrial nuclear explosions, the radionuclide observables are well defined and States Parties have chosen 17 particulate radionuclides that allow discrimination from other nuclear events. However, an underwater nuclear explosion generates induced radionuclides from the neutron activation of seawater, which has the potential to interfere with the measurement of the radionuclide observables using gamma-spectrometry techniques. To understand these effects the inventory of OSI relevant (6.0 × 1016 Bq) and activation (1.6 × 1019 Bq) radionuclides has been calculated for a 1 kT underwater nuclear explosion. The activation products consist predominantly of 38Cl and 24Na, which decay to 5.56% and 0.0007% of their initial activity within 1 and 14 days. Monte Carlo techniques have been used to assess spectral interferences within this timeframe. It is demonstrated that during this period they do not interfere with the measurement of the existing radionuclide observables. Additionally, 24Na has been identified as useful for inspection purposes.
A CLASS OF ADAPTIVE NONLINEAR H ∞ –FILTERS WITH GUARANTEED l 2 -STABILITY

We pose an identification problem that involves a nonlinear output equation and proceed to suggest an approximate linear solution. The approximation is obtained in two stages. We first replace the nonlinear functional by a linear relation, thus reducing the problem to a standard linear H∞— setting. We then suggest constructing an approximation that results in an overall feedback structure in order to meet desired robustness and stability properties. By combining the linear H∞ solution with a widely-used small gain theorem we show, under suitable conditions, that the approximate solution still leads to a filter with guaranteed l2-stability. An example in the context of pole-zero (or IIR) system identification is discussed in details. The proposed structure is also shown to include, as special cases, several adaptive filters that have been employed earlier in the literature in the context of IIR modeling. In particular, two algorithms due to Feintuch and Landau, as well as the so-called pseudo-linear regression algorithm, are discussed within the framework proposed herein.
Homelessness and the Housing Crisis

The housing crisis has generated scores of homeless households, creating a community crisis. In turn, widespread homelessness has heightened awareness of the housing crisis. Homeless people are everywhere. Some create their own turf; others wander through an entire community, no longer confining themselves or being confined to the traditional skid row or Bowery.1 Their visibility challenges the community to respond.
Interferometric signatures of the temperature dependence of the specific shear viscosity in heavy-ion collisions

Recent work has shown that a temperature dependence of the shear viscosity to entropy ratio, $\eta/s$, influences the collective flow pattern in heavy-ion collisions in characteristic ways that can be measured by studying hadron transverse momentum spectra and their anisotropies. Here we point out that it also affects the pair momentum dependence of the Hanbury-Brown$-$Twiss (HBT) radii (the source size parameters extracted from two-particle intensity interferometry) and the variance of their event-by-event fluctuations. This observation establishes interferometric signatures as useful observables to complement the constraining power of single-particle spectra on the temperature dependence of $\eta/s$.
Teacher ownership versus scaling up system-wide educational change: the case of Activity Based Learning in South India

A significant challenge for large-scale system-wide educational change is reconciling the importance of teacher ownership with the work of scaling up successful innovations. This article explores this dilemma in the context of a remarkable statewide transition to Activity Based Learning (ABL) in the government schools of Tamil Nadu, India. ABL, a pedagogical approach grounded in child-centered philosophies of learning, was developed by classroom teachers and educational leaders seeking to reach children disengaged from school. Advanced by reformers who respected teachers and understood the importance of teacher ownership in educational change efforts, ABL reached every primary-level government school in the state through a rapid scale-up. Drawing primarily on interviews with teachers, reform leaders, and other state-level officials, we explore the roles and forms of participation made available to teachers at different stages of the reform initiative. We also discuss how leaders built responsiveness to teacher feedback into each stage of scaling. We argue that the case of ABL in Tamil Nadu illustrates a powerful rethinking of system-level change, one that promotes teacher ownership through a movement-like approach in which leaders build egalitarian partnerships with classroom teachers and invite them into the educational change process, even through rapid and extensive scaling.
Radiation Source Localization in GPS-Denied Environments Using Aerial Robots

This paper details the system and methods developed to enable autonomous nuclear radiation source localization and mapping using aerial robots in GPS-denied environments. A Thallium-doped Cesium Iodide (CsI(Tl)) scintillator and a Silicon Photomultiplier are combined with custom-built electronics for counting and spectroscopy, and the provided radiation measurements are pose-annotated using visual-inertial localization enabling autonomous operation in GPS-denied environments. Provided this capability, a strategy for radioactive source localization, as well as active source search path planning was developed. The proposed method is motivated and accounts for the limited endurance of the vehicle, which entails a very small amount of dwell points, and the fact that GPS-denied localization implies varying uncertainty of the robot's position estimate. The complete system is evaluated in multiple experimental studies using a small aerial robot and a Cesium-137 radiation source. As shown, accurate radioactive source localization is achieved, enabling efficient radiation mapping of indoor GPS-denied environments.
Surgeons' perspectives on user-designed prototypes of microsurgery armrests

Microsurgery is considered one of the most demanding surgical techniques. In a recent American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons survey, respondents reported that about half their procedures ...
SUMO protease SENP1 deSUMOylates and stabilizes c-Myc

Posttranslational modifications play a crucial role in the proper control of c-Myc protein stability and activity. c-Myc can be modified by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). However, how SUMOylation regulates c-Myc stability and activity remains to be elucidated. The deSUMOylation enzyme, SENP1, has recently been shown to have a prooncogenic role in cancer; however, mechanistic understanding of this is limited. Here we show that SENP1 is a c-Myc deSUMOylating enzyme. SENP1 interacts with and deSUMOylates c-Myc in cells and in vitro. Overexpression of wild-type SENP1, but not its catalytically inactive C603S mutant, markedly stabilizes c-Myc and increases its levels and activity. Knockdown of SENP1 reduces c-Myc levels, induces cell cycle arrest, and drastically suppresses cell proliferation. We further show that c-Myc can be comodified by both ubiquitination and SUMOylation. SENP1-mediated deSUMOylation reduces c-Myc polyubiquitination, suggesting that SUMOylation promotes c-Myc degradation through the proteasome system. Interestingly, SENP1-mediated deSUMOylation promotes the accumulation of monoubiquitinated c-Myc and its phosphorylation at serine 62 and threonine 58. SENP1 is frequently overexpressed, correlating with the high expression of c-Myc, in breast cancer tissues. Together, these results reveal that SENP1 is a crucial c-Myc deSUMOylating enzyme that positively regulates c-Myc’s stability and activity.
Frequency of Instructional Practices in Rural Prekindergarten Classrooms and Associations with Child Language and Literacy Skills.

Abstract Although publicly-funded prekindergarten (pre-k) programs have been designed to promote children’s school readiness, programs have tended to support early literacy skills to a greater degree than early language skills. Given the importance of both language and literacy skills for children’s reading acquisition and academic achievement, the present study sought to understand whether different pre-k classroom instructional practices were related to gains in language and/or literacy skills. Teacher–child language exchanges, children’s engagement in domain-specific learning activities, and the use of different types of activity settings were examined in 63 pre-k classrooms for 455 children living in six rural counties in the Southeastern United States. Hierarchical linear models showed that gains in expressive language were positively associated with teacher–child language exchanges and negatively associated with large-group activities. Gains in phonemic awareness and initial-sound knowledge were positively related to sound-focused activities and small-group settings. Gains in reading decoding skills were also positively associated with small-group settings. Implications for research, teacher practice, and professional development are discussed.
Tunable and reconfigurable mechanical transmission-line metamaterials via direct active feedback control

Abstract We consider the problem of using active feedback control to create tunable and reconfigurable mechanical metamaterials capable of supporting unconventional wave propagation mechanisms. The nominal system chosen for this analysis is a one-dimensional homogeneous bar having periodically distributed force actuators and subject to longitudinal waves. We note that this system does not make use of local inclusions, instead the actuators are attached directly to the beam and achieve metamaterial properties by means of periodically applied forces. We design control algorithms in order to achieve desired constitutive parameters for the metamaterial in closed loop. In particular, the control system is designed to generate either zero or negative values of the effective properties (i.e. stiffness and mass) to obtain a metamaterial with different dynamic behaviors. Four different regimes of effective properties are considered in this study: single negative or zero, double negative, double zero, double positive. The constitutive parameters achievable via the direct control approach are therefore defined only by the feedback algorithms and are not confined to any particular properties that would otherwise be imposed by local resonators. We model and analyze the system by fractional order transfer functions, which explicitly exhibit the special characteristics of the metamaterial, including the constitutive parameters, dispersion, and transmission and reflection properties. We illustrate the stability and performance of the control system through numerical simulations. Finally we note that, despite the choice of the mechanical system used in this study, the proposed results have general applicability to all those systems described by the second order wave equation in their nominal uncontrolled state.
Deep Reinforcement Learning and Simulation as a Path Toward Precision Medicine

Traditionally, precision medicine involves classifying patients to identify subpopulations that respond favorably to specific therapeutics. We pose precision medicine as a dynamic feedback control problem, where treatment administered to a patient is guided by measurements taken during the course of treatment. We consider sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which dysregulation of the immune system causes tissue damage. We leverage an existing simulation of the innate immune response to infection and apply deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to discover an adaptive personalized treatment policy that specifies effective multicytokine therapy to simulated sepsis patients based on systemic measurements. The learned policy achieves a dramatic reduction in mortality rate over a set of 500 simulated patients relative to standalone antibiotic therapy. Advantages of our approach are threefold: (1) the use of simulation allows exploring therapeutic strategies beyond clinical practice and available data, (2) advances in DRL accommodate learning complex therapeutic strategies for complex biological systems, and (3) optimized treatments respond to a patient's individual disease progression over time, therefore, capturing both differences across patients and the inherent randomness of disease progression within a single patient. We hope that this work motivates both considering adaptive personalized multicytokine mediation therapy for sepsis and exploiting simulation with DRL for precision medicine more broadly.
The singlet oxygen conversion of oxazoles to triamides. Application in the synthesis of (±)-pyrenolide C. assignment of stereochemistry.

Abstract Pyrenolide C has been synthesized for the first time using an oxazole template to construct the framework of the ten-membered unsaturated lactone system. The stereochemical assignment of the allylic alcohol substituent, based on the mode of synthesis, has been confirmed by NMR studies.
Community-based service use in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and associations with insurance status.

Abstract Background ASD-related services can improve outcomes for children, but less is known about service outside of school settings during preschool age. We aimed to describe amount and category of community-based service use among 3–5-year-old children with ASD and examine differences by health insurance. Methods We used cross-sectional data on 792 children with ASD diagnoses in the Study to Explore Early Development, a community-based study of neurodevelopment with enrollment between 2012-2016. Mothers reported current child service use and insurance status at study entry. We used log-Poisson and logistic regression to compare service use by insurance group. Results Nearly 40% of children were not receiving community-based services at study entry. Children with public insurance had fewer total services than children with private or both insurances. After adjustment for sociodemographic confounders, insurance status was not associated with amount of different categories of community-based services. However, children with public insurance alone were least likely to receive community-based behavioral therapy and most likely to receive psychotropic medication compared to other insurances. Conclusion Many preschool-aged children do not receive community-based services, with receipt of some service types associated with insurance type. Increasing access and availability for evidence-based service, especially for beneficiaries of public insurance, may improve service use and outcomes.
Does CEO Gender Matter at Financial Institutions? Evidence from Credit Union CEO Transitions

Previous studies of risk management and overconfidence at firms and financial institutions suggest that female CEOs engage in more conservative risk management practices relative to male CEOs, and less aggressive growth and acquisition behavior. However, these studies are limited by a lack of variation in CEO gender, as only 5% of commercial bank CEOs and 6% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are female. We examine gender differences in risk management and overconfidence in the distinct context of nonprofit financial cooperatives (“credit unions”), in which a majority (52%) of CEOs are female. Do observed gender differences in risk preferences and overconfidence hold under such circumstances? We utilize a unique dataset with 23 years of credit union quarterly data and CEO gender to employ two-way quarter and institution fixed effects and event study frameworks to focus on variation within credit unions that experience a CEO transition with a corresponding change in the gender of the CEO. The event study methodology allows us to thoroughly explore pre-CEO transition trends and parallel trends to account for potential selection bias. While gender differences in indicators of risk management are in the expected direction, few are statistically significant, and none are economically meaningful. The results suggest that practical differences in observable risk management are negligible among credit union CEOs. However, we do find statistically significant and large gender differences in credit union growth: male-led credit unions grow 2.9% larger in terms of memberships and 5.9% larger in terms of loans. They also expand their fields of membership to have 8.2% more potential members, execute 2.8% more merger-acquisitions, and increase their marketing expense by 7.5% relative to female-led credit unions. Nonetheless, there are no significant gender differences in credit union earnings. We argue that the results are consistent with gender differences in overconfidence but not risk aversion. The findings highlight the importance of context when evaluating gender differences in risk management and performance.
Determination of spatial fidelity required to accurately mimic the flight dynamics of a bat

Bats possess unique flight capabilities enabled by their wing morphology. While the articulated bone structure and flexible membrane constituting the wing are known to play a critical role in aerodynamic performance, the relationship has never been robustly quantified. Characterization of the sensitivity between precise wing contour and aerodynamic performance is important when designing a biomimetic flight vehicle based on experimentally measured wing kinematics. 3D optical motion capture, a standard method for obtaining wing kinematic measurements, discretely samples the smooth surface of a bat wing during flight. If the constellation of tracked 3D points is too sparse, a loss of critical information occurs. Here, we have explored the relationship between the density of wing surface points and several aerodynamic metrics, specifically, wing surface area variation, aerodynamic loads, and power expenditure. Loads and power were calculated using an incompressible Navier-Stokes solver. Of the metrics examined, aerodynamic power was found to be most sensitive to the spatial fidelity of the wing-the normalized root mean squared difference (NRMSD) between the 10- and 238-point cases was 35%. Load calculations varied slightly less with a peak NRMSD of 24% between the highest and lowest fidelity cases. Lastly, the wing surface area was least sensitive to the spatial fidelity of the wing kinematics, with a maximum NRMSD surface area of 8%. Close similarity in aerodynamic behavior was observed when using either a 120- and 238-point surface representation, establishing a bound to the sensitivity between wing shape and aerodynamics. The results from the 10- and 22-point configurations demonstrate that sparse representation of a wing surface can lead to a loss of information. The characterization of kinematic complexity of the wings both informs how many degrees of freedom are important to measure and also informs how many degrees of freedom are required to robotically reproduce the flapping flight.
Preventing and/or Ameliorating the Consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Findings from a New American Report.

The statistics are staggering: According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six American adults assessed during 2015–2017 reported four or more adverse chil...
Machine Learning for Predicting Development of Asthma in Children

Asthma in children needs to be identified as early as possible to provide children with medical intervention. Creating a model that accurately predicts asthma in children has proven difficult. In the current state, research has provided models for asthma prediction that have low accuracy and use a small, specific sample size. There are limited research that analyzes a large population of children, using specific factors, to develop a model that can be used in a clinical setting. In this paper, we developed predictive models to analyze a child asthma health dataset. Machine learning classifiers are used to develop these predictive models; including Linear Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, KNN, and Naive Bayes technique. Of all the classifiers implemented, random forest classifier resulted in highest prediction accuracy (90.9%). Following are the variables: Sex, Difficulty Breathing, Allergies, and Medication have the highest correlation with asthma. The review of current research and the results of model that are presented in this paper can be used in a clinical setting by medical professionals to make predictions of asthma development in children and implement early intervention for the treatment of asthma development.
Systematic Review and Weight of Evidence Are Integral to Ecological and Human Health Assessments: They Need an Integrated Framework

Scientific assessments synthesize the various results of scientific research for policy and decision making. Synthesizing evidence in environmental assessments can involve either or both of 2 systems: systematic review (SR) and weight of evidence (WoE). Systematic review was developed to systematically assemble results of clinical trials to be combined by meta-analysis. Weight-of-evidence approaches have evolved from jurisprudence to make inferences from diverse bodies of evidence in various fields. Our objectives are to describe the similarities and differences between SR and WoE and to suggest how their best practices can be combined into a general framework that is applicable to human health and ecological assessments. Integrating SR and WoE is based on the recognition that 2 processes are required, assembling evidence and making an inference. Systematic review is characterized by methodical literature searching, screening, and data extraction, originally for meta-analysis but now for various inferential methods. Weight of evidence is characterized by systematically relating heterogeneous evidence to considerations appropriate to the inference and making the inference by weighing the evidence. Systematic review enables the unbiased assembly of evidence from literature, but methods for assembling other information must be considered as well. If only 1 type of quantitative study estimates the assessment endpoint, meta-analysis is appropriate for inference. Otherwise, the heterogeneous evidence must be weighed. A framework is presented that integrates best practices into a methodical assembly and weighing of evidence. A glossary of terms for the combined practice and a history of the origins of SR and WoE are provided in Supplemental Data. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:718-728. Published 2020. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Highly responsive and rapid hydrogen peroxide-triggered degradation of polycaprolactone nanoparticles

We synthesized an oxidation-responsive polycaprolactone (O-PCL) bearing pendant arylboronic esters as H2O2-responsive motifs. H2O2 induces fast depolymerization of O-PCL within days. Nanoparticles formulated from O-PCL disintegrate and release payload in response to concentrations of H2O2 (50 μM) that are relevant to human disease.
Neonatal management of prenatally suspected coarctation of the aorta

OBJECTIVES (a) To determine the false-positive rate among newborns with prenatally suspected coarctation of the aorta (CoA) within the UCLA Health system, (b) to compare patient and maternal interventions and outcomes between false-positive cases and normal controls, and (c) to determine the timing of clinical presentation of CoA. METHODS We performed a single-center, retrospective case control study of all fetuses with suspected isolated CoA who underwent both fetal echocardiographic evaluation and subsequent delivery at UCLA between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2018. Maternal and neonatal medical records were reviewed for demographic and clinical data, for cases of suspected CoA and for controls. A separate review of our institution's surgical database was performed to identify characteristics of all patients (neonatal and pediatric) with isolated CoA who underwent surgical repair during the same time period. RESULTS Among the 50 fetal cases of isolated suspected CoA who delivered at our institution, 47 patients (94%) were found to be normal (false positives). Compared with normal controls, patients with suspected CoA were more likely to have delayed maternal bonding, delayed feeding, admission to the intensive care unit, performance of neonatal echocardiograms, initiation of intravenous fluids and initiation of prostaglandin E1, and a longer length of hospital stay. Among the 38 patients undergoing CoA repair at our institution during the study period, four patients were prenatally diagnosed and no patient presented clinically with symptoms before 48 hours after delivery. CONCLUSION Compared with normal controls, patients with prenatally suspected coarctation are more likely to have delayed maternal bonding, delayed feeding, more frequent neonatal echocardiograms, and longer length of hospital stay. Further refinement of neonatal management may improve postnatal care.
Daily anesthesia assignment schedule automation: Utilizing an electronic scheduling system to export daily assignments into the electronic health record

Abstract Background Most anesthesia providers utilize an electronic health record (EHR) during daily interactions with patients. For many anesthesia groups the daily operating room assignments are also made within the EHR. The individual manual entry of providers into the assignment fields within the EHR are time consuming and may be a source for human error and incorrect assignment of personnel. Methods Here we present a process that allowed our group to automate import of the daily staff assignments from a central scheduling software system into our EHR. We have described the process from both an information technology build standpoint as well as evaluating the improvement of accuracy of scheduling assignments after implementation. Results We evaluated the rate of scheduling optimization, i.e. changes made to clinical assignments subsequent to finalization of schedule at 2pm the workday before the day of surgery, in a cohort of 998 daily OR schedule locations (494 pre- and 504 postimplementation) and found a 13.3% rate of optimization pre implementation versus a 6.9% rate of optimization after implementation. Conclusion This process of automation saves time, improves ease of making daily assignments, and may have broader applications for improvement in transparency and satisfaction of providers in their assignments.
Macrophage Heterogeneity in NASH: More Than Just Nomenclature.

Immune activation is an important feature in the development and progression and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Macrophages are the most abundant immune cell type in the liver and are implicated in this process. However, intra-hepatic macrophages are a heterogeneous and dynamic population. They can be classified based on ontogeny into : yolk sac-derived tissue-resident macrophages, commonly referred to as Kupffer cells (KCs), and bone marrow (BM) monocyte-derived macrophages.
Inhibition of Mul1-mediated ubiquitination promotes mitochondria-associated translation

G-Protein Pathway Suppressor 2 (GPS2) was recently identified as an endogenous inhibitor of non-proteolytic ubiquitination mediated by the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13. GPS2-mediated restriction of K63 ubiquitination is associated with the regulation of insulin signaling, inflammation and mitochondria-nuclear communication, however a detailed understanding of the targets of GPS2/Ubc13 activity is currently lacking, Here, we have dissected the GPS2-regulated K63 ubiquitome in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human breast cancer cells, unexpectedly finding an enrichment for proteins involved in RNA binding and translation. Characterization of putative targets, including the RNA-binding protein PABPC1 and translation factor eiF3m, revealed a strategy for regulating the mitochondria-associated translation of selected mRNAs via Mul1-mediated ubiquitination. Our data indicate that removal of GPS2-mediated inhibition, either via genetic deletion or stress-induced nuclear translocation, promotes the ubiquitination of mitochondria-associated translation factors leading to increased expression of an adaptive antioxidant program. In light of GPS2 role in nuclear-mitochondria communication, these findings reveal an exquisite regulatory network for modulating mitochondrial gene expression through spatially coordinated transcription and translation.
Opinion: Public health and police: Building ethical and equitable opioid responses.

The opioid overdose epidemic remains a profound public health crisis in the United States, killing more than 500,000 people between 1999 and 2020 (1, 2). The dominant narrative explaining policy responses to the epidemic concludes that because opioids are disproportionately a problem of white populations, governments have opted for public health solutions rather than the criminal justice responses to previous drug epidemics, such as crack cocaine in the 1980s. We assert that this understanding is too simplistic. Opioid overdose mortality rates among American Indian and Alaska Native communities have long paralleled those of whites, and Black and Latinx people have seen precipitous increases in opioid overdose death in recent years (3, 4). Policy responses to the opioid epidemic thus far have entailed a counterproductive integration of public health and law enforcement. This approach has undermined the effectiveness of public health practice and threatens racial health equity. Image credit: Shutterstock/Kimberly Boyles. Additionally, we argue that, despite this apparent sea change, policy responses to the opioid overdose epidemic have not been primarily those of public health, defined as responses that prioritize nonpunitive and noncoercive treatment and prevention over interdiction and criminal enforcement. Rather, we believe policy responses entail a counterproductive integration of public health and law enforcement—namely, local health authorities and local police departments—thus creating new forms of surveillance and criminalization. We contend that this integration undermines the effectiveness of public health practice and threatens racial health equity. Public health and police collaborations integrate public health and law enforcement agencies and policy agendas. Implemented in jurisdictions nationwide, these collaborations take shape through cross-sector data sharing, policy, and programming (5). Despite the priority given to collaborations by policymakers, these initiatives remain understudied, with limited appraisal of their functions, benefits, and unintended consequences. We must assess these collaborations within the broad … [↵][1] 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bennett.allen{at}nyulangone.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Optimization For Urban Watershed Management: Stormwater Runoff And Nonpoint Pollution Control

Urban and suburban watersheds are degraded by storm-water runoff through a variety of mechanisms including frequent channel-eroding flows and nonpoint pollutants originating in wash-off from developed impervious surfaces. The resulting decline in water quality and loss of aquatic habitat has resulted in "impaired" designations for a large number of urban streams in the U.S. Increasingly, municipalities that operate storm sewer systems are being held responsible, under the federal Clean Water Act (U.S. Code, 1972), for the restoration of water quality. Improvement of water quality in urban/suburban settings is a complex decision-making problem that usually requires the cooperative and coordinated efforts of multiple jurisdictions, property owners, and interest groups. An increasing number of impaired streams have been the subject of watershed assessment studies, and restoration "action plans" are being developed. However, the recommendations in these plans are often generic, especially with regard to the storm-water management projects that are necessary to restore the quality of the impaired streams.
Complications in Patellofemoral Instability Surgery

As patellofemoral stabilization surgery has become increasingly popular, reports of its resultant complications have continued to grow. In medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, 47% of the complications are reported to be due to improper technique, including tunnel malpositioning and graft tensioning. Complications of tibial tuberosity osteotomy include fracture, nonunion, painful hardware, and deep venous thrombosis. The results of trochleoplasty have been described more recently, and the reported complications of arthrofibrosis, hardware breakage, and patellofemoral pain after this procedure are reviewed. Lateral release is uncommonly performed by patellofemoral experts, but will be discussed owing to its still common use in the general community with potential complication of medial patellar instability. The goal of this review is to highlight the unique complications that can occur with patellar instability surgery and identify techniques to avoid them.
An Investigation on Contact Stresses of New Jersey Low Contact Stress (NJLCS) Knee Using Finite Element Method

The contact stress on the articulating surface of an artificial knee is one of the major evaluation parameters of the potential wear resistance of replacement joints. The objective of this paper is to investigate the types of contact stresses and their distribution on the plastic bearing platform of the New Jersey Low Contact Stress (NJLCS) Knee under loads and during a walking cycle. The bearing component of the NJLCS knee is made of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) with the Young's Modulus of 600 MPa at body temperature. Peak contact stress generated was due to both factors, the magnitude of compressive load and the flexion angle. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) results indicated that the more congruent the contact surfaces, that is the more “area contact”, the less the contact stress will generate. With the same boundary conditions, FEA results, with a load of 2,200N, are confirmed with the previous experimental results.
Epidemiologic Concepts and Methods

The epidemiology of infectious diseases is concerned with the circumstances under which both infection and disease occur in a population and the factors that influence their frequency, spread, and distribution. This concept distinguishes between infection and disease because the factors that govern their occurrence may be different and because infection without disease is common with many viruses. Infection indicates the introduction and multiplication of a biological agent within a host, leading to an interaction often manifest as an immune response. It is determined largely by factors that govern exposure to the agent and by the susceptibility of the host. Disease represents the host response to infection when it is severe enough to evoke a recognizable pattern of clinical symptoms. The factors that influence the occurrence and severity of this response vary with the particular viruses involved and their portal of entry, but the most important determinants for many common infections lie within the host itself. Of these, the age at the time of infection, genetic background, and immune status of the host are the most crucial.
A culture of employee engagement: a strategic perspective for global managers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that identifies the strategies that have the ability to create a culture of employee engagement for global managers in making the tactical adaptations necessary to develop and implement global strategy in an increasingly complex and dynamic marketplace. Design/methodology/approach – The authors focused on the global managers charged with the responsibilities of developing and creating a culture of employee engagement as an important strategy for the competitive advantage of organizations. Findings – Employee engagement should be viewed as a long-term commitment between the employees and the organization, each supporting the other in an era of increasing international operations. In fact, employee engagement is an important strategy for long-term organizational sustainability in international markets. Practical implications – Employee engagement is critical to the management and retention of talented employees in the organization. It can be achieved by managing global mobility in increasingly complex global workplaces; talent so that it enhances business results; training and development; rewards, recognitions and engagement; manager/employee communication and interaction; and leadership and development. Originality/value – In today’s global society, it is critical for organizational leaders to focus on creating a culture of employee engagement to attract and retain quality employees in an increasingly competitive market. Engaged employees are more committed to their work and feel connected to the success of their organization. In addition, they are more likely to believe in their organization’s values, mission and vision. The increasing utilization of boundary less organizations poses a challenge for leaders who strive to create and maintain employee engagement within an organization.
DTI based diagnostic prediction of a disease via pattern classification

The paper presents a method of creating abnormality classifiers learned from Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data of a population of patients and controls. The score produced by the classifier can be used to aid in diagnosis as it quantifies the degree of pathology. Using anatomically meaningful features computed from the DTI data we train a non-linear support vector machine (SVM) pattern classifier. The method begins with high dimensional elastic registration of DT images followed by a feature extraction step that involves creating a feature by concatenating average anisotropy and diffusivity values in anatomically meaningful regions. Feature selection is performed via a mutual information based technique followed by sequential elimination of the features. A non-linear SVM classifier is then constructed by training on the selected features. The classifier assigns each test subject with a probabilistic abnormality score that indicates the extent of pathology. In this study, abnormality classifiers were created for two populations; one consisting of schizophrenia patients (SCZ) and the other with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A clear distinction between the SCZ patients and controls was achieved with 90.62% accuracy while for individuals with ASD, 89.58% classification accuracy was obtained. The abnormality scores clearly separate the groups and the high classification accuracy indicates the prospect of using the scores as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.
High coverage analog wafer-probe test design and co-optimization with assembled-package test to minimize overall test cost

It is well known that wafer probe test costs of analog ICs are an order of magnitude less than the corresponding test costs of assembled packages. It is therefore natural to push as much as the testing process into wafer-probe lest as possible while limiting the scope of assembled package test. However, the signal drive and response observation capabilities during wafer probe lest are limited in comparison to assembled package test. In this paper, it is shown that by marginally increasing the capabilities of wafer probe lest equipment to include low-speed transient signals, significant numbers of bad ICs can be detected early during wafer probe lest. The optimal test stimulus is determined by co-optimizing the wafer-probe and assembled package test waveforms. Overall, test costs, including the cost of packaging bad ICs are minimized.
Pattern recognition in multidimensional perception: robots and humans

We discuss several aspects of the theory of multidimensional human and robot perception which is important for developing robotic sensory capabilities beyond the ones currently in use, i.e. beyond black & white vision and force/tactile sensing. Understanding Multidimensional Perception (MDP) is necessary for developing sensory capabilities for color vision, for general cases of force/torque/tactile sensing, and for thermal/chemical sensing. In this paper we describe a new method of pattern recognition in robotic MDP:Class Connectivity Analysis (CCA). We also describe a new effect in human MDP: the Color Void effect. Finally, we propose a new design criterion for MDP in robots. The CCA method allows fast inspection of complex images, in particular textured images and random patterns. The Color Void effect clarifies the mechanism of human pattern recognition in MDP and suggests a bionic design criterion for MDP. This criterion could allow the description and recognition of patterns in sensory fields with arbitrary time-dependent signals.
On the numerical integration of spectral domain immittance functions for multiple printed dipoles in layered uniaxial anisotropic dielectrics

Spectral domain immittance functions can be used to numerically solve for the unknown surface currents on printed dipoles in layered anisotropic dielectrics. This solution requires the use of the spectral domain moment method and numerical integration. This paper presents a hybrid polar- and rectangular-numerical integration technique on the α-β plane useful for efficient evaluation of the spectral domain moment method and is defined in a manner that avoids unwanted poles. For validation, the convergence of the numerically computed input impedance of a printed dipole is presented.
Constrained optimization of an idealized Y-shaped baffle for the Fontan surgery at rest and exercise

Coupling shape optimization to three-dimensional unsteady cardiovascular simulations poses several key challenges, including high computational cost, a need to handle constraints, and a need for automatic generation of parameterized vessel geometry. In this work we extend our previous framework for cardiovascular optimization to include constraints, pulsatile flow under both rest and exercise conditions, and multiple geometric parameters. Optimization is performed using a derivative-free algorithm called the surrogate management framework, with constraints enforced using a filter method. In this work, we examine a specific surgery called the Fontan, which is performed to treat single-ventricle heart patients. These patients typically undergo a series of three surgeries, the last of which connects the inferior vena cava to the pulmonary arteries. Our group and others have recently proposed and evaluated a new Y-graft modification of the Fontan operation that replaces the current tube shaped baffle. Preliminary simulations have shown that the Y-graft modification is a promising design that increases energy efficiency and improves flow distribution to the pulmonary arteries. In this work, we perform optimization on a model Y-graft design problem. This work represents the first use of formal design optimization methods for the Fontan surgery, and also demonstrates the applicability of the optimization framework on a pulsatile flow problem with multiple design parameters and constraints. The idealized Y-graft model was parameterized with six geometric parameters including graft diameter and anastomosis locations, and the optimization procedure, including model construction, meshing, and simulation, was executed automatically. Energy efficiency was chosen as the objective function. A constraint on the wall shear stress (WSS), a presumed correlate to thrombosis risk, was added to the problem using a filter method, which allowed for exploration of the trade-offs between WSS and energy efficiency. Optimization was performed at two exercise levels with effects of respiration incorporated, and differences in optimal solutions were examined. It was shown that optimal shapes differed between rest and exercise, as well as steady and pulsatile flow conditions, with wide-span branches and decreasing graft branch size favored with increasing exercise level. The optimization method was found to be robust for different polling strategies, and computationally efficient both with and without constraints.
Validating trace-driven microarchitectural simulations

Benchmark complexity and sluggish performance analysis create an ever-increasing gap between workload size and the speed of analysis. Experimental results with a new data-sampling methodology, however, show promise in closing this gap.
PREFERENCE FOR LAMP OR MAT HEAT BY PIGLETS AT COOL AND WARM AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WITH LOW TO HIGH DRAFTS

Neonatal piglets (1.7 to 7.1 kg; 3.7 to 15.7 lb body weight) were allowed to choose at will a heat source (lamp or mat) in a wind tunnel at cool (20°C; 68°F) or warm (30°C; 86°F) air temperature coupled with various air velocities (0.05 to 0.45 m/s; 10 to 90 ft/min). The effects of original heat source in the farrowing crates on the choice of the piglets were included. At the cool temperature (20°C), piglets from heat lamp-equipped farrowing crates showed preference for lamp heat at 1.7 kg (3.7 lb) and similar usage of mat and lamp at 2.4 to 5.3 kg (5.3 to 11.7 lb). Piglets up to 5.3 kg from the heat mat-equipped farrowing crates generally did not show distinct preference for lamp or mat heat, except at the high draft condition (0.45 m/s; 90 ft/min) where preference for heat mat was exhibited. Piglets of 7.1 kg (15.6 lb) preferred mat independent of the original heat source type. At the warm temperature (30°C), piglets of 2.6 to 5.3 kg (5.7 to 11.7 lb) showed almost equal usage of mat and lamp independent of the original heat source type. Air temperature affected heat needs of the piglets. At 20°C, total (i.e., lamp + mat) heat usage (THU) by piglets of 1.7 to 2.4 kg (3.7 to 5.3 lb) averaged 98% of the exposure time for all air velocities tested. At 30°C, THU ranged from 24% for 2.6 kg (5.7 lb) piglets to 5% for 4.4 kg (9.7 lb) piglets. THU declined substantially as piglets reached 3.4 kg (7.5 lb), especially at the low air velocities. Piglets were more sensitive to drafts at the cool temperature. Drafts up to 0.45 m/s (90 ft/min) had little effect on THU at the warm temperature. Keywords. Localized heating, Heat lamp, Heat mat, Energy efficiency, Draft, Swine farrowing.
The Scientific Contributions Of Milton Sobel

This article describes the scientific contributions of Milton Sobel. It motivates his research by considering his family background, his war experiences, and his mentors and fellow students at Columbia University. His research in sequential analysis, selection, ranking, group testing, and probabilistic combinatorics are highlighted.