cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinship Signals in Animals

Evolutionary theory predicts that individuals will avoid mating with close kin and will cooperate preferentially with relatives. Theory also predicts that mechanisms facilitating assessment of kinship will evolve. The kin-recognition process comprises three components: the production of kin labels that correlate reliably with relatedness, the perception of these labels in others and a comparison to a recognition template, and the action taken, if any, as a function of estimated relatedness. Each of these components is discussed as they relate to ecological and life-history parameters of animals, including an example of the mechanisms and functions of recognition in a model organism.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phage AAT-1

ABSTRACT Aspects of the interaction between phages and animals are of interest and importance for medical applications. Here, we report the genome sequence of the lytic Pseudomonas phage AAT-1, isolated from mammalian serum. AAT-1 is a double-stranded DNA phage, with a genome of 57,599 bp, containing 76 predicted open reading frames.
Engaging Bilingual Students in Sustained Literature Study in Central Texas

In building and imagining communities, Chicana/o writers are persistently faced with disclosing sociopolitical issues, such as immigration. Anzaldua (1993) provides an influential example of a children's book that can be used for dialoguing and responding to complex social issues, such as immigration. It provides the context for deep study of social issues that impact the construction of racial, cultural, gender, and linguistic identities among children living in the borderlands and beyond. Anzaldua's (1987) conceptualization of the borderlands and theoretical tenets, such as nepantla, are critical resources for Chicana feminists who work to develop border or transformative pedagogies in classrooms where young academic and social identities are emerging. Anzaldua goes beyond the Nahuatl literal translation of nepantla as a hybrid in-between-space. More than just living between geopolitical borders of Spanish and indigenous peoples, Anzaldua imagined people from diverse backgrounds with diverse needs co-ex...
Synthesis design strategies for energy-efficient microprocessors

A detailed synthesis study has been performed on a functional unit from a recent IBM microprocessor to explore the voltage-frequency space for energy-efficient design points across a wide performance spectrum ranging from 625 MHz at 0.48V to 5.6 GHz at 0.95V. It is found that the optimal operating voltage depends strongly on frequency for an energy-efficient design. Circuit characteristics, as represented by the combination of the average gate width, effective V T , and buffering scheme, differ significantly between designs optimized for low voltage-frequency and for high voltage-frequency operations and suggest a distinct application dependence in the selection of standard cell images and optimal design points. In particular, for optimal energy efficiency at a given frequency, low voltage designs should utilize smaller gate width and lower V T . Though a design energy-optimized near 1V is more scalable over a wide frequency range when operating at low voltages, designs optimized at a lower voltage-frequency point can be leveraged to offer better solutions in both performance and energy efficiency within a narrow frequency range near the design point.
Using GIS and remote sensing to explore the influence of physical environmental factors and historical land use on bushland structure

Bushland is a vegetation type with a dense cover of woody plants of low stature and a grass understory. We explored the influence of environmental factors (precipitation, topography, geology, hydrology and waterhole density) and historical land use in the Tsavo ecosystem bushland. We mapped vegetation patterns in the region using remote sensing, GIS and field data and tested relationships with physical factors. We used regression analysis to explore the interaction of physical factors and human influence by including a protected and a nonprotected area, representing contrasting historical land use policies, as factors in the regression model. Bushland vegetation had the largest proportion in the region as a whole, but its proportion was notably greater in the nonprotected area. Precipitation, elevation, geology and historical land use were significant predictors of vegetation patterns in the regression models. Higher precipitation and elevation make woody plants superior competitors over grasses, resulting in predominance of bushland in such areas. Geologically, marine deposits result in shallow calcareous soils that favour grasses over trees, hence, absence of bushland. Wildlife management policies such as providing water for wildlife, protective boundaries and controlling wildfires influence distribution of wildlife and result in conditions that prevent regeneration and recruitment of trees.
Optimal charging framework for electric vehicles on the wireless charging highway

Range anxiety has been a big concern for electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. Moreover, it is inconvenient for EVs to spend a long time charging while driving on the highway. Wireless charging represent a potential breakthrough to alleviate the range anxiety and provides convenient service to EVs. Since the capacity for charging EVs on the highway is limited, it is crucial to control the EVs properly in order to avoid congestion and to provide good quality of service (QoS). On one hand, based on the physical motion of an EV, the velocity is a main factor for the EV's energy consumption while driving. The high velocity causes a larger energy consumption, which results in a longer charging duration. And each time an EV charges its battery, it incurs some battery degradation cost. On the another hand, the vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication on the highway is necessary to provide the communication among EVs and the control center. In this paper, while being aware of V2I communication, we propose an optimal revenue framework for the wireless charging highway, which takes into account the physical motion of EVs and internal battery characteristics. Considering the possibly reneging behavior of EVs, the system is modeled as a M/M/S loss system. We evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Our numerical and simulation results show that the proposed scheme improves the system performance and the QoS provided to the customers.
Guanxiu's “Mountain-Dwelling Poems”: A Translation

This is a translation of one of the most influential poetic series of the late-ninth century, the twenty-four “Mountain-Dwelling Poems” written by the Buddhist monk Guanxiu (832–913). Focusing on the speaker's use of imagery and allusion, the translations are accompanied by annotations which clarify obscure or difficult passages. An introduction places these poems in their historical context and highlights some of the ways in which they build syntheses out of perceived oppositions (original and revision; Buddhism, Daoism, and classical reclusion; solitude and community; reader's various perspectives; poem and series). An afterword briefly sketches the method and circumstances of the translation.
Using CouchDB to Compute Temporal Aggregates

Computing an aggregate on big data is a common application of mapreduce. The map groups values based on some key, and the reduce computes the aggregate for the group. But temporal data cannot be effectively grouped, so to compute a temporal aggregate, a new strategy is needed. Temporal data is data annotated with time metadata, usually a temporal period representing the lifetime of the data in some time dimension. Since periods have extent they are not directly amenable to grouping on some value-based key. The main contribution of this paper is to show how temporal aggregates can be computed using CouchDB (and by extension in other mapreduce systems). We introduce a new kind of timestamp, which we call a log-segmented timestamp, and we show how to use the timestamp to compute a temporal aggregate. Our technique reuses and extends existing mapreduce techniques.
Primary retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma (dermoid cyst) in a 51-year-old male:Case report and historical literature review.

Objectives:Primary retroperitoneal mature cystic teratomas are exceedingly uncommon in males aged 50 years and above, and only seven cases have been reported in the literature so far. They usually ...
Patient-specific 3D Valve Modeling for Structural Intervention

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an advanced manufacturing technique, recently introduced in the medical field to convert clinical imaging information of anatomical features into physical replica...
CyanoSense: A Wireless Remote Sensor System Using Raspberry-Pi and Arduino with Application to Algal Bloom

Wireless sensor systems have been used in several innovative applications during past few years. However, the key constraints like system design, energy, cost are significantly application dependent. In this paper, we design a wireless sensor system towards an important environmental issue of water quality - Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs). We present a low-cost, low-energy and low-footprint wireless sensor system which can be deployed remotely to monitor the CyanoHABs. We believe that ours is very first low-cost and solar energy based system developed in the domain of monitoring CyanoHABs that helps domain scientists in regular monitoring of freshwater body.
High-Throughput Microfluidic Labyrinth for the Label-free Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells

Summary We present "Labyrinth," a label-free microfluidic device to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using the combination of long loops and sharp corners to focus both CTCs and white blood cells (WBCs) at a high throughput of 2.5 mL/min. The high yield (>90%) and purity (600 WBCs/mL) of Labyrinth enabled us to profile gene expression in CTCs. As proof of principle, we used previously established cancer stem cell gene signatures to profile single cells isolated from the blood of breast cancer patients. We observed heterogeneous subpopulations of CTCs expressing genes for stem cells, epithelial cells, mesenchymal cells, and cells transitioning between epithelial and mesenchymal. Labyrinth offers a cell-surface marker-independent single-cell isolation platform to study heterogeneous CTC subpopulations.
Abstract 16564: EVGATA-4 Promoted Angiogenesis Through Delivering miRNAs to Endothelial Cells

Recently, we have shown that extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by GATA-4-overexpressing mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) (EV GATA-4 ) significantly improved ischemic myocardial function, compared to EVs from vector-empty transfected MSCs (EV null ). We hypothesized that EV GATA-4 promoted angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium via miRs released in recipient cells. MSCs were transduced with GATA-4 using the murine stem cell virus retroviral expression system and EVs were harvested from the conditioned media of MSC GATA-4 and its control counterpart MSC null . The tubular structures formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Matrigel plug were used to evaluate angiogenesis. The data of MicroRNA-seq showed that 358 miRs were found in EVs, 46 were significantly increased and 64 were decreased in EV GATA-4 compared to EV null . Of the 46 upregulated miRs, many were pro-angiogenetic and pro-survival factors; most notably, the let-7 family members. The tube formation was significantly increased in HUVECs treated with EV GATA-4 than in those treated with EV null . The cumulative sprout length per spheroid was also greater in EV GATA-4 -treated HUVECs than EV null -treated cells. Following Matrigel containing EVs (100μg/plug) subcutaneously transplanted into mice for 2 weeks, EV GATA-4 significantly increased the blood flow compared to EV null . Real-time imaging system recorded that EVs could be internalized by HUVECs. The expression of let-7 was significantly upregulated in HUVECs following EV GATA-4 treatment. Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) is an anti-angiogenic gene and one of the potential target genes of let-7f. It was down-regulated in HUVEC treated with EV GATA-4 compared with that treated with EV null . To investigate the effect of transferred let-7 on angiogenesis, EVs were collected from MSCs transfected with let-7f inhibitor (anti-let-7f) or from MSCs transfected with let-7f mimic, respectively. The tube-like structure formation following different EVs treatment was positively related to the expression of let-7f in HUVECs. These results suggested that EV GATA-4 increased angiogenesis, which is associated with the transfer of pro-angiogenetic miRs to regulate their targets in HUVECs.
Dielectric Permittivity of Eight Gases Measured with Cross Capacitors

A four-ring, toroidal cross capacitor was used to measure accurately the relative dielectric permittivity e(p,T) of He, Ar, N2, O2, CH4, C2H6, C3H8, and CO2. (e is often called the “dielectric constant.”) The data are in the range from 0 to 50°C and, in many cases, extend up to 7 MPa. The accurate measurement of e(p,T) required a good understanding of the deformation of the gas-filled capacitors with applied pressure. This understanding was tested in two ways. First, the experimental values of e(p,T) for helium were compared with theoretical values. The average difference was within the noise, 〈e expt−e theory〉=(−0.05±0.21)×10−6, demonstrating that the four-ring cross capacitor deformed as predicted. Second, e(p,T) of argon was measured simultaneously on three isotherms using two capacitors: the four-ring capacitor, and a 16-rod cross capacitor made using different materials and a different geometry. The results for the two capacitors are completely consistent, within the specifications of the capacitance bridge. There was a small inconsistency that was equivalent to 1×10−6 of the measured capacitances, or, for argon, 3×10−5 A e , where A e is the zero-density limit of the molar polarizability ℘≡(e−1)/[(e+2)ρ].
Ubiquitous displays: Spatially augmenting reality via multi-projector agents

The state of the art VR/AR devices provide access to completely virtual environments or augment information on the existing world seen by the user. Wearable devices encumber the users, and sometimes even cut them off completely from the real world. Users interact with digital avatars instead of the real people themselves. Spatially augmented reality (SAR) instead focuses on illuminating physical spaces with one or more projectors which when observed by one or more cameras can enable unique interaction modalities between the physical space and multiple users in or around the space without being encumbered by any wearable device. This talk will present a new SAR paradigm of ubiquitous displays where displays are not mere carriers of information, but as agents — active members of the workspace interacting with data, user, environment and other displays. The goal is to integrate such active displays seamlessly with the environment making them ubiquitous to multiple users and data. This talk will present the overview of a decade long research at University of California, Irvine that has been instrumental in making SAR paradigm via the ubiquitous displays accessible and affordable. They are already gaining traction as projected augmented reality and hold the promise to be a critical component of the future collaborative workspace.
Reading the room: Leveraging popular business books to enhance organizational performance

Abstract Managers need to think creatively about ways to improve organizational performance. We explore one such tool. Popular business books that offer unique takes on important topics can serve as an effective tool to engage workers and lead them to new understandings. In particular, we discuss the key insights for organizations offered by ten classic and popular bestselling business books. Each one offers enduring lessons of value for employees interested in helping their organizations become more successful.
Same-Sex Friendships

Friendship is a nonobligatory relationship of choice. Four characteristics of same-sex friends do not appear to differ by sex and show similarity across culture and age groups: propinquity, homophily, inclusion, and symmetrical reciprocity. Three characteristics that distinguish male same-sex friendship from female same-sex friendships are: greater value of instrumental or agentic characteristics in friends, the greater risk of low-quality friendships, and increased homophobia. Three characteristics that distinguish female same-sex friendships from males’ same-sex friendships are: communion and self-disclosure, greater effort and expectations from friends in general, and a greater risk of corumination. There is ongoing need to explore friendship from cross-cultural and multigenerational developmental perspectives to account for both evolutionary and cultural influences. Keywords: gender; interpersonal communication; social networks
History as a tool in identifying "new" old drugs.

When Merck released a new drug, finasteride, with the proprietary name of Proscar® for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), they were surprised, delighted even, when they learned that users reported the promotion of hair growth. Soon they filed with the FDA for the release of the same drug (although lower dosage) with a new name, Propecia®, for treating alopecia or male pattern baldness. Often the West makes its discoveries seemingly serendipitously or, less frequently, through insightful hunches. An example of the latter is the brilliant research of Jean Wilson, and Donald Coffey and his collaborators, who discovered a synthetic intracellular enzyme that converts testosterone into an active androgen, a reductase inhibitor for treatment of BPH (Horton, 1992; Wilson, 1972). These modern endocrinologists and chemists apparently did not know that ancient peoples knew the same action (not necessarily the same mechanism of action) which they found in nettle (Urtica dioica L.) and saw palmetto (Serena repens Bartr.). A 1997 study postulated the mechanism for saw palmetto’s and stinging nettle’s action on BPH. For a decade now we have known that these two plants (plus the African prune, Prunus africana Hook) mimic the action of the popular prescription drug finasteride (Awang, 1997). Dennis Awang advances the hypothesis that components in stinging nettle, saw palmetto and African prune shift the androgen/estrogen ratios, involving estrogen and estradiol production from androstenedione, or, in other words, the same action as Wilson postulated.
Shared Care: Using an Electronic Consult Form to Facilitate Primary Care Provider–Specialty Care Coordination

Abstract Objective The quality of children's health is compromised by poor care coordination between primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists. Our objective was to determine how an electronic consultation and referral system impacts referral patterns and PCP–specialist communication. Methods The primary care clinic at Boston Children's Hospital piloted an electronic referral and consultation system with the neurology and gastroenterology departments from April 1, 2014, to October 31, 2016. PCPs completed an electronic consult form, and if needed, specialists replied with advice or facilitated expedited appointments. Specialist response times, referral rates, wait times, and completion rates for specialty visits were tracked. PCPs and specialists also completed a survey to evaluate feasibility and satisfaction. Results A total of 82 PCPs placed 510 consults during the pilot period. Specialists responded to 88% of requests within 3 business days. Eighteen percent of specialty visits were deferred and 21% were expedited. Wait times for specialty appointments to both departments significantly decreased, from 48 to 34 days ( P P P = .29). Most PCPs said the Shared Care system facilitated better communication with specialists (89%) and enabled them to provide superior patient care (92%). Specialists reported that the system required a minimal amount of time and enabled them to educate PCPs and triage referrals. Conclusions Implementation of an electronic referral and consultation system was feasible and provided timely access to specialty care, but did not affect referral volume. This system could serve as a model for other health care organizations and specialties.
Efficient Clustering-based Noise Covariance Estimation for Maximum Noise Fraction.

Most hyperspectral images (HSI) have important spectral features in specific combination of wave numbers or channels. Noise in these specific channels or bands can easily overwhelm these relevant spectral features. Maximum Noise Fraction (MNF) by Green et al. [1] has been extensively studied for noise removal in HSI data. The MNF transform maximizes the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in feature space, thereby explicitly requiring an estimation of the HSI noise. We present two simple and efficient Noise Covariance Matrix (NCM) estimation methods as required for the MNF transform. Our NCM estimations improve the performance of HSI classification, even when ground objects are mixed. Both techniques rely on a superpixel based clustering of HSI data in the spatial domain. The novelty of our NCM’s comes from their reduced sensitivity to HSI noise distributions and interference patterns. Experiments with both simulated and real HSI data show that our methods significantly outperforms the NCM estimation in the classical MNF transform, as well as against more recent state of the art NCM estimation methods. We quantify this improvement in terms of HSI classification accuracy and superior recovery of spectral features.
Reduced Contrast Sensitivity is Associated With Elevated Equivalent Intrinsic Noise in Type 2 Diabetics Who Have Mild or No Retinopathy.

Purpose To evaluate explanations for contrast sensitivity (CS) losses in subjects who have mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) or no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) by measuring and modeling CS in luminance noise. Methods Ten diabetic subjects with NDR, 10 with mild NPDR, and 10 age-equivalent nondiabetic controls participated. Contrast threshold energy (Et) was measured for letters presented in the absence of noise (Et0) and in four levels of luminance noise. Data were fit with the linear amplifier model to estimate inferred noise level within the visual pathway (Neq) and sampling efficiency (ability to use stimulus information optimally). Et0, Neq, and efficiency were compared to clinical characteristics. Results Neq was correlated with Et0 for the diabetic subjects (r = 0.93, P 11.92, P 3.89, P ≤ 0.001); the NDR and control groups did not differ significantly (all t 0.55). There were no significant efficiency differences among the groups (F = 1.29, P = 0.29). Neq was correlated significantly with disease duration, microperimetric sensitivity, and Pelli-Robson CS. Conclusions Elevated contrast threshold may be associated with increased intrinsic noise in early-stage diabetic subjects. Results suggest that noise-based CS measurements can provide important information about early neural dysfunction in these individuals.
The Scattering Matrix

The scattering matrix can be used to describe a large class of passive microwave components. In many cases, it can provide to a complete understanding of microwave devices. Thus, one may avoid the complex analysis of the structure via the technique of boundary value solution.
T Cell–Inflamed versus Non-T Cell–Inflamed Tumors: A Conceptual Framework for Cancer Immunotherapy Drug Development and Combination Therapy Selection

Immunotherapies such as checkpoint-blocking antibodies and adoptive cell transfer are emerging as treatments for a growing number of cancers. Despite clinical activity of immunotherapies across a range of cancer types, the majority of patients fail to respond to these treatments and resistance mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Responses to immunotherapy preferentially occur in tumors with a preexisting antitumor T-cell response that can most robustly be measured via expression of dendritic cell and CD8+ T cell-associated genes. The tumor subset with high expression of this signature has been described as the T cell-"inflamed" phenotype. Segregating tumors by expression of the inflamed signature may help predict immunotherapy responsiveness. Understanding mechanisms of resistance in both the T cell-inflamed and noninflamed subsets of tumors will be critical in overcoming treatment failure and expanding the proportion of patients responding to current immunotherapies. To maximize the impact of immunotherapy drug development, pretreatment stratification of targets associated with either the T cell-inflamed or noninflamed tumor microenvironment should be employed. Similarly, biomarkers predictive of responsiveness to specific immunomodulatory therapies should guide therapy selection in a growing landscape of treatment options. Combination strategies may ultimately require converting non-T cell-inflamed tumors into T cell-inflamed tumors as a means to sensitize tumors to therapies dependent on T-cell killing. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(9); 990-1000. ©2018 AACR.
UMA ANÁLISE SEMIÓTICA DO DESIGN GRÁFICO RETRÔ: OS ANÚNCIOS DO EVENTO “MAXIMÍDIA 2010” A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE RETRO GRAPHIC DESIGN: THE ADS OF THE EVENT “MAXIMÍDIA 2010”

Resumo : O termo retro surgiu no seculo XX, sendo hoje possivelmente banalizado como estilo grafico, entao, este estudo visa a compreender o conceito de retro enquanto fenomeno no campo do design grafico. Para tanto, sao abordados aspectos formais e simbolicos do design grafico, assim como investiga-se o retro etimologica e historicamente. Adota-se a semiotica peirceana como base metodologica para analisar o conjunto de anuncios da campanha publicitaria do evento MaxiMidia 2010. A partir da analise, inferiu-se que o retro nao trata apenas dos aspectos signicos de icone e indice, associados a referencias do passado, sendo interpretado apenas como simbolo. Nesse sentido, a campanha analisada, ao fazer uma reciclagem de estilos a partir da ironia e da nostalgia reflexiva, contempla algumas definicoes de retro propostas pela literatura. Palavras-chave: semiotica, design grafico, estilo, retro, campanha publicitaria. Abstract : The term retro appeared in the twentieth century, and today is possibly banalized as a graphic style. In this study, it is intended to understand retro as a phenomenon, analyzing how it is presented in graphic design. For that, formal and symbolic aspects of graphic design are approached, and retro is etymologically and historically investigated. Peircean semiotics is used as a methodological basis for analyze the set of ads for the advertising campaign of the event MaxiMidia 2010. According to the analysis, the retro deals not only with the signic aspects of icon and index, with references to the past, but is only interpreted as a symbol. It was considered that the campaign, by doing a recycling of styles from the irony and reflective nostalgia, covers some definitions of retro proposed by the literature. Keywords: semiotics, graphic design, style, retro, advertising campaign.
Process risk model for Salmonella and ground chicken.

Aims To develop a process risk model (PRM) for evaluating the safety of individual lots of ground chicken (GC) contaminated with Salmonella (Salm). Methods and results Data for prevalence, number and serotype of Salm were collected with 25 g samples of GC using a combination of methods (whole sample enrichment, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, cultural isolation and serotyping). These data were used to develop a predictive model for Salm contamination of GC as a function of serving size from 25 to 300 g. This model was combined with a model for thermal inactivation of Salm in GC and a dose-response model for Salm to develop a PRM in Excel that was simulated with NeuralTools and @Risk. Of 100, 25 g samples of GC examined, 19 tested positive for Salm. Three serotypes were isolated: Infantis (n = 13), Enteritidis (n = 5) and Typhimurium (n = 1). The number of Salm ranged from 0 to 2·56 log with a median of 0·93 log per 25 g of GC. The PRM predicted that Salm prevalence would increase (P 0·05) by serving size. The PRM was also used to evaluate effects of serving size distribution, cooking, food consumption behaviour, consumer demographics and Salmonella virulence on TSI. Conclusions How a lot of GC is partitioned and consumed does not affect TSI. Scenario analysis demonstrated that the PRM can integrate prevalence, number and serotype data for Salm with consumer handling, consumption and demographics data to identify safe and unsafe lots of GC for improved food safety and public health. Significance and impact of the study Process-risk models like the one developed in this study represent a new, holistic approach to food safety that holds great promise for improving public health and reducing food recalls.
Exchange rate risk and commodity trade between U.S. and India: an asymmetry analysis

Research on the impact of exchange rate volatility on the trade flows has now entered into a new direction of asymmetry analysis. It has been argued by previous researchers, that the rate at which ...
Application of DInSAR for short period monitoring of initial subsidence due to longwall mining in the mountain west United States

Abstract Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR), a satellite-based remote sensing technique, has application for monitoring subsidence with high resolution over short periods. DInSAR uses radar images to measure centimeter-level surface displacements. In the images, ground resolution can be relatively high, with each data point (pixel) representing the average displacement over an area of several square meters. The image data are acquired regularly which allows subsidence to be monitored sequentially over short periods; imaging periods typically range from weeks to months. Monitoring subsidence over short periods with high spatial resolution has potential to provide insight into the dynamics of subsidence and into relationships between mine advance and subsidence. In this study, for three longwall mines in the western United States, initial subsidence occurring at the start of longwall advance is quantified over short periods (12–72 days). C-band interferometric wide swath Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from the Sentinel satellites are used to quantify the subsidence. Overall, the data show initial development of subsidence, expansion of the subsidence trough, and the advance of subsidence in the direction of mining.
Adding Probabilistic Certainty to Improve Performance of Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are successfully being used for different computer vision tasks, from labeling cancerous cells in medical images to identify traffic signals in self-driving cars. Supervised CNN classify raw input data according to the patterns learned from an input training set. This set is typically obtained by manually labeling the image which can lead to uncertainties in the data. The level of expertise of the professionals labeling the training set sometimes varies widely or some of the images used may not be clear and are difficult to label. This leads to data sets with pictures labeled differently by different experts or uncertainty in the experts opinions.
Discontinuous Galerkin sparse grids methods for time domain Maxwell's equations

Abstract In this paper, we present a time-explicit sparse grid discontinuous Galerkin method for solving the three-dimensional time-domain Maxwell equations. The conservation properties and convergence rates are established for different choices of numerical fluxes. The convergence rates are proved theoretically and then verified by several numerical examples. Even though our scheme does not preserve the divergence, but by implying the higher order polynomial, one can observe the same convergence rate as numerical solution. Several numerical tests are presented to validate these conclusions.
Assessing how face masks affect speech intelligibility

To limit transmission of Covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control recommends covering the mouth and nose with a mask while interacting in public. Although face masks protect public health by containing respiratory aerosols and droplets, they can hinder speech perception by filtering the acoustic signal. Here, we assess how masks affect speech intelligibility in audio-only conditions. Four young adult native speakers of American English, naA¯ve to the purpose of the experiment, produced short low-probability sentences in four conditions: dual-layer cloth, disposable surgical, N95, and no mask. Multitalker babble was applied to the stimuli. Listeners recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk rated the intelligibility of the sentences, with speaker and mask condition counterbalanced. Along with obtaining overall intelligibility ratings as a percentage of words recognized, we will also compute intelligibility for consonants that are known to be differentiated by high-frequency spectral cues, and assess the long-term average spectra for the different mask types. We hope that the information from this study will help us understand the impact of masks on speech perception. Going forward, we will carry out parallel experiments with older individuals and those with hearing loss.
Digital technology use during COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review

Abstract The relationship between humans and digital technologies has been documented extensively in the past decades, but has yet to be reviewed through the lens of the current global pandemic crisis This review synthesizes the rapidly growing literature on digital technology use during the current COVID-19 pandemic It addresses the following four topics: (1) the specific digital technologies that have been used, (2) the specific populations who have used these digital technologies, (3) the specific activities that individuals and groups have used these digital technologies, and (4) the specific effects of using these digital technologies on humans during the pandemic The 281 empirical articles we have identified suggest that (1) 28 various forms of technologies have been used, ranging from computers to artificial intelligence, (2) 8 different populations of users are using these technologies, primarily medical professionals, (3) 32 generalized types of activities are involved, including providing health services remotely, analyzing data, and communicating, and (4) 35 various effects have been observed, such as improved patient outcomes, continued education, and decreased outbreak impact Through this rapid review, we sketched an expansive, multilevel model of the current knowledge of how humans are using technology during the COVID-19 pandemic Major findings and future directions are discussed
Engaging haitian community leaders in emergency preparedness

Abstract Background The Grand’Anse area of Haiti was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. The Health Education Action League for Haiti (HEAL-Haiti) provided an educational program in Dame Marie (Grand’Anse) on disaster management and emergency preparedness in June 2017. Purpose To educate community leaders on how to train their community members to respond to disasters. Intervention Workshops covering emergency preparedness, water-borne diseases, and post-traumatic stress were presented. Evaluation Results from post-intervention focus groups were collected by community partners. After ten months, HEAL-Haiti evaluated the program. For the past three years, the program has been successful and ongoing on a yearly basis for new and returning participants.
Coagulations Studies Do Not Correlate With Each Other or With Hematologic Complications During Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

OBJECTIVES Anticoagulation plays a key role in the management of children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. However, the ideal strategy for monitoring anticoagulation remains unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of laboratory measures of anticoagulation in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Quaternary care academic children's hospital. PATIENTS Children in a noncardiac PICU cannulated to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in 2010-2016. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Demographic data, laboratory values, and heparin doses were extracted from the enterprise data warehouse. Primary diagnoses, indications for cannulation, hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications, and survival outcomes were abstracted from the local registry used for Extracorporeal Life Support Organization reporting. Statistical models accounting for repeated measures using generalized estimating equations were constructed to evaluate correlations between heparin doses and laboratory values; among laboratory values; and between heparin dose or laboratory values and clinical outcomes. One hundred thirty-three unique patients-78 neonates and 55 older patients-were included in the study. There was no significant association between antifactor Xa level, activated partial thromboplastin time, activated clotting time, or heparin dose with hemorrhage or thrombosis (odds ratio ≅ 1 for all associations). There was weak-to-moderate correlation between antifactor Xa, activated partial thromboplastin time, and activated clotting time in both neonates and older pediatric patients (R2 < 0.001 to 0.456). Heparin dose correlated poorly with laboratory measurements in both age groups (R2 = 0.010-0.063). CONCLUSIONS In children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, heparin dose correlates poorly with common laboratory measures of anticoagulation, and these laboratory measures correlate poorly with each other. Neither heparin dose nor laboratory measures correlate with hemorrhage or thrombosis. Further work is needed to identify better measures of anticoagulation in order to minimize morbidity and mortality associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Game theory-based attack and defense analysis in virtual wireless networks with jammers and eavesdroppers

Abstract Dynamic spectrum sharing and cognitive radio networks were proposed to enhance the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum utilization. However, there are several challenges to realize them in real systems, such as sensing uncertainty causing issues to licensed users, business models for licensed service providers. Wireless virtualization is regarded as a technology that leverages service level agreements to sublease unused or underutilized RF spectrum that addresses aforementioned issues and helps to significantly enhance the utilization of the RF spectrum, offer improved coverage and capacity of networks, enhance network security and reduce energy consumption. With wireless virtualization, wireless networks' physical substrate is shared and reconfigured dynamically between virtual wireless networks through Mobile Virtual Network Operations (MVNOs). Wireless virtualization with dynamic configurable features of Wireless Infrastructure Providers (WIPs), virtualized wireless networks are vulnerable to a multitude of attacks, including jamming attacks and eavesdropping attacks. This paper investigates a means of defense through the employment of coalition game theory when jammers try to degrade the signal quality of legitimate users, and eavesdroppers aim to reduce secrecy rates. Specifically, we consider a virtual wireless network where MVNO users' job is to improve their Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) while the jammers target to collectively enhance their Jammer Received Signal Strength (JRSS), and an eavesdropper's goal is to reduce the overall secrecy rate. Numerical results have demonstrated that the proposed game strategies are effective (in terms of data rate, secrecy rate and latency) against such attackers compared to the traditional approaches.
Developing and Implementing a Geriatric Emergency Department (GED): Overview and Characteristics of GED Visits

Abstract Background The traditional model of emergency care may not be sufficient to address the complex care needs of older adults, who present to the emergency department with multiple comorbidities, geriatric syndromes, and social determinants of health, complicating diagnosis and management. Geriatric emergency departments (GEDs) have emerged throughout the last decade to address these concerns and improve the emergency care of older adults. Objective Our aim was to describe the policies, procedures, and workflow of our GEDs, and to provide data on patient outcomes and discuss challenges and recommendations in the development and implementation of a GED. Discussion Our GED includes interdisciplinary staff trained in geriatric emergency medicine, evidence-based protocols for geriatric care, physical modifications to accommodate older adults’ functional limitations, administration of geriatric assessments, care coordination with case managers and social workers, and referrals to care. Assessments screen for geriatric syndromes and social determinants of health. Quality improvement is a critical component and includes a robust medication safety plan to reduce use of potentially inappropriate medications. Hospital administrators considering developing a GED should create a care planning team, conduct an institutional needs assessment, and identify the GED model that will most efficiently help them achieve an age-friendly health system. Conclusions The GED will play an important role in addressing the diverse health care needs of older adults in the coming decades. Future research studies of health outcomes among older adults receiving care at GEDs compared with traditional EDs will be critical in informing future improvements and innovations in geriatric emergency care.
Preparing Your CV and Cover Letter

A curriculum vitae (CV) serves an important role for any job seeker, whether a medical student applying for a residency position, an academic physician moving up the promotion and tenure ladder, or a physician transitioning to a field outside of clinical medicine. A properly crafted CV enables the radiation oncologist to tell a compelling story about his or her career path and goals. This chapter provides details of crafting a compelling CV for academic medicine, lab-based research, private practice, and industry-based jobs. Additionally highlighted are other essential documents—the cover letter, resume, and biosketch—which allow the radiation oncologist to emphasize one’s strengths, and convey to the reader that the candidate has the abilities to succeed at the requirements of the job to which one is applying.
Re-thinking everyday metaphors through Indigenous Ghanaian languages: Shifting the center to the margins

The purpose of this Special Issue is to expand our understanding of conceptual metaphors in six of Ghana’s Indigenous languages: Asante-Twi, Gonja, Likpakpaln, Mfantse, Nzema, and Safaliba. The authors bring new knowledge to the international community from these understudied languages, which may become inaccessible in the not too distant future, particularly those from oral sources, given Ghana’s political embrace of neoliberal global flows of people, goods, and information which expands the reaches of language shift. Nevertheless, the specific metaphor data from the languages in this Special Issue represent the first preliminary examples of documentation and hence are of foundational significance, as the data generate new understandings.
Fundamentals of Inorganic Glasses

Introduction. Fundamentals of the Glassy State. Glass Formation Principles. Glass Microstructure: Phase Separation and Liquid Immiscibility. Glass Compositions and Structures. Composition-Structure-Property Relationship Principles. Density and Molar Volume. Elastic Properties and Microhardness of Glass. The Viscosity of Glass. Thermal Expansion of Glass. Heat Capacity of Glass. Thermal Conductivity and Heat Transfer in Glass. Glass Transition Range Behavior. Permeation, Diffusion and Ionic Conduction in Glass. Dielectric Properties. Electronic Conduction. Chemical Durability. Strength and Toughness. Optical Properties. Fundamentals of Inorganic Glassmaking. Appendix I: Elements of Linear Elasticity. Appendix II: Units and General Data Conversions. Subject Index.
Chapter 14 Separation of Facts and Values

Publisher Summary Separation of facts and values symbolizes a significant contribution of social judgment theory (SJT) in resolving social policy disputes. The range of methods for quantifying judgments and the analytical procedures for recombining them have expanded considerably. This chapter illustrates a historical perspective on the expansion by focusing on five applications of SJT to policy disputes. The first two applications employ multiple regression analysis to externalize both the value judgments of policy makers and the factually-based judgments of experts, and an additive, linear equation for analytically recombining them. The second two applications use the same analytical equation, but environmental simulation models to create symmetrical linkage systems with policy maker's cognitive models. The last application uses a benefit-cost equation instead of an additive linear equation to recombine analytically the factual and value judgments made separately by experts and policy makers. Together the five applications illustrate the range of methods that have been used successfully for first separating judgments of fact and value, and then recombining them analytically.
Rocket science 101: what supported employment specialists need to know about systematic instruction

As the number of people with severe disabilities receiving supported employment services increases, so do the 'calls' for improving services through the use of natural supports, co-worker supports, expanding employer capacity, consumer-driven services, self-instruction and self-management. While each of these strategies impacts service delivery, they also have direct implications for preparing individuals to be supported employment specialists. This article describes the skills and competencies needed by supported employment specialists in the area of job training and support which can be divided into two major roles: (1) training, which includes teaching job skills using systematic instruction; and (2) consultant, which includes teaching others how to provide workplace supports for both job-related and social interaction skills. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.