cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Structure of Optimal Controls for a Steering Problem

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the structure of optimal controls for a steering problem. It describes a study on some facts about the structure of optimal controls in a steering problem for a nonlinear control system. This problem is of considerable current interest in the context of nonholonomic motion planning for robots. The problem of motion planning for such mobile robots under nonintegrable Pfaffian constraints was equivalent to a steering problem for nonlinear control systems. There has been a tremendous amount of work on nonholonomy calculations in mechanics, and of the connections between gauge theory and problems of reorienting deformable bodies, such as falling cats and space robots. The chapter presents the results from these two areas in the context of optimal control, which is generalized classical mechanics to control theorists. The results on derivatives of the optimal controls are known to many practitioners for studying singular optimal controls and Baillieul-derived sinusoidal optimal controls for SO.
Significance of the “Maturation” of Metastases From Wilms’ Tumor After Therapy

Several metastatic nodules were discovered in the lungs of a 4-year-old boy two years after surgical excision of Wilms' tumor with subsequent chemotheraphy and local irradiation. All these metastatic nodules were composed of differentiated mesenchymal elements similar to those encountered in the primary neoplasm. Similar “mature” metastases have been observed by pathologists in other tumors of embryonic origin. Review of available literature and clinical and experimental data supports the notion that “reversion” of malignant cells into phenotypically benign counterparts may take place spontaneously or under the influence of environmental factors. Anticancer agents (cytostatics, radiation) selectively destroy the more anaplastic cells present in a malignant tumor (or its metastatic implants), thus allowing the “benign” revertants to predominate. Although such lesions are benign-appearing, it is recommended that they be completely excised; however, but further chemo- or radiotherapy may not be necessary.
Hypergonadotropism in Peripubertal Boys With Chronic Renal Failure

Serum gonadotropin and testosterone concentrations were measured in ten peripubertal boys to assess the effects of uremia on pubertal maturation. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were elevated for stage of puberty in eight boys, whereas in most boys serum follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone concentrations were normal. Serum LH concentrations correlated with the severity of uremia. LH levels declined when measured 1 year after the initial measurements in four boys who received renal allografts, but were further elevated in two boys who were treated conservatively. Elevated serum LH concentrations in the presence of normal serum testosterone concentrations imply limited testicular sensitivity to the effects of LH in these peripubertal boys, as has been documented for adult men with chronic renal failure. Alternatively, there may be accumulation of an immunoreactive LH molecule that lacks bioactivity. A testicular dysfunction may explain the pubertal delay experienced by some uremic adolescent boys.
Vena Caval Involvement With Renal Tumors: Surgical Considerations

We reviewed the experience at the University of Virginia over the past 10 years with renal tumors involving the inferior vena cava. There were 107 patients with renal tumors, 41 with invasion of the renal vein and 18 with involvement of the inferior vena cava. The groups with and without vena caval tumors were compared, and the operative approach is described. Although the rate of complications was higher in operations on the vena cava, none were fatal and no patient required chronic dialysis. Life-table analysis revealed that patients with involvement of the inferior vena cava survived longer than those with incomplete resection. Because extraction of these tumors can be accomplished with acceptable morbidity and mortality, because complete resection confers a survival advantage, and because chemotherapy and radiation are ineffective, we recommend aggressive workup and resection of renal tumors involving the inferior vena cava.
Complete and Partial Ureteral Obstruction: Evaluation of Renal Effects With P-31 MR Spectroscopy and Tc-DMSA Scintigraphy

Phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy was used to study the effects of partial and complete ureteral obstruction on the porcine kidney; results were compared with renal tubular function as determined with technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy. Twenty-seven pigs were used: nine as sham-operated controls, six with partial ureteral obstruction, and 12 with complete ureteral obstruction. P-31 MR spectra and Tc-DMSA scintiscans were obtained weekly over 3 weeks. Partial obstruction caused no significant change in P-31 MR spectra, whereas Tc-DMSA scintiscans showed a 74% decrease in tubular function by the end of 3 weeks. Complete obstruction caused a 43% reduction in the mean adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to inorganic phosphate (Pi) ratio, which paralleled the 96% decrease in Tc-DMSA uptake over 3 weeks. The difference in ATP/Pi ratios between control and completely obstructed kidneys was significant (P less than .01) at 2 and 3 weeks after ligation. These results indicate that...
Simultaneous Aortic Reconstruction and Bilateral Renal Revascularization: Is This a Safe and Effective Procedure?

Between 1982 and 1987, 32 patients with severe aortorenal atherosclerosis had simultaneous aortic and bilateral renal revascularization. All patients were hypertensive. Eighteen patients (56%) had renal insufficiency with a mean serum creatinine (SC) of 2.8 mg/dl. Nine patients had an aortic aneurysm; the remaining 23 patients had aortoiliac occlusive disease of varying severity. Aortic reconstruction was done with either a straight (six patients) or bifurcated (26 patients) Dacron graft. Renal revascularization was accomplished with either bypass (60 arteries) or transaortic endarterectomy (four arteries). One patient died of pulmonary embolism (operative mortality rate 3%). Beneficial blood pressure response was achieved in 28 of 31 survivors, (90%). Among the 18 patients with renal insufficiency, mean SC was 2.80 +/- 1.18 mg/dl preoperatively and 1.65 +/- 0.48 mg/dl postoperatively (p less than 0.001). Among eight patients with severe renal dysfunction before surgery (SC greater than 3 mg/dl), mean SC was 3.90 +/- 0.85 mg/dl before and 1.79 +/- 0.69 mg/dl after operation (p less than 0.001). In follow-up extending to 58 months (mean 27.6 months), five late deaths occurred; cumulative survival was 94% at 2 years and 60% at 4 years. There were no instances of worsening hypertension; one patient had deteriorating renal function. These results indicate that severe aortorenal atherosclerosis can be managed with simultaneous aortic reconstruction and bilateral renal revascularization at low operative risk. In addition, there can be high expectation of significant and persisting benefit in both hypertension and renal dysfunction after operation.
Organizational Imprinting and Response to Institutional Complexity: Evidence from Publicly-Traded Chinese State-Owned Firms in Hong Kong

This study seeks to answer the following question: What are the organizational attributes that influence organizational responses to institutional complexity? Building on core ideas of organizational imprinting, I argue that organizational response is influenced by the imprint from the dominant logic of organizing during the founding period and from the institutional position an organization possessed at founding. Empirically, I examine the variation in board composition of Chinese state-owned firms listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange market. It is found that state-owned firms founded in the market logic dominant period tend to have more non-state directors on the board in that they were organized around the prescription of the market logic and more responsive to shareholders’ demands for legitimacy reasons. Besides, state-owned firms founded by central government agencies tend to have fewer non-state directors because they were born at the center of the socialist system to accomplish strategic goals of the central government and non-state directors may challenge the vested interests. This study contributes to the organizational imprinting and institutional literature and resonates with the contemporary call for a more systematic examination of organizational attributes that influence organizational responses to institutional complexity.
Climate Policies and Nationally Determined Contributions: Reconciling the Needed Ambition with the Political Economy

Countries have pledged to stabilize global warming at a 1.5–2°C increase. Either target requires reaching net zero emissions before the end of the century, which implies a major transformation of the economic system. This study reviews the literature on how policymakers can design climate policies and their nationally determined contributions to reach zero-net emissions before the end of the century in a socially and politically acceptable manner. To get the ambition right, policymakers can use sectoral roadmaps with targets and indicators that track progress toward zero emissions (e.g., regarding renewable power or reforestation). Indeed, monitoring economy-wide emissions-reductions alone would not ensure that short-term action contributes meaningfully to the long-term decarbonization goal. To get the political economy right, climate policies can be designed so that they contribute to nonclimate objectives and create broad coalitions of supporters. For instance, carbon taxes revenues can fund social assistance and infrastructure investment, while reducing tax evasion and informality. To minimize social and economic disruptions and avoid stranded assets, policymakers can also start with a low carbon price level and use complementary policies. Designed at the sector level, complementary policies such as performance standards or feebates for cars, building norms, or moratoriums on new coal power plants can be negotiated in partnership with local stakeholders and trigger a transition to zero carbon that does not directly affect existing polluting capital. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
A predictive model of rat calorie intake as a function of diet energy density.

Easy access to high-energy food has been linked to high rates of obesity in the world. Understanding the way that access to palatable (high fat or high calorie) food can lead to overconsumption is ...
Classical gonadoblastoma: its relationship to the 'dissecting' variant and undifferentiated gonadal tissue

Classical gonadoblastoma occurs almost entirely in the dysgenetic gonads of an individual who has a disorder of sex development. Approximately 40% of such neoplasms are bilateral. Almost all gonadoblastomas occur in patients who have a Y chromosome or part thereof; testis-specific protein Y-encoded 1 (TSPY1) is the putative gene. If a gonad in a patient who has a disorder of sex development contains germ cells with delayed maturation, and also harbours the TSPY1 gene, the cells can undergo transformation to classical gonadoblastoma. The latter consists of rounded islands composed of germ cells, sex cord elements and hyaline basement membrane material surrounded by a variably cellular gonadal stroma that sometimes contains steroid cells. Classical gonadoblastoma can be interpreted as a non-invasive neoplasm that is the precursor of germinoma and, indirectly, other more aggressive germ cell neoplasms. Undifferentiated gonadal tissue is the precursor of classical gonadoblastoma and contains germ cells with delayed maturation that express octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4); however, other germ cells show normal maturation and express TSPY1. If all germ cells in a patient with undifferentiated gonadal tissue involute, the result is a secondary streak. Undifferentiated gonadal tissue is a non-neoplastic condition that should be distinguished clearly from 'dissecting gonadoblastoma', a neoplasm derived from classical gonadoblastoma that is the precursor of some germinomas. 'Dissecting gonadoblastoma' is a variant of classical gonadoblastoma that has unusual growth patterns and contains both sex cord and germ cell elements. Clonal expansion of germ cells is a characteristic of the late stage of 'dissecting gonadoblastoma'.
Probabilistic qualitative mapping for robots

Abstract A probabilistic qualitative relational mapping (PQRM) algorithm is developed to enable robots to robustly map environments using noisy sensor measurements. Qualitative state representations provide soft, relative map information which is robust to metrical errors. In this paper, probabilistic distributions over qualitative states are derived and an algorithm to update the map recursively is developed. Maps are evaluated for convergence and correctness in Monte Carlo simulations. Validation tests are conducted on the New College dataset to evaluate map performance in realistic environments.
“I’ve Risen Up From the Ashes That I Created”: Record Clearance and Gendered Narratives of Self-Reinvention and Reintegration:

Record clearance allows some individuals to redesignate or remove certain minor convictions from their criminal records. This interview-based study finds that both men and women seek opportunities for personal gain through record clearance, but women are more motivated by moral and religious influences and concern about reputation. Women are also more likely than men to acknowledge personal flaws, and to desire to replace criminal identities with law-abiding identities. As women redefine their identities, caregiving is especially important as a personal obligation and professional aspiration. Record clearance is particularly compatible with women’s motivations, willingness to change, and personal and professional goals.
Gauge fields, scalars, warped geometry, and strings

We review results on several interesting phenomena in warped compactifications of M theory, as presented at Strings 2000. The behavior of gauge fields in dimensional reduction from d+1 to d dimensions in various backgrounds is explained from the point of view of the holographic duals (and a point raised in the question session at the conference is addressed). We summarize the role of additional fields (in particular scalar fields) in 5d warped geometries in making it possible for Poincare-invariant domain wall solutions to exist to a nontrivial order in a controlled approximation scheme without fine-tuning of parameters in the 5d action (and comment on the status of the singularities arising in the general relativistic description of these solutions). Finally, we discuss briefly the emergence of excitations of wrapped branes in warped geometries whose effective thickness, as measured along the Poincare slices in the geometry, grows as the energy increases.
The Age Twist in Employers’ Gender Requests: Evidence from Four Job Boards.

On one Mexican and three Chinese job boards, firms’ explicit gender requests shift dramatically away from women and towards men when firms are seeking older (as opposed to younger) workers. Observed characteristics of job ads can account for 65 percent of this “age twist”; within this “explained” component, employers’ requests for older male managers and for young women in customer contact and helping positions account for more than half. Based on its timing, the remainder of the twist, which occurs within job titles, appears to be connected to a differential effect of parenthood on firms’ requests for men versus women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Bipolar filaments of human nonmuscle myosin 2-A and 2-B have distinct motile and mechanical properties

Nonmusclemyosin 2 (NM-2) powers cell motility and tissue morphogenesis by assembling into bipolar filaments that interact with actin. Although the enzymatic properties of purified NM-2 motor fragments have been determined, the emergent properties of filament ensembles are unknown. Using single myosin filament in vitro motility assays, we report fundamental differences in filaments formed of different NM-2 motors. Filaments consisting of NM2-B moved processively along actin, while under identical conditions, NM2-A filaments did not. By more closely mimicking the physiological milieu, either by increasing solution viscosity or by co-polymerization with NM2-B, NM2-A containing filaments moved processively. Our data demonstrate that both the kinetic and mechanical properties of these two myosins, in addition to the stochiometry of NM-2 subunits, can tune filament mechanical output. We propose altering NM-2 filament composition is a general cellular strategy for tailoring force production of filaments to specific functions, such as maintaining tension or remodeling actin.
BInGaN alloys nearly lattice-matched to GaN for high-power high-efficiency visible LEDs

InGaN-based visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs) find commercial applications for solid-state lighting and displays, but lattice mismatch limits the thickness of InGaN quantum wells that can be grown on GaN with high crystalline quality. Since narrower wells operate at a higher carrier density for a given current density, they increase the fraction of carriers lost to Auger recombination and lower the efficiency. The incorporation of boron, a smaller group-III element, into InGaN alloys is a promising method to eliminate the lattice mismatch and realize high-power, high-efficiency visible LEDs with thick active regions. In this work, we apply predictive calculations based on hybrid density functional theory to investigate the thermodynamic, structural, and electronic properties of BInGaN alloys. Our results show that BInGaN alloys with a B:In ratio of 2:3 are better lattice matched to GaN compared to InGaN and, for indium fractions less than 0.2, nearly lattice matched. Deviations from Vegard's law appear...
Optimal Contracts with Performance Manipulation

We study optimal compensation contracts that (1) are designed to address a joint moral hazard and adverse selection problem and that (2) are based on performance measures, which may be manipulated by the agent at a cost. In the model, a manager is privately informed about his productivity prior to being hired by a firm. In order to incentivize the manager to exert productive effort, the firm designs a compensation contract that is based on reported earnings, which can be manipulated by the manager. Our model predicts that (1) the optimal compensation contract is convex in reported earnings; (2) the optimal contract is less sensitive to reported earnings than it would be absent the manager's ability to manipulate earnings; and (3) higher costs of manipulating reported earnings (e.g., due to higher governance quality) are associated with higher firm value, lower expected level of earnings management, and higher output.
Temporal and Spatial Variation in Peatland Carbon Cycling and Implications for Interpreting Responses of an Ecosystem-Scale Warming Experiment

We are conducting a large-scale, long-term climate change response experiment in an ombrotrophic peat bog in Minnesota to evaluate the effects of warming and elevated CO2 on ecosystem processes using empirical and modeling approaches. To better frame future assessments of peatland responses to climate change, we characterized and compared spatial vs. temporal variation in measured C cycle processes and their environmental drivers. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis of a peatland C model to identify how variation in ecosystem parameters contributes to model prediction uncertainty. High spatial variability in C cycle processes resulted in the inability to determine if the bog was a C source or sink, as the 95% confidence interval ranged from a source of 50 g C m–2 yr–1 to a sink of 67 g C m–2 yr–1. Model sensitivity analysis also identified that spatial variation in tree and shrub photosynthesis, allocation characteristics, and maintenance respiration all contributed to large variations in the pretreatment estimates of net C balance. Variation in ecosystem processes can be more thoroughly characterized if more measurements are collected for parameters that are highly variable over space and time, and especially if those measurements encompass environmental gradients that may be driving the spatial and temporal variation (e.g., hummock vs. hollow microtopographies, and wet vs. dry years). Together, the coupled modeling and empirical approaches indicate that variability in C cycle processes and their drivers must be taken into account when interpreting the significance of experimental warming and elevated CO2 treatments.
How much is remembered as a function of presentation modality

According to a widespread claim used for teaching recommendations, students remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, and 50% of what they see and hear. Clearly, the percentages cannot be correct, and there is no empirical evidence for the ordering. To investigate the ordering, in a navigation paradigm, subjects were given messages instructing them to move in a grid of four stacked matrices by clicking a computer mouse. Three modalities were compared presented either once, see (visual arrows), hear (auditory words), read (visual words); twice in succession, see-see, hear-hear, read-read; or in two different successive modalities, see-hear, hear-see, see-read, read-see, hear-read, read-hear. Better performance was found for messages presented twice than once, but messages in the two modalities were not always better than twice in one modality. For the twice-presented messages, performance varied as a function of the second modality, with see best and read worst. However, the ordering for the first modality was not reliable and was inconsistent with the widespread claim. Thus, the widespread claim is clearly wrong, not only in its percentages, but also because of its lack of generality.
Should Canada Worry About a Resource Curse

An abundance of natural resources might seem like something any nation would want to be blessed with. But in some countries, a bounty of energy, minerals and other resources can become as much a curse as a blessing. The difference between whether resources benefit a country’s people, or lead to adversity and even suffering, has everything to do with how a country manages its resources. It is the difference between a resource-rich, free and democratically accountable country, such as Canada, and a resourcerich, corrupt, violent and impoverished country, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. In many resource-rich countries, the effect of ample natural wealth has been to sever the accountability link between citizens and government, slowing or even reversing democratic and social progress, while mostly enriching a few politically favoured constituencies. Canada’s plentiful resources are an indisputable blessing, and those critics of federal industrial policy who compare this country to illiberal and corrupt “petro-states” are being either ignorant or deceitful. There are numerous critical factors at work here that ensure that the Canadian public benefits, rather than suffers, from our natural endowments. We have a diversity of resources, as opposed to being reliant on a single commodity, and our natural-resource sector makes up only a small portion of our larger economy. We have well-established and diligently enforced standards for financial transparency and accountability, in both the private and public sectors. But, just as importantly, there is a national consensus in Canada that public wealth amassed from resource rents should be invested in strengthening human capital, through education, training and social services, as well as in improved infrastructure and better governance, eventually parlaying natural-resource wealth into a yet larger, further-diversified economy. But Canada — and especially resource-rich provinces, such as Alberta — cannot take these factors for granted. A combination of complacency and natural wealth has the potential to turn a blessing into a curse. Even once reasonably democratic and accountable countries, such as Venezuela, have been caught unprepared on the dangerous double edge of a resource boom and have seen their governance systems substantially eroded. Developing the fiscal capacity to withstand commodity-market shocks, creating effective and durable checks and balances on systems of legislative power, enforcing transparency in budgeting and public-investment management, and maximizing tax efficiencies and tax administration, are all areas where Canadians can and should focus their efforts. These are the fundamental safeguards that will ensure our ample natural resources continue to be seen by our citizens as a blessing and not — as is the unfortunate case in so many other countries — a curse.
Choosing Your Pond: Location Choices and Relative Income

Do individuals care about their relative income? While this is a long-standing hypothesis, revealed-preference evidence remains elusive. We provide a unique test by studying residential choices: in...
The genome of the Hi5 germ cell line from Trichoplusia ni, an agricultural pest and novel model for small RNA biology

A common moth called the cabbage looper is becoming increasingly relevant to the scientific community. Its caterpillars are a serious threat to cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower crops, and they have started to resist the pesticides normally used to control them. Moreover, the insect’s germline cells – the ones that will produce sperm and eggs – are used in laboratories as ‘factories’ to artificially produce proteins of interest. The germline cells also host a group of genetic mechanisms called RNA silencing. One of these processes is known as piRNA, and it protects the genome against ‘jumping genes’. These genetic elements can cause mutations by moving from place to place in the DNA: in germline cells, piRNA suppresses them before the genetic information is transmitted to the next generation. Not all germline cells grow equally well under experimental conditions, or are easy to use to examine piRNA mechanisms in a laboratory. The germline cells from the cabbage looper, on the other hand, have certain characteristics that would make them ideal to study piRNA in insects. However, the genome of the moth had not yet been fully resolved. This hinders research on new ways of controlling the pest, on how to use the germline cells to produce more useful proteins, or on piRNA. Decoding a genome requires several steps. First, the entire genetic information is broken in short sections that can then be deciphered. Next, these segments need to be ‘assembled’ – put together, and in the right order, to reconstitute the entire genome. Certain portions of the genome, which are formed of repeats of the same sections, can be difficult to assemble. Finally, the genome must be annotated: the different regions – such as the genes – need to be identified and labeled. Here, Fu et al. assembled and annotated the genome of the cabbage looper, and in the process developed strategies that could be used for other species with a lot of repeated sequences in their genomes. Having access to the looper’s full genetic information makes it possible to use their germline cells to produce new types of proteins, for example for pharmaceutical purposes. Fu et al. went on to make working with these cells even easier by refining protocols so that modern research techniques, such as the gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9, can be used on the looper germline cells. The mapping of the genome also revealed that the genes involved in removing toxins from the insects’ bodies are rapidly evolving, which may explain why the moths readily become resistant to insecticides. This knowledge could help finding new ways of controlling the pest. Finally, the genes involved in RNA silencing were labeled: results show that an entire chromosome is the source of piRNAs. Combined with the new protocols developed by Fu et al., this could make cabbage looper germline cells the default option for any research into the piRNA mechanism. How piRNA works in the moth could inform work on human piRNA, as these processes are highly similar across the animal kingdom.
First-Principles Study of Non-Heme Fe(II) Halogenase SyrB2 Reactivity

We present here a computational study of reactions at a model complex of the SyrB2 enzyme active site. SyrB2, which chlorinates L-threonine in the syringomycin biosynthetic pathway, belongs to a recently discovered class of α-ketoglutarate, non-heme Fe(II)-dependent halogenases that shares structural and chemical similarities with hydroxylases. Halogenases and hydroxylases alike decarboxylate the αKG co-substrate, facilitating formation of a high-energy ferryl-oxo intermediate that abstracts a hydrogen from the reactant complex. The reaction mechanisms differ at this point, and mutation of active site residues fails to reproduce hydroxylating activity in SyrB2 or halogenating activity in similar hydroxylases. Using a density functional theory (DFT) approach with a recently implemented Hubbard U correction for accurate treatment of transition-metal chemistry, we explore probable reaction pathways and mechanisms via a model complex consisting only of the iron center and its direct ligands. We show that the first step, αKG decarboxylation, is barrierless and exothermic, while the subsequent hydrogen abstraction step has an energetic barrier consistent with that accessible under biological conditions. In the model complex we use, radical chlorination is barrierless and exothermic, while the analogous hydroxylation is found to have a small energetic barrier. The hydrogen abstraction and radical chlorination steps are strongly coupled: the barrier for the hydrogen abstraction step is reduced when carried out concomitantly with the exothermic chlorination step. Our work suggests that the lack of chlorination in mutant hydroxylases is most likely due to poor binding of chlorine in the active site, while mutant halogenases do not hydroxylate for energetic reasons. While secondary shell residues undoubtedly modulate the overall reactivity and binding of relevant substrates, we show that a small model compound consisting exclusively of the direct ligands to the metal can help explain reactivity heretofore not yet understood in the halogenase SyrB2.
Physical-contact 256-core MPO Connector with Flat Polished Multi-core Fibers

Physical contact of all the cores of ultra-high-density 256-core MPO connectors with 32 strands of 8-core fibers was achieved with a 22-N mating force by polishing method realizing flat fiber facets and small fiber-protrusion difference.
All weather road edge identification based on driving video mining

To avoid vehicle running off road, road edge detection is a fundamental function. Current work on road edge detection has not exhaustively tackled all weather and illumination conditions. We first sort the visual appearance of roads based on physical and optical properties under various illuminations. Then, data mining approach is applied to a large driving video set that contains the full spectrum of seasons and weathers to learn the statistical distribution of road edge appearances. The obtained parameters of road environment in color on road structure are used to classify weather in video briefly, and the corresponding algorithm and features are applied for robust road edge detection. To visualize the road appearance as well as evaluate the accuracy of detected road, a compact road profile image is generated to reduce the data to a small fraction of video. Through the exhaustive examination of all weather and illuminations, our road detection methods can locate road edges in good weather, reduce errors in dark illuminations, and report road invisibility in poor illuminations.
Is surgical antibiotic prophylaxis necessary for pediatric orchiopexy

Summary Introduction Surgeons frequently use surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP), despite limited evidence to support its efficacy. Potential adverse events associated with antibiotic use include allergic reaction (including anaphylaxis), Clostridium difficile infection, and selecting for resistant bacteria. Surgical site infections (SSI) are very rare in patients undergoing clean pediatric urologic procedures. Current guidelines are unclear about the efficacy of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of SSI in the pediatric population. Objective It was hypothesized that children who received SAP prior to orchiopexy would have no reduction in surgical site infection (SSI) risk but an increased risk of antibiotic-associated adverse events. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all males aged between 30 days and 18 years who underwent an orchiopexy (ICD-9 CM 62.5) in an ambulatory or observation setting from 2004 to 2015 using the Pediatric Health Information System database. Inpatients and those with concomitant procedures were excluded. Chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association between SAP and allergic reaction (defined as a charge for epinephrine or ICD-9 diagnosis code for allergic reaction on the date of surgery) and any of the following within 30 days: SSI, hospital readmission or any repeat hospital encounter. Mixed effects logistic regression was performed, controlling for age, race, and insurance, and clustering of similar practice patterns by hospital. Results A total of 71,767 patients were included: median age was 4.6 years, 61.4% were white, and 49.3% had public insurance; 33.5% received SAP. Of these participants, 996/71,767 (1.4%) had a perioperative allergic reaction and P = 0.005). Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis was not associated with decreased rates of SSI, lower hospital readmission, nor a lower chance of a repeat encounter within 30 days. Conclusions In patients undergoing orchiopexy, it was found that SAP did not reduce the risk of postoperative SSI, readmissions, or hospital visits. Patients who received SAP had significantly increased odds of perioperative allergic reaction. This demonstrated that the risks of SAP outweigh the benefits in children undergoing orchiopexy.
Observational Evidence for Galactic Spiral Structure

Does our Galaxy possess spiral structure and, if so, can this structure be traced observationally with some degree of confidence? This is the major question to which I shall address myself tonight. Following my talk, Professor Lin will speak about the theoretical aspects of spiral structure. I shall be very brief in my references to spiral structure in galaxies outside our own and leave it largely to Professor Lin to speak about observations on other spiral galaxies and their relevance for possible theoretical interpretations. A year ago, my good and distinguished friend Professor B. A. Vorontsov-Velyaminov chided me in his address at the Basel Symposium for having been too eager to accept the fact that observation suggests that our Galaxy really possesses spiral structure. I hope to show in my Discourse that for our Galaxy we have indeed evidence for the presence of an underlying structure of spiral features.
Response of Biomass and Seedbanks of Rangeland Functional Groups to Mechanical Control of Yellow Starthistle

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) is a nonnative pest of rangelands that decreases forage quality and yield. Mowing may control starthistle effectively and complement herbicide use in an integrated pest management strategy, but little research has investigated its effects on nontarget vegetation. We monitored biomass and seedbank size of annual and perennial species, in addition to starthistle, in response to 3 yr of mowing treatments, either mowing alone or in combination with solarization tarps or thatch removal. All mowing treatments were very effective at reducing starthistle biomass and seedbank: mowing alone reduced biomass 9262%, mowing with thatch removal 9161%, and mowing with solarization 9561%. Compared to seedbank sizes in the control plots, yellow starthistle seedbank decreased by 100% (mowing alone), 92% (mowing + thatch removal), and 100% (mowing with solarization) after 3 yr of treatment. Mowing also significantly improved perennial species’ biomass. Annual species’ biomass varied on a year-to-year basis but was not significantly affected by any treatment. Seedbank sizes of annuals and perennials also did not differ according to mowing treatment. This research indicates that late-season mowing can effectively reduce starthistle biomass without adverse effects on other vegetation and that mowing alone is sufficient to reduce starthistle seedbank size without additional methods of decreasing seed rain.
Toward a Concept of Education For Administration

Assesses the role of the Academy of Management and its Journal in perfecting a program of professional management education. Limitations of the case method; Discussion of organizational technology;...
Inferring Roll-Call Scores from Campaign Contributions Using Supervised Machine Learning

This paper develops a generalized supervised learning methodology for inferring roll call scores for incumbent and non-incumbent candidates from campaign contribution data. Rather than use unsupervised methods to recover the latent dimension that best explains patterns in giving, donation patterns are instead mapped onto a target measure of legislative voting behavior. Supervised learning methods applied to contribution data are shown to significantly outperform alternative measures of ideology in predicting legislative voting behavior. Fundraising prior to entering office provides a highly informative signal about future voting behavior. Impressively, contribution-based forecasts based on fundraising as a non-incumbent predict future voting behavior with the same accuracy as that achieved by in-sample forecasts based on votes casts during a legislator's first two years in Congress. The combined results demonstrate campaign contributions to be powerful predictors of roll-call measures of ideology and resolve an ongoing debate as to whether contribution records can be used to make accurate within-party comparisons.
Evaluating the Differential Impact of Interventions to Promote Self-Determination and Goal Attainment for Transition-Age Youth with Intellectual Disability:

This study examined the differential impact of implementing the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) alone with implementing the SDLMI combined with Whose Future Is It? with transi...
An Extensive Evaluation of the Internet's Open Proxies

Open proxies forward traffic on behalf of any Internet user. Listed on open proxy aggregator sites, they are often used to bypass geographic region restrictions or circumvent censorship. Open proxies sometimes also provide a weak form of anonymity by concealing the requestor's IP address. To better understand their behavior and performance, we conducted a comprehensive study of open proxies, encompassing more than 107,000 listed open proxies and 13M proxy requests over a 50 day period. While previous studies have focused on malicious open proxies' manipulation of HTML content to insert/modify ads, we provide a more broad study that examines the availability, success rates, diversity, and also (mis)behavior of proxies. Our results show that listed open proxies suffer poor availability---more than 92% of open proxies that appear on aggregator sites are unresponsive to proxy requests. Much more troubling, we find numerous examples of malicious open proxies in which HTML content is manipulated to mine cryptocurrency (that is, cryptojacking). We additionally detect TLS man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, and discover numerous instances in which binaries fetched through proxies were modified to include remote access trojans and other forms of malware. As a point of comparison, we conduct and discuss a similar measurement study of the behavior of Tor exit relays. We find no instances in which Tor relays performed TLS MitM or manipulated content, suggesting that Tor offers a far more reliable and safe form of proxied communication.
Changes in the Geographic Distribution of the Diana Fritillary (Speyeria diana: Nymphalidae) under Forecasted Predictions of Climate Change

Climate change is predicted to alter the geographic distribution of a wide variety of taxa, including butterfly species. Research has focused primarily on high latitude species in North America, with no known studies examining responses of taxa in the southeastern United States. The Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana) has experienced a recent range retraction in that region, disappearing from lowland sites and now persisting in two phylogenetically distinct high elevation populations. These findings are consistent with the predicted effects of a warming climate on numerous taxa, including other butterfly species in North America and Europe. We used ecological niche modeling to predict future changes to the distribution of S. diana under several climate models. To evaluate how climate change might influence the geographic distribution of this butterfly, we developed ecological niche models using Maxent. We used two global circulation models, the community climate system model (CCSM) and the model for interdisciplinary research on climate (MIROC), under low and high emissions scenarios to predict the future distribution of S. diana. Models were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristics area under curve (AUC) test and the true skill statistics (TSS) (mean AUC = 0.91 ± 0.0028 SE, TSS = 0.87 ± 0.0032 SE for representative concentration pathway (RCP) = 4.5; and mean AUC = 0.87 ± 0.0031 SE, TSS = 0.84 ± 0.0032 SE for RCP = 8.5), which both indicate that the models we produced were significantly better than random (0.5). The four modeled climate scenarios resulted in an average loss of 91% of suitable habitat for S. diana by 2050. Populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains were predicted to suffer the most severe fragmentation and reduction in suitable habitat, threatening an important source of genetic diversity for the species. The geographic and genetic isolation of populations in the west suggest that those populations are equally as vulnerable to decline in the future, warranting ongoing conservation of those populations as well. Our results suggest that the Diana fritillary is under threat of decline by 2050 across its entire distribution from climate change, and is likely to be negatively affected by other human-induced factors as well.
The subcompleteness of diagonal Prikry forcing

Let $$D$$ be an infinite discrete set of measurable cardinals. It is shown that generalized Prikry forcing to add a countable sequence to each cardinal in $$D$$ is subcomplete. To do this it is shown that a simplified version of generalized Prikry forcing which adds a point below each cardinal in $$D$$, called generalized diagonal Prikry forcing, is subcomplete. Moreover, the generalized diagonal Prikry forcing associated to $$D$$ is subcomplete above $$\mu $$, where $$\mu $$ is any regular cardinal below the first limit point of $$D$$.
A provable smoothing approach for high dimensional generalized regression with applications in genomics

In many applications, linear models fit the data poorly. This article studies an appealing alternative, the generalized regression model. This model only assumes that there exists an unknown monotonically increasing link function connecting the response $Y$ to a single index $\boldsymbol{X} ^{\mathsf{T}}\boldsymbol{\beta } ^{*}$ of explanatory variables $\boldsymbol{X} \in{\mathbb{R}} ^{d}$. The generalized regression model is flexible and covers many widely used statistical models. It fits the data generating mechanisms well in many real problems, which makes it useful in a variety of applications where regression models are regularly employed. In low dimensions, rank-based M-estimators are recommended to deal with the generalized regression model, giving root-$n$ consistent estimators of $\boldsymbol{\beta } ^{*}$. Applications of these estimators to high dimensional data, however, are questionable. This article studies, both theoretically and practically, a simple yet powerful smoothing approach to handle the high dimensional generalized regression model. Theoretically, a family of smoothing functions is provided, and the amount of smoothing necessary for efficient inference is carefully calculated. Practically, our study is motivated by an important and challenging scientific problem: decoding gene regulation by predicting transcription factors that bind to cis-regulatory elements. Applying our proposed method to this problem shows substantial improvement over the state-of-the-art alternative in real data.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Heavy Alcohol Consumption and Alcoholic Hepatitis

Background Lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population is reported to be 6.8%. Individuals with alcohol dependence and substance abuse have high prevalence of PTSD. However, the prevalence of PTSD in heavy drinkers with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is not known.The study's aim was to determine the prevalence of PTSD in heavy drinkers with and without AH. Methods We screened for PTSD using the Primary Care-PTSD questionnaire among heavy drinkers with (n = 115) and without (n = 64) AH participating in a multicenter observational study in which participants were followed up to 12 months following their enrollment. Results The prevalence of PTSD in heavy drinkers with AH was 34% and was not different from heavy drinking controls without liver disease (34%). In the entire group screened for PTSD, the presence of PTSD was associated with higher alcohol consumption as reported by average drinks per last 30 days and average grams of alcohol consumed per day (p = 0.047 for both tests), but not associated with relapse of heavy drinking or mortality. Similarly, patients with AH and PTSD did not have higher relapse rate or higher mortality compared to patients with AH but no PTSD. Conclusions Compared to previously reported prevalence in general population, heavy drinking individuals with or without AH have significantly higher prevalence of PTSD. However, PTSD was not associated with higher relapse rate or higher mortality in this population.
Predicting Semantic Relations using Global Graph Properties

Semantic graphs, such as WordNet, are resources which curate natural language on two distinguishable layers. On the local level, individual relations between synsets (semantic building blocks) such as hypernymy and meronymy enhance our understanding of the words used to express their meanings. Globally, analysis of graph-theoretic properties of the entire net sheds light on the structure of human language as a whole. In this paper, we combine global and local properties of semantic graphs through the framework of Max-Margin Markov Graph Models (M3GM), a novel extension of Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) that scales to large multi-relational graphs. We demonstrate how such global modeling improves performance on the local task of predicting semantic relations between synsets, yielding new state-of-the-art results on the WN18RR dataset, a challenging version of WordNet link prediction in which “easy” reciprocal cases are removed. In addition, the M3GM model identifies multirelational motifs that are characteristic of well-formed lexical semantic ontologies.