cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesizing Near-Optimal Malware Specifications from Suspicious Behaviors

Fueled by an emerging underground economy, malware authors are exploiting vulnerabilities at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, obfuscation tools are commonly available, and much of the malware is open source, leading to a huge number of variants. Behavior-based detection techniques are a promising solution to this growing problem. However, these detectors require precise specifications of malicious behavior that do not result in an excessive number of false alarms. In this paper, we present an automatic technique for extracting optimally discriminative specifications, which uniquely identify a class of programs. Such a discriminative specification can be used by a behavior-based malware detector. Our technique, based on graph mining and concept analysis, scales to large classes of programs due to probabilistic sampling of the specification space. Our implementation, called Holmes, can synthesize discriminative specifications that accurately distinguish between programs, sustaining an 86% detection rate on new, unknown malware, with 0 false positives, in contrast with 55% for commercial signature-based antivirus (AV) and 62-64% for behavior-based AV (commercial or research).
Rationality and Formal Theory

Following a certain tradition in action theory within sociology, Smelser argues that maximization and rational calculation should be treated as variables, not as postulates. He also argues that under critical pressures, rational choice theory is developing into a nonfalsifiable doctrine. These two claims suggest two general issues that are treated in this article: one connected with the function of formal theoretical principles in a science and the other connected with the specific role of optimization arguments in social theory.
Albuterol Delivery via Facial and Tracheostomy Route in a Model of a Spontaneously Breathing Child

BACKGROUND: Some pediatric patients receiving therapeutic aerosols undergo tracheostomy, and others who are tracheostomized continue requiring inhaled therapies upon decannulation. It is unknown whether a dose adjustment is required. Different devices are available for facial and tracheostomy delivery, and in some instances, the assisted technique is used. We hypothesized that the change from face mask to tracheostomy would result in a decrease in the lung dose. METHODS: A breathing simulator connected in series to a filter holder and an anatomically correct head model of a child was used. The drug captured in the filter was termed the lung dose. Breathing patterns with tidal volumes of 50, 155, and 300 mL were tested. Albuterol hydrofluoroalkane (pressurized metered-dose inhaler [pMDI]) with an AeroChamber Mini (face and 4.5-mm tracheostomy), AeroTrach (4.5-mm tracheostomy), and AeroChamber (face) and albuterol (2.5 mg/3 mL) with a continuous output nebulizer (face and 4.5-mm tracheostomy) were tested. Masks were used for facial delivery. Four units of each device were tested. Particle size of the pMDI was measured by cascade impaction. Albuterol concentration was determined via spectrophotometry (276 nm). RESULTS: Switching from facial to tracheostomy delivery increased lung dose with nebulizer (all breathing patterns). When a pMDI was used, lung dose was unchanged or increased for the 50- and 155-mL and decreased for the 300-mL breathing pattern. The use of the assisted technique increased lung dose only during nebulization with the 300-mL breathing pattern. The particle size of the pMDI decreased by 19–23% when traveling through the tracheostomy tube, which retained CONCLUSIONS: The effect of changing the delivery route from face to tracheostomy was variable and depended on the delivery device and the breathing pattern. There is no advantage of using the assisted technique to enhance aerosol delivery.
Tools and Techniques: Active-Source Electromagnetic Methods

The theory of electromagnetic geophysics is presented for frequency-domain and time-domain methods for inductive sources. The fields due to magnetic dipoles over a homogeneous half-space are derived, and their asymptotic behavior is investigated in the limits of small and large induction number for the frequency domain and for small- and large-scaled time for the time domain. These expressions are used to develop apparent resistivity functions. The factors influencing the electrical resistivity of geologic materials are discussed and used to establish the ranges of resistivity expected in the near-surface environment. Examples of frequency-domain and time-domain methods applied to problems of saltwater intrusion, clay mapping, unexploded ordnance, bathymetry, and sea-ice thickness are presented.
Does Managerial Control of the Proxy Process Disenfranchise Shareholders

A rise in shareholder activism and recent changes in the SEC's proxy rules have been accompanied by an increase in shareholders' use of the proxy process. However, because of managers' control of the proxy process, issues remain concerning shareholders' ability to initiate change by voting. More generally, we hypothesize that certain features of the institutional and regulatory environment may allow managers to influence shareholder voting turnout and results. To the extent managers may strategically influence votes, they may disenfranchise shareholders and, conceivably, reduce the control rights of shares. We find evidence suggesting that managers hire proxy solicitors when ballots include nonroutine management or shareholder proposals, and bundle nonroutine management or difficult-to-pass issues with others in joint proposals. Managers also appear to craft proposals to be classified as routine to increase the number of votes cast in support of their proposals. We find routine management proposals were associated with increases of 13.55% of affirmatively cast votes. As many as 4.69% of management proposals might not have passed had they been classified nonroutine rather than routine. Some institutional features, however, appear to constrain managers' ability to gain shareholder votes. Notably, against recommendations from ISS, an advisory service providing voting recommendations to many institutional investors, were associated with 13.63% to 20.56% fewer affirmative votes for management proposals, depending on the specific type. Despite this type of constraint, however, we find evidence strongly suggesting that managers control the proxy process and receive a vote-getting advantage from doing so.
Simulation of self-assembled compositional core-shell structures in In x Ga 1-x N nanowires

We report the simulation of compositional core-shell structure formation in epitaxial InGaN nanowires (NWs) and its dependence on kinetic growth mode and epitaxial relation to substrate, based on atomistic-strain-model Monte Carlo simulations. On a lattice mismatched substrate, the layer-by-layer growth results in self-assembled core-shell structures with the core rich in the unstrained component (relative to the substrate), while the faceted growth mode leads to the strained core component, and both are distinctively different from the equilibrium composition profiles. Our simulation results explain the reason that all the existing core-shell alloy NWs grown by vapor-liquid-solid experiments have cores rich in the unstrained (or less strained) components is because they have been grown via the layer-by-layer mode and, more importantly, suggest a possible route towards controlling the NW core-shell composition by altering growth mode and/or selecting substrate.
Life History of Natural Populations of the Imported Willow Leaf Beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Two populations of the imported willow leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting), in northern Illinois were studied during four spring seasons between 1979 and 1983. The life cycle includes an egg stage of 5–6 days, a larval stage of 14 days, a pupal stage of 4–5 days, and an adult stage lasting 3–4 weeks. Mean clutch size in the field ranged from 15 to 19 eggs for the four seasons; mean size of eclosing larval groups ranged from 8 to 13. Larvae remain aggregated during the first three stadia, and there is a positive effect of initial group size on larval survivorship
On Bionic Plastic Decoration Arts of National Folk in Yunnan

The author discusses the feature, rule and cultural intention of bionic plastic decoration arts of national folk decoration in Yunnan.
SU-F-T-309: Radiochromic Film Calibration Rescaling for Patient-Specific CyberKnife MLC QA

Purpose: This work investigated the development of EBT3 film as a function of dose rate, and also the accuracy of a commercial calibrationrescaling analysis method, to determine potential application to patientspecific QA of CyberKnife MLC treatments. Methods: EBT3 films were exposed to 300cGy at dose rates ranging from 5–300cGy/min, and scanned repeatedly from 2–5760min after exposure using a flatbed scanner. All other films were scanned 1 and 24hr after exposure. Ten calibration films were exposed to doses between 0 and 800cGy. Four verification films were exposed to doses between 80 and 290cGy, and 0 to 30min later, reference films were exposed to 450cGy. The verification and reference films were scanned together and analyzed both with and without calibration rescaling. The dose distribution of a 36min treatment plan was measured. Immediately prior to the measurement, a reference film was exposed. Both films were scanned together and analyzed both with and without calibration rescaling. Results: The development of EBT3 film is linear with the logarithm of time after exposure. If the midpoint of the exposure duration is taken as time zero, then film development is independent of dose rate. The doses measured with the verification films agreed with the expected dose within 1- 2% with calibration rescaling for all reference films. The delay between the exposure of the reference and QA films was 24min relative to the midpoint of exposure. Analysis of the scan at 60min post-exposure using rescaling of the calibration at 24hr had a gamma passing rate of 92% with 2%/1mm criteria, consistent with analysis of the scan at 24hr post-exposure without calibration rescaling. Conclusion: Using calibration rescaling, measured doses were accurate within 1–2% 60min after exposure. If the midpoint of exposure is taken as time zero, then calibration rescaling can be applied to patient-specific QA for CyberKnife MLC treatments.
Computational fluid dynamics study of unconventional air vehicle configurations

Two unconventional micro air vehicles developed by the Naval Research Laboratory are described. One of the vehicles employs flapping wings which is inspired by the flight of birds or insects but does not copy it directly. The second vehicle is a stop-rotor hybrid vehicle employing a pair of single blade, rotary/fixed wing panels, attached at their roots to separate coaxial shafts. An unstructured grid based incompressible flow solver, called feflo, is used to simulate the flow past these novel configurations in order to determine the flight characteristics of these vehicles.
The Impact of Degree of Exposure to Violent Video Games, Family Background, and Other Factors on Youth Violence

Despite decades of study, no scholarly consensus has emerged regarding whether violent video games contribute to youth violence. Some skeptics contend that small correlations between violent game play and violence-related outcomes may be due to other factors, which include a wide range of possible effects from gender, mental health, and social influences. The current study examines this issue with a large and diverse (49 % white, 21 % black, 18 % Hispanic, and 12 % other or mixed race/ethnicity; 51 % female) sample of youth in eighth (n = 5133) and eleventh grade (n = 3886). Models examining video game play and violence-related outcomes without any controls tended to return small, but statistically significant relationships between violent games and violence-related outcomes. However, once other predictors were included in the models and once propensity scores were used to control for an underlying propensity for choosing or being allowed to play violent video games, these relationships vanished, became inverse, or were reduced to trivial effect sizes. These results offer further support to the conclusion that video game violence is not a meaningful predictor of youth violence and, instead, support the conclusion that family and social variables are more influential factors.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) signal localization using a vehicle-sized array

This paper describes a time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) based algorithm to localize short-pulse ultra-wideband (UWB) signals using a vehicle-sized multiple-antenna array. The algorithm uses a generalized cross-correlation method in conjunction with novel imaging and image combining techniques for computing estimates of the transmitter position. Experiments were performed in a suburban woods to obtain real data for testing the algorithms; this paper describes the experiments and presents the results. The examples show that small position changes of the transmit antenna or the receive antenna array provide different propagation paths for improving the chances of obtaining good localization estimates in scenarios with multipath and obstructions. Although the algorithm performance varies with the different scenarios examined, plots including histograms consistently show clustering of the localization estimates in the direction of the true transmitter locations.
S. pombe Uba1-Ubc15 Structure Reveals a Novel Regulatory Mechanism of Ubiquitin E2 Activity.

Ubiquitin (Ub) E1 initiates the Ub conjugation cascade by activating and transferring Ub to tens of different E2s. How Ub E1 cooperates with E2s that differ substantially in their predicted E1-interacting residues is unknown. Here, we report the structure of S. pombe Uba1 in complex with Ubc15, a Ub E2 with intrinsically low E1-E2 Ub thioester transfer activity. The structure reveals a distinct Ubc15 binding mode that substantially alters the network of interactions at the E1-E2 interface compared to the only other available Ub E1-E2 structure. Structure-function analysis reveals that the intrinsically low activity of Ubc15 largely results from the presence of an acidic residue at its N-terminal region. Notably, Ub E2 N termini are serine/threonine rich in many other Ub E2s, leading us to hypothesize that phosphorylation of these sites may serve as a novel negative regulatory mechanism of Ub E2 activity, which we demonstrate biochemically and in cell-based assays.
History of networked simulations

Networks of simulators are a rapidly advancing technology and provide new utility for real time simulators. Simulator networking will enhance the use of simulation for training, product development, test, analysis, and creation of virtual environments. The current terminology for networks of simulators is called Distributed Interactive Simulation or DIS. DIS consists of descriptions of the protocols, the underlying network, and the architecture for connecting individual simulators. It also supports limited connectivity between real time simulators, live equipment, and discrete event simulations. However, DIS is only the current manifestation of simulator networking. One can look to processes pushing advances in simulator design, computer technology, communications technology, and innovative requirements development as key factors influencing simulator networking. These processes have been on-going for nearly thirty years. It is important to reflect on these development efforts to chart the future course for networked simulators.
Nanolock–Nanopore Facilitated Digital Diagnostics of Cancer Driver Mutation in Tumor Tissue

Cancer driver mutations are clinically significant biomarkers. In precision medicine, accurate detection of these oncogenic changes in patients would enable early diagnostics of cancer, individually tailored targeted therapy, and precise monitoring of treatment response. Here we investigated a novel nanolock–nanopore method for single-molecule detection of a serine/threonine protein kinase gene BRAF V600E mutation in tumor tissues of thyroid cancer patients. The method lies in a noncovalent, mutation sequence-specific nanolock. We found that the nanolock formed on the mutant allele/probe duplex can separate the duplex dehybridization procedure into two sequential steps in the nanopore. Remarkably, this stepwise unzipping kinetics can produce a unique nanopore electric marker, with which a single DNA molecule of the cancer mutant allele can be unmistakably identified in various backgrounds of the normal wild-type allele. The single-molecule sensitivity for mutant allele enables both binary diagnostics and ...
A Service-Oriented Information Sources Database for the Biological Sciences

Researchers in the biological sciences require access to a variety of information sources located in various places on different computer networks. In order to satisfy the information needs of a researcher, appropriate information sources must be selected and access to these information sources and the computing services supporting them must be provided in a way that does not distract the researcher from problems of real interest. At the University of MissouriColumbia a service-oriented information sources database is being developed as a key component of a layered-model design of an intelligent system which will provide a research environment appropriate to the needs of researchers in the biological sciences.
Functional encryption of integrated circuits by key-based hybrid obfuscation

This paper proposes a novel technique to functional encryption of integrated circuits (ICs) termed as hybrid obfuscation. Functional encryption or hardware obfuscation refers to a set of countermeasures used to protect circuits against attacks and illegal use during manufacturing at untrusted global foundries. The goal of encryption is achieved at the design house by functional modifications to the design and embedding secret keys. These keys are only programmed onto the chip once they are received from the foundry. Because the untrusted foundry does not have access to the key, it cannot sell excess parts as the chip won't function correctly without the key. By combining existing techniques of obfuscation known as fixed obfuscation and dynamic obfuscation, the hybrid obfuscation technique achieves the goals of functional encryption. An analysis of security measures shows that the hybrid obfuscation improves the security of a design by times compared to fixed obfuscation, where K is the key size in bits. Also, the hybrid obfuscation reduces area overhead by 40% and power overhead by 30% for a key size of 30 bits compared to the dynamic obfuscation. Thus, the hybrid obfuscation technique offers a solution which is between that of fixed and dynamic obfuscation.
Response of Hosta to BA Crown Drenches Applied at Division and Establishment

Abstract New offset formation in hosta in response to benzyladenine (BA) drenches applied at division and establishment was examined. Hosta Tratt. ‘Frances Williams’ and H. ‘Francee’ were separated into uniform single-bud divisions and drenched with 50 ml of 0, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 or 3000 ppm (mg/liter) BA just prior to potting (division) or two weeks later when substrate-container interface root development was evident (establishment). A 3000 ppm (mg/liter) foliar spray applied to established plants served as a standard. Offsets were counted in plants treated at division 14 days later at which time BA was applied to established plants. Offsets were counted on all plants 30 and 60 days after BA was applied to established plants and in spring of the following year. Offset counts increased rapidly in both cultivars following drench applications of increasing BA concentrations, whether applied at division or establishment. This positive response to increasing BA drench concentrations was evident 60 days aft...
Mathematics Identities of Competence in a Middle-Grades d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Classroom.

Research in mathematics education among d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students has documented that DHH students lag behind their hearing peers on measures of mathematics achievement. The discrep...
User Choice, Privacy Sensitivity, and Acceptance of Personal Information Collection

One issue in mobile privacy is that most mobile applications do not provide accessible disclosures and opportunities for meaningful consent. While such capabilities could increase user satisfaction with applications’ privacy protections, they might also produce greater rejection of data collection. The current study investigated these issues using a mobile application that provided simplified disclosures and some user choice in data collection. Results showed that having such choice tended to increase satisfaction with privacy-relevant aspects of the application. Furthermore, when asked to rate the application if it collected various types of information, subjects who reported taking more privacy risks and trusting authorities to protect their privacy tended to give higher ratings when the information collected was both highly relevant and sensitive, or of low relevance and sensitivity. The results suggest that companies might garner greater acceptance of data collection if they understand consumers’ privacy sensitivities and reactions to data collection requests.
Sudden onset of slow gastric emptying of food

Abstract Three healthy, young adults suddenly experienced the onset of slow gastric emptying. Their symptoms began in February, 1975 in association with a brief illness consistent with a viral gastroenteritis. They complained of early satiety, nausea, and vomiting when they ate solid food and they had lost 11–25 kg in body weight in 8–12 mo. On admission, their physical examinations and laboratory studies were within normal limits. Their stomachs emptied a barium mixture normally, and fiberoptic endoscopy did not detect any abnormalities. The slowed gastric emptying of food was documented with radioisotopic gastric emptying studies. The prolonged emptying rates of 2 patients were reduced 90% with metoclopramide. In association with metoclopramide therapy, the patients were able to eat more food, and they regained 8–10 kg of body weight in 4–6 mo. Their histories raise the possibility that their initial illness may have damaged the mechanisms which control the gastric emptying of food.
Effect of extraction systems on clomazone recovery from aged soil samples

Seven extraction methods were examined to determine which one provided a simple, efficient clomazone extraction from aged soil. The method selected involved adding 80 mL acetonitrile to moist soil and shaking for 16 h. The extract was filtered, and an additional 80 mL acetonitrile was added, equilibrated for 1 h, and filtered. Filtrates were combined and concentrated with a rotary evaporator. Clomazone concentrations were then determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection at 220 nm. Recovery with this method was equal to a 16 h + 1 h extraction with methanol, but acetonitrile was selected as extraction solvent because of its ease of removal with a rotary evaporator. The recovery from fortified soil samples was >80%, and a conservative lower limit of detection was 40 ng/g soil.
Mind, Body, and Spirit in Chronic Illness

This chapter provides an introduction to chronic illness as conceptualized in the Pathways Model. Health care expenditures and the major conditions requiring costly medical care are discussed. The importance of environment, socioeconomic status, and developmental factors are highlighted. Several patient cases are utilized to demonstrate multiple risk factors, both biological and psychosocial, that increase the probability of developing a chronic illness. Patients describe in their own words the aspects of their background with which they have struggled. Adversity during the critical developmental period of childhood has ramifications for morbidity well into the adult years. Individuals who have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are at great risk for chronic illness, particularly pain conditions, depressive disorders, and cardiovascular disease. At similar risk are minimally educated, low-income patients who reside in a high stress neighborhood. The influence of lifestyle, particularly inactivity and high fat, high sugar diets is explored within the context of personal decisions and choices made by individuals. Isolated patients without social support who do not have a stable home suffer the effects of their environment both emotionally and physically. Chronic stress, due also to the illness itself, is associated with damaging effects mediated through the nervous system and the immune complex. First, the mind, body, and spiritual aspects of chronic illness are explored, and then they are correlated with the levels of intervention in the Pathways Model.
Misfit dislocation networks in semi-coherent miscible phase boundaries: An example for U–Zr interfaces

Abstract Semi-coherent cube-on-cube miscible U–Zr interfaces were studied using molecular dynamics simulations. The misfit accommodation of such semi-coherent phase boundaries was characterized by a two-dimensional dislocation network model utilizing a combination of theoretical predictions and analysis of the atomic system. The dislocation networks were discussed for various stacking orientation of the adjoining phases in terms of the composition of the dislocation sets, the partitioning between edge and screw components and the associated residual elastic fields. These analyses showed that the patterning of the network of dislocations forming these phase boundaries results from the competition between a structurally-driven process (i.e., function of the lattice misfit) and a chemically-driven process (i.e., due to the miscibility between U and Zr).
Revealing Hidden Gender Biases in Competence Impressions of Faces

Competence impressions from faces affect important decisions, such as hiring and voting. Here, using data-driven computational models, we identified the components of the competence stereotype. Faces manipulated by a competence model varied in attractiveness (Experiment 1a). However, faces could be manipulated on perceived competence controlling for attractiveness (Experiment 1b); moreover, faces perceived as more competent but not attractive were also perceived as more confident and masculine, suggesting a bias to perceive male faces as more competent than female faces (Experiment 2). Correspondingly, faces manipulated to appear competent but not attractive were more likely to be classified as male (Experiment 3). When masculinity cues that induced competence impressions were applied to real-life images, these cues were more effective on male faces (Experiment 4). These findings suggest that the main components of competence impressions are attractiveness, confidence, and masculinity, and they reveal gender biases in how we form important impressions of other people.
WTP for water filters and water quality testing services in Guatemala

Abstract We conduct a contingent valuation study to estimate the willingness to pay for a point-of-use water quality technology and water quality testing services in the highlands of Guatemala. This study is unique in two ways: we measure drinking water quality at the household level through water samples collected at the household and we elicit the willingness to pay for water quality testing services. We find a significant divergence in subjects’ perceptions of water quality and the measured bacteria counts in their household water. This divergence is economically important as perceptions may play a significant role in willingness to pay for water quality improvements.
Midlatitude Oceanic Cloud and Precipitation Properties as Sampled by the ARM Eastern North Atlantic Observatory

An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright 2019 American Geophysical Union.
Long-term ozone exposures and cause-specific mortality in a US Medicare cohort

We examined the association of long-term, daily 1-h maximum O3 (ozone) exposures on cause-specific mortality for 22.2 million US Medicare beneficiaries between 2000–2008. We modeled the association between O3 and mortality using age-gender-race stratified log-linear regression models, adjusted for state of residence. We examined confounding by (1) adjusting for PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters <2.5 μm) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) exposures, temperature, and neighborhood-level characteristics and behaviors, and (2) decomposing O3 into its temporal and spatio-temporal components and comparing estimated risk ratios. We also examined sensitivity of our results to alternate exposure measures based on warm-season 8-h daily maximum and 24-h average exposures. We found increased risks from long-term O3 exposures to be strongest and most consistent for mortality from respiratory disease (1.030, 95% CI: 1.027, 1.034) (including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)), CHF (congestive heart failure), and lung cancer (1.015, 95% CI: 1.010, 1.020), with no evidence of confounding by PM2.5, NO2, and temperature and with results similar across O3 exposure measures. While significant, associations between long-term O3 exposures and CVD (cardiovascular)-related mortality (1.005, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.007) were confounded by PM2.5 and varied with the exposure measure, with associations no longer significantly positive when warm-season 8-h maximum or 24-h average O3 was used to assess exposures. In this large study, we provide strong evidence that O3 exposure is associated with mortality from respiratory-related causes and for the first-time, lung cancer, but raise questions regarding O3-related impacts on CVD mortality. Our findings demonstrate the need to further identify potential confounders.
“THERE WERE GIANTS IN THOSE DAYS”: Richard Stockton MacNeish, 1918–2001

On January 16, 2001, on a gravel road in the Maya Mountains of Belize, one of archaeology's most prolific and colorful superstars was fatally injured in the crash of his rental car. Having endured for 82 years despite cancer, heart attacks, a near-drowning, and double bypass surgery, the seemingly indestructible “Scotty” MacNeish was taken from us by accident. Had he lasted 102 years, I would still consider his death premature.
Identity, Memory, and Technoscientific Ethics: Limits, Edges, and Borders in The Forbidden Zone

Moll applies feminist technoscience theories of Karen Barad, Katie King, and Donna Haraway to Duncan Macmillan and Katie Mitchell’s play The Forbidden Zone, revealing how it poses epistemological challenges to how the history and ethics of science are often narrated onstage. The play depicts historical figures Clara Immerwahr and her granddaughter Claire Haber, two women scientists with connections to chemical weapons research, and their respective suicides. The play uses experimental theatrical techniques, including live cinema, to explore the ethical-political ramifications of chemical weapons research and its relationship to sexism and other oppressions. In the play, this weapon development symbolizes and creates a modernity defined by apocalypse, as part of a tradition of critique which spans from Virginia Woolf and Mary Borden to Barad and Haraway.
Characteristics and utilisation of the Mayo Clinic Biobank, a clinic-based prospective collection in the USA: cohort profile

Purpose The Mayo Clinic Biobank was established to provide a large group of patients from which comparison groups (ie, controls) could be selected for case–control studies, to create a prospective cohort with sufficient power for common outcomes and to support electronic health record (EHR) studies. Participants A total of 56 862 participants enrolled (21% response rate) into the Mayo Clinic Biobank from Rochester, Minnesota (77%, n=43 836), Jacksonville, Florida (18%, n=10 368) and La Crosse, Wisconsin (5%, n=2658). Participants were all Mayo Clinic patients, 18 years of age or older and US residents. Findings to date Overall, 43% of participants were 65 years of age or older and female participants were more frequent (59%) than males at all sites. Most participants resided in the Upper Midwest regions of the USA (Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois or Wisconsin), Florida or Georgia. Self-reported race among Biobank participants was 90% white. Here we provide examples of the types of studies that have successfully utilised the resource, including (1) investigations of the population itself, (2) provision of controls for case–control studies, (3) genotype-driven research, (4) EHR-based research and (5) prospective recruitment to other studies. Over 270 projects have been approved to date to access Biobank data and/or samples; over 200 000 sample aliquots have been approved for distribution. Future plans The data and samples in the Mayo Clinic Biobank can be used for various types of epidemiological and clinical studies, especially in the setting of case–control studies for which the Biobank samples serve as control samples. We are planning cohort studies with additional follow-up and acquisition of genetic information on a large scale.
From Egyptian to Egyptianizing in Cypriot Glyptic of the Late Bronze Age

The 228 contextualized seals at Enkomi allow for detailed views into how Egyptian seal types were used in the Late Bronze Age(ca. 1650–1050 BCE) in one settlement on Cyprus. Over time the emphasis shifted from Egyptian seal rings and uncarved scarabs and scaraboids in tombs to Egyptianizing designs on Cypriot cylinder and conoid stamp seals that recalled the carved details on the bottoms of scarabs. On Cyprus, the most common seal shape was the cylinder, valued there and in the Near East for its inherent longevity of authority. The scarab, which as an amulet referencing regeneration, was similarly valued for its promise of long-term, continual renewal. People at Enkomi and elsewhere on Cyprus who sought changes in the authority represented by the cylinder seal experimented with the scarab as an acceptable and effective alternative model for crafting new tools of control at the end of the Bronze Age. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v05i3_smith
Outcomes From Right Versus Left Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplants: A US National Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective There may be important transplant-related differences between right and left kidneys, including logistical/surgical considerations about vessel length for the right compared to the left kidney from the same donor. Because US centers choose between the right and left kidney when their recipient is ranked higher on a "match-run," we sought to determine whether deceased-donor right kidneys have had worse posttransplantation outcomes than left kidneys. Study Design Paired Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network analysis. Setting & Participants Deceased-donor kidney pairs transplanted during 1990 to 2016. Exposure Right versus left kidney controlling for other significant factors. Outcomes Delayed graft function (DGF), all-cause and death-censored graft failure, and mortality. Analytical Approach Multivariable conditional logistic regression for DGF; proportional hazards models (conditional on same donor) for failure/mortality with right kidneys (operationalized as 6-month time-varying coefficients) adjusting for DGF and other confounders. Results 87,112 recipient pairs shared the following donor characteristics: mean age of 41 ± 14 years, 60% males, and 11% with cardiac death. Recipient characteristics were numerically similar by donor kidney side but with some statistical differences given the sample size. Right kidneys had slightly longer cold ischemia time. DGF occurred more often for right kidneys (28% vs 25.8%; P Limitations Registry data, different transplant eras, reasons for kidney side unavailable. Conclusions There is modest association for transplantation of right kidneys with DGF and graft loss within the first 6 months, which is lost beyond this time point. These findings do not support the use of laterality of deceased-donor kidneys as an important factor in organ acceptance decisions.
Profiling personality-disorder traits on self-presentation tactic use

Abstract Social-personality and clinical perspectives have suggested that psychopathology has self-presentational features, but the extent to which this idea has merit is unclear. To advance understanding, participants (N = 247) completed indices of personality-disorder (PD) traits (i.e., negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism) and indicated their past use of various self-presentation tactics. As anticipated, unique variance of antagonism and negative affectivity related to enhanced ingratiation, supplication, self-promotion, and accounting tactics, but unique variance of antagonism also related to enhanced blasting, intimidation, and reduced apologies; unique variance of disinhibition only related to reduced exemplification and apologies; unique variance of detachment related to reduced use of most self-presentation tactics; unique variance of psychoticism had only weak and statistically non-significant relations to self-presentation tactics. The present results provide novel insight into how personality pathology relates to self-presentation styles.
Exploiting Circulating MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Psychiatric Disorders

Non-invasive peripheral biomarkers play a significant role in both disease diagnosis and progression. In the past few years, microRNA (miRNA) expression changes in circulating peripheral tissues have been found to be correlative with changes in neuronal tissues from patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. This is a notable quality of a biomolecule to be considered as a biomarker for both prognosis and diagnosis of disease. miRNAs, members of the small non-coding RNA family, have recently gained significant attention due to their ability to epigenetically influence almost every aspect of brain functioning. Empirical evidence suggests that miRNA-associated changes in the brain are often translated into behavioral changes. Current clinical understanding further implicates their role in the management of major psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ). This review aims to critically evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of miRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers in psychiatric disorders as well as in treatment response.
Association of flavored electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use with self-reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Results from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, Wave 4.

Introduction Flavors other than tobacco flavor have been identified as a major reason for electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) initiation in youth and are thought to contribute to the continued use of ENDS in users of all ages. Our previous research showed a significant association between overall ENDS use and COPD. This study aims to identify the association of ENDS flavor categories with self-reported COPD. Methods The data analysis included 4909 adults from Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Wave 4 data who were ever established ENDS users and responded to an item about diagnosis of COPD. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between different ENDS flavors and self-reported COPD considering complex sampling design. Results Among 4909 ever established ENDS users, 418 adults (weighted percentage 9.8%) had self-reported COPD. Self-reported COPD prevalence differed between different ENDS flavor categories, with the highest (weighted percentage 19.9%) occurring among tobacco flavor users. Compared to non-tobacco flavor categories, tobacco flavor category showed significantly higher association with self-reported COPD (AOR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.20-3.53), after adjusting for potential confounding variables. No significant associations with self-reported COPD were found for other examined ENDS flavor categories including menthol/mint, fruit, candy/ desserts/other-sweets, and other flavors, compared to their corresponding non-users. Conclusions Tobacco flavored ENDS use was significantly associated with self-reported COPD. Future studies are needed to confirm the biological and epidemiological association of flavored ENDS use with COPD.
SIGCSE Reads 2021: Using the Stories in your Classroom

This special session furthers the work associated with SIGCSE Reads and the growing community of SIGCSE members who connect to each other through science fiction. The goal of this session is to provide a practical experience addressing one of the five common goals presented previously: a learning experience for participants in how science fiction can be used in computing classrooms to teach ethics and develop CS students' facility for considering ethical situations with deeper critical thinking. Materials will be available so that the exercise can be translated to other classrooms. By providing this experience in a virtual format, participants will be able to translate it to their own setting, whether virtual or face-to-face. Building on an initial description of ethical frameworks, the exercise will be followed by discussion about ways to adapt, adjust and modify the exercise to incorporate other fictional works, to fit into a variety of courses, or to address different levels of learners.
Cross-modal self-supervised representation learning for gesture and skill recognition in robotic surgery.

Multi- and cross-modal learning consolidates information from multiple data sources which may offer a holistic representation of complex scenarios. Cross-modal learning is particularly interesting, because synchronized data streams are immediately useful as self-supervisory signals. The prospect of achieving self-supervised continual learning in surgical robotics is exciting as it may enable lifelong learning that adapts to different surgeons and cases, ultimately leading to a more general machine understanding of surgical processes. We present a learning paradigm using synchronous video and kinematics from robot-mediated surgery. Our approach relies on an encoder–decoder network that maps optical flow to the corresponding kinematics sequence. Clustering on the latent representations reveals meaningful groupings for surgeon gesture and skill level. We demonstrate the generalizability of the representations on the JIGSAWS dataset by classifying skill and gestures on tasks not used for training. For tasks seen in training, we report a 59 to 70% accuracy in surgical gestures classification. On tasks beyond the training setup, we note a 45 to 65% accuracy. Qualitatively, we find that unseen gestures form clusters in the latent space of novice actions, which may enable the automatic identification of novel interactions in a lifelong learning scenario. From predicting the synchronous kinematics sequence, optical flow representations of surgical scenes emerge that separate well even for new tasks that the model had not seen before. While the representations are useful immediately for a variety of tasks, the self-supervised learning paradigm may enable research in lifelong and user-specific learning.
Multilevel models for personal networks: methods and applications

This article reviews the statistical formulation and substantive applications of multilevel models for personal network data. A personal network is a social network sampled around a focal individual, the ego. Network nodes are the ego and his or her social contacts, the alters; network edges are ties between ego and alters, and ties among alters as reported by ego, usually indicating acquaintance or various forms of interaction. Personal network datasets exhibit a classical multilevel structure, with alters or ego-alter ties (level 1) hierarchically nested within egos or ego-networks (level 2). Hierarchical linear and generalized linear models have been used in the social and the health sciences to analyze these data and explain the variation of outcomes observed on alters or ego-alter ties. The paper presents these models and the assumptions and hypotheses they imply; outlines their main research applications; and illustrates their use by analyzing real-world data on personal networks and social support among Sri Lankan immigrants in Milan, Italy.
NOS-based biopolymers; towards novel thromboresistant no -release materials

iv LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES xi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Biocompatibility Issues of Implantable Medical Devices.... 1 1.2 The Protective Role of Endogenous Nitric Oxide (NO)...... 4 1.3 The Role of NO-Release Materials as Coatings for Implantable Medical Devices 7 1.4 Classes of NO-Releasing Materials 8 1.4.1 N-Diazeniumdiolates 10 1.4.2 S-Nitrosothiols 13 1.5 NOS Based NO-Releasing Materials 14 1.6 References 16 CHAPTER II: LAYER-BY-LAYER ASSEMBLY OF PROTEIN FILMS 2.
Crisis Awaiting Heart Transplantation: Sinking the Lifeboat

The number of heart transplants performed in the United States was 2177 in 1994 and 2166 in 2014. However, the number of transplant centers has increased, and the criteria for transplants have broadened to include patients 65 years or older, those with a body mass index greater than 30, and more comorbid conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and a history of smoking. As the transplant waiting list has become longer and waiting times have increased, the major route to heart transplants has become deterioration to the most urgent priority status, which accounts for 10% of patients on the waiting list but two-thirds of transplants. Many heart transplant candidates develop life-threatening complications of a ventricular assist device implanted to avert death while waiting. Some affluent patients, however, can afford to temporarily relocate and obtain a transplant in regions where the waiting times are shorter without prior surgery to implant a ventricular assist device. The ethics of allocating hearts for transplant have always recalled the classic lifeboat dilemma of how many people can be allowed to board an already overcrowded lifeboat without sinking the ship and everyone on board. As transplant physicians, we advocate with the best intentions on behalf of our own patients rather than denying transplants to those less likely to benefit. In recognizing our responsibilities as stewards of scarce donor hearts, we should reduce new listings for heart transplants, thus restoring balance to the waiting list and keeping the lifeboat afloat.
The inverse relationship between bladder and liver in 4-aminobiphenyl-induced DNA damage

Bladder cancer risk is significantly higher in men than in women. 4-Aminobiphenyl (ABP) is a major human bladder carcinogen from tobacco smoke and other sources. In mice, male bladder is more susceptible to ABP-induced carcinogenesis than female bladder, but ABP is more carcinogenic in the livers of female mice than of male mice. Here, we show that castration causes male mice to acquire female phenotype regarding susceptibility of bladder and liver to ABP. However, spaying has little impact on organ susceptibility to ABP. Liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are believed to protect liver against but sensitize bladder to ABP, as glucuronidation of ABP and its metabolites generally reduces their toxicity and promotes their elimination via urine, but the metabolites are labile in urine, delivering carcinogenic species to the bladder. Indeed, liver expression of ABP-metabolizing human UGT1A3 transgene in mice increases bladder susceptibility to ABP. However, ABP-specific liver UGT activity is significantly higher in wild-type female mice than in their male counterparts, and castration also significantly increases ABP-specific UGT activity in the liver. Taken together, our data suggest that androgen increases bladder susceptibility to ABP via liver, likely by modulating an ABP-metabolizing liver enzyme, but exclude UGT as an important mediator.