cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rethinking the gynecologic examination.

These questions often arise but without any obvious answer because the practice of medicine is an art as well as a science. The history of the annual physical examination for healthy women illuminates the “science” of medicine.
Evaluative and Experienced Well-being of Caregivers of Parents and Caregivers of Children

Objectives Informal caregiving is an important source of support for aging parents and children. Yet the timing and nature of caring for parents versus children may result in different levels of well-being. Despite extensive studies on the well-being of caregivers of parents and of children, it remains elusive as to how evaluative and experienced well-being vary by caregiver type. Method Using data from the 2012 and 2013 rounds of the American Time Use Survey, we examined how 216 caregivers of parents and 1,989 caregivers of children reported their evaluative well-being (life satisfaction) and experienced well-being (happiness, meaning, pain, sadness, stress, and tiredness). Results Caregivers of parents reported lower evaluative and experienced well-being than caregivers of children. The association between caregiver type and life satisfaction dissipated, whereas the associations of caregiver type with happiness, meaning, and sadness persisted after accounting for caregivers' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic resources, and time intensity. Discussion Experienced well-being appears to be more sensitive than evaluative well-being in detecting differences in well-being between these two types of caregivers. Given that the caregivers of parents do not receive the same level of institutional support as caregivers of children, social policies should aim to provide caregivers of parents with additional support.
Unique Specializations – Functional: Dynamic Range of Vision Systems

Human vision encompasses a wide range of light intensities that range from starlight to the bright midday sun. Two photoreceptor types, the rods and cones, and their neural circuitry in the retina mediate this range. We explore how these receptors and their pathways combine to provide the dynamic range of vision.
Carbon Nanotube‐based Gas Sensors toward Breath Analysis

Breath analysis is a promising method for rapid, inexpensive, noninvasive disease diagnosis and health monitoring owing to the correlative relationship between breath biomarker concentrations and abnormal health conditions. However, current methods to identify and quantify breath components rely on large, bench-top analytical instruments. Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based gas sensors are desirable candidates to replace benchtop instruments because of their sensitive chemical-to-electrical transducer capability, high degree of chemical functionality options, and potential for miniaturization. This review seeks to give an overview of the synthetic methods used to functionalize CNT-based gas sensors, specifically those sensors that target biologically relevant breath markers. Specific examples are provided to highlight the sensing mechanisms behind different classes of CNT hybrid composites. Finally, the current challenges and prospective solutions of applying CNT-based sensors to breath analysis are discussed.
Cognitive Mechanisms and Common-Sense Management of Cancer Risk: Do Patients Make Decisions?

Our chapter has two primary goals. The first is to describe a model of the mechanisms underlying the “common-sense processes” involved in the everyday management of health risks. The second, intertwined with the first, is to apply the model to decisions and management of cancers in three areas: screening, care seeking, and end-of-life planning. We first spell out two themes underlying how the model represents the processes involved in people’s everyday approach to “decision”-making for managing threats of cancers. The content of the Common-Sense Model (CSM) is spelled out, e.g., prototypes, representations of cancer, and treatments and action planning, as are the processes involved in the activation of mental models. The final sections address how these processes affect decisions to screen, treat, and decide among end of life alternatives.
Cigarette Smoke Mediates Nuclear to Cytoplasmic Trafficking of Transcriptional Inhibitor Kaiso through MUC1 and P120-Catenin

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and 87% of these deaths are directly attributable to smoking. Using three-dimensional cultures of primary human bronchial epithelial cells, we demonstrated that loss of adherens junction protein, epithelial cadherin, and the aberrant interaction of its adherens junction binding partner, p120-catenin (p120ctn), with the cytoplasmic tail of apical mucin-1 (MUC1-CT) represent initiating steps in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Smoke provoked the rapid nuclear entry of p120ctn in complex with MUC1-CT that was inhibited using the MUC1-CT inhibitory peptides, PMIP and GO-201. Nuclear entry of p120ctn promoted its interaction with transcriptional repressor kaiso and the rapid shuttling of kaiso to the cytoplasm. Nuclear exit of kaiso permitted the up-regulation of oncogenic transcription factors Fos/phospho-Ser32 Fos, FosB, Fra1/phospho-Ser265 Fra1, which was inhibited through suppression of p120ctn's nuclear export using leptomycin-B. These data indicated that smoke-induced nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation of kaiso depends on the nuclear import of p120ctn in complex with MUC1-CT and the nuclear export of kaiso in complex with p120ctn. The presence of MUC1-CT/p120ctn and p120ctn/kaiso complexes in lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma specimens from human patients confirms the clinical relevance of these events. Thus, enhancing kaiso's suppressor role of protumor genes by sequestering kaiso in the nucleus of a smoker's airway epithelium may represent a novel approach of treating lung cancer.
Abstract 3128: MicroRNA-mediated reprogramming of myeloid cells by targeting TGFβ signaling and its associated molecular network

Tumor derived soluble factors result in accumulation of Gr-1+CD11b+ immature myeloid cells at tumor site and premetastatic organ. These cells are known to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Gr-1+CD11b+ immature myeloid cells and tumor-associated macrophages display a type 2 phenotype (M2) and produce immune suppressive cytokines including TGFβ. We have previously shown that immature myeloid cells are vicious producers of TGFβ ligand and express high levels of TGFβR2 receptor for eliciting immune suppressive function. Specific deletion of TGFβR2 in myeloid cells resulted in increased antitumor immunity and decreased metastasis in the lungs of cancer mouse models. microRNAs (miRs) are abundant class of small non-coding RNAs that have recently emerged as powerful epigenetic regulators of gene expression in pathophysiological conditions. One of the critical properties of miR is to target a large number of genes frequently within the context of a network, making them very efficient in regulating distinct biological cell processes. In the current project, we have identified three miRs that target myeloid TGFβR2 associated molecular network including p38 and cAMP pathways, which are critical in type 2 cytokine production. We have successfully transduced bone marrow stem cells with lentivirus expressing these miRs driven by a myeloid specific promoter CD11b. Transplantation of these modified bone marrow into lethally irradiated mice decreased breast cancer metastasis. The underlying mechanisms involve the reduction in type 2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 and activation of IFN producing CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes. Interestingly, the miRNAs are also differentially regulated by TGFβ signaling in TGFβR2 +/+ and TGFβR2 −/− myeloid cells, suggesting a feedback loop between TGFβ and miRNA. These results demonstrate that the candidate miRNA can reprogram tumor-associated myeloid cells by altering the cytokine milieu and enhance host antitumor immunity. Our work points out that endogenous miRNA targeting myeloid TGFβ signaling and its molecular network provides an important therapeutic option. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Suman K. Vodnala. MicroRNA-mediated reprogramming of myeloid cells by targeting TGFβ signaling and its associated molecular network. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3128. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3128
An Illustrated Guide to Adolescent Gynecology

The common findings in examination of the external genitalia and cervix are illustrated. Ancillary tests such as microscopic examination of vaginal discharge and Pap smears are reviewed, as well as ultrasonography.
Last Word on Viewpoint: All is fair in altitude and concussions.

to the editor: We thank those who presented their perspectives ([1][1]) to our Viewpoint ([8][2]). Although Stacey and Bailey introduced interesting ideas regarding hypoxia and brain volume, none of the commentaries challenged our central argument that the altitudes examined are too low to induce a
Optocapacitance-Mediated Responses of Excitable Cells: New Developments

Optocapacitance is a technique whereby flash illumination quickly changes membrane capacitance to elicit action potentials (APs) in unmodified (not genetically engineered) excitable cells. Spherical 20-nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) interfaced with the plasma membrane serve as light absorbers to induce AP generation in response to 1-ms, 100 μJ, 532-nm laser pulses. Light absorption by the AuNP produces localized heating that changes local temperature by <2⁰C. This increases membrane capacitance, and a resulting depolarizing membrane current (VdC/dt; proportional to the rate of temperature change; Nat. Commun., 2012;3:736) induces opening of voltage-gated sodium channels and thus AP initiation in neurons (Neuron, 2015;86:207-17). Here we present new findings obtained from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells, by varying the flash wavelength, light-absorbing particle, and flash duration. Using cylindrical AuNPs (nanorods; 25x94 nm; plasmon absorbance peak at ∼780 nm), a 1-ms, 20 μJ, 785-nm laser pulse was sufficient to elicit APs. A single 1-2 μm graphite particle placed on the DRG cell induced AP generation upon delivery of a 532-nm laser flash of 4 ns duration and 47 nJ energy, representing 130-fold less energy than the 6.2 μJ needed with a 0.5-ms laser pulse. With AuNPs, reduction in flash duration similarly decreased the flash energy required for AP generation. Our data demonstrate the use of near-infrared flashes that penetrate deeper into tissue than green light to elicit APs with light. They also indicate that, in addition to gold and mesoporous silicon (Nat. Mater., 2016;15:1023-30), graphite can enable optocapacitive AP generation. The data furthermore show that, with ∼nanosecond flash durations, APs can be elicited by flashes of ∼nano-Joule energy, i.e., in the range of those used in optogenetic approaches. Support: NIH grants R21-EY023430, R01-GM030376, and the Beckman Initiative for Macular Research.
Gene-environment interaction between lead and Apolipoprotein E4 causes cognitive behavior deficits in mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss. Environmental factors and gene-environment interactions (GXE) may increase AD risk, accelerate cognitive decline, and impair learning and memory. However, there is currently little direct evidence supporting this hypothesis. In this study, we assessed for a GXE between lead and ApoE4 on cognitive behavior using transgenic knock-in (KI) mice that express the human Apolipoprotein E4 allele (ApoE4-KI) or Apolipoprotein E3 allele (ApoE3-KI). We exposed 8-week-old male and female ApoE3-KI and ApoE4-KI mice to 0.2% lead acetate via drinking water for 12 weeks and assessed for cognitive behavior deficits during and after the lead exposure. In addition, we exposed a second (cellular) cohort of animals to lead and assessed for changes in adult hippocampal neurogenesis as a potential underlying mechanism for lead-induced learning and memory deficits. In the behavior cohort, we found that lead reduced contextual fear memory in all animals; however, this decrease was greatest and statistically significant only in lead-treated ApoE4-KI females. Similarly, only lead-treated ApoE4-KI females exhibited a significant decrease in spontaneous alternation in the T-maze. Furthermore, all lead-treated animals developed persistent spatial working memory deficits in the novel object location test, and this deficit manifested earlier in ApoE4-KI mice, with female ApoE4-KI mice exhibiting the earliest deficit onset. In the cellular cohort, we observed that the maturation, differentiation, and dendritic development of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus was selectively impaired in lead-treated female ApoE4-KI mice. These data suggest that GXE between ApoE4 and lead exposure may contribute to cognitive impairment and that impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis may contribute to these deficits in cognitive behavior. Together, these data suggest a role for GXE and sex differences in AD risk.
Computational dynamic approaches for temporal omics data with applications to systems medicine

Modeling and predicting biological dynamic systems and simultaneously estimating the kinetic structural and functional parameters are extremely important in systems and computational biology. This is key for understanding the complexity of the human health, drug response, disease susceptibility and pathogenesis for systems medicine. Temporal omics data used to measure the dynamic biological systems are essentials to discover complex biological interactions and clinical mechanism and causations. However, the delineation of the possible associations and causalities of genes, proteins, metabolites, cells and other biological entities from high throughput time course omics data is challenging for which conventional experimental techniques are not suited in the big omics era. In this paper, we present various recently developed dynamic trajectory and causal network approaches for temporal omics data, which are extremely useful for those researchers who want to start working in this challenging research area. Moreover, applications to various biological systems, health conditions and disease status, and examples that summarize the state-of-the art performances depending on different specific mining tasks are presented. We critically discuss the merits, drawbacks and limitations of the approaches, and the associated main challenges for the years ahead. The most recent computing tools and software to analyze specific problem type, associated platform resources, and other potentials for the dynamic trajectory and interaction methods are also presented and discussed in detail.
The Propagation Matrix and Flavor Triangle for Cosmic Neutrinos

The Tribimaximal (TBM) ansatz for neutrino mixing has recently been invalidated. Since the TBM ansatz yielded a vanishing determinant for the neutrino propagation matrix, P, the door is now open for a nonvanishing determinant, i.e., for an invertible P, which would allow an inference of flavor ratios at cosmic sources directly from measurements at Earthly observatories. However, we show that the determinant of P can still vanish if the CP-violating phase δ is equal to a unique value determined by the three leptonic mixing angles. Validation of this result would beg for a new symmetry in the three-neutrino sector. Neutrino flavor ratios evolve according to this P matrix. The evolved flavor ratios are best exhibited in a triangular flavor diagram. We prove a theorem, that the area of this Earthly flavor triangle is proportional to the determinant of the P matrix. This theorem therefore relates the triangle’s area to the invertiblity of P. The triangle is thin. We relate this thinness to the small deviations of the two angles θ32 and θ13 from their TBM values. Finally, we consider ramifications of the expected lack of ντ injection at cosmic sources. With the use of the Earthly flavor triangle, some tests of this “no ντ injection” hypothesis are given. PACS numbers: 14.60.Pq, 95.55.Vj, 95.85.Ry ∗ Email: lingjun.fu@vanderbilt.edu † Email: cmho@msu.edu ‡ Email: tom.weiler@vanderbilt.edu 1 ar X iv :1 41 1. 11 74 v1 [ he pph ] 5 N ov 2 01 4
Determination of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase Structure Grown on a Silicon Electrode Using a Fluoroethylene Carbonate Additive.

In this work we explore how an electrolyte additive (fluorinated ethylene carbonate – FEC) mediates the thickness and composition of the solid electrolyte interphase formed over a silicon anode in situ as a function of state-of-charge and cycle. We show the FEC condenses on the surface at open circuit voltage then is reduced to C-O containing polymeric species around 0.9 V (vs. Li/Li+). The resulting film is about 50 A thick. Upon lithiation the SEI thickens to 70 A and becomes more organic-like. With delithiation the SEI thins by 13 A and becomes more inorganic in nature, consistent with the formation of LiF. This thickening/thinning is reversible with cycling and shows the SEI is a dynamic structure. We compare the SEI chemistry and thickness to 280 A thick SEI layers produced without FEC and provide a mechanism for SEI formation using FEC additives.
A Statistical and Cluster Analysis Exploratory Study of Snort Rules

While many studies applying machine learning algorithms to signature based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have focused on log analysis, another avenue that might have the potential to yield additional insight into the intrusion detection problem is analysis of the rules that lie at the heart of an IDS. A signature-based IDS is generally ineffective against zero-day attacks; however, an analysis of the types of attack signatures encountered by such a system over its history, could provide guidance about future attacks. This history is essentially encapsulated into the rules of the IDS itself. An examination of rules can reveal a variety of useful information about the kinds of traffic that a network considers to be malicious. This research performs a statistical and machine learning cluster analysis of Snort rules, with a focus on the network protocols used by the rules. It proceeds in two phases. In Phase 1, algorithms are developed to extract protocol information from Snort rules and to determine their distribution across rule sets. This component of the research shows that there are three major types of protocols used in Snort rules: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). It also provides the frequency (or cardinality) of each such protocol per rule set. Phase 2, which focused on the default enabled rules of the latest Snort rule version, performs cluster analyses using the following three approaches: k-means algorithm, a hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm, and a density based clustering algorithm. This component of the research illustrates that with respect to the number of protocols per rule set, TCP use is dominant and that it is reasonable to divide Snort rule sets into three principal clusters. One cluster consists of a single rule set and is characterized by a preponderance of UDP protocol usage among its rules. A second cluster consists of four rule sets and is distinguished by each rule set containing more than 900 TCP-based rules. The last cluster consists of all other rulesets. TCP based rules for rule sets in this cluster are all below 500. Comparison among the three clustering algorithms using the silhouette metric, demonstrate them to be very effective, with negligible variation in performance.
REASSEMBLY OF SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM MEMBRANE

ABSTRACT Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles derived from rabbit skeletal muscle consist mainly of the intrinsic membrane Ca 2+ pump protein, two membrane associated proteins, and phospholipid. Vesicles dissociated using deoxycholate were reassembled by dialysis with restoration of energized Ca 2+ accumulation capacity. The solubilized Ca 2+ pump protein binds about 1/3 of the phospholipid present in the native membrane and is present in a low aggregation state. During the initial stages of membrane assembly after partial removal of detergent by dialysis, Ca 2+ pump protein aggregates are formed which bind non-specifically amounts of phospholipid similar to those in the solubilized protein. As membrane assembly proceeds, increasing amounts of phospholipid are rebound resulting in the formation of enclosed vesicles which trap 3 H-inulin and can support accumulation of Ca 2+ in the presence of ATP. The Ca 2+ pump protein in reconstituted vesicles appears to have lost its characteristic asymmetric arrangement within the hydrophobic center of the membrane, as indicated by freeze-fracture studies. About 70 – 90% of the Ca 2+ pump protein in the reassembled membrane is accessible to rapid trypsin digestion as opposed to 100% in the native membrane, suggesting that the protein may be also differently arranged at the membrane surface. Reconstituted vesicles pump Ca 2+ with a lower efficiency than native vesicles, possibly due to the different orientation of the Ca 2+ pump protein and/or the presence of vesicles which have not reformed a full permeability barrier for Ca 2+ .
Genetics in the prevention and management of coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current review is to describe the genetic risk variants that have been discovered predisposing to coronary artery disease (CAD) and how they are utilized to stratify for risk of CAD. RECENT FINDINGS Over 90 genetic risk variants have been discovered that predispose to risk for CAD. SUMMARY The total genetic risk burden for CAD is proportional to the number of risk variants inherited and can be combined into a single number referred to as the genetic risk score (GRS). GRS has been utilized in multiple studies and shown to be more effective in risk stratification for CAD than conventional risk factors. There is a major advantage to risk stratification based on the GRS since the risk can be determined at birth or anytime throughout one's lifetime since the individual's DNA does not change. Widespread application of the GRS is likely to enable a paradigm shift in the primary prevention of CAD.
Voxel-based plaque classification in coronary intravascular optical coherence tomography images using decision trees

Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (IVOCT) is a high contrast, 3D microscopic imaging technique that can be used to assess atherosclerosis and guide stent interventions. Despite its advantages, IVOCT image interpretation is challenging and time consuming with over 500 image frames generated in a single pullback volume. We have developed a method to classify voxel plaque types in IVOCT images using machine learning. To train and test the classifier, we have used our unique database of labeled cadaver vessel IVOCT images accurately registered to gold standard cryo-images. This database currently contains 300 images and is growing. Each voxel is labeled as fibrotic, lipid-rich, calcified or other. Optical attenuation, intensity and texture features were extracted for each voxel and were used to build a decision tree classifier for multi-class classification. Five-fold cross-validation across images gave accuracies of 96 % ± 0.01 %, 90 ± 0.02% and 90 % ± 0.01 % for fibrotic, lipid-rich and calcified classes respectively. To rectify performance degradation seen in left out vessel specimens as opposed to left out images, we are adding data and reducing features to limit overfitting. Following spatial noise cleaning, important vascular regions were unambiguous in display. We developed displays that enable physicians to make rapid determination of calcified and lipid regions. This will inform treatment decisions such as the need for devices (e.g., atherectomy or scoring balloon in the case of calcifications) or extended stent lengths to ensure coverage of lipid regions prone to injury at the edge of a stent.
Vocal Loudness as Contributory to the Occurrence of Obligatory Posterior Nasal Turbulence

Two cases are presented that show increased loudness as contributory to the occurrence of audible posterior nasal turbulence as an obligatory symptom. Case 1 was an 18-month-old boy with repaired cleft palate who exhibited sporadic posterior nasal turbulence with velar flutter that was associated with increased loudness. Case 2 was a 4-year-old boy with repaired cleft palate who exhibited relatively frequent posterior nasal turbulence with velar flutter that was associated with pervasive and excessive loudness. Following 3 therapy sessions, loudness was reduced and audible nasal turbulence was eliminated. Clinical implications are discussed.
Decades of urban growth and development on the Asian megadeltas

Abstract The current and ongoing expansion of urban areas worldwide represents the largest mass migration in human history. It is well known that the world's coastal zones are associated with large and growing concentrations of population, urban development and economic activity. Among coastal environments, deltas have long been recognized for both benefits and hazards. This is particularly true on the Asian megadeltas, where the majority of the world's deltaic populations reside. Current trends in urban migration, combined with demographic momentum suggest that the already large populations on the Asian megadeltas will continue to grow. In this study, we combine recently released gridded population density (circa 2010) with a newly developed night light change product (1992 to 2012) and a digital elevation model to quantify the spatial distribution of population and development on the nine Asian megadeltas. Bivariate distributions of population as functions of elevation and coastal proximity quantify potential exposure of deltaic populations to flood and coastal hazards. Comparison of these distributions for the Asian megadeltas show very different patterns of habitation with peak population elevations ranging from 2 to 11 m above sea level over a wide range of coastal proximities. Over all nine megadeltas, over 174 million people reside below a peak population elevation of 7 m. Changes in the spatial extent of anthropogenic night light from 1992 to 2012 show widely varying extents and changes of lighted urban development. All of the deltas except the Indus show the greatest increases in night light brightness occurring at elevations
Attention and working memory deficits in a perinatal nicotine exposure mouse model.

Background Cigarette smoking by pregnant women is associated with a significant increase in the risk for cognitive disorders in their children. Preclinical models confirm this risk by showing that exposure of the developing brain to nicotine produces adverse behavioral outcomes. Here we describe behavioral phenotypes resulting from perinatal nicotine exposure in a mouse model, and discuss our findings in the context of findings from previously published studies using preclinical models of developmental nicotine exposure. Methodology/Principal findings Female C57Bl/6 mice received drinking water containing nicotine (100μg/ml) + saccharin (2%) starting 3 weeks prior to breeding and continuing throughout pregnancy, and until 3 weeks postpartum. Over the same period, female mice in two control groups received drinking water containing saccharin (2%) or plain drinking water. Offspring from each group were weaned at 3-weeks of age and subjected to behavioral analyses at 3 months of age. We examined spontaneous locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, spatial working memory, object based attention, recognition memory and impulsive-like behavior. We found significant deficits in attention and working memory only in male mice, and no significant changes in the other behavioral phenotypes in male or female mice. Exposure to saccharin alone did not produce significant changes in either sex. Conclusion/Significance The perinatal nicotine exposure produced significant deficits in attention and working memory in a sex-dependent manner in that the male but not female offspring displayed these behaviors. These behavioral phenotypes are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and have been reported in other studies that used pre- or perinatal nicotine exposure. Therefore, we suggest that preclinical models of developmental nicotine exposure could be useful tools for modeling ADHD and related disorders.
Violencia, necropolítica y capitalocene en Cromo

Este ensayo explora la violencia espectacular presente en Cromo como mecanismo de acceso a una forma de violencia que somatiza los efectos de las practicas capitalistas y examina la ciudad de Buenos Aires como espacio metaforico de las politicas economicas del mercado global en el territorio nacional. Partiendo de las ideas de Rob Nixon (violencia lenta) y Achille Mbembe (necropolitica) arguyo que, bajo el desamparo del Estado-nacion, el ciudadano es despojado de su subjetividad y que el enfoque en los espacios permite explorar como el deseo de acumulacion del capitalismo tardio afecta al individuo, la nacion y el medio ambiente.
A Survey of Stream Processing Problems and Techniques in Sensor Networks

Sensor networks comprise small, low-powered and low-cost sensing devices that are distributed over a field to monitor a phenomenon of interest. The sensor nodes are capable of communicating their readings, typically through wireless radio. Sensor nodes produce streams of data, that have to be processed in-situ, by the node itself, or to be transmitted through the network, and analyzed offline. In this chapter we describe recently proposed, efficient distributed techniques for processing streams of data collected with a network of sensors.
The Views of Future Hospitality Leaders on Business Ethics

(1994). The Views of Future Hospitality Leaders on Business Ethics. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 11-13.
A spatio-temporal approach to the discovery of online social trends

Online social networks (OSNs) have become popular platforms for people to interact with each other in the cyber space. Users use OSNs to talk about their daily activities, mood, health status, sports events, travel experiences, political campaigns, entertainment events, and commercial products, among other things. Conversations between users on an OSN site could reflect the current social trends that are of great interest and importance for individuals, businesses, and government agencies alike. In this paper we design and develop a comprehensive system to collect, store, query, and analyze OSN data for effective discovery of online social trends. Our system consists of three parts: (1) an OSN data collection engine; (2) a spatio-temporal database for storing, indexing, and querying data; and (3) a set of analytical tools for online social trend discovery. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our system using a recent result of predicting seasonal flu trends using Twitter data.
Silica-Supported Sterically Hindered Amines for CO2 Capture.

Most studies exploring the capture of CO2 on solid-supported amines have focused on unhindered amines or alkylimine polymers. It has been observed in extensive solution studies that another class of amines, namely sterically hindered amines, can exhibit enhanced CO2 capacity when compared to their unhindered counterparts. In contrast to solution studies, there has been limited research conducted on sterically hindered amines on solid supports. In this work, one hindered primary amine and two hindered secondary amines are grafted onto mesoporous silica at similar amine coverages, and their adsorption performances are investigated through fixed bed breakthrough experiments and thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, chemisorbed CO2 species formed on the sorbents under dry and humid conditions are elucidated using in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Ammonium bicarbonate formation and enhancement of CO2 adsorption capacity is observed for all supported hindered amines under humid conditions. Our...
BioSimulator.jl: Stochastic simulation in Julia.

Abstract Background and Objectives: Biological systems with intertwined feedback loops pose a challenge to mathematical modeling efforts. Moreover, rare events, such as mutation and extinction, complicate system dynamics. Stochastic simulation algorithms are useful in generating time-evolution trajectories for these systems because they can adequately capture the influence of random fluctuations and quantify rare events. We present a simple and flexible package, BioSimulator.jl, for implementing the Gillespie algorithm, τ-leaping, and related stochastic simulation algorithms. The objective of this work is to provide scientists across domains with fast, user-friendly simulation tools. Methods: We used the high-performance programming language Julia because of its emphasis on scientific computing. Our software package implements a suite of stochastic simulation algorithms based on Markov chain theory. We provide the ability to (a) diagram Petri Nets describing interactions, (b) plot average trajectories and attached standard deviations of each participating species over time, and (c) generate frequency distributions of each species at a specified time. Results: BioSimulator.jl’s interface allows users to build models programmatically within Julia . A model is then passed to the simulate routine to generate simulation data. The built-in tools allow one to visualize results and compute summary statistics. Our examples highlight the broad applicability of our software to systems of varying complexity from ecology, systems biology, chemistry, and genetics. Conclusion: The user-friendly nature of BioSimulator.jl encourages the use of stochastic simulation, minimizes tedious programming efforts, and reduces errors during model specification.
The Shadow Side of Teaching Classroom as Organization.

Classroom as organization (CAO) is an approach at the extreme end of an experiential learning intensity continuum. While proponents suggest they would never go back to a teacher-centered classroom,...
Bulk petroleum supply chain simulation modeling

This paper describes the simulation modeling of bulk petroleum supply chains through an object-oriented simulation library. The paper focuses on the conceptual modeling that is useful for resource and transportation capacity analysis during contingency and war gaming analysis. In addition, the modeling provides the capability to understand how surges in demand will affect inventory service. The methods, insights, and capabilities developed within this research facilitate the analysis of bulk petroleum military supply chains and also permit the analysis of the resilience of commercial bulk petroleum supply chains under conditions of disruption.
Optogenetic control of cell morphogenesis on protein micropatterns

Abstract Cell morphogenesis is critical for embryonic development, tissue formation, and wound healing. Our ability to manipulate endogenous mechanisms to control cell shape, however, remains limited. Here we combined surface micropatterning of adhesion molecules with optogenetic activation of intracellular signaling pathways to control the nature and morphology of cellular protrusions. We employed geometry-dependent pre-organization of cytoskeletal structures together with acute activation of signaling pathways that control actin assembly to create a tool capable of generating membrane protrusions at defined cellular locations. Further, we find that the size of microfabricated patterns of adhesion molecules influences the molecular mechanism of cell protrusion: larger patterns enable cells to create actin-filled lamellipodia while smaller patterns promote formation of spherical blebs. Optogenetic perturbation of signaling pathways in these cells changes the size of blebs and convert them into lamellipodia. Our results demonstrate how the coordinated manipulation of adhesion geometry and cytoskeletal dynamics can be used to control membrane protrusion and cell morphogenesis.
Uptake of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lung Resections Within the Veterans Affairs for Known or Suspected Lung Cancer.

Importance Minimally invasive lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer has become more prevalent. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has lower rates of morbidity, better long-term survival, and equivalent oncologic outcomes compared with thoracotomy. However, little has been published on the use and outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery within Veterans Affairs. There is a public assumption that the the Veterans Affairs is slow to adopt new procedures and technologies. Objective To determine the uptake of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery within the Veterans Affairs for patients with known or suspected lung cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study of national Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse data from January 2002 to December 2015, a total of 11 004 veterans underwent lung resection for known or suspected lung cancer. Data were analyzed from March to November 2018. Exposures Open or video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy or wedge resection. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient demographic characteristics and procedure and diagnosisInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revisioncodes were abstracted from Corporate Data Warehouse data. Results Of the 11 004 included veterans, 10 587 (96.2%) were male, and the median (interquartile range) age was 66.0 (61.0-72.0) years. Of 11 004 included procedures, 8526 (77.5%) were lobectomies and 2478 (22.5%) were wedge resections. The proportion of video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resections increased steadily from 15.6% in 2002 to 50.6% in 2015. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery use by Veterans Integrated Service Networks ranged from 0% to 81.7%, and higher Veterans Integrated Service Network volume was correlated with higher video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery use (Pearsonr = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15-0.52;P Conclusions and Relevance Paralleling academic hospitals, most lung resections are now performed in the Veterans Affairs using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. More research is needed to identify reasons behind the heterogeneous uptake of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery across Veterans Affairs regions.
Planning for walking and cycling in an autonomous-vehicle future

Abstract Over the last few decades, walking and cycling have increased in the United States, especially in large cities. Future efforts to promote active travel will occur during a time when automated vehicles will increasingly perform driving tasks without human input. Little is known about impacts of an automated vehicle fleet on pedestrians and cyclists. This study uses semi-structured interviews with experts from academia as well as the public and private sectors in the United States to (1) explore potential synergies and conflicts between increasingly automated motorized vehicles and active travel; and (2) highlight planning and policy priorities for active travel in a time of emerging connected and automated vehicles (C/AVs). Our interviews indicate that while C/AVs promise to make roadways safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, some potential hazards exist related to communication, behavior, and technical capabilities in the near term. In the long-term, C/AVs may have drastic impacts on infrastructure, the built environment, and land use, but these impacts are likely to vary by locality. Federal and state governments will play a role in ensuring that connected and automated vehicles operate safely, but local governments will ultimately determine how automated vehicles are integrated into the transportation network.
6.10 – Biodegradability of Recalcitrant Aromatic Compounds

Biodegradation of organic compounds is the major means by which microorganisms residing in biosphere habitats (soils, sediments, and waters) complete nutrient-cycling process that maintains ecosystems. Aromatic hydrocarbons are a class of potentially toxic organic compounds used in commerce and industry whose environmental fate is of vital concern to society. The science of biodegradation underlies the technology of bioremediation. Here, we review the properties and sources of aromatic hydrocarbons, their susceptibility to microbial attack, and factors controlling their environmental interactions with both soils and sediments, and with naturally occurring microbial populations dwelling therein.
Covering or covering up? The effects of media freedom and major disasters on social and economic rights

abstractA common assumption regarding media freedom is that free media will hold government accountable and improve citizens’ lives. The assumption is that media will report any repression, thereby...
Analysis on anti-Echinococcus antibody level in population of high prevalence area in Ningxia, 2008-2011

Objective To compare the anti-Echinococcus antibody levels in population of high prevalence area in Ningxia Province,and provide a scientific basis to guide the prevention and control work.Methods Using the cluster random sampling method,the permanent residents aged over 3 in six counties such as Xiji County were enrolled for investigation during 2008 to 2011,their serum anti-Echinococcus IgG was determined by ELISA method.Results The positive rate of anti-Echinococcus IgG in population of six counties was declining year by year,the total infection rate fell from 29.1％ in 2008 to 14.1％ in 2011.The positive rate of anti-Echinococcus IgG in rural population in recent 4 years is still higher than that in urban population.The positive rate of anti-Echinococcus IgG in 3-14 years old age group was lowest (10.44％),and that in over-60s group was highest(23.15％).The positive rate of anti-Echinococcus IgG in women was higher than that in men.The positive rate was higher in Hui than that in Han nationality.It was higher in the butchers and the cattle,sheep traffickers than in other occupations.Conclusion The positive rate of antiEchinococcus IgG in six counties of echinococcosis high epidemic area such as Xiji was declining year by year,but still remains at higher levels. Key words: Echinococcosis; High prevalence area; Serum antibody; Analysis; Ningxia
Normalizing Flows Across Dimensions.

Real-world data with underlying structure, such as pictures of faces, are hypothesized to lie on a low-dimensional manifold. This manifold hypothesis has motivated state-of-the-art generative algorithms that learn low-dimensional data representations. Unfortunately, a popular generative model, normalizing flows, cannot take advantage of this. Normalizing flows are based on successive variable transformations that are, by design, incapable of learning lower-dimensional representations. In this paper we introduce noisy injective flows (NIF), a generalization of normalizing flows that can go across dimensions. NIF explicitly map the latent space to a learnable manifold in a high-dimensional data space using injective transformations. We further employ an additive noise model to account for deviations from the manifold and identify a stochastic inverse of the generative process. Empirically, we demonstrate that a simple application of our method to existing flow architectures can significantly improve sample quality and yield separable data embeddings.
Gender Work: The Political Stakes of Pre-Raphaelitism

Heather Bozant Witcher and Amy Kahrmann Huseby assert the political activism of Pre-Raphaelitism’s multimodality in this opening chapter. Through sustained readings of Ford Madox Brown’s painting “Work,” Elizabeth Siddall’s poem, “Lord, May I Come?,” and Christina Rossetti’s sonnet, “A Triad,” Witcher and Huseby demonstrate how the political investments of the Pre-Raphaelites were founded upon a discourse about gender inequality. Turning in the second half of the chapter to the language of the “sister arts,” Witcher and Huseby attempt to annex the gender politics of Pre-Raphaelite poetics with the gendered language that instantiates the movement. In doing so, they stress the genre hybridity of literary Pre-Raphaelitism—the integration of music, art, and poetry—as a political endeavor that upholds the plurality sought by the poet-artists.
Trends in Thyroid Surgery and Guideline-Concordant Care in the United States, 2007-2018.

Background: The American Thyroid Association (ATA) published the 2015 Management Guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer, recommending a shift to less aggressive diagnostic, surgical, and postoperative treatment strategies. At the same time and perhaps related to the new guidelines, there has been a shift to outpatient thyroid surgery. The aim of the current study was to assess physician adherence to these recommendations by identifying and quantifying temporal trends in the rates and indications for thyroid procedures in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Methods: Using the IBM® MarketScan® Commercial database, we identified employer-insured patients in the United States who underwent outpatient and inpatient thyroid surgery from 2007 to 2018. Thyroid surgery was classified as total thyroidectomy (TT), thyroid lobectomy (TL), or a completion thyroidectomy. The surgical indication diagnosis was also determined and classified as either benign or malignant thyroid disease. We compared outpatient and inpatient trends in surgery between benign and malignant thyroid disease both before and after the release of the 2015 ATA guidelines. Results: A total of 220,088 patients who underwent thyroid surgery were included in the analysis. Approximately 80% of TLs were performed in the outpatient setting versus 70% of TTs. Longitudinal analysis showed a statistically significant changepoint for TT proportion occurring in November 2015. The proportion of TT as compared with TL decreased from 80% in September 2015 to 39% by December 2018. For thyroid cancer, there is an increasing trend in performing TL over TT, increasing from 17% in 2015 to 28% by the end of 2018. Conclusions: There was a significant changepoint occurring in November 2015 in the operative and management trends for benign and malignant thyroid disease.
Association of Diabetes Subgroups With Race/Ethnicity, Risk Factor Burden and Complications: The MASALA and MESA Studies

INTRODUCTION There are known disparities in diabetes complications by race and ethnicity. Although diabetes subgroups may contribute to differential risk, little is known about how subgroups vary by race/ethnicity. METHODS Data were pooled from 1293 (46% female) participants of the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) who had diabetes (determined by diabetes medication use, fasting glucose, and glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]), including 217 South Asian, 240 non-Hispanic white, 125 Chinese, 387 African American, and 324 Hispanic patients. We applied k-means clustering using data for age at diabetes diagnosis, body mass index, HbA1c, and homeostatic model assessment measures of insulin resistance and beta cell function. We assessed whether diabetes subgroups were associated with race/ethnicity, concurrent cardiovascular disease risk factors, and incident diabetes complications. RESULTS Five diabetes subgroups were characterized by older age at diabetes onset (43%), severe hyperglycemia (26%), severe obesity (20%), younger age at onset (1%), and requiring insulin medication use (9%). The most common subgroup assignment was older onset for all race/ethnicities with the exception of South Asians where the severe hyperglycemia subgroup was most likely. Risk for renal complications and subclinical coronary disease differed by diabetes subgroup and, separately, race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS Racial/ethnic differences were present across diabetes subgroups, and diabetes subgroups differed in risk for complications. Strategies to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in complications may need to consider approaches targeted to diabetes subgroup.