cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance/Stability Robustness Tradeoffs Induced by the Two-Port Virtual Coupler

In this paper, we apply the theory of fundamental design limitations to haptic interface systems that employ only motion sensors. A multivariable feedback controller connects a haptic device with a virtual environment, where the design objective is accurate rendering of the force/motion response of the environment to the operator. We consider the control design without force sensing and extend previous work by determining fundamental limits on the achievable performance. We also apply a tradeoff between performance and stability robustness, inherent to certain multivariable systems, to show that the best achievable performance induces compromised stability robustness. A controller that attains the limiting performance is compared against a standard spring-damper virtual coupler with a simulation study.
Adaptive control using a Kalman fibre based estimation algorithm

The adaptive control of linear time-varying systems is addressed. A Kalman-filter-based estimation algorithm, which can be seen as a generalization of the least-squares algorithm, is considered. It is shown that a certainty equivalence controller leads to bounded disturbance/bounded state stability in the deterministic framework. A modified algorithm can be used to obtain identical results when unmodeled dynamics exist. Analogous results are obtained in the stochastic case. In the time-invariant case, the controlled system is guaranteed stable if the system is minimum phase. >
Cheating death in the liver.

The FDA-approved drug suramin is best known for combating trypanosome infection. Now it takes on the liver, where it prevents apoptosis and fends off damage in mouse models of hepatitis (pages 602−609).
Optimal Power Allocation for Parameter Tracking in a Distributed Amplify-and-Forward Sensor Network

We consider the problem of optimal power allocation in a sensor network where the sensors observe a dynamic parameter in noise and coherently amplify and forward their observations to a fusion center (FC). The FC uses the observations in a Kalman filter to track the parameter, and we show how to find the optimal gain and phase of the sensor transmissions under both global and individual power constraints in order to minimize the mean squared error (MSE) of the parameter estimate. For the case of a global power constraint, a closed-form solution can be obtained. A numerical optimization is required for individual power constraints, but the problem can be relaxed to a semidefinite programming problem (SDP), and we show that the optimal result can be constructed from the SDP solution. We also study the dual problem of minimizing global and individual power consumption under a constraint on the MSE. As before, a closed-form solution can be found when minimizing total power, while the optimal solution is constructed from the output of an SDP when minimizing the maximum individual sensor power. For purposes of comparison, we derive an exact expression for the outage probability on the MSE for equal-power transmission, which can serve as an upper bound for the case of optimal power control. Finally, we present the results of several simulations to show that the use of optimal power control provides a significant reduction in either MSE or transmit power compared with a non-optimized approach (i.e., equal power transmission).
Unconscious Mental Life

Unconscious mental life consists of mental states – percepts, memories, and the like which influence conscious experience, thought, and action outside of phenomenal awareness and voluntary control. Automatic processes, for example, appear to operate unconsciously in this sense. In addition, dissociations between explicit and implicit memory, as in various forms of amnesia, indicate that subjects can be influenced by memories that they cannot consciously remember. The explicit–implicit distinction has been extended to various other psychological domains, including perception (‘subliminal’ perception, inattentional blindness, and attentional blindness), learning, and thinking. In principle, it can also be extended beyond cognition to motivation and emotion. In each case, subjects show the influence of mental states of which they are not consciously aware.
Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors

Pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) are uncommon, accounting for 2% of all pancreatic neoplasms. Previously, it had been noted that somewhere between 60% to 85% of PETs were functioning tumors and were associated with a variety of clinical syndromes (Table 8-1). In today’s world, this no longer is true, and PETs often present without clinical syndromes, often identified incidentally by radiologic imaging. Because patients with nonfunctioning PETs are either asymptomatic or present with nonspecific symtpoms, fine needle aspiration (FNA) is often employed as a diagnostic test. It can also be used to establish a diagnosis of metastatic disease.
Professionalizing Teaching: Being Selective from the Start

(1995). Professionalizing Teaching: Being Selective from the Start. Kappa Delta Pi Record: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 68-71.
Comparison of open and endovascular treatment of patients with critical limb ischemia in the Vascular Quality Initiative

Objective There is significant controversy in the management of critical limb ischemia (CLI) arising from infrainguinal peripheral arterial disease. We sought to compare practice patterns and perioperative and long-term outcomes for patients undergoing lower extremity bypass (LEB) and percutaneous vascular interventions (PVIs) for CLI in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Methods The prospectively collected VQI (2010-2013) LEB and PVI databases were retrospectively queried. Demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. We evaluated all patients (cohort 1), those without comorbidities known to increase surgical risk (cohort 2) to control for patient factors, and patients with treatment anatomically limited to the superficial femoral artery (cohort 3) to control for anatomic factors. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify predictors of outcomes. Results There were 7897 patients with CLI and infrainguinal peripheral arterial disease, 4838 treated with PVI and 3059 with LEB. PVI patients had more comorbidities across all cohorts, whereas those undergoing LEB were more likely to have had a previous revascularization procedure. Follow-up at 1 year was 45.8% for PVI and 53.5% for LEB. After adjustment for comorbidities, cohort 1 patients treated with PVI vs LEB had lower odds of in-hospital or 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.81; P = .001). This difference was not seen for the lower risk (cohort 2) patients (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.39-1.14; P = .134) or the superficial femoral artery-only (cohort 3) patients (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.53-2.96; P = .604). The 3-year mortality was higher with PVI in cohort 1 (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42; P = .003) and cohort 2 (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.32-2.02; P P = .368). Amputation or death at 1 year was similar for PVI vs LEB in cohort 1 (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.82-1.16; P = .816), cohort 2 (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.7-1.15; P = .37), and cohort 3 (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.86-3.2; P = .13). Major adverse limb event or death was lower for PVI at 1 year in cohort 1 (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72-0.91; P P = .02) but not in cohort 3 (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.85-1.84; P = .259). Length of stay for PVI was lower in all cohorts. Conclusions In the VQI, PVI was more frequently offered to patients who were older and had more comorbidities, and LEB patients were more likely to have a history of previous interventions. Patients treated with PVI had lower perioperative mortality overall, although this benefit was not seen when treating patients with fewer comorbidities or less advanced disease. However, PVI patients had higher adjusted 3-year mortality in the overall sample and in lower-risk patients. Limitations to this study, especially the follow-up, hamper meaningful interpretation of reinterventions and further reinforce the need for large, randomized, clinical studies with better long-term follow-up.
Improving Supplier Compliance Through Joint and Shared Audits

Improving Supplier Compliance Through Joint and Shared Audits Felipe Caro Prashant Chintapalli Kumar Rajaram Christopher S. Tang UCLA Anderson School of Management ∗ October 22, 2015 Abstract When suppliers (i.e., contract manufacturers) fail to comply with environmental or safety regulations, several non-governmental agencies and consumer activists put pressure on the buy- ers (customers) to take necessary actions to improve supplier compliance. Due to concerns over negative image and public boycotts, many buyers are conducting costly audits to improve sup- plier compliance. By considering a common practice that calls for independent audits (i.e., each buyer performs its own audit) as a benchmark, we examine the implications of two new audit mechanisms in this paper. The first mechanism is called the joint audit mechanism un- der which buyers conduct joint audits by sharing the joint audit cost and impose a collective penalty if the supplier fails their joint audit. The second mechanism is referred to as the shared audit mechanism under which each buyer conducts its own audit independently but shares its audit report with the other buyer. By sharing the audit reports, the buyers impose a collective penalty on the supplier if the supplier fails any one of the audits. Using a game-theoretic model with 2 buyers and 1 supplier, our analysis reveals that the joint audit mechanism is beneficial in two important ways. It can make the supplier increase its compliance level in equilibrium. Also, when the audit cost is below a certain threshold, the joint audit mechanism can increase the supply chain profit so that it is Pareto-improving. Moreover, we find that the shared audit mechanism is beneficial in a similar manner when the audit cost lies within a certain range. Ultimately, our analysis reveals that joint audits can be Pareto-improving when the buyer’s audit cost is low, shared audits can be Pareto-improving when the buyer’s cost is medium, and independent audits turn out to a practical mechanism when the buyer’s audit cost is high. Keywords: Supply Chain Risk, Supplier Compliance, Audits, Collective Penalty Introduction Rising labor costs in the West have encouraged more firms to gradually source their products from other low-cost countries in the East. As more contract manufacturers compete for orders at lower price in these countries many factory owners cut corners to reduce their upfront investments and operating costs. In some cases, factory owners may even sacrifice product or process safety by not complying with product regulations or environmental and work safety codes. In terms of product safety violations, Tang and Babich (2014) report that some Chinese manufacturers Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Professors Gregory Leblanc and Terry Taylor of University of California, Berkeley for discussing the joint audit mechanism and the notion of collective penalty with one of the authors.
Aptamer–Drug Conjugates

Western medicine often aims to specifically treat diseased tissues or organs. However, the majority of current therapeutics failed to do so owing to their limited selectivity and the consequent "off-target" side effects. Targeted therapy aims to enhance the selectivity of therapeutic effects and reduce adverse side effects. One approach toward this goal is to utilize disease-specific ligands to guide the delivery of less-specific therapeutics, such that the therapeutic effects can be guided specifically to diseased tissues or organs. Among these ligands, aptamers, also known as chemical antibodies, have emerged over the past decades as a novel class of targeting ligands that are capable of specific binding to disease biomarkers. Compared with other types of targeting ligands, aptamers have an array of unique advantageous features, which make them promising for developing aptamer-drug conjugates (ApDCs) for targeted therapy. In this Review, we will discuss ApDCs for targeted drug delivery in chemotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and photothermal therapy, primarily of cancer.
ON CLASSIFYING SCHIZOPHRENICS: A MODEST PROPOSAL

sions which have been shown to possess meaningful behavioral correlates. At present three such dimensions have been extensively surveyed: paranoid-nonparanoid, a classification which can be made reliably on the basis of psychiatric interview; good-poor premorbid personality, expressed in terms of the Phillips Scale (1953) or the Kantor, Wallner, and Winder alternatives (1953); and chronicity, stated as the length of time since the initial diagnosis of schizophrenia. The Future will undoubtedly introduce other objectively defined parameters which are orrhogonal to the others. Second, establish what functions are important in therapy and rehabilitation of schizophrenics. Using multiple-correlation methods relate the classificatory dimensions to the functions being studied. The end result will be a series of regression equations relating multiply-classified subgroups to functions known to be essential to treatment. Ultimately similarly classified patients will be assigned to an appropriate type of therapy, and the researcher who is concerned with etiological factors can work with genuinely homogeneous groupings. The number of papers referring to schizophrenia as "an enigma" should decrease markedly. Third, discontinue the use of the current subcategories of schizophrenics. The difficulties of chis program are obvious. However, in view of the fact that in this area the failure to replicate findings is so often the result of population variables, a new classification system is needed.
Asymmetric Doherty Power Amplifier Designed Using Model-Based Nonlinear Embedding

A novel procedure is introduced for designing Doherty amplifiers using the model-based nonlinear-embedding technique. First, the Doherty intrinsic load-matching network is designed at the transistor current-source reference plane with the main and auxiliary devices interconnected. Identical devices with different biasing are used for realizing an asymmetric Doherty implementation with 9-dB back-off. The required multiharmonic impedances at the package planes are then obtained using the embedding device model for both devices, and the complex load impedance at the fundamental is projected back to resistive loads using an offset line. An even-number multisection impedance transformer and a reduced drain voltage of the main amplifier are used to design the asymmetric Doherty load network while providing the necessary loads to the main and auxiliary devices. The optimization of the drain efficiency and gain curves of the asymmetric Doherty operation for the proposed design is further investigated by adjusting the auxiliary gate-bias. An efficiency above 50% over an 11-dB power range is experimentally observed with 41.8-dBm peak output power using continuous wave (CW) at 2 GHz. Using a dual-input implementation of the designed Doherty power amplifier (PA), a systematic dual-input CW characterization of the Doherty operation is performed to establish the relative auxiliary-to-main phase offsets and power offsets yielding a maximum efficiency under constant gain. From this dual-input characterization, it is found that the optimal gate bias for single-input Doherty operation is the one for which the constant-gain maximum efficiency is achieved for a quasi-constant auxiliary-to-main input power ratio corresponding to the one implemented in the input divider in the single-input Doherty PA.
Establishment of Performance Evaluation System for Power System Fault Recorders

Power system fault recorder is a kind of key device to ensure secure operation of power system,so the performance inspection and evaluation of fault recorder are very important to rational product type selection and its quality improvement. According to the standard DL/T 663-1999 and on the basis of examination of fault recorders throughout the years,an overall and quantized performance evaluation mechanism for power system fault recorders is proposed. The whole evaluation mechanism is divided into three parts,i.e.,the determination of evaluation model,the evaluation and test of device and evaluation results analysis,in which the determination of evaluation model is re-divided into five procedures,namely the selection of evaluation index,preliminary determination of weights,tentative calculation,model optimization and final decision. The proposed evaluation system can implement observable performance evaluation of fault recorders overall,thus it offers technical base for the designing department and operation department to ensure secure operation of power system protection. Practical applications validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed performance evaluation system.
The clinical and pathological analysis for 29 cases with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Objective:To study the correlation of clinical prognosis with pathological and clinical features in patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Method:Twenty-nine patients diagnosed with systemic ALCL were analyzed by the clinical and pathological features, complete remission (CR), long-term survival rate, and prognostic factors. Result:All patients were CD30 positive. Positive rate of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) was 58.62%. The CR of 28 patients was 50.0%, and overall survival (OS) rate at 2-year and 5-year were 51.3% and 27.1%, respectively.The CR of ALK positive patients was 68.8%, and 2-year and 5-year OS rate were 60.2% and 42.5% respectively, which were remarkable higher than ALK negative patients (P0.05). The CR of patients with international prognostic index (IPI) in 0~2 was 57.1%, and 2-year and five-year OS rate were 80.2% and 65.1% respectively, which were remarkable higher than patients with IPI in 3~5 (P0.05). In addition, multivariate analysis confirmed the progaostic value of ALK protein expression and IPI (P0.05). Conclusion:The expression ALK protein and IPI can be served as independent prognostic predictors or clinical outcome and can be guiding of individualized treatment in patient with systemic ALCL.
Modification of T Cell Functions at Sites of Infection and Inflammation

Robust pathogen clearance by T cells requires three critical and interdependent steps: the generation of functionally specialized effector T cells in the lymph node (LN); the localization of those effector T cells to, and within, the infected tissue; and the local delivery of signals for T cell activation of effector function. Activation of T cells in the LN leads to the expansion of pathogen-specific T cells and their differentiation into functionally specialized effector cells with the potential for antimicrobial activity. Whether these effector T cells successfully execute their effector function in the infected tissue is contingent on the local balance of signals that support or attenuate function at the infection site. These signals are context-dependent and influenced by the target tissue itself, the type of pathogen, and the type of inflammatory milieu. Signals that enhance effector function facilitate more efficient sensing and elimination of the pathogen, while signals that attenuate function may compromise on the efficiency of pathogen clearance but prevent immune-mediated tissue damage. The outcome of infection is dependent on finely balancing these opposing immune modulators. In this article we outline the mechanisms whereby microenvironmental signals tune effector function at the infection site.
RESONANT ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN SEMICONDUCTOR BARRIER STRUCTURES

We report the transport properties in semiconductor structures consisting of narrow potential wells (GaAs)and barriers (GaA1As). The structures, fabricated by molecular-beamepitaxy, have been evaluated by X-ray scattering experiments. In double-barriers having a single well, resonant tunneling via weakly-quantized energy states gives rise to current peaks. In superlattices having a periodic potential profile, tunneling from the ground state to the first excited state across a narrow high-field domain is believed to be responsible for the observed conductance oscillation.
Complete Genome Sequence of Highly Virulent Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Variants That Recently Emerged in the United States

A recent outbreak of particularly virulent disease caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus has occurred in swine herds across the United States. We report here the complete genome sequence of eight viral isolates from four Nebraska herds experiencing an outbreak of severe disease in 2016.
Nutrición durante el embarazo y la lactancia.

The mammalian embryo is completely dependent on the mother for nourishment. It is absolutely necessary to maintain, at this stage of life, the right balance between circulating nutrients from the mother's blood. This biochemical normality depends on the diet of the mother, her nutritional reserves and their metabolic idiosyncrasies. Overall, the impact of abnormal nutrition depend on the level at which the nutritional factor acts, the specific nature and intensity of nutrient imbalance. The types of impacts are different: death, tissue abnormalities, growth retardation, abnormal cell differentiation and malformations. Therefore, improving the prognosis of pregnancy will depend in part on increased knowledge about nutritional requirements and to educate the community about the unwanted effects of nutrient deficiencies and excesses.
Emotionality in Athletics

(1923). Emotionality in Athletics. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 271-275.
Exploring the Analytics Frontiers Through Research and Pedagogy

The 2015 Business Analytics Congress (BAC) brought together academic professionals and industry representatives who share a common passion for research and education innovation in the field of analytics. This event was organized by the Association for Information System’s (AIS) Special Interest Group on Decision Support and Analytics (SIGDSA) and Teradata University Network (TUN) and held in conjunction with the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2015) in Ft. Worth, Texas from December 12 to 16, 2015. The theme of BAC 2015 was Exploring the Analytics Frontier and was kept in alignment with the ICIS 2015 theme of Exploring the Information Frontier. In the spirit of open innovation, the goal of BAC 2015 was for the attendees to contribute their scientific and pedagogical contributions to the field of business analytics while brainstorming with the key industry and academic leaders for understanding latest innovation in business analytics as well as bridge industry-academic gap. This volume in the Annals of Information Systems reports the work originally reviewed for BAC 2015 and subsequently revised as chapters for this book.
Rachilde's Deliquescent Walls: Speaking Silences

This article examines distressing images of dead infants in several novels by Rachilde (Marguerite Eymery Vallette, 1860–1953), principally La Princesse des tenebres of 1896 in order to emphasize t...
Rapid One-Pot Microwave Synthesis of Mixed-Linker Hybrid Zeolitic-Imidazolate Framework Membranes for Tunable Gas Separations.

The relatively slow and complex fabrication processes of polycrystalline metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes often times restrict their way to commercialization, despite their potential for molecular separation applications. Herein, we report a rapid one-pot microwave synthesis of mixed-linker hybrid zeolitic-imidazolate framework (ZIF) membranes consisting of 2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8 linker) and benzimidazolate (ZIF-7 linker) linkers, termed ZIF-7-8 membranes. The fast-volumetric microwave heating in conjunction with a unique counter diffusion of metal and linker solutions enabled unprecedented rapid synthesis of well-intergrown ZIF-7-8 membranes in ∼90 s, the fastest MOF membrane preparation up to date. Furthermore, we were able to tune the molecular sieving properties of the ZIF-7-8 membranes by varying the benzimidazole-to-2-methylimidazole (bIm-to-mIm) linker ratio in the hybrid frameworks. The tuning of their molecular sieving properties led to the systematic change in the permeance and select...
Deep variational auto-encoders for unsupervised glomerular classification

The adoption of deep learning techniques in medical applications has thus far been limited by the availability of the large labeled datasets required to robustly train neural networks, as well as difficulty interpreting these networks. However, recent techniques for unsupervised training of neural networks promise to address these issues, leveraging only structure to model input data. We propose the use of a variational autoencoder (VAE) which utilizes data from an animal model to augment the training set and non-linear dimensionality reduction to map this data to human sets. This architecture utilizes variational inference, performed on latent parameters, to statistically model the probability distribution of training data in a latent feature space. We show the feasibility of VAEs, using images of mouse and human renal glomeruli from various pathological stages of diabetic nephropathy (DN), to model the progression of structural changes which occur in DN. When plotted in a 2-dimentional latent space, human and mouse glomeruli, show separation with some overlap, suggesting that the data is continuous, and can be statistically correlated. When DN stage is plotted in this latent space, trends in disease pathology are visualized.
Talking about global migration: implications for language teaching

Humanity has thrived for generations because of migration. However, due to cultural differences and lack of knowledge, receiving countries frequently formulate stereotypes about their new inhabitan...
Men's Perspectives on Selecting Their Prostate Cancer Treatment

Objective In the context of scientific uncertainty, treatment choices for localized prostate cancer vary, but reasons for this variation are unclear. We explored how black and white American men made their treatment decision. Methods Guided by conceptual model, we conducted semi-structured interviews of 21 American (14 black and 7 white) men with recently diagnosed localized prostate cancer. Results Physician recommendation was very important in the treatment decision, but patient self-perception/values and attitudes/beliefs about prostate cancer were also influential. Patients who chose surgery believed it offered the best chance of cure and were more concerned that the cancer might spread if not surgically removed. Patients who chose radiation therapy believed it offered equal efficacy of cure but fewer side effects than surgery. Fear of future consequences was the most common reason to reject watchful waiting. Anecdotal experiences of family and friends were also important, especially in deciding "what not to do." The new technology of robotic-assisted prostatectomy provided optimism for men who wanted surgery but feared morbidity associated with traditional open surgery. Few men seemed aware that treatment did not guarantee improved survival. Conclusion Most men reported making "the best choice for me" by taking into account medical information and personal factors. Perceptions of treatment efficacy and side effects, which derived mainly from physicians' descriptions and/or anecdotal experiences of family and friends, were the most influential factors in men's treatment decision. By understanding factors that influence patients' treatment decisions, clinicians may be more sensitive to individual patients' preferences/concerns and provide more patient-centered care.
Role of subgenomic minus-strand RNA in coronavirus replication

Coronavirus subgenomic minus-strand RNAs (negative-strand copies of the 3′ coterminal subgenomic mRNAs) probably function in mRNA amplification by serving as templates for transcription from internal (intergenic) promoters, rather than by faithful (full-length) mRNA replication.
Imaging Serpiginous Choroidopathy With Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

The use of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in the study of chronic serpiginous choroiditis was evaluated. Two patients with chronic serpiginous choroiditis were imaged using two prototype SD-OCT systems (6-µm axial resolution). Raster scans covering 6 × 6 × 2-mm regions of the retina were obtained, enabling the study of different retinal cross-sectional images. Thickness maps were obtained after segmentation of retinal layers, which could be compared with those on follow-up. SD-OCT allowed the visualization of the cross-sectional retinal architecture at different horizontal positions. Superimposition of SD-OCT generated reconstructed fundus images with fundus photographs provided accurate images registration. Segmentation of retinal layers provided thickness maps and higher-density improved visualization of photoreceptor layer, cysts, and atrophy, which was useful in following change in disease activity over time. The researchers concluded that SD-OCT is a useful tool to study disease morphology and follow-up of chronic serpiginous choroiditis. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2008;39:S95-S98.]
Biomass and elemental uptake in fertilized and unfertilizedBetula papyrifera Marsh. andPopulus grandidentata Michx.

Estimates were made of the above-ground biomass and contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na, Fe, Zn, Al, and Cu in fertilized (N 448 kg/ha, P 112 kg/ha, lime 4480 kg/ha) and unfertilized white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) and bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.). For individuals of both species, fertilization increased the average above-ground biomass increment and the N and P content increment by 150 per cent and 300 per cent, respectively, but decreased uptake of Mn and Zn. The allocation of biomass and elements differs not only between species, but within species under untreated and fertilized conditions.
Capacidades formais e compreensões relacionais: ganância na literatura, na arte e na sociologia

Ao refletir sobre os usos da literatura por sociologos, reconhecemos que tanto a literatura como a arte e a sociologia retratam relacoes. Os produtores (autores, artistas, sociologos) dedicam-se a transformar relacoes em objetos culturais (romances, pinturas, monografias); os receptores (leitores, espectadores), entao, extraem ou inferem relacoes a partir desses objetos. Produtores, objetos e receptores constroem-se e reconstroem-se mutuamente ao longo do tempo. No entanto, a literatura, a arte e a sociologia apresentam diferentes propriedades formais, e essas diferentes capacidades moldam o modo como os receptores inferem relacoes a partir delas. Este artigo toma o exemplo da ganância para analisar as objetivacoes sociologica, artistica e literaria, e para esclarecer como as propriedades formais especificas de cada um dos tres generos influenciam suas capacidades especificas para engendrar uma compreensao relacional. Essa analise mostra por que os sociologos nao deveriam considerar qualquer um desses generos como subcategoria de outro.
Environmental styrene exposure and neurologic symptoms in U.S. Gulf coast residents.

Abstract Background Styrene is an established neurotoxicant at occupational levels, but effects at levels relevant to the general population have not been studied. We examined the neurologic effects of environmental styrene exposure among U.S. Gulf coast residents. Methods We used National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) 2011 estimates of ambient styrene concentrations to assign exposure levels for 21,962 non-diabetic Gulf state residents, and additionally measured blood styrene concentration in a subset of participants (n = 874). Neurologic symptoms, as well as detailed covariate information, were ascertained via telephone interview. We used log-binomial regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for cross-sectional associations between both ambient and blood styrene levels and self-reported neurologic symptoms. We estimated associations independently for ten unique symptoms, as well as for the presence of any neurologic, central nervous system (CNS), or peripheral nervous system (PNS) symptoms. We also examined heterogeneity of associations with estimated ambient styrene levels by race and sex. Results One-third of participants reported at least one neurologic symptom. The highest quartile of estimated ambient styrene was associated with one or more neurologic (PR, 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07,1.18), CNS (PR, 1.17; 95% CI: 1.11,1.25), and PNS (PR, 1.16; 95% CI: 1.09,1.25) symptom. Results were less consistent for biomarker analyses, but blood styrene level was suggestively associated with nausea (PR, 1.78; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.03). In stratified analyses, we observed the strongest effects among non-White participants. Conclusions Increasing estimated ambient styrene concentration was consistently associated with increased prevalence of neurologic symptoms. Associations between blood styrene levels and some neurologic symptoms were suggestive. Environmental styrene exposure levels may be sufficient to elicit symptomatic neurotoxic effects.
Generalized inferences of R = \Pr (X>Y) for Pareto distribution

The problem of hypothesis testing and interval estimation based on the generalized variable method of the reliability parameter or the probability \( R=\Pr (X>Y)\) of an item of strength \(X\) subject to a stress \(Y\) when \(X\) and \(Y\) are independent two-parameter Pareto distributed random variables is given. We discuss the use of p value as a basis for hypothesis testing. There are no exact or approximate testing procedures and confidence intervals for reliability parameter for two-parameter Pareto stress–strength model available in the literature. A simulation study is given to illustrate the proposed generalized variable method. The generalized size, generalized adjusted and unadjusted powers of the test, generalized coverage probabilities are also discussed by comparing with their classical counterparts.
Biomimetic coatings and negative pressure wound therapy independently limit epithelial downgrowth around percutaneous devices

Biomimetic material coatings and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) have been shown independently to limit the epithelial downgrowth rates in percutaneous devices. It was therefore hypothesized that these techniques, in combination, could further limit the clinically observed epithelial downgrowth around these devices. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of two biomimetic coatings, collagen and hydroxyapatite (HA), to prevent downgrowth when used with continuous NPWT. Using an established single-stage surgical protocol, collagen (n = 10) and HA (n = 10) coated devices were implanted subdermally on the back of hairless guinea pigs. Five animals from each group were subjected to continuous ~90 mmHg NPWT. Four weeks post-implantation, animals were sacrificed, and the devices and surrounding tissues were harvested, processed, and downgrowth was computed and compared to historical porous titanium coated controls. Data showed a significant reduction in downgrowth in NPWT treated animals (p ≤ 0.05) when compared to the untreated porous titanium controls. HA coated devices, without the NPWT treatment, also showed significantly decreased downgrowth compared to the untreated porous titanium controls.
A new method to quantify rheology of conditioned soil for application in EPB TBM tunneling

Abstract The muck in the excavation chamber and the screw conveyor of Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBM, which comprises soil and rock fragments, is often conditioned to adjust its properties for more efficient operation of the machine. The target properties of the conditioned soil include low permeability, high compressibility, proper yield stress and viscosity, and low abrasivity, which are controlled to allow for maintaining face pressure, and facilitate reduced torque and wear of machine components. Among the critical properties, soil rheology plays a major role in offering desired characteristics in the conditioned soil. Measurement and characterization of the rheology of conditioned soil allows for optimizing the conditioning parameters and modeling of the muck flow through the machine. This paper offers a brief review of available testing methods to characterize muck property, with focus on comparison of various soil rheology measurement systems. The main emphasis will be on muck behavior and its impact on operation of soft ground EPB machines. A new device for evaluation of soil rheology under specific settings of the conditioned soil in soft ground tunneling is introduced and the preliminary results of the proposed testing method are discussed. The initial process of optimizing the configuration of the device for higher accuracy and sensitivity to rheological properties of conditioned soil through computational models are explained. The results of numerical modeling using CFD simulation software to identify the preferred configuration of the new soil rheology measurement device will be discussed and the feasibility of using the proposed system for quantification of the soil rheology for tunneling applications is examined.
Prevalence of Bennett lesions based on sex, ancestry, and age in an osteologic collection of 5,662 scapulae.

BACKGROUND Bennett lesions represent an extra-articular ossification on the posteroinferior aspect of the glenoid fossa and a potential source of posterior shoulder pain and limitation. The prevalence of Bennett lesions in the general population is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 5,662 scapulae from 2,831 individual cadaveric specimens greater than 18 years of age at the time of death were examined. Matching scapulae were evaluated for Bennett lesions by two independent authors. Lesion prevalence was calculated and statistical analysis performed to evaluate differences in prevalence based on specimen sex (males vs. females), ancestry (African-American vs. Caucasian) and with increasing age at the time of death. RESULTS Bennett lesions were observed in 3.5% (n = 98 of 2,831) of specimens and 1.8% (n = 104 of 5,662) of scapulae. Interobserver reliability was 0.83, indicating excellent agreement among authors. Males possessed significant higher odds of possessing a Bennett lesion when compared to females (p = .009) and African-American specimens when compared to Caucasian specimens (p < .001). Each additional year of age was associated with a 1.4% increase in odds of a specimen having a Bennett lesion, while no significant increase in Bennett lesion prevalence was appreciated with increasing specimen age at the time of death when comparing male to female specimens (p = .07) or African-American to Caucasian specimens (p = .73). CONCLUSIONS Bennett lesions were identified in 3.5% of osseous specimens and 1.8% of scapulae, with significantly higher prevalence in male and African-American specimens.
Educating Childhood Cancer Survivors: a Qualitative Analysis of Parents Mobilizing Social and Cultural Capital.

Childhood cancer impacts the child patient as well as the family and caregivers throughout diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Secondary analysis of qualitative data revealed the critical role of parents’ adaptability and flexibility when navigating advocacy decisions about their child’s schooling following diagnosis and through survivorship. After cancer, adjusting to school means adjusting to a new normal creating challenges related to curriculum, peers, and educators that can affect quality of life. Critically, parents’ adjustment to a new advocacy role emerged as an important consideration. Concepts of social and cultural capital aid in understanding the experiences of parents whose children have returned to school following their successful treatment for pediatric cancer. Framed in this way, how parents mobilize (or do not mobilize) these forms of capital as they devise strategies to support their children are understood. This study interprets parent reports and actions as taken often in the hope that they will help both their own child and others that follow, creating mutual benefit for the network of people touched by cancer.
Clinical Presentation of Adult Chiari I

Adult patients with Chiari malformation, sometimes referred to as hindbrain descent, most frequently present with symptoms in their 20s and 30s. Symptoms include those that can be attributed to interference with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow equalization. Exertionally related headaches, characteristic for Chiari malformation, are due to this mechanism and are also the most common of all Chiari-related symptoms. Symptoms may also be related to brainstem compression and compression of cerebellar connections, reflected in balance problems, visual problems, and autonomic symptoms. Symptoms related to traction on lower cranial nerves may include swallowing and voice problems and may contribute to sleep apnea. Chiari malformation and related symptoms may present as a manifestation of other diseases, including hypophosphatemic rickets, Paget’s disease, Crouzon’s disease, and achondroplasia. Secondary Chiari malformation may be seen with pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) and occult cerebrospinal fluid leaks.
Gender Gaps in Time Use and Labor Market Outcomes: What’s Norms Got to Do with it?

Although economists typically use efficiency gains to explain gender differences in time use and earnings, norms might also explain those differences. No study has attempted to quantify their relative influence, however. We use the American Community Survey and the American Time Use Survey to estimate an upper bound of the influence of efficiency gains relative to norms—broadly defined—using four groups of demographically matched individuals with relatively homogeneous within-group need for production. Results suggest that norms about work and home may explain 40% of the gap in time allocation for work and household production and about 60% of the wage gap. Norms about parenting may explain an additional 16 to 20% of the time use gaps and 25% of the wage gap. These findings suggest that research and policy might benefit from a grounding in a broad framework that includes both norms and efficiency gains.
Topic modeling to characterize the natural history of ANCA-Associated vasculitis from clinical notes: A proof of concept study.

Abstract Objectives Clinical notes from electronic health records (EHR) are important to characterize the natural history, comorbidities, and complications of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) because these details may not be captured by claims and structured data. However, labor-intensive chart review is often required to extract information from notes. We hypothesized that machine learning can automatically discover clinically-relevant themes across longitudinal notes to study AAV. Methods This retrospective study included prevalent PR3- or MPO-ANCA+ AAV cases managed within the Mass General Brigham integrated health care system with providers’ notes available between March 1, 1990 and August 23, 2018. We generated clinically-relevant topics mentioned in notes using latent Dirichlet allocation-based topic modeling and conducted trend analyses of those topics over the 2 years prior to and 5 years after the initiation of AAV-specific treatment. Results The study cohort included 660 patients with AAV. We generated 90 topics using 113,048 available notes. Topics were related to the AAV diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and manifestations (e.g., glomerulonephritis), and complications (e.g., end-stage renal disease, infection). AAV-related symptoms and psychiatric symptoms were mentioned months before treatment initiation. Topics related to pulmonary and renal diseases, diabetes, and infections were common during the disease course but followed distinct temporal patterns. Conclusions Automated topic modeling can be used to discover clinically-relevant themes and temporal patterns related to the diagnosis, treatment, comorbidities, and complications of AAV from EHR notes. Future research might compare the temporal patterns in a non-AAV cohort and leverage clinical notes to identify possible AAV cases prospectively.
Unbiased Subdata Selection for Fair Classification: A Unified Framework and Scalable Algorithms.

As an important problem in modern data analytics, classification has witnessed varieties of applications from different domains. Different from conventional classification approaches, fair classification concerns the issues of unintentional biases against the sensitive features (e.g., gender, race). Due to high nonconvexity of fairness measures, existing methods are often unable to model exact fairness, which can cause inferior fair classification outcomes. This paper fills the gap by developing a novel unified framework to jointly optimize accuracy and fairness. The proposed framework is versatile and can incorporate different fairness measures studied in literature precisely as well as can be applicable to many classifiers including deep classification models. Specifically, in this paper, we first prove Fisher consistency of the proposed framework. We then show that many classification models within this framework can be recast as mixed-integer convex programs, which can be solved effectively by off-the-shelf solvers when the instance sizes are moderate and can be used as benchmarks to compare the efficiency of approximation algorithms. We prove that in the proposed framework, when the classification outcomes are known, the resulting problem, termed "unbiased subdata selection," is strongly polynomial-solvable and can be used to enhance the classification fairness by selecting more representative data points. This motivates us to develop an iterative refining strategy (IRS) to solve the large-scale instances, where we improve the classification accuracy and conduct the unbiased subdata selection in an alternating fashion. We study the convergence property of IRS and derive its approximation bound. More broadly, this framework can be leveraged to improve classification models with unbalanced data by taking F1 score into consideration.
Do Creditors Have a Say in Corporate Social Responsibility? Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Using difference-in-difference approach, we find that strengthening creditor rights, after the staggered enactment of anti-recharacterization laws that enhanced the ability of creditors to repossess collateral during bankruptcy, leads to higher CSR and improves CSR strengths and CSR areas that directly relate to firms’ primary stakeholders. Stronger creditor rights lead to more corporate social performance in financially constrained firms and in those with increased post-shock debt financing and risk taking. Our new evidence suggests that stronger creditor rights increase CSR of firms that value external financing, shifting the attention more squarely to access to finance as a driver of CSR and points that strengthening stakeholders’ rights and relaxing the financial constraints of firms can lead to improved CSR.