cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching risk communication to engineering students

Changes in engineering education place issues of practice at the forefront of the curriculum. This paper describes a course in risk communication that complements the growing emphasis on systemic thinking, social impact awareness, and ethical responsibilities of technology. Rather than taking a genre-driven approach, the course uses four case studies to examine both the rhetorical and the social discourse dimensions of communicating risk.
Modeling and filtering of optical emission spectroscopy. Data for plasma etching systems

We present a novel filter for optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data in plasma etch control applications. The filter is based on principal component analysis and jump linear filtering. The filter is demonstrated on a commercial multilayer TiN/Al(0.5% Cu)/TiN/SiO/sub 2/ etch process.
From Riemann and Kodaira to Modern Developments on Complex Manifolds

We survey the theory of complex manifolds that are related to Riemann surface, Hodge theory, Chern class, Kodaira embedding and Hirzebruch–Riemann–Roch, and some modern development of uniformization theorems, Kahler–Einstein metric and the theory of Donaldson–Uhlenbeck–Yau on Hermitian Yang–Mills connections. We emphasize mathematical ideas related to physics. At the end, we identify possible future research directions and raise some important open questions.
Matching with slot‐specific priorities: Theory

We introduce a two-sided, many-to-one matching with contracts model in which agents with unit demand match to branches that may have multiple slots available to accept contracts. Each slot has its own linear priority order over contracts; a branch chooses contracts by filling its slots sequentially, according to an order of precedence. We demonstrate that in these matching markets with slot-specific priorities, branches’ choice functions may not satisfy the substitutability conditions typically crucial for matching with contracts. Despite this complication, we are able to show that stable outcomes exist in the slot-specific priorities framework and can be found by a cumulative offer mechanism that is strategy-proof and respects unambiguous improvements in priority.
DEFORMITY CORRECTION AND STABILISATION OF LONG BONES OF ADOLESCENTS WITH METABOLIC BONE DISEASE USING RIGID INTRAMEDULLARY NAILING

The aim of the study was to review the effectiveness of rigid IM nailing in stabilisation and deformity correction of lower limb long bones in adolescents with metabolic bone disease which to our knowledge has not been studied before. Medical records and radiographs were retrospectively reviewed looking at indications, deformity correction, number of osteotomies-if needed, bone healing, time to healing and incidence of complications. Between Aug 2010 and Mar 2015 fifteen patients (24 segments) had rigid IM nailing. Ten patients had Osteogenesis Imperfecta, four with McCune Albright syndrome and one with hypophosphatemic rickets. 22 femora and two tibiae were IM nailed. The mean age of the patients was 13.1 (9.6–16.75 years). Eleven out 24 segments were previously rodded. Eight segments were for acute fractures. 13 bones had significant deformities requiring corrective osteotomies. One patient had previous fracture non union. All patients were allowed to partial weight bear immediately postoperatively and were fully mobile six weeks following surgery. Mean follow up was 24 months (3–51 months) post-operatively. All deformities were corrected. All fractures and osteotomies radiologically united. Mean radiological union time was 5.5 months (6 weeks – 11 months). Patients with acute fractures had mean radiological union time of 4 months. Patients who had osteotomies had a mean radiological union time of 7.1 months. The patient with previous non union had BMP at the same time and radiologically healed in 10 months. Two patients had persistent bisphosphonate osteotomy lines but were asymptomatic. One patient had removal of a prominent distal locking screw and one had persistent Trendelenburg gait. Rigid intramedullary nailing is effective in stabilisation and deformity correction of long bones in adolescent patients with brittle bone disease. The technique has a low complication rate. We recommend the use of this technique in paediatric limb reconstruction in managing metabolic bone conditions.
Introduction to quantum electromagnetic circuits

The article is a short opinionated review of the quantum treatment of electromagnetic circuits, with no pretension to exhaustiveness. This review, which is an updated and modernized version of a previous set of Les Houches School lecture notes, has three main parts. The first part describes how to construct a Hamiltonian for a general circuit, which can include dissipative elements. The second part describes the quantization of the circuit, with an emphasis on the quantum treatment of dissipation. The final part focuses on the Josephson nonlinear element and the main linear building blocks from which superconducting circuits are assembled. It also includes a brief review of the main types of superconducting artificial atoms, elementary multi-level quantum systems made from basic circuit elements. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal capacity allocation for sampled networked systems

Abstract We consider the problem of estimating the states of weakly coupled linear systems from sampled measurements. We assume that the total capacity available to the sensors to transmit their samples to a network manager in charge of the estimation is bounded above, and that each sample requires the same amount of communication. Our goal is then to find an optimal allocation of the capacity to the sensors so that the time-averaged estimation error is minimized. We show that when the total available channel capacity is large, this resource allocation problem can be recast as a strictly convex optimization problem, and hence there exists a unique optimal allocation of the capacity. We further investigate how this optimal allocation varies as the available capacity increases. In particular, we show that if the coupling among the subsystems is weak, then the sampling rate allocated to each sensor is nondecreasing in the total sampling rate, and is strictly increasing if and only if the total sampling rate exceeds a certain threshold.
NEMA NU-04-based performance characteristics of the LabPET-8™ small animal PET scanner

The objective of this study is to characterize the performance of the preclinical avalanche photodiode (APD)-based LabPET-8™ subsystem of the fully integrated trimodality PET/SPECT/CT Triumph™ scanner using the NEMA NU 04 - 2008 protocol. The characterized performance parameters include the spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction, counts rate performance, and image quality characteristics. The PET system is fully digital using APD-based detector modules with highly integrated electronics. The detector assembly consists of phoswich pairs of LYSO and LGSO crystals with dimensions of 2×2×14 mm3 having 7.5 cm axial and 10 cm transverse field-of-view (FOV). The spatial resolution and sensitivity were measured using a small 22Na point source at different positions in the scanner's FOV. The scatter fraction and count rate characteristics were measured using a mouse- and rat-sized phantoms fitted with 18F line source. The overall imaging capabilities of the scanner were assessed using the NEMA image quality phantom and laboratory animal studies. The NEMA-based radial and tangential spatial resolution ranged from 1.7 mm at the center of the FOV to 2.59 mm at a radial offset of 2.5 cm and from 1.85 mm at the center of the FOV to 1.76 mm at a radial offset of 2.5 cm, respectively. Iterative reconstruction improved the spatial resolution to 0.84 mm at the center of the FOV. The total absolute system sensitivity is 12.74% for an energy window of 250–650 keV. For the mouse-sized phantom, the peak noise equivalent count rate (NECR) is 183 kcps at 2.07 MBq/cc whereas the peak true count rate is 320 kcps at 2.5 MBq/cc with a scatter fraction of 19%. The rat-sized phantom had a scatter fraction of 31%, with a peak NECR of 67 kcps at 0.23 MBq/cc and a peak true count rate of 186 kcps at 0.27 MBq/cc. The average activity concentration and percentage standard deviation (%STD) are 126.97 kBq/ml and 7%, respectively. The performance of the LabPET-8™ scanner was characterized based on the NEMA NU 04 - 2008 standards. The all in all performance demonstrates that the LabPET-8™ system is able to produce high quality and highly contrasted images in a reasonable time, and as such it is well suited for preclinical molecular imaging-based research.
PerDiS: a scalable resource discovery service for the ISAM pervasive environment

This paper presents the PerDiS model for resource discovery in the scope of the ISAM architecture, ISAM aims to provide an integrated solution, from the development to the execution, for general-purpose pervasive applications. PerDiS considers a set of new requirements imposed by pervasive computing for resource discovery. In this paper, we emphasize the scalability issues and we propose a discovery service based on super-peer networks, which is suitable for the ISAM pervasive environment.
Prognostics of surgical site infections using dynamic health data

Display Omitted A flexible learning formulation that can predict SSI based on dynamic clinical data.A matrix completion framework to automatically mitigate the missing data problem.Efficient and robust algorithms to implement the machine learning models.Conducted extensive numerical studies on a real-world dataset. Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is a national priority in healthcare research. Much research attention has been attracted to develop better SSI risk prediction models. However, most of the existing SSI risk prediction models are built on static risk factors such as comorbidities and operative factors. In this paper, we investigate the use of the dynamic wound data for SSI risk prediction. There have been emerging mobile health (mHealth) tools that can closely monitor the patients and generate continuous measurements of many wound-related variables and other evolving clinical variables. Since existing prediction models of SSI have quite limited capacity to utilize the evolving clinical data, we develop the corresponding solution to equip these mHealth tools with decision-making capabilities for SSI prediction with a seamless assembly of several machine learning models to tackle the analytic challenges arising from the spatial-temporal data. The basic idea is to exploit the low-rank property of the spatial-temporal data via the bilinear formulation, and further enhance it with automatic missing data imputation by the matrix completion technique. We derive efficient optimization algorithms to implement these models and demonstrate the superior performances of our new predictive model on a real-world dataset of SSI, compared to a range of state-of-the-art methods.
The Non-Chosen Body: Poetics And Politics in Alona Kimhi’s Lily La Tigresse

Beginning with the female grotesque body in its midst, this study examines the bodies of key fictional characters from the center and margins of contemporary Israeli society that Alona Kimhi constructs in her novel Lily La Tigresse and considers their political implications. It asserts that the image of a well-built and almighty Jewish male body that the Zionist revolutionaries of the early twentieth dreamt of remains, in Kimhi’s view, a beau ideal in present-day Israel. However, the idealization of a healthy Jewish male body has given rise not to a healthy Jewish nation that the Zionist forefathers desired, but to a self-appointed sociocultural elite that seeks to sustain its position on the top by violently excluding all others who are pushed to the margins and left to invent their own identities. First published in Hebrew Studies 55 (2014). Published here with permissions of the author and publisher.
MILC Staggered Conjugate Gradient Performance on Intel KNL

We review our work done to optimize the staggered conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm in the MILC code for use with the Intel Knights Landing (KNL) architecture. KNL is the second gener- ation Intel Xeon Phi processor. It is capable of massive thread parallelism, data parallelism, and high on-board memory bandwidth and is being adopted in supercomputing centers for scientific research. The CG solver consumes the majority of time in production running, so we have spent most of our effort on it. We compare performance of an MPI+OpenMP baseline version of the MILC code with a version incorporating the QPhiX staggered CG solver, for both one-node and multi-node runs.
The diagnostic utility of gram stain microscopy in paediatric septic arthritis

Background Gram stain microscopy is a routinely requested investigation in the evaluation of septic arthritis in both paediatric and adult patients. Recent evidence suggests that gram stain microscopy has poor diagnostic accuracy in adults with a sensitivity of only 45%, however the diagnostic accuracy remains unknown in children. We sought to establish the diagnostic utility of gram stain microscopy in the diagnosis of septic arthritis in children. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of all patients of 16 years and under that underwent aspiration and washout of suspected septic joints in theatre from March 2005 to February 2011. Theatre data were cross referenced with microbiology results and analysed by simple descriptive methods in Excel. Results We identified 23 paediatric patients undergoing washout or aspiration of a suspected septic joint during the time period studied. 17 (74%) of the patients were female and the average age was 2 years (Range 1 month–16 years). The most commonly affected joints were Knees (12/23, 52%) and Hips (7/23, 30%), with the remainder of infections occurring sporadically. There were 9 cases of culture confirmed septic arthritis (39% of all washouts), and these occurred in 5 knees (56%), 3 Hips (33%) and 1 ankle (11%). Organisms were Staphylococcus Aureus (2/8), Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (2/9), Streptococcus pneumoniae (2/9), Group B Streptococcus (2/9) and Group A Streptococcus (1/9). Gram stain microscopy identified organisms in 3 aspirates both of which were confirmed on extended culture (Sensitivity 33%, Specificity 100%). Conclusion Gram stain microscopy identified only 33% of culture positive cases of septic arthritis within this study. Our results suggest that gram stain microscopy lacks the diagnostic accuracy to be used in the exclusion of septic arthritis in the paediatric population.
Pro-growth equity : a policy framework for the twin goals

Growth is an important channel for poverty reduction. Policies to make growth more inclusive have permeated the development debate and pro-poor growth has been the subject of a wide range of papers in the literature, including issues related to measurement, modeling, and policy. However, the analytical and particularly empirical literature to support the idea that equity-enhancing policies have a positive effect on growth is more scarce and limited, especially on the potential policy links. This paper presents a simple conceptual framework to identify the main elements that contribute to the income generation of households, building on the notion that growth can be seen partly as the aggregate outcome of the income generation capacity of households. The framework relies on an asset-based approach, and offers insights on how a more equitable distribution of assets and opportunities for their productive use can feed back into higher growth in the long term. Using this framework, the paper links the World Bank’s twin goals to specific policy channels that have direct impacts on the income generation capacity of households, with a particular focus on households at the bottom of the income distribution. The four key policy channels include: (i) implementing equitable, efficient, and sustainable fiscal policy and macroeconomic management, (ii) strengthening fair and transparent institutions capable of delivering quality basic services, (iii) enabling well-functioning markets, and (iv) establishing adequate risk management instruments at the macro and household levels.
Religion and Fertility in East Asia: Evidence from the East Asian Social Survey

This article analyzes the effect of religious affiliation on fertility in Japan, Korea and the Republic of China (Taiwan). It adds to the sparse empirical evidence on the effects of religious affiliation on fertility in East Asia, for both Abrahamic and other religions. It uses an identity-economic model and analyzes prescriptions among the different religions to derive testable hypotheses about the effect of religions on fertility. In the empirical section, the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) and a generalized Poisson model are used to estimate the effects of different religions on fertility. In line with theoretical predictions, the empirical results suggest that the positive effect of Catholicism on fertility that has disappeared in both Europe and the US in past decades is still present in East Asia. In line with the sparse previous empirical evidence on Buddhism, it seems to have no effect on fertility.
Adaptive filters for detection of targets in foliage

In this paper, we examine three different target detection techniques (including a family of two-dimensional adaptive filters) applied to FOPEN data collected by a UHF foliage penetration radar. >
The soviet program for peaceful uses of nuclear explosions

This paper presents an historical review of the Soviet program to study and utilize industrial applications of peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) in the Soviet Union over the period 1965 to 1988. This was a very active program that carried out 122 nuclear explosions to study some 13 applications. In all, 128 nuclear explosives with yields ranging from 0.01 to 140 kt were used, with the vast majority being between 2 and 20 kt. Over half of these explosions were used for implementation of two industrial applications: the creation of underground cavities in salt for the storage of gas condensate and deep seismic sounding of the Earth's crust and upper mantle. Other applications studied with nuclear explosions included oil and gas stimulation, closure of runaway gas wells, disposal of toxic chemical wastes, block cave mining of underground minerals, production of transplutonic elements, and the excavation of water reservoirs and canals. In terms of the number of applications explored with field experiments, t...
Nearest keyword set search in multi-dimensional datasets

Keyword-based search in text-rich multi-dimensional datasets facilitates many novel applications and tools. In this paper, we consider objects that are tagged with keywords and are embedded in a vector space. For these datasets, we study queries that ask for the tightest groups of points satisfying a given set of keywords. We propose a novel method called ProMiSH (Projection and Multi Scale Hashing) that uses random projection and hash-based index structures, and achieves high scalability and speedup. We present an exact and an approximate version of the algorithm. Our empirical studies, both on real and synthetic datasets, show that ProMiSH has a speedup of more than four orders over state-of-the-art tree-based techniques. Our scalability tests on datasets of sizes up to 10 million and dimensions up to 100 for queries having up to 9 keywords show that ProMiSH scales linearly with the dataset size, the dataset dimension, the query size, and the result size.
PHOTOMETRYPIPELINE: An automated pipeline for calibrated photometry

Abstract PHOTOMETRYPIPELINE (PP) is an automated pipeline that produces calibrated photometry from imaging data through image registration, aperture photometry, photometric calibration, and target identification with only minimal human interaction. PP utilizes the widely used Source Extractor software for source identification and aperture photometry; SCAMP is used for image registration. Both image registration and photometric calibration are based on matching field stars with star catalogs, requiring catalog coverage of the respective field. A number of different astrometric and photometric catalogs can be queried online. Relying on a sufficient number of background stars for image registration and photometric calibration, PP is well-suited to analyze data from small to medium-sized telescopes. Calibrated magnitudes obtained by PP are typically accurate within ≤ 0.03 mag and astrometric accuracies are of the order of 0.3 arcsec relative to the catalogs used in the registration. The pipeline consists of an open-source software suite written in Python 2.7, can be run on Unix-based systems on a simple desktop machine, and is capable of realtime data analysis. PP has been developed for observations of moving targets, but can be used for analyzing point source observations of any kind.
Dysthyroid optic neuropathy: update on pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is a severe manifestation of thyroid eye disease (TED) that can result in permanent vision loss. Management is complex, multidisciplinary, and involves medical and/or surgical therapies. This review describes current concepts in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of DON.Areas covered: An extensive review of the literature was performed to detail current concepts on the diagnosis and management of DON. This includes utilization of various medical and surgical modalities for disease management.Expert commentary: DON can result in permanent blindness and often requires the use of corticosteroids and surgical decompression. We favor the use of intravenous corticosteroids and a transcaruncular approach when surgical decompression is indicated. The use of orbital radiation for DON is often reserved for patients that are poor surgical candidates and/or patients with refractory disease.
Uncertainty, information, and disagreement of economic forecasters

ABSTRACTAn information framework is proposed for studying uncertainty and disagreement of economic forecasters. This framework builds upon the mixture model of combining density forecasts through a systematic application of the information theory. The framework encompasses the measures used in the literature and leads to their generalizations. The focal measure is the Jensen–Shannon divergence of the mixture which admits Kullback–Leibler and mutual information representations. Illustrations include exploring the dynamics of the individual and aggregate uncertainty about the US inflation rate using the survey of professional forecasters (SPF). We show that the normalized entropy index corrects some of the distortions caused by changes of the design of the SPF over time. Bayesian hierarchical models are used to examine the association of the inflation uncertainty with the anticipated inflation and the dispersion of point forecasts. Implementation of the information framework based on the variance and Dirich...
A Computer System for Coding Occupation

Background Occupation information is widely used in epidemiologic studies and is collected on most death certificates and many birth certificates in the United States. Coding the massive amount of occupation information collected has been a challenge. Methods A simple word-matching computer program to code occupation entries from vital records was developed. The accuracy of the program was evaluated by comparing its output to codes assigned by human coders. Results In routine use in the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the computer system codes 96–97% of the occupation entries on birth and death records. It assigned the correct code on 89% (95% confidence interval (87%, 91%)) of the records it coded. Conclusions The occupation-coding program is both efficient and accurate and can simplify the process of coding occupation entries from vital records. The system is adaptable and can be modified to use occupation classifications other than the one used by DOH. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ehrhart h ∗-Vectors of Hypersimplices

We consider the Ehrhart h ∗-vector for the hypersimplex. It is well-known that the sum of the \(h_{i}^{*}\) is the normalized volume which equals the Eulerian numbers. The main result is a proof of a conjecture by R. Stanley which gives an interpretation of the \(h^{*}_{i}\) coefficients in terms of descents and exceedances. Our proof is geometric using a careful book-keeping of a shelling of a unimodular triangulation. We generalize this result to other closely related polytopes.
Based on a true story: Making people believe the unbelievable

Abstract Storytelling is important to how people construct reality and interact with others. This research contributes to our understanding of why some stories are evaluated more positively than others, specifically how truth-based labeling (TBL), stating the story is “based on true events,” influences evaluations. Past research has failed to find an unequivocal effect of knowing a story is true on a range of responses including enjoyment, transportation, and emotional reactions. We contend this was due to past work not considering how TBL might interact with the nature of the story itself. One aspect of the story is its typicality (i.e., whether story events fall within the parameters of our past and present experiences). We propose, and show, across experimental and correlational data, that TBL increases the perceived plausibility of a story and enhances the audience's response only when a story is low in typicality to begin with. Conversely, when events in a story are already high in typicality, TBL has little effect on the perceived plausibility of the story, and in turn how the audience responds. We further provide mediational evidence for perceived plausibility as the underlying mechanism.
Investors and stranded asset risk: evidence from shareholder responses to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) events

To avoid catastrophic climate change risk, the case for fossil fuel reserves not being burned has become stronger. This is particularly the case for coal, as the highest emitter of CO2 per unit of ...
Inferring dissipation from current fluctuations

Complex physical dynamics can often be modeled as a Markov jump process between mesoscopic configurations. When jumps between mesoscopic states are mediated by thermodynamic reservoirs, the time-irreversibility of the jump process is a measure of the physical dissipation. We rederive a recently introduced inequality relating the dissipation rate to current fluctuations in jump processes. We then adapt these results to diffusion processes via a limiting procedure, reaffirming that diffusions saturate the inequality. Finally, we study the impact of spatial coarse-graining in a two-dimensional model with driven diffusion. By observing fluctuations in coarse-grained currents, it is possible to infer a lower bound on the total dissipation rate, including the dissipation associated with hidden dynamics. The tightness of this bound depends on how well the spatial coarse-graining detects dynamical events that are driven by large thermodynamic forces.
Perfect equilibria in games of incomplete information

This paper extends Selten’s (Int J Game Theory 4:25–55, 1975) notion of perfection to normal-form games of incomplete information and provides conditions on the primitives of a game that ensure the existence of a perfect Bayes–Nash equilibrium. The existence results, which allow for arbitrary (compact, metric) type and/or action spaces and payoff discontinuities, are illustrated in the context of all-pay auctions and Cournot games with incomplete information and cost discontinuities.
Between the lines: The 50th anniversary of long-term central venous catheters.

Abstract Background Tunneled central venous catheters (CVC) were developed five decades ago. Since then, several clinician-inventors have created a variety of catheters with different functions. Indeed, many catheters have been named after their inventor. Many have wondered who the inventors were of each catheter, and what specifically inspired their inventions. Many of these compelling stories have yet to be told. Data source A literature review of common catheters and personal communication with inventors. Only first person accounts from inventors or those close to the invention were used. Conclusions CVCs are now essential devices that have saved countless lives. Though the inventors have earned the honor of naming their catheters, it may be reasonable to consider more consistent terminology to describe these catheters to avoid confusion.
INSTITUTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS IN IMMEDIATELY DECREASED LENGTH OF STAY AND IMPROVED PAIN SCORE FOLLOWING TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction There is no consensus on the ideal pain management strategy following total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study sought to identify immediate changes in the hospital course of patients undergoing primary THA following implementation of a rapid recovery anesthesia and multimodal management of pain (RAMP) protocol. For this study, rapid recovery anesthesia describes the use of preoperative non-narcotic medication in conjunction with neuraxial anesthesia techniques confined to the operating room only. The multimodal pain regimen consists of pre- and post-operative high dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), gabapentin, and antiemetics with or without intraoperative periarticular anesthetic injection. We hypothesized that the implementation of a RAMP protocol would lead to decreased reported pain scores, decreased narcotic use, and a shorter hospital stay in patients undergoing primary THA. Methods This retrospective cohort study performed at a multi-surgeon high-volume institution reviewed the records of 81 consecutive patients who underwent primary THA utilizing traditional anesthesia and an opioid-dependentpain management techniques between June to September 2014 compared to 78 patients who underwent primary THA after implementation of the RAMP protocol between November 2014 to February 2015. The length of stay (LOS), pain scores, narcotic use, and other clinical data were recorded for each study group. Equality of variance was confirmed prior to statistical analysis using t-test for equality of means. Results There was no significant difference in the demographics, body mass index, ASA classification, or Charleson Comorbidity Index between the two cohorts. The average LOS was significantly shorter after implementation of the RAMP protocol with a mean of 2.10 ± 1.1 days versus 2.89 ± 1.0 days. Total amount of narcotics used was significantly less with the RAMP protocol (Fig 1). Patient reported pain scores were improved throughout the hospital stay with patients receiving the RAMP protocol reporting significantly less pain beginning the morning of POD 1 (Fig 2). No significant decrease in kidney function was seen following the use of high dose NSAIDs (p=0.18). Conclusions The implementation of a RAMP protocol in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty has resulted in an immediate shorter length of stay with less narcotics use and improved reported pain scores. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a statistically significantly shorter length of stay associated with a multimodal pain protocol. This study supports the benefits of broad implementation a RAMP protocol for total hip arthroplasty.
Graffinity: Visualizing Connectivity in Large Graphs

Multivariate graphs are prolific across many fields, including transportation and neuroscience. A key task in graph analysis is the exploration of connectivity, to, for example, analyze how signals flow through neurons, or to explore how well different cities are connected by flights. While standard node-link diagrams are helpful in judging connectivity, they do not scale to large networks. Adjacency matrices also do not scale to large networks and are only suitable to judge connectivity of adjacent nodes. A key approach to realize scalable graph visualization are queries: instead of displaying the whole network, only a relevant subset is shown. Query-based techniques for analyzing connectivity in graphs, however, can also easily suffer from cluttering if the query result is big enough. To remedy this, we introduce techniques that provide an overview of the connectivity and reveal details on demand. We have two main contributions: 1 two novel visualization techniques that work in concert for summarizing graph connectivity; and 2 Graffinity, an open-source implementation of these visualizations supplemented by detail views to enable a complete analysis workflow. Graffinity was designed in a close collaboration with neuroscientists and is optimized for connectomics data analysis, yet the technique is applicable across domains. We validate the connectivity overview and our open-source tool with illustrative examples using flight and connectomics data.
Optimal portfolio under fractional stochastic environment

Rough stochastic volatility models have attracted a lot of attention recently, in particular for the linear option pricing problem. In this paper, starting with power utilities, we propose to use a martingale distortion representation of the optimal value function for the nonlinear asset allocation problem in a (non‐Markovian) fractional stochastic environment (for all values of the Hurst index ). We rigorously establish a first‐order approximation of the optimal value, when the return and volatility of the underlying asset are functions of a stationary slowly varying fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process. We prove that this approximation can be also generated by a fixed zeroth‐ order trading strategy providing an explicit strategy which is asymptotically optimal in all admissible controls. Furthermore, we extend the discussion to general utility functions, and obtain the asymptotic optimality of this fixed strategy in a specific family of admissible strategies.
Repugnance Management and Transactions in the Body.

Researchers have made progress in understanding the role of repugnance in transactions involving the human body. Yet, often, the focus remains on exchange between individuals and how they mentally cope (or not) with repugnance. But these exchanges also entail a "vertical" dimension in which organizational and state actors both directly manage repugnance and also limit the repugnance management tools available to the marketplace. Analyzing repugnance and its management as an organizational and regulatory problem, in addition to an individual one, suggests that a single, harmonized system of exchange in bodily goods is unlikely to emerge with the passage of time.
Deriving quests from open world mechanics

Open world games present players with more freedom than games with linear progression structures. However, without clearly-defined objectives, they often leave players without a sense of purpose. Most of the time, quests and objectives are hand-authored and overlaid atop an open world's mechanics. But what if they could be generated organically from the gameplay itself? The goal of our project was to develop a model of the mechanics in Minecraft that could be used to determine the ideal placement of objectives in an open world setting. We formalized the game logic of Minecraft in terms of logical rules that can be manipulated in two ways: they may be executed to generate graphs representative of the player experience when playing an open world game with little developer direction; and they may be statically analyzed to determine dependency orderings, feedback loops, and bottlenecks. These analyses may then be used to place achievements on gameplay actions algorithmically.
Measurement of head movement during auditory localization

Head movement can have a significant effect on the ability to locate the direction of a sound source. A system has been designed to track the head movement in response to sound originating at different azimuth locations with respect to the head. A videotape record is made of a light approximating a point source carried on a lightweight “beanie” mounted on the listener’s head. Movement of the light is monitored by the video camera and recorded on tape, along with the sound stimulus and information concerning loudspeaker location and time. The horizontal and vertical coordinates of the light-spot image are determined in relation to the video synch pulses defining the field borders. Synch signals are available from a video monitor either in real-time or from tape replay to define each TV frame and horizontal scan line. The circuitry interfaces to a computer programmed to take the information, apply a calibration, and process the data into records of time-varying head position and velocity. Examples of both digital and graphic printouts of head movement are given. The system is capable of expansion to three-axis operation.
Magnetic vortex nucleation/annihilation in artificial-ferrimagnet microdisks

The topological nature of the magnetic-vortex state gives rise to peculiar magnetization reversal observed in magnetic microdisks. Interestingly, magnetostatic and exchange, energies which, drive this reversal can be effectively controlled in artificial ferrimagnet heterostructures composed of rare-earth and transition metals. [Py(t)/Gd(t)]25 (t = 1 or 2 nm) superlattices demonstrate a pronounced change of the magnetization and exchange stiffness in a 10–300 K temperature range as well as very small magnetic anisotropy. Due to these properties, the magnetization of cylindrical microdisks composed of these artificial ferrimagnets can be transformed from the vortex to uniformly magnetized states in a permanent magnetic field by changing the temperature. We explored the behavior of magnetization in 1.5-μm [Py(t)/Gd(t)]25 (t = 1 or 2 nm) disks at different temperatures and magnetic fields and observed that due to the energy barrier separating vortex and uniformly magnetized states, the vortex nucleation and annihilation occur at different temperatures. This causes the temperature dependences of the magnetization in these Py/Gd disks to demonstrate a unique hysteretic behavior in a narrow temperature range. It was discovered that for the [Py(2 nm)/Gd(2 nm)]25 microdisks, the vortex can be metastable within a certain temperature range.
Fair process, trust, and cooperation: Moving toward an integrated framework of police legitimacy.

Positive public perceptions are a critical pillar of the criminal justice system, but the literature addressing them often fails to offer clear advice regarding the important constructs or the rela...
Combining bundle search with buyer coalition formation in electronic markets: A distributed approach through explicit negotiation

In electronic markets, both bundle search and buyer coalition formation are profitable purchasing strategies for buyers who need to buy small amount of goods and have no or limited bargaining power. In this paper, we present a distributed mechanism that allows buyers to use both purchasing strategies. The mechanism includes a heuristic bundle search algorithm and a distributed coalition formation scheme, which is based on an explicit negotiation protocol with low communication cost. The resulting coalitions are stable in the core in terms of coalition rationality. The simulation results show that this mechanism is very efficient. The resulting cost to buyers is close to the optimal cost.
A Coordination Theory for Intelligent Machines

Abstract A formal model for the Coordination Level of Intelligent Machines is established. The framework of the Coordination Level investigated consists of a dispatcher and a number of coordinators. The model called coordination structure has been used to describe analytically the infonnation structure and infonnation flow for the coordination activities in the Coordination Level. Specifically, the coordination structure offers a fonnalism to 1) describe the task translation of the dispatcher and coordinators; 2) represent the individual process within the dispatcher and coordinators; 3) specify the cooperation and connection among the dispatcher and coordinators; 4) perfonn the process analysis and evaluation; and 5) provide a control and communication mechanism for the real-time monitor or simulation of coordination process. A simple procedure for the task scheduling in the coordination structure is presented. The task translation is achieved by stochastic learning algorithm, The learning process is measured with entropy and its convergence is guaranteed. Finally, a case study for a simple intelligent manipulator system illustrates the proposed model and the simulation perfonned verifies the soundness of the theory.
Disinformation and social bot operations in the run up to the 2017 French presidential election

Recent accounts from researchers, journalists, as well as federal investigators, reached a unanimous conclusion: social media are systematically exploited to manipulate and alter public opinion. Some disinformation campaigns have been coordinated by means of bots, social media accounts controlled by computer scripts that try to disguise themselves as legitimate human users. In this study, we describe one such operation that occurred in the run up to the 2017 French presidential election. We collected a massive Twitter dataset of nearly 17 million posts, posted between 27 April and 7 May 2017 (Election Day). We then set to study the MacronLeaks disinformation campaign: By leveraging a mix of machine learning and cognitive behavioral modeling techniques, we separated humans from bots, and then studied the activities of the two groups independently, as well as their interplay. We provide a characterization of both the bots and the users who engaged with them, and oppose it to those users who didn’t. Prior interests of disinformation adopters pinpoint to the reasons of scarce success of this campaign: the users who engaged with MacronLeaks are mostly foreigners with pre-existing interest in alt-right topics and alternative news media, rather than French users with diverse political views. Concluding, anomalous account usage patterns suggest the possible existence of a black market for reusable political disinformation bots.
Rapid Replacement of Serum Albumin in Patients Receiving Total Parenteral Nutrition

The albumin deficit (AD) of 13 malnourished patients with serum albumin concentrations (SAC) of less than 3.0 grams per deciliter was estimated using a simple equation. The AD was replaced over a period of 24 to 72 hours as a component of the formulation of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). AD was estimated assuming a volume of distribution of 3 deciliters per kilogram of actual body weight and a minimum acceptable SAC of 3.5 grams per deciliter. The mean AD was 200 +/- 94 grams (mean +/- standard deviation), the average dose administered was 206 +/- 97 grams. TPN regimens provided 42.0 +/- 8.5 nonprotein kilocalories per kilogram with a nonprotein calorie to nitrogen ratio of 125 to 150:1. The SAC increased from 2.36 +/- 0.38 grams per deciliter to 3.46 +/- 0.26 grams per deciliter immediately after replacement. At follow-up study, the SAC at 6.4 +/- 1.5 days yielded a SAC value of 3.35 +/- 0.30 grams per deciliter, indicating no significant decrease from immediate replacement values. AD can be easily estimated, rapidly replaced and maintained with adequate nutritional support.
Impact of an Intermittent Catheterization Program on Children With Myelomeningocele

Among 164 children being followed in a myelomeningocele clinic, 85 (52%) are on an intermittent catheterization program (ICP). Among 53 children on ICP for 5 years or more, a high percentage have achieved satisfactory dryness, decreased frequency of urinary tract infection, and improvement in renal status. The potential for improved well-being afforded by ICP is one factor that should be considered in decisions about "active" or "supportive" treatment in newborn infants with myelomeningocele.
Detection of Renal Masses: Sensitivities and Specificities of Excretory Urography/Linear Tomography, US, and CT

A prospective blinded study of 201 patients was performed to determine the relative sensitivities and specificities of excretory urography/linear tomography (EU/LT) and ultrasound (US) for the diagnosis of renal parenchymal masses. Computed tomography (CT) was used as a standard. EU/LT permitted detection of 10% of CT-confirmed masses (cystic or solid) less than 1 cm, 21% of lesions greater than or equal to 1 cm but less than 2 cm, 52% of lesions greater than or equal to 2 cm but less than 3 cm, and 85% of lesions 3 cm or more in diameter. US permitted detection of 26% of CT-confirmed lesions less than 1 cm, 60% of lesions greater than or equal to 1 cm but less than 2 cm, 82% of lesions greater than or equal to 2 cm but less than 3 cm, and 85% of lesions 3 cm or more in size. The results confirm the relative insensitivity of EU/LT for masses less than 3 cm in diameter and of US for masses less than 2 cm. Further, they suggest that CT may have a role not only in evaluation of cases in which the urographic or sonographic results are questionable or positive, but also in confirmation of apparently negative urographic findings when clinical suspicion of a lesion is high.
Adrenergic Blockade in Pheochromocytoma

The vast majority of pheochromocytomas secrete solely or almost entirely norepinephrine. Successful medical therapy depends on providing sufficient α-adrenergic blockade to diminish BP, prevent paroxysms, and allow intravascular volume expansion. The two agents most commonly used for this purpose are phentolamine mesylate and phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride. Phentolamine is a competitive antagonist to norepinephrine.1It has a short half-life and must be given frequently, with the patient being awakened to receive medication. Nausea, vomiting, and nasal congestion are common side effects. In addition, resistance to the drug frequently develops, making it poorly suited for long-term oral therapy.2The basis for this resistance is unclear, but it may perhaps be explained by the recent observation that there exist two different α-receptors within each synapse,3rather than just one as formerly postulated. See also p 2321. α1-Receptors are postsynaptic and when stimulated result in vasoconstriction, increased vascular resistance, and
Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in Sexually Active Adolescents: Prevalence and Risk Factors

The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection was studied in a sexually active urban Baltimore adolescent population. Possible risk factors such as age, past history of sexually transmitted disease, number of sexual partners, contact with sexually transmitted disease, oral contraceptive use, and concomitant gonococcal infection were also evaluated. The prevalence of chlamydial infection in the 280 adolescents studied was 26%: 35% in male adolescents, 27% in pregnant female adolescents, and 23% in nonpregnant female adolescents. Chlamydia was almost three times as prevalent as gonorrhea in the same population. Age, past history of sexually transmitted disease, oral contraceptive use, and concomitant gonorrhea were not significantly associated with chlamydial infection. However, multiple current sexual partners, contact with sexually transmitted disease, genitourinary symptoms, and cervical ectopy were significantly associated with chlamydial infection. Testing for chlamydial infection in sexually active urban teenagers is recommended for those with genitourinary symptoms, those with cervical ectopy, or those who are contacts of persons with sexually transmitted disease. Considering the reservoir of infection in the asymptomatic female adolescents, screening for chlamydial infections in family planning clinics warrants consideration.