cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A FIR Filter to Date Post-WWII Recessions

A new FIR filter is designed to date U.S. recessions with the unemployment rate and the Conference Board employment trend index. Our approach is simple but one can see from the curve the dynamic process how the economy moves from one business cycle to the next. We also present a new use of the HP filter and uncover some useful information about the relationships among the yield curve, the Wu-Xia shadow rate, and the unemployment rate. We argue that an assessment of the labor market based on the level of the unemployment rate can be very wrong for the business cycle oriented monetary policy.
ADAPTIVE SEARCH-BASED HIERARCHICAL MOTION ESTIMATION USING SPATIAL PRIORS

Since motion estimation via block matching is an ill-posed problem, it requires the use of smoothness constraints to regularize the motion field. The block matching error and smoothness constraints together form an energy expression to be minimized. Motion vectors (MVs) from a candidate set are used to determine which MV minimizes the overall energy. These MVs, which may consist of spatial or temporal MVs, determine the quality of the motion field. Therefore, to ensure a high-quality motion field, we propose a new method to improve the quality of the MVs. The proposed method uses a novel approach to incorporate prior spatial MVs into block matching. By incorporating these MVs into block matching, we significantly reduce the size of the candidate set and improve the quality of the motion field.
Notes upon a trypanosome strain resembling T. congolense apparently completely adapted to the porcine species.

SUMMARY The isolation of an unusual trypanosome strain from a natural infection in a domestic pig in the Zambesi valley of Rhodesia is recorded and investigations as to its nature and virulence are described. From its morphological characteristics the trypanosome appeared to belong to the congolense group and the sites of development in Glossina morsitans confirmed this. The parasite, designated strain A, proved to be non-infective for all other domestic and laboratory animals used. In exotic domestic pigs the trypanosome produced an acute disease reminiscent of that caused by T. simiae. Attempts at curing the infection with Antrycide and Berenil failed but resulted in chronic infection which produced signs varying from grossly retarded growth in the young animal to what appeared to be a state of premunition in the older pig. One pig showing the chronic infection subsequently proved fully susceptible to natural wild T. simiae. The possible identity of the trypanosome is discussed and the similarity to T. congolense var. berghei and T. congolense var. urundiense is underlined.
Activation of Rat Cerebral Cortical 3',5'-Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase Activity by Gangliosides

Mixed brain gangliosides stimulated the activity of rat cerebral cortical calcium-dependent and calcium-independent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in a concentration-dependent manner. The extent of stimulation was similar with both enzymes, but calcium-dependent enzyme was at least 10 times more sensitive to gangliosides. Activation occurred rapidly and was readily reversible. The V max of the calcium-dependent enzyme was increased, while the K m was unaffected. Maximal activation of the calcium-dependent enzyme by gangliosides was only 50% of that elicited by lysolecithin or calcium-dependent activator protein. Activation by lysolecithin and gangliosides was apparently additive, while the activation by activator protein was slightly diminished in the presence of gangliosides. Trypsin pretreatment of the calcium-dependent enzyme resulted in a loss of sensitivity to subsequent activation by gangliosides or activator protein without altering the activation by lysolecithin. Potassium ions inhibited basal activity of the calcium-dependent phosphodiesterase but had no effect on enzyme activated by gangliosides, activator protein, or lysolecithin. Phosphodiesterase in the membrane-bound state did not appear to be affected by gangliosides.
Flavin-Dependent Thymidylate Synthase as a New Antibiotic Target.

In humans de novo synthesis of 2′-deoxythymidine-5′-monophosphate (dTMP), an essential building block of DNA, utilizes an enzymatic pathway requiring thymidylate synthase (TSase) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). The enzyme flavin-dependent thymidylate synthase (FDTS) represents an alternative enzymatic pathway to synthesize dTMP, which is not present in human cells. A number of pathogenic bacteria, however, depend on this enzyme in lieu of or in conjunction with the analogous human pathway. Thus, inhibitors of this enzyme may serve as antibiotics. Here, we review the similarities and differences of FDTS vs. TSase including aspects of their structure and chemical mechanism. In addition, we review current progress in the search for inhibitors of flavin dependent thymidylate synthase as potential novel therapeutics.
How Retrieval Attempts Affect Learning: A Review and Synthesis

Abstract Attempting to recall information from memory (ie, retrieval practice) has been shown to enhance learning across a wide variety of materials, learners, and experimental conditions. We examine the moderating effects of what is arguably the most fundamental distinction to be made about retrieval: whether a retrieval attempt results in success or failure. After reviewing research on this topic, we conclude that retrieval practice is beneficial even when the retrieval attempt is unsuccessful. This finding appears to hold true in a variety of laboratory and real-world contexts and applies to learners across the lifespan. Based on these findings we outline a two-stage model in which learning from retrieval involves (1) a retrieval attempt and then (2) processing the answer. We then turn to a second issue: Does retrieval success even matter for learning? Recent findings suggest that retrieval failure followed by feedback leads to the same amount of learning as retrieval success. In light of these findings, we propose that separate mechanisms are not needed to explain the effect of retrieval success and retrieval failure on learning. We then review existing theories of retrieval and comment on their compatibility with extant data, and end with theoretical conclusions for researchers as well as practical advice for learners and teachers.
Low Risk of International Zika Virus Spread due to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil

Concerns have been raised over possible expansion of the Zika virus epidemic by infected travelers returning from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. A modeling study was performed to assess this risk, an...
ROTATING SPIRAL WAVES AND OSCILLATIONS IN REACTION-DIFFUSION EQUATIONS*

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the rotating spiral waves and oscillations in reaction–diffusion equations. Rotating spiral waves arise naturally as models of spatially organized activity in various chemical and biochemical processes. The Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction provides a classic example. Experiments with this reaction in a two-dimensional medium produce spiral concentration patterns that rotate with constant frequency about a fixed center. These waves result from interplay between the chemical process of reaction and the physical process of molecular diffusion. The chapter discusses the existence and various analytical and asymptotic properties of these waves. It presents the concrete computations for specific parameter values. The demonstration of the existence of such rotating spiral waves, which are smooth from the origin to infinity, resolves the important issue. The chapter explores the effect of spatial diffusion on oscillatory states in arbitrary multispecies growth models having hereditary terms.
Occipital Neuromodulation: A Surgical Technique with Reduced Complications.

BACKGROUND Occipital neuromodulation is a promising treatment modality for refractory headache, but lead migration remains a frequent surgical complication. OBJECTIVES The primary objective was to identify surgical techniques that may minimize adverse events, particularly lead migration. We hypothesized that a surgical technique employing 2-point anchoring of stimulator leads designed to provide a tension-relief loop and the use of ultrasound for lead placement would decrease the complication rate. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING A retrospective analysis was performed through electronic medical record chart review in a tertiary referral center. METHODS Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained. Eighteen patients had a trial and subsequent permanent occipital nerve stimulator (ONS) implantation between 2004 and 2011 and were included. Adverse events were recorded and efficacy outcome variables analyzed for significance. RESULTS The cohort was a median (IQR) 45 (37 - 58) in age and 9 (50%) were women. Tension-relief loops placed via a 2-point anchoring technique and ultrasound use for occipital lead placement were evident in 16 (89%) and 13 (72%), respectively. There was one (6%) clinically insignificant lead position change, not definitively a lead migration, which could have been an artifact of fluoroscope positioning. Adverse events included one (6%) battery malfunction, one (6%) lead malfunction, and 2 (12%) post-implantation infections. Following ONS, there were significant reductions in numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores from a median (IQR) of 9.5 (8.25 - 10) to 2.5 (1 - 4.75) (P < 0.0001), headache days per week from 7 (7 - 7) to 1.5 (0.375 - 1.75) (P = 0.0005), and the number of daily headache medication from 3 (2.25 - 4) to 2.5 (2 - 3.75) (P = 0.0112). LIMITATIONS Limitations include retrospective study design, investigator bias, and non-standardized intervals of headache burden assessment. CONCLUSIONS In ONS, utilization of a 2-point anchoring technique with a tension-relief loop may significantly minimize the risk of lead migration, based on the absence of definitive lead migration in our series. Ultrasound use may improve the anatomic accuracy of lead placement with the possibility of improved efficacy. ONS was associated with significantly decreased headache pain, frequency, and medication use. KEY WORDS Occipital neuromodulation, occipital nerve stimulation, surgical technique, lead migration, tension-relief loop.
Bending mode ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) pressure sensors

Abstract Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) due to their appropriate properties such as flexibility, light weight, easy processing, resilience and high sensitivity have attracted more attentions in recent years. Although there are several studies on basic characteristics of these transducers, developments of IPMC sensors for specific applications are relatively rare. The purpose of this paper is to design dynamic pressure IPMC sensors based on streaming potential hypothesis and calibrate them in a standard shock pressure tube. For this goal, after explaining sensing mechanism based on streaming potential hypothesis for a circular IPMC sensor, direct assembly process (DAP) is applied to fabricate some pressure sensor samples. By estimating equivalent resistance and capacitance of the samples using impedance analyzer, a signal conditioner is designed. A shock tube setup is then utilized for test the performance of the fabricated pressure sensors. Analyzing the results shows that IPMCs as dynamic pressure sensors represent an appropriate linearity, sensitivity and reliability and DAP is a consistent fabrication process for making this category of sensors.
Stretching the Bounds of 3D Printing with Embedded Textiles

Textiles are an old and well developed technology that have many desirable characteristics. They can be easily folded, twisted, deformed, or cut; some can be stretched; many are soft. Textiles can maintain their shape when placed under tension and can even be engineered with variable stretching ability. Conversely, 3D printing is a relatively new technology that can precisely produce functional, rigid objects with custom geometry. Combining 3D printing and textiles opens up new opportunities for rapidly creating rigid objects with embedded flexibility as well as soft materials imbued with additional functionality. In this paper, we introduce a suite of techniques for integrating 3D printing with textiles during the printing process, opening up a new design space that takes inspiration from both fields. We demonstrate how the malleability, stretchability and aesthetic qualities of textiles can enhance rigid printed objects, and how textiles can be augmented with functional properties enabled by 3D printing.
Ionic specificity in pH regulated charged interfaces: Fe3+ versus La3+.

We determine the distribution of two trivalent ions Fe{sup 3+} and La{sup 3+} next to two different amphiphilic charged interfaces as ions or complexes, consisting of the phosphate lipid dihexadecyl phosphate (DHDP) and the fatty acid arachidic acid (AA). These amphiphiles provide a wide range of pK{sub a} values, from 2.1 (DHDP) to 5.1 (AA), thus allowing manipulation of the surface charge over extremely low pH (pH {approx}1 or larger), and the two ions provide two limiting cases of specificity for the amphiphiles. We find that La{sup 3+} distribution is mostly sensitive to the surface charge, whereas the Fe{sup 3+} binding depends on its character in the solution and is highly specific, as indicated by the crucial role played by iron complexes (Fe(OH){sub 3} or Fe(OH){sup 2+}) forming covalent bonds even for an uncharged interface. The implications of the results to other ions and/or amphiphilic interfaces are also discussed.
A Uniform Representation for Trajectory Learning Tasks

Most trajectory data are collected with a constant sample rate (e.g. GPS data). However, the variance of velocities can be very large, which causes the non-uniformity of the sample points in trajectory dataset. That is, the trajectory dataset can be very sparse in some parts which cause most existing distance measures to get unexpected results. On the other hand, the dataset can be extremely dense in some other parts which results in unnecessarily high computational complexity. Due to the above phenomenon, choosing an appropriate sample rate becomes a difficult challenge. In order to address the dilemma, we propose a Step-Invariant Trajectory (SIT) representation that can provide a dynamic sample rate to represent any trajectories in a uniform way. The translation takes only linear time. We also propose an effective and scalable distance measure for SIT representation. We evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our representation along with its distance measure by performing multiple trajectory classification and clustering experiments. These results show that our distance measures on SIT representation is much more accurate and robust than other representations and distance measures on sparse trajectory datasets. Our approach can also achieve competitive accuracy compared with the state of the art model-based trajectory representations on dense datasets. However, the time required to translate the data to our representation is 2 orders of magnitude faster, on average, than translate to other model-based representations. Furthermore, our representation can also serve as a preprocessing step to provide high quality input to all trajectory learning methods.
Psychosomatic Medicine/Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in Late Life

Many geriatric psychiatry cases are initially encountered in the general hospital or emergency room, where the psychiatric services rendered are accomplished by the psychosomatic medicine consultation service. As such, the areas of responsibility of psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists and geriatric psychiatrists overlap significantly. Specific areas of clinical expertise that are priorities for psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists include determinations of decisional capacity, evaluation and management of neurocognitive disorders, and assessment and management of catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, serotonin syndrome, and the toxicity states associated with centrally acting medications. The psychotherapeutic role of the psychosomatic medicine psychiatrist is coequal with the medical management role. Patients in the hospital, particularly geriatric patients, are at risk for many psychiatric syndromes (including depressive disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder) that are directly referable to the disruptive and traumatic experiences of medical/surgical illness, traumatic injury, and existential matters of disability and death. Psychosomatic medicine, therefore, is an integrative subspecialty of psychiatry that occupies a crucial place “between” psychiatry and numerous other medical specialists working with hospitalized patients. The authors highlight some important roles for psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists and present two complex cases to illustrate the framework of psychosomatic medicine and various, illness-specific psychiatric interventions.
High Stability Time-Lens-Based Picosecond Seed Source

The design of an optical source based on an electro-optic time lens is described. Excellent pulse-duration stability, short-term jitter, and long-term drift performance are demonstrated, making it suitable as a seed for high-energy laser systems.
Past, Resent, and Future of Structural Health Assessment

Past, present, and future of structural health assessment (SHA) concepts and related areas, as envisioned by the authors, are briefly reviewed in this chapter. The growth in the related areas has been exponential covering several engineering disciplines. After presenting the basic concept, the authors discussed its growth from infancy, that is, hitting something with a hammer and listening to sound, to the use of most recent development of wireless sensors and the associated advanced signal processing algorithms. Available SHA methods are summarized in the first part of this chapter. The works conducted by the research team of the authors are emphasized. Later, some of the future challenges in SHA areas are identified. Since it is a relatively new multidisciplinary area, the education component is also highlighted at the end.
Application of DNA analysis in a population-screening program for neonatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF): comparison of screening protocols.

We compare two protocols for newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF). The first uses the immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) assay with a cutoff of > or = 180 ng/ml and a sweat test to identify CF patients. The second uses the IRT assay with a 100 ng/ml cutoff in conjunction with direct analysis for the delta F508 CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutation in a two-tiered (i.e., IRT/DNA) protocol, followed by a sweat test. We screened 220,865 newborns from Wisconsin for CF, using the IRT protocol identifying 369 infants with an elevated IRT, of whom 46 were found to have CF. Another 7 CF patients were identified who had a false-negative IRT level. The CF incidence in the white population was 1 in 3,431 (carrier incidence of 1 in 30). The IRT protocol had a sensitivity of 87% and a positive predictive value of 12.5%. We subsequently used the IRT/DNA protocol to screen 21,258 infants. Of 518 infants with an IRT level > or = 100 ng/ml, 24 carried at least one copy of the delta F508 CFTR mutation, and 4 of these infants were found to have CF, yielding a positive predictive value for this protocol of 16.7%. Direct comparison of the positive predictive value of the two protocols is not valid, because of the different populations screened. However, had the IRT protocol been used on the IRT/DNA cohort, 50 infants, including the 4 with CF, would have received sweat tests, yielding a positive predictive value of 8%. Because of the small sample size, this positive predictive value is not significantly different from that obtained for the IRT/DNA test. However, from a practical point of view the IRT/DNA approach does decrease considerably the number of sweat tests that must be undertaken. The number of false positives for the IRT protocol (46 in 21,258) is increased significantly compared with that for the IRT/DNA approach (20 in 21,258; P < .001). The incidence of delta F508 carriers detected in cohorts with an elevated IRT level was increased compared with the incidence in the general population. The direct costs for the IRT/DNA approach (100 ng/ml) were $11,374 per CF patient detected, compared with $10,187 per CF patient detected for the IRT protocol. Therefore, we conclude that the IRT/DNA approach to CF newborn screening decreases the number of false-positive subjects contacted, without a significant increase in cost.
Seeking Unbiased Collections of Modern and Ancient Micrometeorites

Micrometeorites are sub-millimeter-sized extraterrestrial particles that survive atmospheric entry. An unbiased collection of micrometeorites should contain samples of all of the dust-producing objects in the solar system. However, because of low concentrations and rapid weathering in terrestrial environments, unbiased collections are difficult to find. Additionally, most particles have been severely heated during atmospheric entry, and the resulting changes must be understood to derive compositional information about the parent micrometeoroids. Large modern collections that can be characterized by the flux, size distribution, and micrometeorite compositional types can help constrain heating models that predict how micrometeorites are heated while entering the Earth’s atmosphere. These collections can also be used as a reference to deduce the effects of weathering on collections of ancient micrometeorites.
Human brain activity during mental imagery exhibits signatures of inference in a hierarchical generative model

Humans have long wondered about the function of mental imagery and its relationship to vision. Although visual representations are utilized during imagery, the computations they subserve are unclear. Building on a theory that treats vision as inference about the causes of sensory stimulation in an internal generative model, we propose that mental imagery is inference about the sensory consequences of predicted or remembered causes. The relation between these complementary inferences yields a relation between the brain activity patterns associated with imagery and vision. We show that this relation has the formal structure of an echo that makes encoding of imagined stimuli in low-level visual areas resemble the encoding of seen stimuli in higher areas. To test for evidence of this echo effect we developed imagery encoding models---a new tool for revealing how imagined stimuli are encoded in brain activity. We estimated imagery encoding models from brain activity measured with fMRI while human subjects imagined complex visual stimuli, and then compared these to visual encoding models estimated from a matched viewing experiment. Consistent with an echo effect, imagery encoding models in low-level visual areas exhibited decreased spatial frequency preference and larger, more foveal receptive fields, thus resembling visual encoding models in high-level visual areas where imagery and vision appeared to be almost interchangeable. Our findings support an interpretation of mental imagery as a predictive inference that is conditioned on activity in high-level visual cortex, and is related to vision through shared dependence on an internal model of the visual world.
Analysis of Influencing Factors of Transmission Line Loss Based on GBDT Algorithm

Based on GBDT algorithm, this paper establishes a mathematical model for analyzing abnormal line losses of transmission lines, and analyses the multi-dimensional factors such as power flow, climate, etc. It obtains the important indicators of the influence of each factor on line losses of transmission lines, and realizes the quantitative characterization of each factor.
The Safety of Co-Administered Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Continuous Epidural Analgesia after Major Orthopedic Surgery: Assessment of a Standardized Management Protocol.

Abstract Background: In patients who have had major orthopedic surgery, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has established efficacy in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) after surgery, and continuous epidural analgesia (CEA) provides better pain control than parenteral analgesia and may reduce the risk of cardiorespiratory complications. However, there is concern about the co-administration of LMWH and CEA after surgery because of an increased risk of epidural hematoma. No study, to our knowledge, has investigated the safety of a standardized treatment regimen that allows co-administered LMWH and CEA after surgery. Patients and Methods: We assessed the safety of a standardized management protocol in 970 patients who were scheduled to undergo knee or hip replacement surgery and who received post-operative thromboprophylaxis with LMWH and pain control with CEA. All patients received intra-operative spinal (regional) anesthesia, with an indwelling epidural catheter left in place after surgery to administer epidural analgesia with an infusion of fentanyl and bupivacaine. Subcutaneous LMWH (enoxaparin 30 mg twice-daily or dalteparin 5000 IU daily) was started on the morning after surgery and continued for at least 5 days. CEA was administered for 2–3 days after surgery, with the epidural catheter removal occurring during the trough anticoagulant effect of the LMWH, 10 hours and 22 hours after the preceding dose of enoxaparin and dalteparin, respectively. In patients who were to receive warfarin, this treatment was initiated, with a 2.5 mg dose, on the evening prior to the scheduled removal of the epidural catheter. Drugs that are known to affect hemostasis were avoided during CEA, and patients at increased risk for bleeding were not given LMWH. During the period of hospitalization, we calculated the incidence and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) for the following outcomes: epidural hematoma; other bleeding (major and minor); VTE, myocardial infarction, stroke, death. Results: 970 patients (mean age: 68.2 years; mean weight: 81.4 kg; 63% female) who underwent knee replacement (527 patients) or hip replacement (443 patients) received co-administered LMWH and CEA. The mean duration of LWMH therapy was 7.2±5.3 days. The mean duration (±standard deviation) of CEA was 1.9±0.80 days, respectively. Warfarin was initiated in 758 (78%) patients. There were no episodes of symptomatic epidural hematoma (0%; 95% CI: 0–0.38). During the in-hospital follow-up period, there were 13 episodes of VTE (1.3%; 95% CI: 0.71–2.3), 47 bleeds (4.7%; 95% CI: 3.5–6.3); 4 myocardial infarcts (0.41%; 95% CI: 0.12–1.1), and 4 deaths (0.41%; 95% CI: 0.12–1.1). Conclusion: Co-administered LMWH and CEA appears safe after major orthopedic surgery when using a standardized management protocol.
Self-Esteem Relates to Expecting Others to See Us How We See Ourselves

We examined whether self-esteem relates to coherence between self-evaluations and anticipated evaluations by others. In two studies (total N = 279), participants twice completed a measure of their personal attributes, once from their own standpoints and once from the perspective of someone they anticipated meeting, separated by a 25-minute distractor task. Supporting our preregistered predictions, the within-person association between self- and other-ratings was stronger as a function of between-person increases in self-esteem. These effects remained after statistically controlling for self-concept clarity and for fear of negative evaluation, both of which related meaningfully to self-esteem. Together, these findings indicate that persons high in selfesteem anticipate that others will evaluate them consistently with how they evaluate themselves.
Microbubble volume: A definitive dose parameter in blood-brain barrier opening by focused ultrasound

Microbubble-assisted focused ultrasound (MB+FUS) is currently being developed to improve drug delivery through the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). However, microbubble dosing has posed challenges for treatment efficiency and safety due to differences in size distribution, as well as the prevalent practice of re-purposing FDA-approved ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) for therapeutic use. Here, we explore a novel method of establishing microbubble dose, even retroactively, in MB+FUS BBB disruption (BBBD) studies. Specifically, we controlled microbubble size and concentration using a previously established centrifugal size-isolation technique, and adjusted the microbubble volume dose (MVD; 1-40 µL/kg) of two discrete monodisperse formulations (26-µm and 6-µm diameter) for MB+FUS BBBD in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Serial multi-site treatment was explored in the right and then left striata to determine the effects of microbubble pharmacokinetics. Near-infrared fluorescence microscopy of extravasated Evans Blue dye, our permeabilization indicator, was summed across brain slices after treatment to establish relative BBB opening. A linear trend between MVD and dye extravasation was observed for both treatment sites. Our results indicated that MVD, not microbubble size, determined the extent of MB+FUS BBBD. This result collapses previous microbubble dosing parameters of size distribution and concentration to one parameter: microbubble volume dose, which facilitates comparison of previous studies, as well as the planning of future MB+FUS BBBD studies. Additionally, a preliminary study of MB+FUS-facilitated gene delivery, expression, and immune response in neural tissue was conducted with dsAAV1-CMV-GFP.
Is More Autonomy Always Better?: Exploring Preferences of Users with Mobility Impairments in Robot-assisted Feeding

A robot-assisted feeding system can potentially help a user with upper-body mobility impairments eat independently. However, autonomous assistance in the real world is challenging because of varying user preferences, impairment constraints, and possibility of errors in uncertain and unstructured environments. An autonomous robot-assisted feeding system needs to decide the appropriate strategy to acquire a bite of hard-to-model deformable food items, the right time to bring the bite close to the mouth, and the appropriate strategy to transfer the bite easily. Our key insight is that a system should be designed based on a user’s preference about these various challenging aspects of the task. In this work, we explore user preferences for different modes of autonomy given perceived error risks and also analyze the effect of input modalities on technology acceptance. We found that more autonomy is not always better, as participants did not have a preference to use a robot with partial autonomy over a robot with low autonomy. In addition, participants’ user interface preference changes from voice control during individual dining to web-based during social dining. Finally, we found differences on average ratings when grouping the participants based on their mobility limitations (lower vs. higher) that suggests that ratings from participants with lower mobility limitations are correlated with higher expectations of robot performance. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing $\rightarrow$ Empirical studies in accessibility; • Social and professional topics $\rightarrow$ People with disabilities; Assistive technologies; • Computer systems organization $\rightarrow$ Robotic autonomy. ACM Reference Format: Tapomayukh Bhattacharjee, Ethan K. Gordon, Rosario Scalise, Maria E. Cabrera, Anat Caspi, Maya Cakmak, and Siddhartha S. Srinivasa. 2020. Is More Autonomy Always Better? Exploring Preferences of Users with Mobility Impairments in Robot-assisted Feeding. In Proceedings of the 2020 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI’20), March 23-26, 2020, Cambridge, UK. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 10 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3319502.3374818
INTERACTIVE ASSOCIATION OF LIVING ALONE AND AMYLOID-Β BURDEN WITH LONGITUDINAL COGNITION IN COGNITIVELY UNIMPAIRED OLDER ADULTS

Introduction Living alone has previously been shown to be a risk factor for cognitive decline and incident dementia in older adults, however this risk has not been evaluated in the context of early Alzheimer's disease. We investigated whether living alone and brain amyloid-β, the Alzheimer's disease pathologic protein, were additively or interactively associated with longitudinal cognition in a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults. Methods 272 men and women from the Harvard Aging Brain Study, ages 62-90, 59% female, with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0, were included. At baseline, 173 participants reported living with a spouse or partner, family member(s), or with a friend, and 99 reported living alone. Neocortical amyloid-β was measured at baseline using Pittsburgh Compound B-Positron Emission Tomography (PiB). Cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and annually using the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) (number of assessments: mean 3.93?years, range 1-9). The association of living situation (reference group: living with others) and cognitive performance over time was estimated using linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts and slopes, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, PiB, and their effects by time. A second model examined the multiplicative interaction of marital status and continuous PiB to estimate cognition over time, adjusting for the same covariates. The main model was repeated using dichotomous, high and low PiB groups (PiB+, PiB-) based on a PiB Distribution Volume Ratio threshold of 1.32. Results Compared to participants who lived with others, participants who lived alone demonstrated worsening PACC performance in the adjusted model (β =-0.06, p=0.005; Figure 1). Further, living alone and higher PiB were interactively associated with longitudinal PACC beyond their independent effects such that those who lived alone exhibited steeper PiB-related PACC decline (β=-0.18, p=0.0007). Findings were consistent in the dichotomous PiB models (Living Alone/ PiB+ × Time: β=-0.11, p=0.01; reference Living with others/PiB-; Figure 2). Conclusions In a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults, living alone was associated with accelerated amyloid-β-related cognitive decline prior to overt cognitive impairment. Future research on evidence-based interventions targeting specific, high risk older adults who live alone may help attenuate cognitive decline and mitigate the rising prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease. This research was funded by: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) R21 AG054953 (Donovan), and the Harvard Aging Brain Study [(NIA P01 AG036694 (Sperling and Johnson), AG046396 (Johnson)].
Cell surface hydrophobicity determines Pseudomonas aeruginosa aggregate assembly

Abstract It is now well established that bacteria live in structured aggregates during chronic infections, where they evolve to adapt to the host environment in order to evade host immune responses and therapeutic interventions. Despite recent developments on how the physical properties of polymers impact on aggregate formation, changes in bacterial properties to overcome this have been overlooked. Here we show that even with physical entropic forces imposed by polymers in a sputum medium environment, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a crucial role in aggregate assembly in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by altering the hydrophobicity of the cell surface. Our findings highlight that in chronic infections such as the polymer rich (eDNA and mucin) airways in cystic fibrosis (CF) lungs, O-antigen can dictate the type of aggregate assembly allowing the cells to overcome entropic forces, and sheds new light on the benefits or loss of O-antigen in polymer rich environments such as CF lungs. Importance During chronic infection, several factors contribute to the biogeography of microbial communities. Heterogeneous populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa form aggregates in cystic fibrosis airways, however, the impact of this population heterogeneity on spatial organization and aggregate assembly is not well understood. In this study we found that changes in O-antigen structure determine the spatial organization of P. aeruginosa cells by altering the relative cell surface hydrophobicity.
Viewpoint: Food insecurity among college students: A case for consistent and comparable measurement

Abstract A growing body of research among college students has estimated remarkably high levels of food insecurity when compared to food insecurity estimates from the general population over the past decade, with recent literature reviews reporting average prevalence rates of 33–51% compared to 9.8% among U.S. adults. Given these high rates of food insecurity, policymakers at the state- and federal-levels are considering legislation to better understand and ultimately alleviate food insecurity in the college student population. Further, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study will soon collect national surveillance data on college student food insecurity. However, emerging research suggests that existing food insecurity measurement tools may not perform as expected when used with college students. Indeed, there is no food insecurity measure that has been validated for use with college students. The purpose of this commentary is to discuss the current state of food insecurity measurement among college students and set a course for more meaningful measurement in the college-student population that produces consistent and comparable estimates of food insecurity.
Epidemiology and Prognosis of PTLD After HSCT

PTLD is a relatively rare but important and feared complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Several different types of risk factors (infectious, type of transplant, immunosuppression) are associated with PTLD development after HSCT. Most PTLD cases after HSCT are Epstein-Barr virus positive. Most PTLD cases occur early after HSCT and the survival after PTLD is poor.
Pharmacological inhibition of dynamin-related protein 1 attenuates skeletal muscle insulin resistance in obesity.

Dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1) is a key regulator in mitochondrial fission. Excessive Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in skeletal muscle under the obese condition is associated with impaired insulin action. However, it remains unknown whether pharmacological inhibition of Drp1, using the Drp1-specific inhibitor Mitochondrial Division Inhibitor 1 (Mdivi-1), is effective in alleviating skeletal muscle insulin resistance and improving whole-body metabolic health under the obese and insulin-resistant condition. We subjected C57BL/6J mice to a high-fat diet (HFD) or low-fat diet (LFD) for 5-weeks. HFD-fed mice received Mdivi-1 or saline injections for the last week of the diet intervention. Additionally, myotubes derived from obese insulin-resistant humans were treated with Mdivi-1 or saline for 12 h. We measured glucose area under the curve (AUC) from a glucose tolerance test (GTT), skeletal muscle insulin action, mitochondrial dynamics, respiration, and H2 O2 content. We found that Mdivi-1 attenuated impairments in skeletal muscle insulin signaling and blood glucose AUC from a GTT induced by HFD feeding (p < 0.05). H2 O2 content was elevated in skeletal muscle from the HFD group (vs. LFD, p < 0.05), but was reduced with Mdivi-1 treatment, which may partially explain the improvement in skeletal muscle insulin action. Similarly, Mdivi-1 enhanced the mitochondrial network structure, reduced reactive oxygen species, and improved insulin action in myotubes from obese humans (vs. saline, p < 0.05). In conclusion, inhibiting Drp1 with short-term Mdivi-1 administration attenuates the impairment in skeletal muscle insulin signaling and improves whole-body glucose tolerance in the setting of obesity-induced insulin resistance. Targeting Drp1 may be a viable approach to treat obesity-induced insulin resistance.
Discrimination by location: university pricing behavior and in-state tuition

Public sector universities offer in-state and out-of-state students similar amounts of institutional aid per ACT point. Private universities, however, offer in-state students over 65% more aid per ...
Abstract A28: USP21 promotes stemness of pancreatic cancer cells and bypass of KRAS extinction

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths, with an estimated 44,330 deaths per year in the United States alone. Deubiquitinases play fundamental roles in maintenance of cellular homeostasis, and deregulation of ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs), the largest group of deubiquitinases, has been reported in multiple cancer types. In particular, we found that USP21 is amplified in 22% of PDAC cases in the patient dataset from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and it is the most frequently deregulated USP. However, little is known about the role of USP21 in PDAC. To examine biologic function of USP21 amplification in PDAC, we employed a novel “iKPC” mouse model, harboring tetO-LSL-KrasG12D (a transgenic allele with doxycycline-controlled tet-ON system regulating transcriptionally activated KRASG12D), ROSA26-LSL-rtTA, p53L/+ and p48Cre. We induced overexpression of USP21 in PDAC cells isolated from iKPC mice and found that USP21 promotes iKPC pancreatic tumor growth in vivo and drives KRAS-independent pancreatic tumor growth after blockage of KRAS expression. USP21 has a nuclear export signal and shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm. By modulating its subcellular localization, we discovered different functions of USP21 in supporting pancreatic cancer growth. Specifically, the nuclear function of USP21 supports pancreatic tumor growth by increasing tumor cell stemness via enhanced activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. We showed that USP21 directly regulates proteasome pathway-dependent degradation of TCF7 protein. The cytoplasmic function of USP21 stimulates tumor cells to bypass KRAS extinction via MARK3, which phosphorylated its substrates and blocked their function by generating 14-3-3 binding sites. We found that MARK3 interacts with and is deubiquitinated by USP21. Knockdown of Ptpn3, a reported substrate of MARK3, increased protein level of PDGFRA, overexpression of which bypassed KRAS extinction. Moreover, we showed that inhibition of PDGF receptor pathway impairs KRAS-independent PDAC tumor growth driven by USP21 in vivo. Thus, our work demonstrated distinct oncogenic functions of USP21 in the presence and absence of KRAS signaling in PDAC, suggesting that KRAS-mutant PDAC patients with USP21 amplification may become resistant to KRAS inhibition. Citation Format: Pingping Hou, Xingdi Ma, Jeffery Ackroyd, Jianhua Zhang, Shan Jiang, Alan Y. Wang, Ronald A. DePinho. USP21 promotes stemness of pancreatic cancer cells and bypass of KRAS extinction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr A28.
Long-Term therapy with Benzodiazepines Despite Alcohol Dependence Disorder: Seven Case Reports

The author describes the long-term administration of benzodiazepines to seven male patients (58-70 years old), each with at least a 25-year history of alcohol dependence. Benzodiazepines were prescribed for the treatment of an anxiety disorder or sleep disturbance. All seven patients maintained abstinence during benzodiazepine administration, except for a brief period of relapse in two patients. These patients comprised all of the subjects given benzodiazepines for more than 1 week in a Veterans Affairs substance abuse program over a 3-year period. These case reports suggest that the long-term administration of benzodiazepines to carefully selected alcohol-dependent patients is not necessarily incompatible with abstinence. Guidelines for the use of benzodiazepines in this patient population are reviewed.
Prolonged Chronic Stress and Persistent Iron Dysregulation Prevent Anemia Recovery Following Trauma.

Introduction Following major trauma, persistent injury-associated anemia is associated with organ failure, increased length of stay and mortality. We hypothesize that prolonged adrenergic stimulation following trauma is directly responsible for persistent iron dysfunction that impairs anemia recovery. Materials and Methods Naive rodents, lung contusion and hemorrhagic shock followed by daily handling for 13 d (LCHS), LCHS followed by 6 d of restraint stress and 7 d of daily handling (LCHS/CS-7) and LCHS/CS followed by 13 d of restraint stress with day and/or night disruption (LCHS/CS-14) were sacrificed on day 14. Hemoglobin, plasma, urine, bone marrow/liver inflammatory and erythropoietic markers were analyzed. Results LCHS/CS-14 led to a significant decline in weight gain and persistently elevated plasma and urine inflammatory markers. Liver IL-6, IL-1β and hepcidin expression were significantly increased following LCHS/CS-14. LCHS/CS-14 also had impaired anemia recovery with reduced plasma transferrin and erythropoietin receptor expression. Conclusion Prolonged chronic stress following trauma/hemorrhagic shock led to sustained inflammation with increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and hepcidin with decreased iron availability for uptake into erythroid progenitor cells and a lack of anemia recovery.
Cognitive Decline and the Neighborhood Environment

Purpose Little research has looked beyond individual factors to consider the influence of the neighborhood environment on cognitive function. A greater density of physical resources (e.g., recreational centers and parks) and institutional resources (e.g., community centers) may buffer cognitive decline by offering opportunities for physical activity and social interaction.
Item Response Theory Methods

In this chapter, we describe item response theory (IRT) equating methods under various designs. This chapter covers issues that include scaling person and item parameters, IRT true and observed score equating methods, equating using item pools, and equating using polytomous IRT models.
Status of Trauma Care in U.S. Army Hospitals

Abstract : This study documents the recent trends and current state of inpatient trauma care in U.S. Army hospitals. Methods: Inpatient trauma cases from Army hospitals worldwide from October 1988 through April 2001 were analyzed. Facilities included 3 Certified Trauma Centers (CTCs), 7 non- CTC Army Medical Centers, and 42 Army Community Hospitals. Logistic regression identified mortality risk factors. Results: Overall, the Army treated 166,124 trauma cases, with a mortality rate of 0.8% (trend of 0.66% to 1.18% in fiscal years 1989 2000, p 0.0001). The number of Army hospitals decreased by 44% and the number of trauma cases decreased by nearly 75%. Injury severity, patient age, hospital trauma volume, beneficiary category, hospital type, and a resource intensity measure were all significantly associated with the probability of death. Conclusions: The overall trauma mortality rate at Army hospitals during the study period was lower than that reported for civilian trauma centers. However, changes in patient profiles, increased average severity, and decreased trauma volume might have contributed to a 13% increase in mortality rates at CTCs.
Assay and characterization of the NO dioxygenase activity of flavohemoglobins.

Abstract A variety of hemoglobins, including several microbial flavohemoglobins, enzymatically dioxygenate the free radical nitric oxide (•NO) to form nitrate. Many of these •NO dioxygenases have been shown to control •NO toxicity and signaling. Furthermore, •NO dioxygenation appears to be an ancient and intrinsic function for members of the hemoglobin superfamily found in Archaea, eukaryotes, and bacteria. Yet for many hemoglobins, a function remains to be elucidated. Methods for the assay and characterization of the •NO dioxygenase (EC 1.14.12.17) activity and function of flavohemoglobins are described. The methods may also be applied to the discovery and design of inhibitors for use as antibiotics or as modulators of •NO signaling.