cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperative coverage of rectilinear environments

A distributed cooperative coverage algorithm DC/sub R/ is presented, which is derived from an earlier complete single-robot algorithm, CC/sub R/. DC/sub R/ executes independently on each robot in a team where the individual robots do not know the initial locations of their peers and applies to systems of robots operating in a rectilinear environment that use only intrinsic contact sensing to determine the boundaries of the environment. Due to the reactive nature of CC/sub R/, the natural extension to DC/sub R/ preserves the completeness properties of the single-robot algorithm, and the outline of a completeness proof of DC/sub R/ is also presented. DC/sub R/ has been implemented in simulation, and directions for future work are presented which will make the algorithm more suited to physical robot systems.
Changes in plant gene expression during stress

Changes in gene expression which occur during periods of environmentally induced stress provide models for the study of gene regulation. Several types of stress have been shown to elicit a specific and reproducible pattern of gene expression in various plant species. These stress factors include heat shock, anaerobiosis, plant pathogens, oxygen free radicals, heavy metals, water stress, and chilling. In some cases, changes in specific genes have been identified, such as increases in the expression of the gene encoding the phytoalexin-synthesizing enzyme in pathogen elicitor-treated cells. However, in most cases, the functional identity of stress-induced genes is unknown. The alterations in gene expression during stress usually are rapid and repeatable, making these genetic systems ideal for examination of factors and mechanisms involved in gene regulation.
Application of Behavior-Change Theories and Methods to Injury Prevention

Reducing the burden of injury is an international health goal, one that requires an interdisciplinary perspective. Injuries, whether self-inflicted, inflicted by others, or unintentional, have one thing in common: They are largely preventable. Behaviors that give rise to violence and injury are amenable to preventive intervention, just as are many of the behaviors that give rise to diseases. Thus, behavioral science is an integral part of a comprehensive injury prevention strategy. Applications of behavioral science to injury prevention lagged behind other approaches during the last half of the 20th century. Despite recognition by injury control professionals of the importance of behavioral research in injury prevention, behavioral solutions to preventing injury were deemphasized until recently (1, 2). Historically, little scholarly attention has been paid to understanding determinants of injury-related behaviors or how to initiate and sustain behavioral changes. Interventions often seemed to have been based on simplistic assumptions that changing people’s awareness about the injury problem would change their behavior. Many authors have noted the need to improve behavioral interventions by using better empirical data about determinants of behavior as well as theories and frameworks pertaining to change in health behavior (3–6). A growing body of work is emerging that demonstrates the positive impact of using behavioral science approaches in order to both understand and reduce injury risk behaviors (6–10). In this paper, we describe the role of behavior change in injury prevention and illustrate how the application of selected behavior-change theories to injury problems, within the context of a health promotion framework, can contribute to the enhancement of injury prevention programs.
Integration and querying of distributed databases

In large corporations today, there exist multiple, heterogeneous, distributed database systems. These systems are of different types and supported by different vendors. It is desirable to have a system whereby a user can query any of the databases through one interface. This kind of system could be used as a tool to import data from various types of databases into one common database or simply to extract information without knowing the intricacies of querying in the vendor-specific data manipulation language. This paper presents the development of such a system, called Integrated Database Query System. The proposed architecture is simple and cost effective.
Fragile Trust: The Success and Failure of Required Request Laws, and the Procurement of Organs and Tissues From Children and Adults

This chapter addresses two topics that may appear, at first, to have very little in common: (1) the question of whether required request laws have been successful with respect to organ procurement, and (2) the morality of using infants born with anencephaly as a source of organs and tissues. Despite the apparent incommensurability of the two subjects, I believe that the topics are intimately related.
Looming Cognitive Style, Emotion Schemas, and Fears of Loss of Emotional Control: Two Studies

We examined links between looming cognitive style (Riskind, Williams, Gesner, Chrosniak, & Cortina, 2000) and aspects of dysfunctional emotional regulation, and particularly fears of loss of emotional control. In study 1 we used a cross-sectional design to determine the associations between looming cognitive style and a battery of measures related to fears of loss of emotional control and associated emotional schemas. Consistent with predictions, looming cognitive style was associated with fears of loss of emotional control (Williams, Chambless, & Ahrens, 1997) and with dysfunctional emotion schemas and beliefs (Leahy, 2002). In study 2, we examined whether looming cognitive style predicted increases in fears of losing emotional control over time. Results were consistent with the assumption that the sense of threat created by looming cognitive style produced increased fears of losing control over emotions. Conversely, results indicated a partial reciprocal effect such that fears of losing control over anx...
Hierarchical Modularity: Decomposition of Function Structures With the Minimal Description Length Principle

In engineering design and analysis, complex systems often need to be decomposed into a hierarchical combination of different simple subsystems. It's necessary to provide formal, computable methods to hierarchically decompose complex structures. Since graph structures are commonly used as modeling methods in engineering practice, this paper presents a method to hierarchically decompose graph structures. The Minimal Description Length (MDL) principle is introduced as a measure to compare different decompositions. The best hierarchical decomposition is searched by, evolutionary computation methods with newly defined crossover and mutation operators of tree structures. The results on abstract graph without attributes and a real function structure show that the technique is promising.
Business Intelligence from Voice of Customer

In this paper, we present a first of a kind system, called Business Intelligence from Voice of Customer (BIVoC), that can: 1) combine unstructured information and structured information in an information intensive enterprise and 2) derive richer business insights from the combined data. Unstructured information, in this paper, refers to Voice of Customer (VoC) obtained from interaction of customer with enterprise namely, conversation with call-center agents, email, and sms. Structured database reflect only those business variables that are static over (a longer window of) time such as, educational qualification, age group, and employment details. In contrast, a combination of unstructured and structured data provide access to business variables that reflect upto date dynamic requirements of the customers and more importantly indicate trends that are difficult to derive from a larger population of customers through any other means. For example, some of the variables reflected in unstructured data are problem/interest in a certain product, expression of dissatisfaction with the business provided, and some unexplored category of people showing certain interest/problem. This gives the BIVoC system the ability to derive business insights that are richer, more valuable and crucial to the enterprises than the traditional business intelligence systems which utilize onlystructured information. We demostrate the effectiveness of BIVoC system through one of our real-life engagements where the problem is to determine how to improve agent productivity in a call center scenario. We also highlight major challenges faced while dealing with unstructured information such as handling noise and linking with structured data.
Cutting Edge: Intravascular Staining Redefines Lung CD8 T Cell Responses

Nonlymphoid T cell populations control local infections and contribute to inflammatory diseases, thus driving efforts to understand the regulation of their migration, differentiation, and maintenance. Numerous observations indicate that T cell trafficking and differentiation within the lung are starkly different from what has been described in most nonlymphoid tissues, including intestine and skin. After systemic infection, we found that >95% of memory CD8 T cells isolated from mouse lung via standard methods were actually confined to the pulmonary vasculature, despite perfusion. A respiratory route of challenge increased virus-specific T cell localization within lung tissue, although only transiently. Removing blood-borne cells from analysis by the simple technique of intravascular staining revealed distinct phenotypic signatures and chemokine-dependent trafficking restricted to Ag-experienced T cells. These results precipitate a revised model for pulmonary T cell trafficking and differentiation and a re-evaluation of studies examining the contributions of pulmonary T cells to protection and disease.
Heavy metal uptake by marsh plants in hydroponic solution cultures

Abstract Eight marsh plants were grown in chemically controlled hydroponic solutions containing three concentrations of heavy metals to evaluate the ability of each plant species to take up and accumulate heavy metals. The marsh plants studited were Cyperus esculentus, Scirpus validus, Spartina patens, Scirpus robustus, Distichiis spicata, Triglochin maritima, Spartina alterniflora, and Spartina foliosa. These species represented freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater marsh plants. An experimental hydroponic solution was developed from a modified Hoagland solution to more closely simulate natural marshland environments for the plants studied. Sodium chloride was added to the basic experimental hydroponic solution to simulate various salinities. The heavy metals studied were zinc, cadmium, nickel, lead, and chromium, each at a concentration of 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 ppm. Marsh plants were exposed to heavy metals for six weeks and harvested. Plants were separated into tops, lower stems, rhizomes, tubers, and ...
Acquiring “Knowledge of Our Own Continent”: Geopolitics, Science, and Jeffersonian Geography, 1783–1803

In his role as a promoter of scientific exploration of North America, Thomas Jefferson shared with Jedidiah Morse, considered by many to be the father of American geography, the patriotic desire to counteract misinformation furnished by “imperfect and erroneous sketches” describing the continent's geography by European writers. Yet his interest in the science of geography was also motivated by a concern with America's self-image in the realm of international politics, learning, and commerce. In the summer of 1802 Jefferson was prompted to send an exploring party to North America's westernmost territories in response to reading Voyages from Montreal , Alexander Mackenzie's account of his voyages across the continent to its northwest coast. At the end of his narrative, the Scottish explorer had encouraged Britain's control of a region that, if certain natural obstacles were overcome, might supply fur and fish to “the markets of the four quarters of the globe,” and proposed a line of fortified posts to be established to maintain the British Empire's presence from Lake Winnipeg to the Pacific. Jefferson understood that such action would obstruct America's westward expansion, block Russian advances from Alaska, and thus make possible a British dominion linking two great oceans. Edward Thornton, the British minister to the United States, would later observe that Mackenzie's discoveries had provoked the American President, who in 1803 was also the president of the American Philosophical Society, to concretize his dream “to set on foot an expedition entirely of a scientific nature for exploring the Western continent of America,” and that he was, furthermore, “ambitious in his character of a man of letters and science, of distinguishing his Presidency by a discovery” of a route to the Pacific Ocean by way of the Missouri, “now the only one left to his enterprise, the Northern Communication having been so ably explored and ascertained by Sir Alexander Mackenzie's journeys.
Is Equality Good Medicine? Determinants of Life Expectancy in Industrialized Democracies

The association between income inequality which creates psycho-social stress and longevity is of a curvilinear, concave nature. Low levels of income inequality are connected with shorter life expectancy. As inequality increases so does life expectancy until a point is reached where further increases in inequality lead to decreases in life expectancy. This finding is consistent with general theories of the effects of stress on performance as found in the fields of social psychology and sports medicine. In addition, we found that the life expectancy of populations is driven by factors such as perceived political control, the generosity of the welfare state, life-styles, GDP per capita and the poverty rate. Independently of which measure of income inequality was used or which statistical method was applied, these findings remained robust even when a number of alternative explanations were controlled for.
Sonographic Features of Gynecomastia

Objective The purpose of this study was to identify sonographic features of gynecomastia. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on all male patients with breast symptoms imaged with breast sonography over a 5-year period. Breast sonograms in 158 men were jointly reviewed by 3 investigators. Sonograms were assessed for the presence or absence of a mass: (1) if mass present, (a) location of the mass, (b) vascularity, (c), axis, (d) appearance of posterior tissues, and (e) tissue echo texture; and (2) if mass absent, anteroposterior (AP) depth at the nipple (increased if >1 cm). Results Of the 237 men with breast symptoms, 79 with only mammography were excluded. Of the 158 who had sonography with or without mammography, 5 without gynecomastia were also excluded. A total of 153 men included in the study presented with pain (n = 38), a lump (n = 95), both pain and a lump (n = 17), or nipple discharge (n = 3). Nine of 153 with gynecomastia had a biopsy. A total of 219 sonographic examinations were performed, which revealed 73 masses (33%): 20 (27%) nodular, 20 (27%) poorly defined, and 33 (45%) flame shaped. All masses were retroareolar, with 57 (78%) hypoechoic, 54 (73%) avascular, 60 (82%) parallel to the chest wall, and 47 (64%) without posterior enhancement or shadowing. Of the 146 without masses (67%), 141 (97%) had increased AP depth at the nipple. Conclusions Gynecomastia is a clinical diagnosis, and mammography is the primary imaging modality when indicated. However, if sonography is used when mammography is declined or when mammography is inconclusive, it is important to recognize the various described patterns of gynecomastia to avoid unnecessary biopsy based on sonographic findings.
Multitarget data association using an optical neural network.

A neural network solution to the data association problem in multitarget tracking is presented. It uses position and velocity measurements of the targets over two consecutive time frames. A quadratic neural energy function, which is suitable for an optical processing implementation, results. Simulation results using realistic target trajectories with target measurement noise including platform movement or jitter are presented. The results show that the network performs well when track data are corrupted by significant noise. Several possible optical neural network architectures to implement this algorithm are discussed, including a new all-optical matrix–vector multiplication approach. The matrix structure is employed to allow binary–ternary spatial light modulators to be used.
Abstract 5282: Leptin induces Notch in endothelial cells: Role of VEGFR-2 transactivation

Notch signaling is essential for breast cancer (BC) angiogenesis and its dysfunction is implicated in many cancers. Leptin (a pro-angiogenic, pro-inflammatory and mitogenic factor) induces the expression of VEGF/VEGFR-2 and Notch in BC cells. Moreover, the binding of leptin to its receptor (OB-Rb) in endothelial cells (EC) was shown to phosphorylate/transactivate VEGFR-2 inducing angiogenic features. We hypothesize that leptin is an inducer of Notch in EC and that this effect could occur upon leptin-mediated transactivation of VEGFR-2, thereby inducing angiogenic changes in EC. To this end, HUVEC cells were challenged with leptin, leptin inhibitor (LPrA2) VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitor (SU5416) and Notch signaling inhibitor (DAPT). Leptin-dose and time-course effects on expression of Notch (receptors: Notch1, Notch2, Notch3 and Notch4; ligands: JAG1, Dll-4 and targets: survivin and Hey2) were determined by WB and real time RT-PCR. The impact of LPrA2, SU5416 and DAPT on leptin-induced VEGFR-2 phosphorylation and Notch expression was also determined. The effects of leptin and inhibitors on EC proliferation, migration and tube formation were investigated. Results from our studies show for the first time that leptin is a potent inducer of Notch signaling in EC. Moreover, leptin-induced VEGFR-2 phosphorylation was closely related to leptin effects on Notch and the angiogenic features of EC. Therefore, leptin secreted either by adipose tissue or BC cells may contribute to tumor angiogenesis by acting directly on cancer cells inducing VEGF secretion or through EC inducing VEGFR-2/Notch crosstalk. Present results underline the notion that combinatory therapies targeting both Notch and leptin signaling could be a new strategy for BC treatment. [This work was supported in part by NIH/NCI1SC1CA138658-02; NIH/ARRA/3SC1CA138658-02S1 and the Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar Award (to RRGP)]. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5282. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5282
Probabilities of rayleigh’s test statistics for circular data

~he Kolmogorov-Srnirnov one-sample test is appropriate for testing goodness of fit of a hypothesized population distribution to a sampled population distribution (Bradley, 1968; Siegel, 1956; lar, 1974). If F(X) is the hypothesized cumulative frequency of the variable X [i.e., F(X) is the number of cases expected to be less than or equal to XJ, and S(X) is the observed cumulative frequency of X [i.e., S(X) is the number of cases in the sample which are less than or equal to X], then
UTD antenna codes through the years

Various UTD (uniform geometrical theory of diffraction) codes have been developed to analyze a wide variety of electromagnetic radiation and scattering problems. The Aircraft Code was originally developed in the early 1970s and initially used a circular cylinder to represent the fuselage. The antenna was mounted on the cylinder and was analyzed using a modal expansion approach. Using this approach, it became obvious that realistic fuselages could not be represented by such a simple structure. This required the development of UTD solutions for antennas mounted on curved surfaces. The first curved surface UTD results were for 2-D cases, which meant that the fuselage could be represented by variable cross-section cylinders, provided they were convex. This improved the aircraft results in the principal plane but did not provide a satisfactory method to treat a volumetric pattern. Through years of modeling a wide variety of aircraft for numerous applications, it was found that a composite ellipsoid was most appropriate in that an efficient geodesic algorithm could be developed, and that it represented the high-frequency radiation properties of general aircraft structures. >
Proline Essentiality and Weight Gain

Abstract ALMQUIST and Grau (1944) classifled proline as a dispensable amino acid for the growing chick since deleting this amino acid from their crystalline amino acid diet did not impair growth. Similarly, Benton et al. (1955) and Adkins et al. (1952) observed no significant growth response when proline was added to crystalline amino acid diets. In contrast, earlier studies conducted in this laboratory (Klain et al., 1959; Greene et al., 1962) and a recent study in Japan (Sugahara and Ariyoshi, 1967) showed improved gains upon the addition of proline to crystalline amino acid diets. Roy and Bird (1959) also noted a small increase in growth when a practical diet was supplemented with proline. Klain et al. (1959) were led to comment that while proline could be synthesized by the chick, the rate was not commensurate with the need for rapid growth. This explanation fits Rose’s definition of an indispensable dietary component…
Benefits of a Health Qigong program for elementary school students: A pilot study

familiarity with lab techniques that were taught in the course (ELISA, p=0.00004, Flow cytometry, p=0.00005) and terminology (p=0.0001) after completion of the course. Analysis of the average of final grades across all students (n=38) is 3.7 (on a 4.0 scale), suggesting most students mastered the course. Conclusion: Overall, this course did appear to augment the student’s familiarity and understanding of basic lab skills, and ability to assess biomedical literature. With the development of any new course, there are always challenges and successes, which included mainly time constraints, and addressing skill levels of varied student backgrounds. Students who pursue more in-depth laboratory research projects undergo further one-on-one lab trainings and individual mentorship within the MSiMR program. Contact: Morgan Schafer, mschafer@ncnm.edu
Effects of environmental enrichment on microRNA-221 expression and ERK phosphorylation in the rat prefrontal cortex following nicotine-induced sensitization or nicotine self-administration

Drug and Alcohol Dependence 156 (2015) e183–e245 e245 OX1/OX2 receptor antagonist ACT-078573 and the OX2 selective antagonist TCS-OX2-29. Aimed at elucidating SAR requirements in other regions of the molecule and further enhancing OX1 potency and selectivity, we have designed and synthesized a series of analogs bearing a variety of substituents at the 1-position of the tetrahydroisoquinoline. Methods: All target compounds were synthesized and characterized by MS, NMR and HPLC. Target compounds were evaluated in calcium-dependent functional assays in RD-HGA16 (Molecular Devices) cell lines stably expressing either theOX1orOX2 receptor. Results: The results show that an optimally substituted benzyl group is required for activity at the OX1 receptor. Several compounds with improved potency and/or selectivity have been identified.When combinedwith structuralmodifications thatwere previously found to improve selectivity, we have identified compounds with apparent dissociation constants (Ke) less than 20nM at theOX1 receptor and >500-fold selectivity over theOX2 receptor. In vivo, select compounds blocked the development of locomotor sensitization to cocaine in rats. Conclusions: These findings will expedite the development of potent and selective OX1 antagonists as medications for the treatment of OX1-mediated disorders such as drug addiction. Financial support: NIH grants DA032837, DA026582 and DA034806. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.659 Effects of environmental enrichment on microRNA-221 expression and ERK phosphorylation in the rat prefrontal cortex following nicotine-induced sensitization or nicotine self-administration Jun Zhu1,2,∗, Adrian M. Gomez1, Wei-lun Sun1, Diego Altomare1, Kim E. Creek1, Steven B. Harrod2 1 Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States 2 Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia,
Advanced Remote Sensing Technology for Sustainable Land Development in Arid Lands

Researchers have recognized the potential use of multi-sensor remote sensing as one of the main datasources for monitoring and assessing the impact of rapid land use changes especially in fragileecosystems such as drylands. Most mapping methods have been developed for multi spectral images sincethis type of imagery currently provides the longest Earth Observing (EO) records that can be used toconstruct time series for monitoring the status of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. The spatial resolution ofolder generation EO sensors imposes, however, a problem in relation to the spatial variability ofecosystem components and status, especially in urban areas. Several techniques have been developed toimprove the detection and mapping of surface features that occur at sub-pixel resolution so that theirspectral information can be used for feature identification and extrapolated in space and time. However,ground observation is often needed to characterize and verify the land surface components making up apixel as well as to relate their spectral response to their actual physical stage (e.g., vegetation health, soilsalinity and moisture content etc.). When ground information is not available or feasible, high resolutionimagery can provide the required spatial information. This paper discusses current techniques in multisensordata analysis by illustrating their applications in urban and agricultural settings of arid lands. Keywords: multispectral, hyper spectral data, object-based classification, spectral angle mapper, aridland applications
The Translation Evidence Mechanism

Communication between the translational evidence organization, clinicians, and patients is through the electronic chart. Through the chart, clinical inquiries are made, patient data from provider assessments and practice cost schedules are collected and encrypted (HIPAA standards), then inputted into the central database. Outputs are made within a time frame suitable to private practice and patient flow. The output consists of a clinical practice guideline that responds to the clinical inquiry with decision, utility, and cost data (based on the “average patient”) for shared decision-making within informed consent. This shared decision-making allows for patients to “game” treatment scenarios using personal choice inputs. Accompanying the clinical practice guideline is a decision analysis that explains the optimized clinical decision. The resultant clinical decision is returned to the central database using the clinical practice guideline. The result is subsequently used to update current best evidence, indicate the need for new evidence, and analyze the changes made in best evidence implementation. When updates in knowledge occur, these are transmitted to the provider as alerts or flags through patient charts and other communication modalities.
Engagement of Veterans With Dementia in Partners in Dementia Care An Evidence-Based Care Coordination Program

This study describes engagement of veterans with dementia in an evidence-based care coordination intervention called Partners in Dementia Care (PDC). PDC uses a person-centered approach that encourages participation by individuals with dementia (IWDs), despite their cognitive impairment. PDC also targets primary family or friend caregivers, who often are the main user of the program. Of the total 316 IWDs, 202 passed a mental status screening and were considered to have engagement potential. The study of actual engagement was based on data from IWDs' PDC records, combined with data from structured research interviews. Approximately 80% of IWDs with engagement potential had a minimum level of actual engagement in PDC. A smaller subsample was more actively engaged, as indicated by assigned and/or accomplished action steps. Younger IWDs and those self-reporting more memory difficulties had higher levels of engagement. Results describe one example of the extent and limits of IWD engagement in psychosocial interventions.
The effect of CCD exposure time on the sensitivity of laser speckle contrast imaging of blood flow

We investigated effects of camera exposure time on the sensitivity and signal to noise ratio of laser speckle contrast imaging for measurements of relative blood flow changes during functional activation.
Combined Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer

More than 50% of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer will undergo radiation therapy as a primary treatment modality. Results from five phase III trials conducted by National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored cooperative groups showed significant survival advantages from the addition of cisplatin-based chemotherapy to primary radiation therapy, changing the standard of care for patients with bulky or locally advanced cervical carcinoma. The majority of patients for whom treatment fails, however, have persistent pelvic disease. Other agents (alone or in combination with cisplatin) with potential synergy with radiation therapy should be studied. Future trials should investigate potential interrelationships between anemia, tumor hypoxia, angiogenesis, and the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Therapies specific to tumor hypoxia (tirapazamine) or strategies to maintain higher nadir hemoglobin levels during treatment (aggressive transfusion policies; erythropoietin) should also be studied.
Advancing Exposure Science through Chemical Data Curation and Integration in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database

Background:Exposure science studies the interactions and outcomes between environmental stressors and human or ecological receptors. To augment its role in understanding human health and the exposo...
Online Regression for Data With Changepoints Using Gaussian Processes and Reusable Models

Many prediction, decision-making, and control architectures rely on online learned Gaussian process (GP) models. However, most existing GP regression algorithms assume a single generative model, leading to poor predictive performance when the data are nonstationary, i.e., generated from multiple switching processes. Furthermore, existing methods for GP regression over nonstationary data require significant computation, do not come with provable guarantees on correctness and speed, and many only work in batch settings, making them ill-suited for real-time prediction. We present an efficient online GP framework, GP-non-Bayesian clustering (GP-NBC), which addresses these computational and theoretical issues, allowing for real-time changepoint detection and regression using GPs. Our empirical results on two real-world data sets and two synthetic data set show that GP-NBC outperforms state-of-the-art methods for nonstationary regression in terms of both regression error and computation. For example, it outperforms Dirichlet process GP clustering with Gibbs sampling by 98% in computation time reduction while the mean absolute error is comparable.
Targeting the Translesion Synthesis Pathway for the Development of Anti-Cancer Chemotherapeutics

Human cells possess tightly controlled mechanisms to rescue DNA replication following DNA damage caused by environmental and endogenous carcinogens using a set of low-fidelity translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases. These polymerases can copy over replication blocking DNA lesions while temporarily leaving them unrepaired, preventing cell death at the expense of increasing mutation rates and contributing to the onset and progression of cancer. In addition, TLS has been implicated as a major cellular mechanism promoting acquired resistance to genotoxic chemotherapy. Owing to its central role in mutagenesis and cell survival after DNA damage, inhibition of the TLS pathway has emerged as a potential target for the development of anticancer agents. This review will recap our current understanding of the structure and regulation of DNA polymerase complexes that mediate TLS and describe how this knowledge is beginning to translate into the development of small molecule TLS inhibitors.
Complement-Mediated Glomerular Diseases: A Tale of 3 Pathways

A renewed interest in the role of complement in the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases has improved our understanding of their basic, underlying physiology. All 3 complement pathways—classical, lectin, and alternative—have been implicated in glomerular lesions both rare (e.g., dense deposit disease) and common (e.g., IgA nephropathy). Here we review the basic function of these pathways and highlight, with a disease-specific focus, how activation can lead to glomerular injury. We end by exploring the promise of complement-targeted therapies as disease-specific interventions for glomerular diseases.
Integrating Physical and Cognitive Ergonomics

The field of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E), since its inception, has been instrumental in developing methods, tools, and solutions when considering cognitive and physical systems independentl...
HIV and HTLV

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the modes of transmission and pathophysiology of both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV). The chapter also discusses transfusion practice guidelines for infected recipients. The risk of HIV transmission from the transfusion of an infected unit of blood is typically much greater than the risk from sexual contact or a needle stick because the transfusion of an infected unit of blood exposes the individual to a greater volume of infected material. Vertical transmission rates have been dramatically reduced by treating the mother before delivery and/or the newborn after delivery with antiretrovirals. The use of postexposure prophylaxis along with reduced viral loads because of widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy should reduce actual HIV transmission rates for all types of exposures. Risk factors for HTLV-I infection include birth in an endemic area (Japna and Caribbean), unprotected sex with someone from an endemic area, injection drug use, and blood transfusion. Injection drug users in the United States are more likely to have HTLV-II than HTLV-I. HIV-1 and -2 have been shown to infect CD4 + lymphocytes, CD4 + monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Fusion occurs most efficiently in target cells that express both CD4 and a chemokine receptor, usually utilizing CCR5 for macrophage-tropic strains of HIV or CXCR4 for T-tropic strains. HTLV-I productively infects CD4 T-cells. Usually 99% of HTLV-I DNA resides in these cells in vivo ; however, productive infection of nonlymphoid cells, including fibroblasts and endothelial cells, has been demonstrated in vitro . In addition, HTLV-I has been isolated in vitro from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-cells from patients, suggesting that infection of B-cells may occur.
Conclusion: We Versus Me

This summary recapitulates many of the points raised previously in the book and advocates a We mentality for Anthropologists, Archaeologists, and those wishing to use AGP in their own ways for their own purposes removed from the AGP Establishment.
Optical Role of Die Bonding for Chip-on-Board White Light Emitting Diode Emitters

Abstract The role of die attach adhesive in influencing light output of the white chip-on-board (COB) light emitting diode (LED) emitters is investigated using Monte-Carlo simulations. It is demonstrated for the first time that the use of an optically clear adhesive for replacing conventional adhesive for multiple COB white LED emitters leads to a significant enhancement in light output of up to 22 %. An optimization of packaging materials and process for multiple COB LED emitter to enhance optical efficiency is also studied.
LEAD POISONING–A DISEASE OF OUR TIME

Lead poisoning among children who eat paint chips and other non-food items containing lead is a serious environmental and public health problem. Ingestion of lead can result in irreversible biological effects including mental retardation and even death. Additionally, ingestion of food and water contaminated with lead, and inspiration of lead-polluted air may also bring about detrimental physiological responses, especially to enzyme systems concerned with blood synthesis. This review discusses the lead poisoning problem among children as regards sources of contamination as well as testing methods used to find potential victims of this man-made disease. The amounts and sources of lead found in foods, both raw and processed, and the quantities found in air are detailed. Implications of daily ingestion of small amounts of lead from food, water, and air are discussed.
An Examination of State-Level Public–Private Partnership Adoption: Analyzing Economic, Political, and Demand-Related Determinants of PPPs:

This study examines the influence of economic, political, and demand factors on the adoption of public–private partnerships (PPPs) from 2000 to 2016. State debt, urban travel demand, and state laws allowing unsolicited PPP proposals have a significant effect on PPP adoption. Counter to previous studies that suggest conservative state governments adopt PPPs at a greater rate than liberal governments, we find that the influence of political ideology on PPP adoption is contingent upon state legislative professionalism. For states with high legislative professionalism, a change in state government ideology in the liberal direction decreases the likelihood of PPP adoption. For states with low legislative professionalism, a change in state government ideology in the liberal direction increases the likelihood of PPP adoption. The results inform the study of politics of privatization by demonstrating how ideological preferences can be shaped by the legislative capacities of state governments.
Cascades and Myopic Routing in Nonhomogeneous Kleinberg’s Small World Model

Kleinberg’s small world model [20] simulates social networks with both strong and weak ties. In his original paper, Kleinberg showed how the distribution of weak-ties, parameterized by \(\gamma \), influences the efficacy of myopic routing on the network. Recent work on social influence by k-complex contagion models discovered that the distribution of weak-ties also impacts the spreading rate in a crucial manner on Kleinberg’s small world model [15]. In both cases the parameter of \(\gamma = 2\) proves special: when \(\gamma \) is anything but 2 the properties no longer hold.
Supporting rehabilitation of ADHD children with serious games and enhancement of inhibition mechanisms

The Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavior-related disorder, already present in children in pre-scholar and scholar age, that mainly includes hyperactivity, lacks in attention skills, impulsivity (delay aversion). While several approaches have been studied and developed for modelling and facing the various aspects of ADHD, the Dual Pathway Model (DPM), by Sonuga-Barke, is an evidence-based model that synthetizes in the cognitive and motivational paths the key dysfunctions, the inhibitory and delay aversion ones. In this paper is presented the development of a prototype of a computer serious game, called Antonyms, based on the DPM model, that is aimed at promoting learning and autonomous management of impulsive behaviors and at inhibiting irrelevant thoughts in children with ADHD. The game is structured as a set of tasks, contextualized in a story, impelling the player to react in an inadequate and immediate way while the player, to win, has to enhance his/her own skills of self-regulation, waiting, reflecting upon a situation, finding a not-intuitive solution. Preliminary tests on a control group show that impulsivity and inattention are really addressed during gameplay.
How can we improve the outcome for transplant patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms that are rapidly emerging as pathogens in the transplant population. The prevalence of infection in transplant recipients remains unknown. While guidelines exist for treatment of NTM, neither the American Thoracic Society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, nor the British Thoracic Society guidelines dictate the approach needed for transplant recipients. Here, we summarize risk factors, important diagnostic and treatment facts, and preventive measures to be taken to help improve outcomes of those infected with NTM infections.
Evaluating Eye Complaints

Patients with ophthalmologic complaints can present with a variety of signs and symptoms including the red eye, pain, trauma, and vision loss. The ophthalmologic history and physical examination can provide the keys to diagnosis. This chapter evaluates the important historical and physical examination maneuvers required in the ophthalmologic evaluation, including ultrasound and the slit lamp examination.
The Relationship between Solo Performance and Applied Singing Lessons: Mambo as a Qualitative Study

This article examines the relationship between solo performance opportunities and applied singing lessons in university vocal pedagogy. The methodology is a qualitative case study. The participants...
Four Neuroimaging Questions that P-Values Cannot Answer (and Bayesian Analysis Can)

Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) is used pervasively in neuroimaging studies, despite its known limitations. Recent critiques to these tests have mostly focused on technical issues with multiple comparisons and difficulties in interpreting p-values. While these critiques are valuable, we believe that they overlook the fundamental flaws of NHST in answering research questions. In this paper, we review major limitations inherent to NHST that we formulate as four research questions insoluble with p-values. We demonstrate how, in theory, Bayesian approaches can provide answers to such questions. We discuss the implications of these questions as well as the practicalities of such approaches in neuroimaging.
RF MEMS, BST, and GaAs varactor system-level response in complex modulation systems: Research Articles

This article presents the response of RF microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS), barium strontium titanate (BST), and gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based tunable filters and reconfigurable matching networks to a wideband code-division-multiple-access signal centered at 1.95 GHz. The RF MEMS tunable filter and impedance tuner result in very low intermodulation distortion and spectral regrowth compared to their BST and GaAs counterparts. The linearity of the BST and GaAs tunable networks improves considerably by using a series combination of BST and GaAs varactors, but the RF MEMS-based networks still show the best linearity of all three technologies. Also, it is shown that the reconfigurable networks, tuned with capacitive RF MEMS can handle up to 1 W of RF power with no self-actuation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.
Reduced Renal Ammoniagenesis in Primary Gout

The rate of NH3diffusion is influenced by (1) the transtubular pH gradient, (2) the availability of titratable acid precursors, and (3) the urine flow rates. In our subjects for the present study of urinary excretion of titratable acid, NH+4, and uric acid, urine samples were collected as a rule from 6:30 A. M. to 8:30 A. M. after an overnight fast, both the gouty and the non-gouty subjects alike. the urine flow rates were more or less in the same range, approximately 1.0 ± 0.3 ml/min.
Twinning-induced strain hardening in dual-phase FeCoCrNiAl 0.5 at room and cryogenic temperature

A face-centered-cubic (fcc) oriented FeCoCrNiAl0.5 dual-phase high entropy alloy (HEA) was plastically strained in uniaxial compression at 77K and 293K and the underlying deformation mechanisms were studied. The undeformed microstructure consists of a body-centered-cubic (bcc)/B2 interdendritic network and precipitates embedded in 〈001〉-oriented fcc dendrites. In contrast to other dual-phase HEAs, at both deformation temperatures a steep rise in the stress-strain curves occurs above 23% total axial strain. As a result, the hardening rate associated saturates at the unusual high value of ~6 GPa. Analysis of the strain partitioning between fcc and bcc/B2 by digital image correlation shows that the fcc component carries the larger part of the plastic strain. Further, electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy evidence ample fcc deformation twinning both at 77K and 293K, while slip activity only is found in the bcc/B2. These results may guide future advancements in the design of novel alloys with superior toughening characteristics.
The Epistemological and Ethical Challenges of Archiving and Sharing Qualitative Data

This article identifies the epistemological and ethical problems that accompany the growing mandate to archive and share qualitative data. We call attention to the potential consequences of “shared...
Review of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks for Environmental Noise Monitoring in Smart Cities

Nowadays, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Since this proportion is expected to keep rising, the sustainable development of cities is of paramount importance to guarantee the quality of life of their inhabitants. Environmental noise is one of the main concerns that has to be addressed, due to its negative impact on the health of people. Different national and international noise directives and legislations have been defined during the past decades, which local authorities must comply with involving noise mapping, action plans, policing, and public awareness, among others. To this aim, a recent change in the paradigm for environmental noise monitoring has been driven by the rise of Internet of Things technology within smart cities through the design and development of wireless acoustic sensor networks (WASNs). This work reviews the most relevant WASN-based approaches developed to date focused on environmental noise monitoring. The proposals have moved from networks composed of high-accuracy commercial devices to the those integrated by ad hoc low-cost acoustic sensors, sometimes designed as hybrid networks with low and high computational capacity nodes. After describing the main characteristics of recent WASN-based projects, the paper also discusses several open challenges, such as the development of acoustic signal processing techniques to identify noise events, to allow the reliable and pervasive deployment of WASNs in urban areas together with some potential future applications.
Educating Evaluators 1976–2017: An Expanded Analysis of University-Based Evaluation Education Programs:

2015 was designated the International Year of Evaluation, suggesting that evaluation has an important role to play in service of positive global ideals. It is vital to recognize the critical role t...
Computernetze als Kulturtechnik

In der Wissensgesellschaft werden Computernetze zur neuen Kulturtechnik. Von der Hohlenmalerei schriftloser Kulturen uber Tonta-feln bis zum Buchdruck reichen die fruhen Kommunikationsmedien, Fruhe Kommunimit denen die Welt dargestellt und begriffen wird.