cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Structure, and Rigid Unit Mode-like Anisotropic Thermal Expansion of BaIr2In9.

This Article reports the synthesis of large single crystals of BaIr2In9 using In flux and their characterization by variable-temperature single-crystal and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, resistivity, and magnetization measurements. The title compound adopts the BaFe2Al9-type structure in the space group P6/mmm with room temperature unit cell parameters a = 8.8548(6) A and c = 4.2696(4) A. BaIr2In9 exhibits anisotropic thermal expansion behavior with linear expansion along the c axis more than 3 times larger than expansion in the ab plane between 90 and 400 K. This anisotropic expansion originates from a rigid unit mode-like mechanism similar to the mechanism of zero and negative thermal expansion observed in many anomalous thermal expansion materials such as ZrW2O8 and ScF3.
Sampling-Based Query Re-Optimization

Despite of decades of work, query optimizers still make mistakes on "difficult" queries because of bad cardinality estimates, often due to the interaction of multiple predicates and correlations in the data. In this paper, we propose a low-cost post-processing step that can take a plan produced by the optimizer, detect when it is likely to have made such a mistake, and take steps to fix it. Specifically, our solution is a sampling-based iterative procedure that requires almost no changes to the original query optimizer or query evaluation mechanism of the system. We show that this indeed imposes low overhead and catches cases where three widely used optimizers (PostgreSQL and two commercial systems) make large errors.
Laser Cooling of Solids

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the concept of laser cooling of a solid, which may occur when the average energy of the photons emitted by the solid is larger than the energy of the ones it absorbs. More formally, the anti-Stokes emission, which occurs at frequencies larger than that of the pump laser, must dominate the Stokes emission that occurs at smaller frequencies. A crucial additional requirement is that the nonradiative decay rates of the laser-pumped states be negligible in comparison to their radiative decay rates. For the sake of specificity, these states will be taken to be those of a set of isolated ions embedded within an insulating host, although in general they could equally well be those of gas-, liquid-, or solid-phase neutral atoms or molecules, or even those of the energy bands of intrinsic semiconductors. Outside the realm of impurity-doped insulators, recent experiments with semiconductors make net anti-Stokes fluorescence cooling of these materials appear achievable. A long-term idea for improving laser cooling of solids takes advantage of photonic band gap materials. The idea is to fabricate a refractive-index structure within the cooling element that would establish a three-dimensional photonic gap immediately below the pump frequency. In this way, emission at Stokes frequencies falling within the gap would be inhibited, thereby enhancing the cooling power derived from the anti-Stokes emission.
Relationships between nonlinear normal modes and response to random inputs

Abstract The ability to model nonlinear structures subject to random excitation is of key importance in designing hypersonic aircraft and other advanced aerospace vehicles. When a structure is linear, superposition can be used to construct its response to a known spectrum in terms of its linear modes. Superposition does not hold for a nonlinear system, but several works have shown that a system's dynamics can still be understood qualitatively in terms of its nonlinear normal modes (NNMs). This work investigates the connection between a structure's undamped nonlinear normal modes and the spectrum of its response to high amplitude random forcing. Two examples are investigated: a spring-mass system and a clamped-clamped beam modeled within a geometrically nonlinear finite element package. In both cases, an intimate connection is observed between the smeared peaks in the response spectrum and the frequency-energy dependence of the nonlinear normal modes. In order to understand the role of coupling between the underlying linear modes, reduced order models with and without modal coupling terms are used to separate the effect of each NNM's backbone from the nonlinear couplings that give rise to internal resonances. In the cases shown here, uncoupled, single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear models are found to predict major features in the response with reasonable accuracy; a highly inexpensive approximation such as this could be useful in design and optimization studies. More importantly, the results show that a reduced order model can be expected to give accurate results only if it is also capable of accurately predicting the frequency-energy dependence of the nonlinear modes that are excited.
Training deep networks for facial expression recognition with crowd-sourced label distribution

Crowd sourcing has become a widely adopted scheme to collect ground truth labels. However, it is a well-known problem that these labels can be very noisy. In this paper, we demonstrate how to learn a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) from noisy labels, using facial expression recognition as an example. More specifically, we have 10 taggers to label each input image, and compare four different approaches to utilizing the multiple labels: majority voting, multi-label learning, probabilistic label drawing, and cross-entropy loss. We show that the traditional majority voting scheme does not perform as well as the last two approaches that fully leverage the label distribution. An enhanced FER+ data set with multiple labels for each face image will also be shared with the research community.
The Essential Elements of Adolescent-friendly Care in School-based Health Centers: A Mixed Methods Study of the Perspectives of Nurse Practitioners and Adolescents

Abstract Purpose In this study we identified the essential elements of adolescent-friendly care in school-based health centers (SBHCs) from the perspectives of the nurse practitioners (NPs) providing care to adolescents and the adolescents, as the consumers of these services. Design and methods Complex adaptive systems provided the philosophical and theoretical foundation for this study. An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was conducted. A Delphi technique (strand one) was conducted with an expert panel of NPs (N = 21) to identify the essential elements of adolescent-friendly care in SBHCs. The second strand, a focus group study with adolescents (N = 30), elaborated on the Delphi results. Data from the two strands were then mixed. Results This study generated expert opinion regarding the essential elements of adolescent-friendly health care in SBHCs. After four Delphi rounds, consensus was reached on 98-items (49% of the original 200; consensus level of 0.75). The results clustered into 6 essential elements: Confidentiality/Privacy (n = 8; 8.2%), Accessibility, (n = 15; 15.3%), Clinician/Staff (n = 51; 52%), SBHC Clinical Services (n = 12; 12.2%), SBHC Environment (n = 4; 4.1%), and Relationship between the School and SBHC (n = 8; 8.2%). The adolescent focus groups confirmed the essential elements identified in the Delphi and added two overarching themes: Comfortable and Trusted Relationship. Conclusions These findings contribute to a greater understanding of essential characteristics needed in adolescent friendly care. Practice implications SBHCs, as an important community resource for addressing the health care needs of adolescents, should incorporate these characteristics.
Chappie Swarm: Persona-Driven Web Corpus Generation.

A common issue amongst security researchers is the lack of publicly available network traffic traces. In this paper we present Chappie Swarm, which seeks to emulate human behavior in regard to internet browsing. The experimenter can unleash a number of automated chappies which will assume pre-defined personas, and then actively go out and query websites while simultaneously recording their browsing behavior, and saving the network trace as a packet capture file. Unlike other traffic generators, Chappie Swarm distinguishes itself fundamentally by utilizing this ”persona” approach, while also not needing to be ”seeded” by a previously recorded traffic capture.
High-efficiency longitudinal diode bar pumping of solid state lasers

A longitudinal diode bar pumping scheme for a solid state laser has been conceived which can concentrate tens of watts of pump power into a 300 micrometers spot with 90 to 95% efficiency.
Automatic reverse engineering of data structures from binary execution

With only the binary executable of a program, it is useful to discover the program's data structures and infer their syntactic and semantic definitions. Such knowledge is highly valuable in a variety of security and forensic applications. Although there exist efforts in program data structure inference, the existing solutions are not suitable for our targeted application scenarios. In this paper, we propose a reverse engineering technique to automatically reveal program data structures from binaries. Our technique, called REWARDS, is based on dynamic analysis. More specifically, each memory location accessed by the program is tagged with a timestamped type attribute. Following the program's runtime data flow, this attribute is propagated to other memory locations and registers that share the same type. During the propagation, a variable's type gets resolved if it is involved in a type-revealing execution point or type sink. More importantly, besides the forward type propagation, REWARDS involves a backward type resolution procedure where the types of some previously accessed variables get recursively resolved starting from a type sink. This procedure is constrained by the timestamps of relevant memory locations to disambiguate variables re-using the same memory location. In addition, REWARDS is able to reconstruct in-memory data structure layout based on the type information derived. We demonstrate that REWARDS provides unique benefits to two applications: memory image forensics and binary fuzzing for vulnerability discovery.
Comparison Neglect in Upgrade Decisions

AbstractTo properly evaluate a potential product upgrade, consumers should compare the upgraded option with the product they already own to assess the upgrade’s added utility. However, although consumers explicitly and spontaneously acknowledge the importance of comparing the upgrade with the status quo, the authors find that they often fail to do so. Consequently, consumers frequently buy product upgrades that they would not have bought had they followed their own advice. Five experiments, involving both real and hypothetical upgrade decisions, show that even when the status quo option is represented in the decision context, if consumers are not explicitly prompted to reflect on it or compare it with the upgraded option, they often do not compare it with the upgrade and thus show an elevated likelihood of upgrading. The experiments suggest that this “comparison neglect” increases upgrade likelihood by making people overlook the similarities between the upgraded and status quo options and that it persists...
Does Hospital Transfer Predict Mortality in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Requiring Surgery for Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of infant mortality, and the most common reason for emergent surgery in very low birth weight (VLBW, Methods VLBW infants who underwent NEC surgery were reviewed retrospectively from the California Patient Discharge Linked Birth Cohort Database (1999–2007). Transfer for emergent operation was defined as surgery ≤2 days after transfer. Mortality was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Results Overall, 1,272 VLBW infants with surgical NEC were identified, with a 39% mortality. Transfer for operative care occurred in 406 (32%) infants. Unadjusted mortality was not increased for infants who were transferred compared with not transferred (37% vs 40%; P = .25). Adjusted mortality for infants transferred for operative care did not differ from those who received operative care at their primary neonatal intensive care unit (odds ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.42–1.32). Lower birth weight, lack of prenatal care, peritoneal drainage as sole surgical intervention, and pulmonary interstitial emphysema/pulmonary hemorrhage were associated with increased odds of mortality ( P Conclusion VLBW infants with surgical NEC do not demonstrate increased risk of mortality when transferred emergently for operative care. Future efforts must engage health professionals caring for this vulnerable population to maximize resource allocation and safety.
Promoter Architecture and Sex-Specific Gene Expression in Daphnia Pulex

Large-scale transcription start site (TSS) profiling produces a high-resolution, quantitative picture of transcription initiation and core promoter locations within a genome. However, application of TSS profiling to date has largely been restricted to a small set of prominent model systems. We sought to characterize the cis-regulatory landscape of the water flea Daphnia pulex, an emerging model arthropod that reproduces both asexually (via parthenogenesis) and sexually (via meiosis). We performed Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) with RNA isolated from D. pulex within three developmental states: sexual females, asexual females, and males. Identified TSSs were utilized to generate a "Daphnia Promoter Atlas," i.e., a catalog of active promoters across the surveyed states. Analysis of the distribution of promoters revealed evidence for widespread alternative promoter usage in D. pulex, in addition to a prominent fraction of compactly-arranged promoters in divergent orientations. We carried out de novo motif discovery using CAGE-defined TSSs and identified eight candidate core promoter motifs; this collection includes canonical promoter elements (e.g., TATA and Initiator) in addition to others lacking obvious orthologs. A comparison of promoter activities found evidence for considerable state-specific differential gene expression between states. Our work represents the first global definition of transcription initiation and promoter architecture in crustaceans. The Daphnia Promoter Atlas presented here provides a valuable resource for comparative study of cis-regulatory regions in metazoans, as well as for investigations into the circuitries that underpin meiosis and parthenogenesis.
Hormone Modulation of Toll-Like Receptor 5 in Cultured Human Bladder Epithelial Cells.

Aim: The effect of hormone levels on the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) in the bladder is unknown. We aimed to study the effect of estradiol and progesterone on TLR5 expression and function in human bladder epithelial cells. Methods: After growing to near confluence, T24 human urinary bladder (HUB) cells were incubated in hormone-free (HF) media for 72 hours. Human urinary bladder cells were then incubated in (1) HF media, (2) estradiol media, (3) progesterone media, or (4) media containing estradiol and progesterone at physiologic concentrations. Following flagellin exposure, cells and media were collected. Toll-like receptor 5 expression and stimulated cytokine release were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results were normalized with cellular protein assays. A TLR5 antagonist was used to confirm that stimulation from flagellin was mediated by TLR5 signaling. Results: Cultured HUB cells express TLR5 protein. Estradiol and progesterone environments suppress TLR5 expression compared to HF environment. The function of TLR5 was measured by interleukin 6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 production after flagellin exposure. Interleukin 6 production was 75% higher in the estradiol than progesterone environment. The progesterone environment produced IL-6 levels twice that observed in HF and combined estrogen-progesterone environments. Interestingly, higher TLR5 expression was associated with lower IL-6 production. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that TLR5 expression and functional activity as measured by IL-6 are modulated by hormones. The increase in TLR5-associated IL-6 may play a role in increasing the rate of symptomatic urinary tract infection. Likewise, low TLR5 functional activity may dampen the response of the innate immune system, thereby lessening the likelihood of a symptomatic bladder infection.
Cat Codes with Optimal Decoherence Suppression for a Lossy Bosonic Channel

We investigate cat codes that can correct multiple excitation losses and identify two types of logical errors: bit-flip errors due to excessive excitation loss and dephasing errors due to quantum backaction from the environment. We show that selected choices of logical subspace and coherent amplitude significantly reduce dephasing errors. The trade-off between the two major errors enables optimized performance of cat codes in terms of minimized decoherence. With high coupling efficiency, we show that one-way quantum repeaters with cat codes feature a boosted secure communication rate per mode when compared to conventional encoding schemes, showcasing the promising potential of quantum information processing with continuous variable quantum codes.
Assocplots: a Python package for static and interactive visualization of multiple-group GWAS results

Background Over the last decade, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have generated vast amounts of analysis results, requiring development of novel tools for data visualization. Quantile–quantile (QQ) plots and Manhattan plots are classical tools which have been utilized to visually summarize GWAS results and identify genetic variants significantly associated with traits of interest. However, static visualizations are limiting in the information that can be shown. Here, we present Assocplots, a Python package for viewing and exploring GWAS results not only using classic static Manhattan and QQ plots, but also through a dynamic extension which allows to interactively visualize the relationships between GWAS results from multiple cohorts or studies. Availability and implementation The Assocplots package is open source and distributed under the MIT license via GitHub (https://github.com/khramts/assocplots) along with examples, documentation and installation instructions. Contact ekhramts@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu or bstranger@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Increasing spanning forests in graphs and simplicial complexes

Abstract Let G be a graph with vertex set { 1 , … , n } . A spanning forest F of G is increasing if the sequence of labels on any path starting at the minimum vertex of a tree of F forms an increasing sequence. Hallam and Sagan showed that the generating function ISF ( G , t ) for increasing spanning forests of G has all nonpositive integral roots. Furthermore they proved that, up to a change of sign, this polynomial equals the chromatic polynomial of G precisely when 1 , … , n is a perfect elimination order for G . We give new, purely combinatorial proofs of these results which permit us to generalize them in several ways. For example, we are able to bound the coefficients of ISF ( G , t ) using broken circuits. We are also able to extend these results to simplicial complexes using the new notion of a cage-free complex. A generalization to labeled multigraphs is also given. We observe that the definition of an increasing spanning forest can be formulated in terms of pattern avoidance, and we end by exploring spanning forests that avoid the patterns 231, 312 and 321.
Virtue and Advice: Socratic Perspectives on Lawyer Independence and Moral Counseling of Clients

This Article examines the ethical and moral responsibilities of lawyers in their role as advisors to clients, with continual reference to the Greek philosopher Socrates.* Although Socrates was not a lawyer, he was an “advisor,” who lived a life committed to engaging in dialogue about virtue and its meaning and, at times, about the law and one’s duties in relation to the law. According to Rule 2.1 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, when representing clients and acting as advisors, lawyers are expected to “exercise independent professional judgment” and “render candid advice,” which includes authority to counsel clients on moral considerations relevant to their legal situation. Socrates was a paradigm of “independence” and, although his speech was often bristling with irony, he was also persistently “candid” with his dialogue partners as they pursued the truth about moral questions. His life and teachings, and his courage in adhering to the principles that defined him, offer valuable insights for lawyers as they form their professional identities and serve as advisors to their clients. Part I of this Article will offer an overview and perspective on lawyers as independent advisors, first by closely examining Rule 2.1 and its meaning. It will then further explore moral independence in a legal context by reflecting on Socrates, with particular attention to his trial and its aftermath, but also considering Socrates as portrayed in the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard. Part II will review several frameworks legal ethicists have developed to describe the relationship of advising lawyers and their clients, and propose the moral ideal of the “trustworthy neighbor” for lawyers serving clients in the advising role. Finally, Part III will consider some lessons derived from the teachings of Socrates for lawyer-advisors who are engaged in moral dialogue with their clients.
Improving outcomes for patients with medication-resistant anxiety: effects of collaborative care with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Background Many patients with anxiety disorders remain symptomatic after receiving evidence-based treatment, yet research on treatment-resistant anxiety is limited. We evaluated effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on outcomes of patients with medication-resistant anxiety disorders using data from the Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM) trial. Methods Primary care patients who met study entry criteria (including DSM-IV diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or social anxiety disorder) despite ongoing pharmacotherapy of appropriate type, dose, and duration were classified as medication resistant (n = 227). Logistic regression was used to estimate effects of CALM's CBT program (CALM-CBT; chosen by 104 of 117 medication-resistant patients randomized to CALM) versus usual care (UC; n = 110) on response [≥ 50% reduction of 12-item Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-12) anxiety and somatic symptom score] and remission (BSI-12 < 6) at 6, 12, and 18 months. Within-group analyses examined outcomes by treatment choice (CBT vs. CBT plus medication management) and CBT dose. Results Approximately 58% of medication-resistant CALM-CBT patients responded and 46% remitted during the study. Relative to UC, CALM-CBT was associated with greater response at 6 months (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI 2.02-7.07) and 12 months (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.36-4.58) and remission at 6, 12, and 18 months (AORs = 2.44 to 3.18). Patients in CBT plus medication management fared no better than those in CBT only. Some evidence suggested higher CBT dose produced better outcomes. Conclusions CBT can improve outcomes for patients whose anxiety symptoms are resistant to standard pharmacotherapy.
The TrkA receptor mediates experimental thermal hyperalgesia produced by nerve growth factor: Modulation by the p75 neurotrophin receptor.

The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and its activation of the sphingomyelin signaling cascade are essential for mechanical hypersensitivity resulting from locally injected nerve growth factor (NGF). Here the roles of the same effectors, and of the tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) receptor, are evaluated for thermal hyperalgesia from NGF. Sensitivity of rat hind paw plantar skin to thermal stimulation after local sub-cutaneous injection of NGF (500ng) was measured by the latency for paw withdrawal (PWL) from a radiant heat source. PWL was reduced from baseline values at 0.5-22h by ∼40% from that in naive or vehicle-injected rats, and recovered to pre-injection levels by 48h. Local pre-injection with a p75NTR blocking antibody did not affect the acute thermal hyperalgesia (0.5-3.5h) but hastened its recovery so that it had reversed to baseline by 22h. In addition, GW4869 (2mM), an inhibitor of the neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase) that is an enzyme in the p75NTR pathway, also failed to prevent thermal hyperalgesia. However, C2-ceramide, an analog of the ceramide produced by sphingomyelinase, did cause thermal hyperalgesia. Injection of an anti-TrkA antibody known to promote dimerization and activation of that receptor, independent of NGF, also caused thermal hyperalgesia, and prevented the further reduction of PWL from subsequently injected NGF. A non-specific inhibitor of tropomyosin receptor kinases, K252a, prevented thermal hyperalgesia from NGF, but not that from the anti-TrkA antibody. These findings suggest that the TrkA receptor has a predominant role in thermal hypersensitivity induced by NGF, while p75NTR and its pathway intermediates serve a modulatory role.
GENTLEMAN'S VARUS ALIGNMENT OPTIMISES TKA FUNCTION – OPPOSES

Introduction: I always aim for neutral mechanical axis alignment. My principles of a successful TKA are proper alignment in all 3 planes, soft tissue balance in extension first, flexion gap balancing by parallel to tibial cut technique, maintenance of joint line, correct sizing of femoral component, and proper cement fixation. Long-term Survivorship: There is long-term data that supports the efficacy and durability of the neutral position of proximal tibial cut. Over a 20-year follow-up there was a 92.6% success rate in my study. Other authors have found similarly successful survivorship for mechanical failure. Balance Technique in TKR: My technique to balance the knee is a balance extension gap first, which requires medial soft tissue balancing. Next, I balance the flexion gap parallel to the tibial cut. Our Results: In one study, I examined the clinical and radiographic data of 68 varus knees. Average post-operative mechanical alignment was 0 ± 3 degrees. There were no outliers which displays the reproducibility of the technique. This is the method of choice in the hands of most surgeons.
Motivation matters: Corporate scope and competition in complementary product markets

Research summary: We argue that a pure capabilities-based view does not accurately explain the competitive dynamics of increasingly common settings in which firms act as both complementors and competitors. We propose that the Awareness-Motivation-Capability framework is more appropriate for these settings. We derive predictions from both a pure capabilities view and the AMC framework, and test those predictions in the U.S. auto leasing market, in which the leasing subsidiaries of car manufacturers directly compete with the same independent lessors who provide complements to the manufacturers. Although our results are consistent with capabilities playing an important role, motivation appears to be a critical factor explaining the competitive dynamics of the market. Managerial summary: Firms that compete with business units owned by larger corporate parents face additional considerations. Such subsidiary competitors can be motivated by broader corporate considerations, shifting their objectives, and consequently, their strategic actions. Expecting subsidiary competitors to pursue business unit profitability can mislead managers toward pricing, product mix, or market entry errors. We present an important example from consumer finance, where independent auto lessors, such as Bank of America (BoA), compete with captive leasing subsidiaries like Ford Motor Credit (FMC). Since FMC is motivated to subsidize and support vehicle sales for its manufacturer parent, a cost advantage is not enough for BoA to dominate the market. Understanding broader corporate motivations of competitors helps managers anticipate competition levels in potential markets, thereby improving decision-making and performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uniform Flow in a Shallow, Triangular, Open Channel

A smooth, shallow, triangular open channel was investigated to determine the characteristics of uniform flow in an idealized highway gutter. Depths, velocity contours, and transverse velocity distr...
Simple extractors via constructions of cryptographic pseudo-random generators

Trevisan has shown that constructions of pseudo-random generators from hard functions (the Nisan-Wigderson approach) also produce extractors. We show that constructions of pseudo-random generators from one-way permutations (the Blum-Micali-Yao approach) can be used for building extractors as well. Using this new technique we build extractors that do not use designs or polynomial-based error-correcting codes and that are very simple and efficient. For example, one extractor produces each output bit separately in O(log^2n) time. These extractors work for weak sources with min-entropy @ln, for arbitrary constant @l>0, have seed length O(log^2n), and their output length is ~n^@l^/^3.
Contract law 2.0: ‘Smart’ contracts as the beginning of the end of classic contract law

The paper analyzes legal issues associated with the application of existing contract law provisions to so-called Smart contracts, defined in the paper as ‘agreements existing in the form of software code implemented on the Blockchain platform, which ensures the autonomy and self-executive nature of Smart contract terms based on a predetermined set of factors’. The paper consists of several sections. In the second section, the paper outlines the peculiarities of Blockchain technology, as currently implemented in Bitcoin cryptocurrency, which forms the core of Smart contracts. In the third section, the main characteristic features of Smart contracts are described. Finally, the paper outlines key tensions between classic contract law and Smart contracts. The concluding section sets the core question for analysis of the perspectives of implementation of this technology by governments: ‘How to align the powers of the government with Blockchain if there is no central authority but only distributed technologies’. The author suggests two solutions, neither of which is optimal: 1 providing the state authorities with the status of a Superuser with extra powers; and 2 relying on traditional remedies and enforcement practices, by pursuing specific individuals – parties to a Smart contract – in offline mode.
An alternative local polynomial estimator for the error-in-variables problem

We consider the problem of estimating a regression function when a covariate is measured with error. Using the local polynomial estimator of Delaigle et al. [(2009), ‘A Design-adaptive Local Polyno...
Early oxytocin inhibition of salt intake after furosemide treatment in rats

Abstract Body fluid homeostasis requires a complex suite of physiological and behavioral processes. Understanding of the role of the central nervous system (CNS) in integrating these processes has been advanced by research employing immunohistochemical techniques to assess responses to a variety of body fluid challenges. Such techniques have revealed sex/estrogen differences in CNS activation in response to hypotension and hypernatremia. In contrast, it has been difficult to conclusively identify specific CNS areas and neurotransmitter systems that are activated by hyponatremia using these techniques. In part, this difficulty is due to the temporal disconnect between the physiological effects of treatments commonly used to deplete body sodium and the behavioral response to such depletion. In some methods, sodium ingestion is delayed in association with increased oxytocin (OT), suggesting an inhibitory role for OT in sodium intake. Urinary sodium loss increases within an hour after treatment with furosemide, a natriuretic-diuretic, but sodium intake is delayed for 18–24 h. Accordingly, we hypothesized that acute furosemide-induced sodium loss activates centrally-projecting OT neurons which provide an initial inhibition of sodium intake, and tested this hypothesis in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats with or without estrogen using immunohistochemical methods. Neuronal activation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei (PVN) after administration of furosemide corresponded to the timing of the physiological effects. The activation was not different in estrogen-treated rats, nor did estrogen alter the initial suppression of sodium intake. However, virtually no fos immunoreactive (fos-IR) neurons in the parvocellular PVN were also immunolabeled for OT. Thus, acute sodium loss after furosemide produces neural activation and an early inhibition of sodium intake that does not appear to involve activation of centrally-projecting OT neurons and is not influenced by estrogen.
Optimal Control Surface Layout for an Aeroservoelastic Wingbox.

This paper demonstrates a technique for locating the optimal control surface layout of an aeroservoelastic Common Research Model wingbox, in the context of maneuver load alleviation and active flut...
Distributed Gaussian learning over time-varying directed graphs

We present a distributed (non-Bayesian) learning algorithm for the problem of parameter estimation with Gaussian noise. The algorithm is expressed as explicit updates on the parameters of the Gaussian beliefs (i.e. means and precision). We show a convergence rate of O(1/k) with the constant term depending on the number of agents and the topology of the network. Moreover, we show almost sure convergence to the optimal solution of the estimation problem for the general case of time-varying directed graphs.
Recovery of a source term or a speed with one measurement and applications

We study the problem of recovery the source a.t;x/F.x/ in the wave equation in anisotropic medium with a known so that a.0;x/ 6D 0 with a single measurement. We use Carleman estimates combined with geometric arguments and give sharp conditions for uniqueness. We also study the non-linear problem of recovery the sound speed in the equation utt c .x/u D 0with one measurement. We give sharp conditions for stability, as well. An application to thermoacoustic tomography is also presented.
Meson-exchange currents and the strangeness radius of 4He

Meson-exchange current contributions to the strangeness radius of 4He are computed in the one-boson exchange approximation.It is found that these contributions introduce a <(approx)10% correction to the one-body contribution.They should not, therefore, hamper the extraction of the nucleon strangeness radius from the parity-violating electron-4He asymmetry.
Quenching of flames by fluid advection

We consider a simple scalar reaction-advection-diffusion equation with ignitiontype nonlinearity and discuss the following question: What kinds of velocity profiles are capable of quenching any given flame, provided the velocity’s amplitude is adequately large? Even for shear flows, the answer turns out to be surprisingly subtle. If the velocity profile changes in space so that it is nowhere identically constant (or if it is identically constant only in a region of small measure), then the flow can quench any initial data. But if the velocity profile is identically constant in a sizable region, then the ensuing flow is incapable of quenching large enough flames, no matter how much larger the amplitude of this velocity is. The constancy region must be wider across than a couple of laminar propagating front widths. The proof uses a linear PDE associated to the nonlinear problem, and quenching follows when the PDE is hypoelliptic. The techniques used allow the derivation of new, nearly optimal bounds on the speed of traveling-wave solutions. c 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Squaring rectangles for dumbbells

The theorem on squaring a rectangle (see Schramm [Israel J. Math. 84 (1993)] and Cannon-Floyd-Parry [Contemp. Math. 169, AMS, 1994]) gives a combinatorial version of the Riemann mapping theorem. We elucidate by example (the dumbbell) some of the limitations of rectangle-squaring as an approximation to the classical Riemann mapping.
A free analogue of Shannon's problem on monotonicity of entropy

Abstract We prove a free probability analog of a result of [S. Artstein, K. Ball, F. Barthe, A. Naor, Solution of Shannon's problem on monotonicity of entropy, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 17 (2004) 975–982]. In particular, we prove that if X 1 , X 2 , … are freely independent identically distributed random variables, then the function n ↦ χ ( X 1 + ⋯ + X n n ) is monotone increasing for all n.
Offshoring – Effects on technology and implications for the labor market

Abstract I propose a “technology channel” through which imports of low-skilled intermediates (offshoring) benefit both high- and low-skilled workers by inducing capital deepening and innovation in developed countries. Data strongly support the presence of this channel. Offshoring is associated with large increases in technology variables – equipment-labor ratio and R&D intensity – and labor outcomes – employment and wage bills of high- and low-skilled workers. I formalize this channel in a structural model. Results show that it is the dominant mechanism through which offshoring affects labor outcomes, offsetting negative substitution effects on low-skilled wages, and generating a large welfare gain.
ACCURACY OF CUP PLACEMENT USING A CT-BASED MECHANICAL NAVIGATION DEVICE

Introduction Orientation of the acetabular component in total hip arthroplasty has been shown to influence component wear, stability, and impingement. Freehand placement of the component can lead to widely variable radiographic outcomes. Accurate abduction, in particular, can be difficult in the lateral decubitus position due to limited ability to appreciate and control positional obliquity of the pelvis. A CT-based mechanical navigation device has been shown to decrease cup placement error. This is an independent report of a single-surgeon9s radiographic results using the device to control cup abduction. Patients and Methods Sixty-four (64) consecutive elective THRs in 58 patients were performed via a supercapsular percutaneously-assisted (SuperPATH) surgical approach. Intraoperatively, the acetabular components were aligned with the aid of the CT-based mechanical navigation device (HipXpert; Surgical Planning Associates, Medford, MA). The cup orientation was then further adjusted to ensure that the anterior rim of the acetabular component was not prominent to avoid psoas impingement. Postoperatively, radiographic abduction was measured on standing postoperative radiographs. Results Measured on standing postoperative radiographs, the cup radiographic abduction angle averaged 42.7° with a standard deviation of ± 3.9° and a range of 35° to 51°. Conclusions Total hip arthroplasty using a CT-based navigation device as a guide for abduction led to cup implantation within a very narrow abduction range. This navigation device deserves more widespread interest and study, as acetabular component malposition remains a major concern in THR.
The Infrared to Gamma-Ray Pulse Shape of the Crab Nebula Pulsar

We analyze the pulse shape of the Crab Nebula pulsar in the near-infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and γ-ray bands, including a previously unpublished ROSAT HRI pulse profile. We show that, in addition to the previously known trend for the fluences of the bridge and peak 2 to increase with energy relative to the fluence of peak 1, there is a small but statistically significant trend for both to decrease with energy relative to peak 1 over the near-infrared range. We find that the phase separation between the two peaks of the pulse profile decreases nearly continuously as a function of energy over seven decades of energy. We show that the peaks' full widths at half-maximum are significantly variable over this energy range, but without any clear pattern to the variability. We find that the differences between the energy dependences of the leading and trailing edge half-widths at half-maximum of both peaks found by Eikenberry et al. also continue over seven decades of energy. We show that the cusped shape of peak 2 reverses direction between the infrared/optical and X-ray/γ-ray bands, while the cusped shape of peak 1 shows weak evidence of reversing direction between the X-ray and γ-ray bands. Finally, we find that many of the pulse shape parameters show maxima or minima at energies of 0.5-1 eV, implying that an important change in the pulsar emission is occurring near this energy. Many of these complex phenomena are not predicted by current pulsar emission models, and offer new challenges for the development of such models.
Recurrent Models for Situation Recognition

This work proposes Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models to predict structured ‘image situations’ – actions and noun entities fulfilling semantic roles related to the action. In contrast to prior work relying on Conditional Random Fields (CRFs), we use a specialized action prediction network followed by an RNN for noun prediction. Our system obtains state-of-the-art accuracy on the challenging recent imSitu dataset, beating CRF-based models, including ones trained with additional data. Further, we show that specialized features learned from situation prediction can be transferred to the task of image captioning to more accurately describe human-object interactions.
Defunding women’s health clinics exacerbates Hispanic disparity in preventive care

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The published version is available at the DOI linked in this record.
Hospital Length of Stay and Readmission Rate for Neurosurgical Patients

AbstractBACKGROUNDHospital readmission rate has become a major indicator of quality of care, with penalties given to hospitals with high rates of readmission. At the same time, insurers are increasing pressure for greater efficiency and reduced costs, including decreasing hospital lengths of stay (L
Selective Y Centromere inactivation triggers chromosome shattering in micronuclei and repair by non-homologous end joining

Ly et al. establish a method to selectively inactivate the centromere of the Y chromosome to follow chromosome shattering and micronuclei formation through several cell cycles, and suggest re-ligation of chromosome fragments is dependent on non-homologous end joining.
Quantitative mRNA imaging throughout the entire Drosophila brain

We describe a fluorescence in situ hybridization method that permits detection of the localization and abundance of single mRNAs (smFISH) in cleared whole-mount adult Drosophila brains. The approach is rapid and multiplexable and does not require molecular amplification; it allows facile quantification of mRNA expression with subcellular resolution on a standard confocal microscope. We further demonstrate single-mRNA detection across the entire brain using a custom Bessel beam structured illumination microscope (BB-SIM).
Colorectal cancer screening: Recommendations for physicians and patients from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer.

This document updates the colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations of the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force of Colorectal Cancer (MSTF), which represents the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. CRC screening tests are ranked in 3 tiers based on performance features, costs, and practical considerations. The first-tier tests are colonoscopy every 10 years and annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT). Colonoscopy and FIT are recommended as the cornerstones of screening regardless of how screening is offered. Thus, in a sequential approach based on colonoscopy offered first, FIT should be offered to patients who decline colonoscopy. Colonoscopy and FIT are recommended as tests of choice when multiple options are presented as alternatives. A risk-stratified approach is also appropriate, with FIT screening in populations with an estimated low prevalence of advanced neoplasia and colonoscopy screening in high prevalence populations. The second-tier tests include CT colonography every 5 years, the FIT-fecal DNA test every 3 years, and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 to 10 years. These tests are appropriate screening tests, but each has disadvantages relative to the tier 1 tests. Because of limited evidence and current obstacles to use, capsule colonoscopy every 5 years is a third-tier test. We suggest that the Septin9 serum assay (Epigenomics, Seattle, Wash) not be used for screening. Screening should begin at age 50 years in average-risk persons, except in African Americans in whom limited evidence supports screening at 45 years. CRC incidence is rising in persons under age 50, and thorough diagnostic evaluation of young persons with suspected colorectal bleeding is recommended. Discontinuation of screening should be considered when persons up to date with screening, who have prior negative screening (particularly colonoscopy), reach age 75 or have <10 years of life expectancy. Persons without prior screening should be considered for screening up to age 85, depending on age and comorbidities. Persons with a family history of CRC or a documented advanced adenoma in a first-degree relative age <60 years or 2 first-degree relatives with these findings at any age are recommended to undergo screening by colonoscopy every 5 years, beginning 10 years before the age at diagnosis of the youngest affected relative or age 40, whichever is earlier. Persons with a single first-degree relative diagnosed at ≥60 years with CRC or an advanced adenoma can be offered average-risk screening options beginning at age 40 years.
A longitudinal analysis of students' motivational characteristics in introductory physics courses: Gender differences

The lack of diversity and the under-performance of underrepresented students in STEM courses have been the focus of researchers in the last decade. In particular, many hypotheses have been put fort...
Evolution and Genetics of Precocious Burrowing Behavior in Peromyscus Mice

Summary A central challenge in biology is to understand how innate behaviors evolve between closely related species. One way to elucidate how differences arise is to compare the development of behavior in species with distinct adult traits [1]. Here, we report that Peromyscus polionotus is strikingly precocious with regard to burrowing behavior, but not other behaviors, compared to its sister species P. maniculatus . In P. polionotus , burrows were excavated as early as 17 days of age, whereas P. maniculatus did not build burrows until 10 days later. Moreover, the well-known differences in burrow architecture between adults of these species— P. polionotus adults excavate long burrows with an escape tunnel, whereas P. maniculatus dig short, single-tunnel burrows [2–4]—were intact in juvenile burrowers. To test whether this juvenile behavior is influenced by early-life environment, we reciprocally cross-fostered pups of both species. Fostering did not alter the characteristic burrowing behavior of either species, suggesting that these differences are genetic. In backcross hybrids, we show that precocious burrowing and adult tunnel length are genetically correlated and that a P. polionotus allele linked to tunnel length variation in adults is also associated with precocious onset of burrowing in juveniles, suggesting that the same genetic region—either a single gene with pleiotropic effects or linked genes—influences distinct aspects of the same behavior at these two life stages. These results raise the possibility that genetic variants affect behavioral drive (i.e., motivation) to burrow and thereby affect both the developmental timing and adult expression of burrowing behavior.
Approximate Dynamic Models for Chemical Processes: A Comparative Study of Neural Networks and Nonlinear Time Series Modeling Techniques

Abstract Neural networks and nonlinear time series models provide two paradigms for developing input-output models for nonlinear systems. Methodology for developing neural networks with radial basis functions and nonlinear auto-regressive (NAR) models are described. Dynamic input- output models for a MIMO chemical reactor system are developed. The NAR models are more parsimonious and more accurate in predictions.