cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic m-estimators: controlling accuracy-cost tradeoffs in machine learning

m-Estimation represents a broad class of estimators, including least-squares and maximum likelihood, and is a widely used tool for statistical inference. Its successful application however, often requires negotiating physical resources for desired levels of accuracy. These limiting factors, which we abstractly refer as costs, may be computational, such as time-limited cluster access for parameter learning, or they may be financial, such as purchasing human-labeled training data under a fixed budget. This thesis explores these accuracy-cost tradeoffs by proposing a family of estimators that maximizes a stochastic variation of the traditional m-estimator. Such “stochastic m-estimators” (SMEs) are constructed by stitching together different m-estimators, at random. Each such instantiation resolves the accuracy-cost tradeoff differently, and taken together they span a continuous spectrum of accuracy-cost tradeoff resolutions. We prove the consistency of the estimators and provide formulas for their asymptotic variance and statistical robustness. We also assess their cost for two concerns typical to machine learning: computational complexity and labeling expense. For the sake of concreteness, we discuss experimental results in the context of a variety of discriminative and generative Markov random fields, including Boltzmann machines, conditional random fields, model mixtures, etc. The theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the estimators when computational resources are insufficient or when obtaining additional labeled samples is necessary. We also demonstrate that in some cases the stochastic m-estimator is associated with robustness thereby increasing its statistical accuracy and representing a win-win.
A Tool for Summarizing Students’ Changes across Drafts

In the context of popular peer review educational approaches, teachers wish to know whether the students are benefiting from peer reviews and applying the changes in their second drafts. This paper presents a tool for teachers that compares information about students first and second drafts of papers focusing on the extent and type of changes in the papers.
Response of human macrophages to wound matrices in vitro

Chronic wounds remain a major burden to the global healthcare system. Myriad wound matrices are commercially available but their mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that macrophages are highly influenced by their microenvironment, but it is not known how different biomaterials affect this interaction. Here, it was hypothesized that human macrophages respond differently to changes in biomaterial properties in vitro with respect to phenotype, including pro-inflammatory M1, anti-inflammatory M2a, known for facilitating extracellular matrix deposition and proliferation, and M2c, which has recently been associated with tissue remodeling. Using multiple donors, it was found that collagen scaffolds cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) promoted the least inflammatory phenotype in primary human macrophages compared with scaffolds cross-linked with formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde. Importantly, gene expression analysis trends were largely conserved between donors, especially TNFa (M1), CCL22 (M2a), and MRC1 (M2a). Then the response of primary and THP1 monocyte-derived macrophages to four commercially available wound matrices were compared-Integra Dermal Regeneration Template (Integra), PriMatrix Dermal Repair Scaffold (PriMatrix), AlloMend Acellular Dermal Matrix (AlloMend), and Oasis Wound Matrix (Oasis). Gene expression trends were different between primary and THP1 monocyte-derived macrophages for all six genes analyzed in this study. Finally, the behavior of primary macrophages cultured onto the wound matrices over time was analyzed. Integra and Oasis caused down-regulation of M2a markers CCL22 and TIMP3. PriMatrix caused up-regulation of TNFa (M1) and CD163 (M2c) and down-regulation of CCL22 and TIMP3 (both M2a). AlloMend caused up-regulation in CD163 (M2c). Lastly, Oasis promoted the largest increase in the combinatorial M1/M2 score, defined as the sum of M1 genes divided by the sum of M2 genes. This preliminary study suggested that biomaterials influenced the wound microenvironment to affect macrophage phenotype.
Tissue Effects in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Short-term Finasteride in Early Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Background In the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, finasteride selectively suppressed low-grade prostate cancer and significantly reduced the incidence of prostate cancer in men treated with finasteride compared with placebo. However, an apparent increase in high-grade disease was also observed among men randomized to finasteride. We aimed to determine why and hypothesized that there is a grade-dependent response to finasteride. Methods From 2007 to 2012, we randomized dynamically by intranet-accessible software 183 men with localized prostate cancer to receive 5mg finasteride or placebo daily in a double-blind study during the 4–6weeks preceding prostatectomy. As the primary end point, the expression of a predefined molecular signature (ERβ, UBE2C, SRD5A2, and VEGF) differentiating high- and low-grade tumors in Gleason grade (GG) 3 areas of finasteride-exposed tumors from those in GG3 areas of placebo-exposed tumors, adjusted for Gleason score (GS) at prostatectomy, was compared. We also determined androgen receptor (AR) levels, Ki-67, and cleaved caspase 3 to evaluate the effects of finasteride on the expression of its downstream target, cell proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. The expression of these markers was also compared across grades between and within treatment groups. Logistic regression was used to assess the expression of markers. Findings We found that the predetermined molecular signature did not distinguish GG3 from GG4 areas in the placebo group. However, AR expression was significantly lower in the GG4 areas of the finasteride group than in those of the placebo group. Within the finasteride group, AR expression was also lower in GG4 than in GG3 areas, but not significantly. Expression of cleaved caspase 3 was significantly increased in both GG3 and GG4 areas in the finasteride group compared to the placebo group, although it was lower in GG4 than in GG3 areas in both groups. Interpretation We showed that finasteride's effect on apoptosis and AR expression is tumor grade dependent after short-term intervention. This may explain finasteride's selective suppression of low-grade tumors observed in the PCPT.
Development of Resistance to Pyrithiamine in Yeast and Some Observations on Its Nature.

SummaryA strain of Endomyces vernalis was obtained by growing the yeast in media containing pyrithiamine. This strain was not affected in growth by concentrations of pyrithiamine 25 times greater than that required to inhibit the growth of the parent strain halfmaximally. The new strain still required thiamine or its pyrimidine portion as a growth factor. In the absence of thiamine, pyrithiamine was 50% as active as the vitamin for growth of the variant. When grown in small concentrations of pyrithiamine and in the absence of thiamine, the new strain converted half of the pyrithiamine to the pyrimidine portion of thiamine.
Influence of diet on tumors of hormonal tissues.

Approximately 20% of all deaths in the United States are due to cancer. Cancers of the hormonal tissues such as breast, uterus, ovary in women and prostate in men account for about 8% and 5% of total mortality and 30% and 11% of cancer mortality in women and men, respectively. Diet is considered to be a major and important environmental factor contributing to cancers of hormonal tissues. Breast, uterus, and ovary cancers in women and prostate cancers in men were positively correlated with high fat consumption, high body weight (body mass), body fat, and obesity. A major mechanism for development of these cancers appears to be mediated through increased levels of hormones, especially estrogens. Adipose tissue is considered to be one of the major sources of extraglandular estrogen, produced by aromatization of androgen precursors. Weight reduction decreases the estrogen levels possibly due to a decrease in body fat, thus decreasing the risk for cancers of the hormonal tissues. Dietary fiber may modify the risk for these cancers by influencing estrogen metabolism, recirculation, and excretion. Vitamin A and its precursors may decrease the risk for prostate cancer. Iodine deficiency may increase the risk for thyroid neoplasms in humans and experimental animals. Tumors of the hormonal tissues are the most common tumors in laboratory rodents, especially rats and mice. Incidences of mammary and anterior pituitary tumors had significant and positive correlation with body weight in rats and mice. Lowering the body weight by either decreased caloric intake or other means (e.g., exercise, increased fiber consumption) markedly lowered the incidences of these tumors in laboratory rodents. Laboratory studies indicated that mammary tumor rates in rats may not depend on the amount of fat consumed per day. The mammary tumor-promoting effect of fat may be due to complex interactions involving energy intake and energy retention (body mass) mediated through paracrine, endocrine, and neurohormonal mechanisms. Dietary protein may influence chemically induced tumors by affecting the metabolism of chemicals through enzyme induction. Thus, environmental factors such as diet are considered to be major and important factors for tumors of the hormonal tissues such as breast, uterus, and ovary in women and prostate in men. Diet and associated body weight are considered to be the major factors for tumors of hormonal tissues such as mammary and pituitary glands in rodents, especially rats. Modification of diet and a decrease in caloric intake may markedly decrease the incidence or delay the development of tumors of hormonal tissues in humans and in experimental animals.
Abstract 4402: Glycosyltransferase ST6Gal-I enables cancer cells to survive upon growth factor deprivation

Tumor growth often outpaces the tumor9s ability to form new vascularization leading to a tumor microenvironment containing areas with limited access to serum-derived growth factors (GFs). How tumor cells are able to proliferate and survive in the absence of GFs is not completely understood. Recent work from our group has uncovered a novel mechanism by which ST6Gal-I, a glycosyltransferase upregulated in many cancers, enables cells to evade GF deprivation-mediated apoptosis. ST6Gal-I is a trans-Golgi sialyltransferase that catalyzes the addition of a bulky, negatively charged sialic acid in an α2-6 manner to the termini of N-linked glycans on glycoproteins bound for the plasma membrane. This sialic acid addition can modulate protein conformation and function, similar to phosphorylation. Prior studies from our group show that ST6Gal-I activity confers a cancer stem cell phenotype as well as enhances chemoresistance, leading us to hypothesize that ST6Gal-I promotes tumor cell survival, invasion and metastasis. To better understand the role ST6Gal-I plays in tumor cell survival upon GF deprivation, we monitored the response of ovarian and pancreatic cancer cells with either ST6Gal-I overexpression or knockdown to serum starvation. Upon serum starvation, cells overexpressing ST6Gal-I preferentially survived and continued to proliferate whereas cells with ST6Gal-I knockdown underwent cell death more readily, as evidenced by live-dead cell staining and cell proliferation assays. Furthermore, in the absence of serum, ST6Gal-I activity promotes the activation and/or expression of multiple pro-survival proteins, such as Akt, p70-S6K, NFκB, and cIAP2, as well as cell cycle regulators including CyclinD2. Interestingly, upon long-term GF deprivation, immunoblotting analysis reveals a selective enrichment for ST6Gal-I in the remaining live cells providing evidence that cells with high ST6Gal-I expression selectively survive GF deficiency. Collectively these data suggest that upregulation of ST6Gal-I in tumor cells may promote cell survival in areas of the tumor microenvironment that have decreased access to a blood supply. Citation Format: Colleen Britain, Susan Bellis. Glycosyltransferase ST6Gal-I enables cancer cells to survive upon growth factor deprivation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4402.
On the number of eigenvalues of the discrete one-dimensional Schrödinger operator with a complex potential

We study the eigenvalues of the discrete Schrodinger operator with a complex potential. We obtain bounds on the total number of eigenvalues in the case where V decays exponentially at infinity.
Orientation-Dependent Regulation of RUNX1 and GATA-1 Transcriptional Function by the p300/CBP Coactivators.

The transcription factors RUNX1 and GATA-1, as well as the coactivators p300/CBP, have been implicated in the regulation of primary megakaryopoiesis through studies of knockout mice. In particular, p300/CBP has previously been shown to serve as a coactivator for both RUNX1 and GATA-1 in the transactivation of hematopoietic target genes. Coactivator orientation within transactivating complexes is generally not considered to influence the degree of transcriptional activity, reflecting an inherent flexibility in the spatial requirements for coactivator function. Experiments to further explore this issue showed coexpression of p300 to enhance cooperative transcriptional activation by wild type RUNX1 and GATA-1. Enforced recruitment of p300/CBP to GATA-1 through fusion of GATA-1 with the p300/CBP docking module of adenoviral E1A, E1A(1–89), enhanced GATA-1 activity alone, regardless of whether the fusion was to the amino or carboxy terminal of GATA-1. However, enforced recruitment of p300/CBP to the amino terminus of GATA-1 completely eliminated cooperation with RUNX1, and enforced recruitment of p300/CBP to the carboxy terminus of GATA-1 diminished cooperation with RUNX1. Both GATA-1 fusions retained physical interaction with RUNX1. Similarly, fusion of E1A(1–89) directly to the amino terminus of RUNX1 completely eliminated its transcriptional activity, while fusion to the carboxy terminus diminished RUNX1 transcriptional activity. For both the GATA-1 and the RUNX1 fusions, these repressive effects were attributable to the ectopic recruitment of p300/CBP because a mutation within E1A(1–89) known to specifically diminish p300/CBP recruitment, R2G, rescued the transcriptional activities. Addressing the mechanism of repression by ectopic p300/CBP, we found that E1A(1–89)-GATA-1 caused diminished serine phosphorylation within RUNX1, an effect opposite to that of wild type GATA-1 which enhanced RUNX1 phosphorylation. Similarly, E1A(1–89)-RUNX1 showed complete loss of phosphorylation on cdk target sites, as compared with wild type RUNX1. RUNX1-E1A(1–89) showed diminished phosphorylation on cdk target sites, as compared with wild type RUNX1. From these results, we conclude that p300/CBP may function as a coactivator for the RUNX1-GATA-1 complex when recruited to endogenous, wild type domains. By contrast, ectopic recruitment of p300/CBP to RUNX1, particularly to the amino terminus, targets RUNX1 for repression through inhibition or reversal of phosphorylation. Our results thus offer a novel paradigm in which the function of p300/CBP, coactivator versus repressor, may be determined by its mode of recruitment to certain transcriptional complexes. Notably, some transcription factors, such as GATA-1, have relaxed requirements for the topology of coactivator recruitment, whereas other transcription factors, such as RUNX1, have stringent requirements in this regard.
Mill’s act-utilitarian interpreters on Utilitarianism chapter V paragraph 14

In the fourteenth paragraph of the fifth chapter of Utilitarianism, J. S. Mill writes that ‘We do not call anything wrong, unless we mean to imply that a person ought to be punished in some way or other for doing it; if not by law, by the opinion of his fellow-creatures; if not by opinion, by the reproaches of his own conscience.’ I criticize the attempts of three commentators who have recently presented act-utilitarian readings of Mill – Roger Crisp, David Brink, and Piers Norris Turner – to accommodate this passage.
Dual task training in persons with Multiple Sclerosis: a feasability randomized controlled trial.

Objective:To determine the feasibility of dual task training in persons with Multiple Sclerosis.Design:Randomized, single-blinded controlled trial.Setting:University research laboratory.Participant...
Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO by diamond nanoparticles

Abstract Recent studies have shown that optically excited diamond can act as a solid-state source of solvated electrons in aqueous media, leading to novel reduction reactions such as the one-electron activation pathway (CO 2 + e − → − CO 2 − , E° = − 1.9 V vs SHE) for reduction of CO 2 to CO. However, an understanding of the valence band reactions is also essential, especially since CO can also be produced in the absence of CO 2 by oxidation of diamond via C + H 2 O → CO + 2H + + 2e − (E° = 0.52 V). Here, we demonstrate that H-terminated diamond nanoparticles with a median diameter of 125 nm can initiate selective photochemical reduction of CO 2 to CO, and that argon-purged control samples show no production of CO production in the absence of intentional CO 2 reactant as long as a sacrificial electron donor (here, Na 2 SO 3 ) is present. However, in the absence of an electron donor clear signs of diamond oxidation and aggregation are observed. In contrast, experiments with detonation nanodiamond show rapid changes upon illumination consistent with oxidation of the samples. Our results indicate that crystallinity and absence of high-energy defect sites is important to stability of nanodiamond-based photocatalysts.
Differential expression of CCR4 in primary cutaneous gamma/delta (γ⁄δ) T cell lymphomas and mycosis fungoides: Significance for diagnosis and therapy.

Primary cutaneous γ⁄δ T cell lymphomas (PCγδTCL) are rare and usually aggressive T cell lymphomas. Expression of markers potentially useful for therapy, such as CCR4 and other molecules implicated in Th-like immune response may help to better understand these tumors and has not been reported to date.
Night-time communication at Stanford University Hospital: perceptions, reality and solutions.

Background Resident work hour restrictions have led to the creation of the ‘night float’ to care for the patients of multiple primary teams after hours. These residents are often inundated with acute issues in the numerous patients they cover and are less able to address non-urgent issues that arise at night. Further, non-urgent pages may contribute to physician alarm fatigue and negatively impact patient outcomes. Objective To delineate the burden of non-urgent paging at night and propose solutions. Methods We performed a resident review and categorisation of 1820 pages to night floats between September 2014 and December 2014. Both attending and nursing review of 10% of pages was done and compared. Results Of reviewed pages, 62.1% were urgent and 27.7% were non-urgent. Attending review of random page samples correlated well with resident review. Common reasons for non-urgent pages were non-urgent patient status updates, low-priority order requests and non-critical lab values. Conclusions A significant number of non-urgent pages are sent at night. These pages likely distract from acute issues that arise at night and place an unnecessary burden on night floats. Both behavioural and systemic adjustments are needed to address this issue. Possible interventions include integrating low-priority messaging into the electronic health record system and use of charge nurses to help determine urgency of issues and batch non-urgent pages.
Assessing Awareness of and Interests in Public Health Among Undergraduate Students Without Declared Majors

There are underrepresented fields in both undergraduate-level (UG) and graduate-level public health (PH) professional preparation in the United States. Demand for employment and a diversified work ...
The thermo-elastic instability model of melting of alkali halides in the Debye approximation

ABSTRACTThe Debye model of lattice vibrations of alkali halides is used to show that there is a temperature below the melting temperature where the vibrational pressure exceeds the electrostatic pr...
Utopian Plans for the Modern World: John Nolen, Lewis Mumford, and the Origins of Sustainability

Sustainability, as put forth in the Brutland Commission’s landmark report, Our Common Future, imposes “limits to growth” to ensure development “meets the needs of the present without compromising t...
Quantum Spin Systems in a Random Environment

Quantum spin systems with random parameters have been introduced to study the effect of impurities in several physical systems (e.g., [1],[2], where models related to superfluidity and superconductivity are discussed). The finite volume Hamiltonian is typically of the form H Λ = JH 0,Λ + V Λ where H 0,Λ favors long-range order and V Λ has discrete spectrum with a unique ground state in which the elementary excitations of the system are perfectly localized, so for J = 0 the ground state correlation function is a δ-function. One or both of H0,Λ and V Λ may contain random parameters. J is a coupling constant.
Constructive induction on domain information

It is well-known that inductive learning algorithms are sensitive to the way in which examples of a concept are represented. Constructive induction reduces this sensitivity by enabling the inductive algorithm to create new terms with which to describe examples. However, new terms are usually created as functions of existing terms, so an extremely poor initial representation makes the search for new terms intractable. This work considers inductive learning within a problem-solving environment. It shows that information about the problem-solving task can be used to create terms that are suitable for learning search control knowledge. The resulting terms describe the problem-solver's progress in achieving its goals. Experimental evidence from two domains is presented in support of the approach.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Experimental Prostheses

The last stage in the development of a new prosthesis is biomechanical evaluation of its performance. After gait trials are conducted, investigators look for validation of their initial hypotheses about the influence of a new prosthesis on certain gait characteristics. Among these characteristics may be data to which other researchers traditionally pay attention. In our case, we selected criteria that were not in the mainstream of biomechanical testing of limb prostheses. We were looking for combination of moments in prosthetic joints with angles in existing anatomical joints of the subjects. We considered this combination to be an indicator of anthropomorphicity of gait with new prostheses.
Analysis of Dual LIDAR Placement for Off-Road Autonomy Using MAVS

Two simulations were conducted using the Mississippi State University Autonomous Vehicle Simulator (MAVS) to evaluate the orientation of two M8 LIDAR units on an off-road autonomous vehicle project. The first simulation assesses the ability of the two LIDAR units to detect an object, in this case a Jersey barrier, at a significant distance away from the vehicle as it travels along a pre-defined path. The second simulation seeks to find an optimal orientation for the LIDAR units given their current position to maximize coverage of the terrain in the path of the vehicle. The results of the two simulations indicate that vertical placement of LIDAR units (0 degree rotation) provides less than ideal instantaneous coverage of obstacles and the ground. An 87 degree rotation provided the maximum single-pass coverage of the terrain along the travel path while also providing a good visualization of objects in the path of the vehicle, given the constraints of this project.
A rare case of ovarian lymphangioma with elevated CA-125 causing pseudo-Meigs’ syndrome

Lymphangiomas are benign congenital malformations of the lymphatic system, thought to occur as a result of obstruction of the local lymph flow system. They can occur anywhere in the skin and mucous membranes. The most common sites are the head and neck, but sometimes they are found in the intestines, pancreas and mesentery. Lymphangioma of the ovary is an extremely rare lesion. It was first described in 1908. Clinical manifestations can vary, from an asymptomatic ovarian mass to an acute abdomen. These may be confused with malignant ovarian masses, resulting in extensive surgery. A 34-year-old woman presented with dull aching pain localised to the lower abdomen, present for the previous 6 months. Ultrasound and a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen were suggestive of an enlarged right ovary with massive ascites. The cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) level was 685 units/mL. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed chylous ascites, and further, a frozen section revealed a few atypical cells, additionally strengthening the diagnosis of a malignant tumour. Staging laparotomy with total abdominal hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy was finally performed. Histopathology revealed lymphangioma, with no evidence of malignancy. CA-125 also showed a rapid decline following surgery. Lymphangiomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of ovarian cystic masses, especially in patients with chylous ascites. It is very important to discriminate such cases from other malignant tumours in order to avoid overtreatment. However, a careful follow-up for at least 2 years is needed for patients with lymphangioma of the ovary, to exclude recurrence.
Dynamic Information Provision: Rewarding the Past and Guiding the Future

I study the provision of information as an incentive instrument in a continuous-time sender-receiver model. The sender observes a persistent, evolving state and sends signals over time to the receiver, who sequentially chooses public actions which affect the welfare of both players. I solve for the sender's optimal dynamic information policy in closed form. Under this policy, the sender provides information gradually, contingent on the receiver's past actions. I show that the sender can implement this policy by truthfully reporting the realized state with a delay that shrinks over time.
Editorial on coronary artery fistulae.

Over 21 years, 26 coronary artery fistulae were treated percutaneously, and 21 (81%) were successful. There is still much to be learned about the physiology of coronary fistulae. Transcatheter methods have improved over the years and permit a high success rate, but some cases still require a surgical approach.
Comparison of Ferumoxytol-enhanced MR Angiography and CT Angiography for the Detection of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Initial Results.

Initial results suggest that ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI is a feasible alternative to CT for pulmonary arteriovenous malformation detection in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, while avoiding rep...
Legitimizing CSR Enactment Through Institutional Logics: A Cross-Market Comparison

As responsible business becomes an increasingly global concern, the ways in which organizations, and the individuals within, enact and legitimize corporate social responsibility (CSR), is increasin...
Examining association between cohesion and diversity in collaboration networks of pharmaceutical clinical trials with drug approvals.

OBJECTIVE Clinical trials ensure that pharmaceutical treatments are safe, efficacious, and effective for public consumption, but are extremely complex, taking up to 10 years and $2.6 billion to complete. One main source of complexity arises from the collaboration between actors, and network science methodologies can be leveraged to explore that complexity. We aim to characterize collaborations between actors in the clinical trials context and investigate trends of successful actors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We constructed a temporal network of clinical trial collaborations between large and small-size pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, hospital systems, and government agencies from public and proprietary data and introduced metrics to quantify actors' collaboration network structure, organizational behavior, and partnership characteristics. A multivariable regression analysis was conducted to determine the metrics' relationship with success. RESULTS We found a positive correlation between the number of successful approved trials and interdisciplinary collaborations measured by a collaboration diversity metric (P < .01). Our results also showed a negative effect of the local clustering coefficient (P < .01) on the success of clinical trials. Large pharmaceutical companies have the lowest local clustering coefficient and more diversity in partnerships across biomedical specializations. CONCLUSIONS Large pharmaceutical companies are more likely to collaborate with a wider range of actors from other specialties, especially smaller industry actors who are newcomers in clinical research, resulting in exclusive access to smaller actors. Future investigations are needed to show how concentrations of influence and resources might result in diminished gains in treatment development.
The Power of Shared Breath: an Irigarayan Reading of Prāṇa in Vedānta and Sāṃkhya Philosophies

Each action, each thought is accompanied by one’s own breathing. To breathe is always thought of as an individual act. It is one’s own breathing that keeps us alive and it is one’s own breathing that leaves at the moment of death. Up until recently, it was uncommon to talk about breathing as a shared act, as a relational moment that is created with someone else. Yet, Luce Irigaray’s work calls for the cultivation of breathing to enable our ethical coexistence with the other, and the eighth c. commentary on the Sāṃkhyakārikā, the Yuktidīpikā, relates the vital breath of samāna to the function of sharing. This paper searches for a philosophy of breath, such as the one that Irigaray calls for, that can emerge from a close reading of Indian philosophical sources. I explore the relational aspect of breathing throughout the development of the notion of prāṇa in the Upaniṣads and elucidate the meaning given to the term samāna within the classical Sāṃkhya tradition, unique in the Indian theory of the bodily winds.
A mathematical model for understanding synergistic regulations and paradoxical feedbacks in the shoot apical meristem.

Abstract The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is the primary stem cell niche in plant shoots. Stem cells in the SAM are controlled by an intricate regulatory network, including negative feedback between WUSCHEL (WUS) and CLAVATA3 (CLV3). Recently, we identified a group of signals, Epidermal Patterning Factor-Like (EPFL) proteins, that are produced at the peripheral region and are important for SAM homeostasis. Here, we present a mathematical model for the SAM regulatory network. The model revealed that the SAM uses EPFL and signals such as HAIRY MERISTEM from the middle in a synergistic manner to constrain both WUS and CLV3. We found that interconnected negative and positive feedbacks between WUS and CLV3 ensure stable WUS expression in the SAM when facing perturbations, and the positive feedback loop also maintains distinct cell populations containing WUSon and CLV3on cells in the apical-basal direction. Furthermore, systematic perturbations of the parameters revealed a tradeoff between optimizations of multiple patterning features. Our results provide a holistic view of the regulation of SAM patterning in multiple dimensions. They give insights into how Arabidopsis integrates signals from lateral and apical-basal axes to control the SAM patterning, and they shed light into design principles that may be widely useful for understanding regulatory networks of stem cell niche.
Plastic ingestion by marine fish is widespread and increasing.

Plastic pollution has pervaded almost every facet of the biosphere, yet we lack an understanding of consumption risk by marine species at the global scale. To address this, we compile data from research documenting plastic debris ingestion by marine fish, totaling 171,774 individuals of 555 species. Overall, 386 marine fish species have ingested plastic debris including 210 species of commercial importance. However, 148 species studied had no records of plastic consumption, suggesting that while this evolutionary trap is widespread, it is not yet universal. Across all studies that accounted for microplastics, the incidence rate of plastic ingested by fish was 26%. Over the last decade this incidence has doubled, increasing by 2.4 ± 0.4% per year. This is driven both by increasing detection of smaller sized particles as a result of improved methodologies, as well as an increase in fish consuming plastic. Further, we investigated the role of geographic, ecological, and behavioral factors in the ingestion of plastic across species. These analyses revealed that the abundance of plastic in surface waters was positively correlated to plastic ingestion. Demersal species are more likely to ingest plastic in shallow waters; in contrast, pelagic species were most likely to consume plastic below the mixed layer. Mobile predatory species had the highest likelihood to ingest plastic; similarly, we found a positive relationship between trophic level and plastic ingestion. We also find evidence that surface ingestion-deep sea egestion of microplastics by mesopelagic myctophids is likely a key mechanism for the export of microplastics from the surface ocean to the seafloor, a sink for marine debris. These results elucidate the role of ecology and biogeography underlying plastic ingestion by marine fish and point toward species and regions in urgent need of study.
Molecular correlates of muscle spindle and Golgi tendon organ afferents.

Proprioceptive feedback mainly derives from groups Ia and II muscle spindle (MS) afferents and group Ib Golgi tendon organ (GTO) afferents, but the molecular correlates of these three afferent subtypes remain unknown. We performed single cell RNA sequencing of genetically identified adult proprioceptors and uncovered five molecularly distinct neuronal clusters. Validation of cluster-specific transcripts in dorsal root ganglia and skeletal muscle demonstrates that two of these clusters correspond to group Ia MS afferents and group Ib GTO afferent proprioceptors, respectively, and suggest that the remaining clusters could represent group II MS afferents. Lineage analysis between proprioceptor transcriptomes at different developmental stages provides evidence that proprioceptor subtype identities emerge late in development. Together, our data provide comprehensive molecular signatures for groups Ia and II MS afferents and group Ib GTO afferents, enabling genetic interrogation of the role of individual proprioceptor subtypes in regulating motor output. Coordinated movement critically depends on sensory feedback from muscle spindles (MSs) and Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) but the afferents supplying this proprioceptive feedback have remained genetically inseparable. Here the authors use single cell transcriptome analysis to reveal the molecular basis of MS (groups Ia and II) and GTO (group Ib) afferent identities in the mouse.
Pregnancy Risk Screening and Counseling for Women Veterans: Piloting the One Key Question in the Veterans Healthcare Administration.

Objectives Women veterans have a high prevalence of comorbidities that increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Screening for pregnancy desires in primary care provider (PCP) visits offers an opportunity to optimize preconception health. This pilot quality improvement initiative sought to assess Veterans Healthcare Administration provider preferences on One Key Question (OKQ) implementation, identification of veterans' reproductive needs, and the effect of training on documentation in a women's primary care clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. Methods We hosted OKQ training sessions for providers and staff, audio recorded group discussions on implementation barriers, and explored themes. Women veterans presenting for a PCP visit in July 2018 self-completed a paper OKQ screening tool. We calculated summary statistics on responses. We conducted a pre-post analysis, with respect to training sessions, to measure for changes in family planning documentation during PCP visits. Results Nineteen providers and staff completed the training. They acknowledged the importance, but believed that the screening tool should be completed by veterans and not be provider prompted. Forty-two women veterans completed the screening tool: 21% desired pregnancy in the next year and 26% desired contraceptive information. Chart reviews found a nonsignificant increase in current contraceptive method documentation between periods (20% vs 37%; P = 0.08), a decline in documentation of reproductive goals (22% vs 3%; P = 0.02), and no significant change in counseling. Conclusions Veterans identify reproductive needs via the OKQ screening tool, but provider documentation did not reflect changes in care following training. Further study is necessary to develop an optimal, patient-centered tool and implementation plan to support women veterans in their reproductive goals.
Super Resolution Digital Image Correlation (SR-DIC): an Alternative to Image Stitching at High Magnifications

High-resolution Digital Image Correlation (DIC) measurements have previously been produced by stitching of neighboring images, which often requires short working distances. Separately, the image processing community has developed super resolution (SR) imaging techniques, which improve resolution by combining multiple overlapping images. This work investigates the novel pairing of super resolution with digital image correlation, as an alternative method to produce high-resolution full-field strain measurements. First, an image reconstruction test is performed, comparing the ability of three previously published SR algorithms to replicate a high-resolution image. Second, an applied translation is compared against DIC measurement using both low- and super-resolution images. Third, a ring sample is mechanically deformed and DIC strain measurements from low- and super-resolution images are compared. SR measurements show improvements compared to low-resolution images, although they do not perfectly replicate the high-resolution image. SR-DIC demonstrates reduced error and improved confidence in measuring rigid body translation when compared to low resolution alternatives, and it also shows improvement in spatial resolution for strain measurements of ring deformation. Super resolution imaging can be effectively paired with Digital Image Correlation, offering improved spatial resolution, reduced error, and increased measurement confidence.
Use of electronic self-administered bleeding assessment tool in diagnosis of paediatric bleeding disorders.

Introduction In the era of electronic medical records, pen-and-paper-based physician-administered bleeding assessment tools (BAT) remain under-utilized in the clinical setting, as they are noted to be time-consuming. Aim The current study reviews the use of an electronic self-administered bleeding assessment tool (eBAT) prospectively in a paediatric haematology clinic and in comparison with a physician administered BAT (pBAT). Materials and methods This was reviewed and approved in the current form because the aims statement includes the method regarding comparison of 2 groups. So no additional section required. Results A total of 94 BAT response pairs were available for analysis. The median time required for patients or parents to complete the eBAT was 8 min, with less than a third of the patients requiring over 10 min. The median bleeding scores noted in this study were 4 for both the BATs, with strong positive correlation between the eBAT and the physician administered bleeding questionnaire. The eBAT had a sensitivity of 93.8% (95% CI 82.8%-98.7%), a specificity of 34.8% (95% CI 21.4%-50.3%), a positive predictive value (PV) of 60.0% (95% CI 54.5%-65.2%) and a negative PV of 84.2% (95% CI 62.5%-94.5%) for identifying a bleeding disorder. Conclusions Findings indicate that eBAT is a valid and time-efficient screening tool for evaluating patients' bleeding symptoms, which can improve clinical applicability of BATs by reducing time for bleeding history review.
Specializing FGPU for Persistent Deep Learning

Overlay architectures are a good way to enable fast development and debug on FPGAs at the expense of potentially limited performance compared to fully customized FPGA designs. When used in concert with hand-tuned FPGA solutions, performant overlay architectures can improve time-to-solution and thus overall productivity of FPGA solutions. This work tunes and specializes FGPU, an open source OpenCL-programmable GPU overlay for FPGAs. We demonstrate that our persistent deep learning (PDL)-FGPU architecture maintains the ease-of-programming and generality of GPU programming while achieving high performance from specialization for the persistent deep learning domain. We also propose an easy method to specialize for other domains. PDL-FGPU includes new instructions, along with micro-architecture and compiler enhancements. We evaluate both the FGPU baseline and the proposed PDL-FGPU on a modern high-end Intel Stratix 10 2800 FPGA in simulation running persistent DL applications (RNN, GRU, LSTM), and non-DL applications to demonstrate generality. PDL-FGPU requires 1.4–3× more ALMs, 4.4–6.4× more M20ks, and 1–9.5× more DSPs than baseline, but improves performance by 56–693× for PDL applications with an average 23.1% degradation on non-PDL applications. We integrated the PDL-FGPU overlay into Intel OPAE to measure real-world performance/power and demonstrate that PDL-FGPU is only 4.0–10.4× slower than the Nvidia V100.
EFFICACY OF HUMAN RECOMBINANT GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF, FILGRASTIM; NEUPOGEN®) IN NEUTROPENIC CETACEANS.

Neutrophils are one of the initial cell lines of protection against pathogens, and when their concentrations in the blood are low, animals are highly susceptible to infections. Neutropenia has been reported in cetaceans secondary to administration of systemic sulfa antibiotics or antifungal medications and severe, overwhelming infection. Filgrastim was administered to treat neutropenia over a 15-y period in 11 cetaceans comprising four species—beluga (Delphinapterus leucas, n = 1), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, n = 4), killer whale (Orcinus orca, n = 5), and short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus, n = 1)] ranging in age from 1 wk to >24 y. Seven study animals received multiple doses (2–6). All animals responded to at least one dose (1–7 µg/kg) of parenteral filgrastim characterized by an increase in peripheral immature (band) neutrophils, segmented neutrophils, or both. In most cases (9/11), neutrophil counts increased within 48 h of a single dose. Duration of response varied but was at least 2 wk in eight of the 11 animals and 5–9 d in the remaining animals. No adverse reactions were observed in any cases.
PRICE CONTROLS FOR MEDICAL INNOVATIONS IN A LIFE CYCLE PERSPECTIVE

We study the market for new medical technologies from a life cycle perspective, incorporating the fact that healthcare utilization is biased towards old age. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that price controls on medical innovations can expand investment in medical R&D and results in Pareto superior social outcomes, a consequence of the price controls' ability to increase saving. Importantly, this finding occurs only when the price cap regime is extensive: selective regulation on few technologies - such as pharmaceuticals alone - have the conventional negative effect on innovation.
The effects of layout variation on the thermal characteristics of SiGe HBTs

The thermal properties of SiGe HBTs with multiple layout orientations and spacings are investigated. Device temperature gradients measured with an infrared camera are correlated to electrically extracted temperatures, and their impact on device performance assessed.
Gastrointestinale Motilität und Sekretion

Die Erfullung der Verdauungs- und Resorptionsaufgaben des gastrointestinalen Systems wird durch eine Reihe koordinierter Mechanismen ermoglicht; diese befordern aufgenommene Nahrung durch den Verdauungstrakt, weichen sie auf und vermengen sie mit der Galle sowie den Verdauungsenzymen. Ein Teil der Mechanismen ist der glatten Muskulatur inharent, ein anderer wird durch viscerale Reflexe und gastrointestinale Hormone gesteuert. Diese gastrointestinalen Gewebs-hormone werden von Teilen der Schleimhaut produziert und auf dem Blutweg an den Ort ihrer Wirkung (Magen, Darm, Pankreas, Gallenblase) transportiert.
Evaluation of overburden stress effects on liquefaction resistance at Duncan Dam

The cyclic resistance of sand unit 3c at Duncan Dam in British Columbia for overburden stresses of about 2 to 12 atm (1 atm = 101.325 kPa) was evaluated previously using cyclic undrained direct sim...
Video coding — techniques, standards and applications

Virtually all teleconferencing systems incorporating video use compression algorithms to reduce the video data rate to manageable proportions. For a given bit rate, higher compression brings higher quality, although there can also be disadvantages, such as increased delay. Conferencing implies interconnectability, so the development of appropriate standards has played a vital part in enabling the videoconferencing market in particular to become established. This paper describes the main techniques used in video compression and how these have been embodied in successive generations of standards appropriate to various application areas. Other non-standardised techniques, and forthcoming standards are also discussed.
Generalizability of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry population: factors relevant to epidemiologic and health care research.

To assess the generalizability of the population included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumor registries to the overall United States population, we compared the population of the 198 SEER counties to the population of the 2882 non-SEER counties regarding sociodemographic factors, physician availability, and availability of pertinent hospital resources. The population residing within the SEER areas is more affluent, has lower unemployment, and is substantially more urban than the remainder of the U.S. population (p < 0.001 for each). The SEER areas have fewer general and family practice physicians, but more total nonfederal physicians, general internists, and specialists relevant to cancer care. SEER areas have fewer Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals accredited hospitals, hospital beds, and hospitals with CT scanners, but more hospitals with bone marrow transplantation. The differences between the SEER population and the remainder of the United States, especially SEER's higher socioeconomic status and more urban population, should be considered when generalizing from SEER to the entire country.
A behavioral test of a smoking typology.

Abstract To determine the relationship between questionnaire responses and actual smoking behavior, 144 college students participated in one of four social situations designed for this experiment. The results indicated that subjects could be reliably classified into positive affect, negative affect, and social stimulation smokers as Tomkins' theory would predict. However, these classifications did not relate to actual smoking behavior in the various experimental conditions. The utility of questionnaire responses for predicting smoking behavior was questioned.