cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Signature-based workload estimation for mobile 3D graphics

Until recently, most 3D graphics applications had been regarded as too computationally intensive for devices other than desktop computers and gaming consoles. This notion is rapidly changing due to improving screen resolutions and computing capabilities of mass-market handheld devices such as cellular phones and PDAs. As the mobile 3D gaming industry is poised to expand, significant innovations are required to provide users with high-quality 3D experience under limited processing, memory and energy budgets that are characteristic of the mobile domain. Energy saving schemes such as dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), as well as system-level power and performance optimization methods for mobile devices require accurate and fast workload prediction. In this paper, we address the problem of workload prediction for mobile 3D graphics. We propose and describe a signature-based estimation technique for predicting 3D graphics workloads. By analyzing a gaming benchmark, we show that monitoring specific parameters of the 3D pipeline provides better prediction accuracy over conventional approaches. We describe how signatures capture such parameters concisely to make accurate workload predictions. Signature-based prediction is computationally efficient because first, signatures are compact, and second, they do not require elaborate model evaluations. Thus, they are amenable to efficient, real-time prediction. A fundamental difference between signatures and standard history-based predictors is that signatures capture previous outcomes as well as the cause that led to the outcome, and use both to predict future outcomes. We illustrate the utility of signature-based workload estimation technique by using it as a basis for DVFS in 3D graphics pipelines.
Delayed Sodium Thiosulfate as an Otoprotectant Against Carboplatin-induced Hearing Loss in Patients with Malignant Brain Tumors

Carboplatin is effective in the treatment of malignant brain tumors. However, when administered in conjunction with osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), carboplatin is ototoxic. The purpose of this study was to determine whether delayed administration of sodium thiosulfate (STS), given after BBB closure, provided protection against carboplatin ototoxicity. Patients underwent monthly treatment with intra-arterial carboplatin (200 mg/m2/day x 2) in conjunction with osmotic opening of the BBB, for up to 1 year. Audiological assessment was conducted at baseline and within 24 h before each monthly treatment. STS was administered i.v. as one (20 g/m2) or two (20 g/m2 and 16 g/m2) 15-min doses, depending on baseline hearing status. The initial group received the first STS dose 2 h (or 2 and 6 h) after carboplatin (STS2) and a subsequent group received STS 4 h (or 4 and 8 h) after carboplatin (STS4). Audiological data were compared with a historical comparison group (HCG) treated with carboplatin without STS. Spearman correlation coefficients comparing STS 2 (n = 24), STS4 (n = 17), and HCG (n = 19) indicated significantly lower rates of ototoxicity with increased delay in STS (P = 0.0006). On the basis of the analysis of hearing levels, there were significant differences among the two STS groups and HCG at 8000 Hz (P = 0.0010) and at 4000 Hz (P = 0.0075). The log-rank test for time to ototoxicity indicated a significant difference between STS4 and HCG (P = 0.0018). Delayed STS was effective in protecting against carboplatin-induced hearing loss. STS delayed to 4 h after carboplatin significantly decreased time to development of ototoxicity and rate of ototoxicity when compared with HCG.
A general framework for reconciling multiple weak segmentations of an image

Segmentation, or partitioning images into internally homogeneous regions, is an important first step in many Computer Vision tasks. In this paper, we attack the segmentation problem using an ensemble of low cost image segmentations. These segmentations are reconciled by applying recent techniques from the consensus clustering literature which exploit a Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) framework. We describe extensions to these methods that scale them for large images and also incorporate smoothness constraints. This framework allows us to uniformly and easily combine segmentations from different algorithms or feature modalities. We then demonstrate that popular bottom up image segmentation algorithms, Mean Shift and Efficient Graph Based segmentation, perform no better than our simple combination of multiple image segmentations derived from k-means clustering (of various feature spaces) or from “naive” RGB quantizations. The algorithms are evaluated on the Berkeley image segmentation dataset.
A Simple Proteomics-Based Approach to Identification of Immunodominant Antigens from a Complex Pathogen: Application to the CD4 T Cell Response against Human Herpesvirus 6B

Most of humanity is chronically infected with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), with viral replication controlled at least in part by a poorly characterized CD4 T cell response. Identification of viral epitopes recognized by CD4 T cells is complicated by the large size of the herpesvirus genome and a low frequency of circulating T cells responding to the virus. Here, we present an alternative to classical epitope mapping approaches used to identify major targets of the T cell response to a complex pathogen like HHV-6B. In the approach presented here, extracellular virus preparations or virus-infected cells are fractionated by SDS-PAGE, and eluted fractions are used as source of antigens to study cytokine responses in direct ex vivo T cell activation studies. Fractions inducing significant cytokine responses are analyzed by mass spectrometry to identify viral proteins, and a subset of peptides from these proteins corresponding to predicted HLA-DR binders is tested for IFN-γ production in seropositive donors with diverse HLA haplotypes. Ten HHV-6B viral proteins were identified as immunodominant antigens. The epitope-specific response to HHV-6B virus was complex and variable between individuals. We identified 107 peptides, each recognized by at least one donor, with each donor having a distinctive footprint. Fourteen peptides showed responses in the majority of donors. Responses to these epitopes were validated using in vitro expanded cells and naturally expressed viral proteins. Predicted peptide binding affinities for the eight HLA-DRB1 alleles investigated here correlated only modestly with the observed CD4 T cell responses. Overall, the response to the virus was dominated by peptides from the major capsid protein U57 and major antigenic protein U11, but responses to other proteins including glycoprotein H (U48) and tegument proteins U54 and U14 also were observed. These results provide a means to follow and potentially modulate the CD4 T-cell immune response to HHV-6B.
Gender Assignment and Reassignment in Intersexuality: Controversies, Data, and Guidelines for Research

In recent years, gender has become a hotly debated issue in regard to two clinical syndrome categories: Intersexuality, i.e., individuals with ambiguities of the genitalia, and Gender Identity Disorder (GID), i.e., individuals who have normal genitalia but desire gender change. The intersex controversy focuses on the assignment of gender and related issues of psychosocial and medical management. The GID debate centers on the question whether GID should be considered a mental disorder or be removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA, DSM-IV, 1994) and declared a normal variant in analogy to the 1973 decision of the APA on homosexuality (Bayer, 1987)). The GID debate extends to intersexuality, because if intersex patients have significant gender identity problems, DSM-IV classifies them as GID Not Otherwise Specified (GIDNOS) which implies a mental-disorder status. In the current paper, however, we will leave the GID part of the debate aside and concentrate on the question of gender assignment and related issues in intersexuality.
Single cell transcriptome analysis of mouse carotid body glomus cells

Key points Carotid body (CB) glomus cells mediate acute oxygen sensing and the initiation of the hypoxic ventilatory response, yet the gene expression profile of these cells is not available. We demonstrate that the single cell RNA-Seq method is a powerful tool for identifying highly expressed genes in CB glomus cells. Our single cell RNA-Seq results characterized novel CB glomus cell genes, including members of the G protein-coupled receptor signalling pathway, ion channels and atypical mitochondrial electron transport chain subunits. A heterologous cell-based screening identified acetate (which is known to affect CB glomus cell activity) as an agonist for the most highly abundant G protein-coupled receptor (Olfr78) in CB glomus cells. These data established the first transcriptome profile of CB glomus cells, highlighting genes with potential implications in CB chemosensory function. Abstract The carotid body (CB) is a major arterial chemoreceptor containing glomus cells whose activities are regulated by changes in arterial blood content, including oxygen. Despite significant advancements in the characterization of their physiological properties, our understanding of the underlying molecular machinery and signalling pathway in CB glomus cells is still limited. To overcome this, we employed the single cell RNA­Seq method by performing next-generation sequencing on single glomus cell­derived cDNAs to eliminate contamination of genes derived from other cell types present in the CB. Using this method, we identified a set of genes abundantly expressed in glomus cells, which contained novel glomus cell-specific genes. Transcriptome and subsequent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analyses identified abundant G protein-coupled receptor signalling pathway components and various types of ion channels, as well as members of the hypoxia-inducible factors pathway. A short-chain fatty acid olfactory receptor Olfr78, recently implicated in CB function, was the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor. Two atypical mitochondrial electron transport chain subunits (Ndufa4l2 and Cox4i2) were among the most specifically expressed genes in CB glomus cells, highlighting their potential roles in mitochondria-mediated oxygen sensing. The wealth of information provided by the present study offers a valuable foundation for identifying molecules functioning in the CB.
Properties of ceramics in the system MgO-MgCr2O4

The presence even of a small quantity of magnesiochromite in the periclase body hinders the sintering of periclase. Obviously, the sintering is affected by the change in the crystal lattice connected with the formation of solid solutions in the system being studied. The presence of up to 40–45% spinel in the body contributes to recrystallization of periclase; the sizes of the grains of periclase and MgCr2O4 in such bodies is maximum. Apparently, the growth of the crystals contributes to the formation of an increased quantity of solid solution, since the above ratio of the components is close to the eutectic in the system MgO-MgCr2O4.
The hydroid and medusa of Amphinema rollinsi (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa), a new species of pandeid from the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon, USA

A new species of pandeid hydromedusa is described from the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon, California. Using a remotely operated vehicle, hydroid colonies were collected from artificial substrates that had been emplaced there at a depth of 1019m for five months. Material was returned alive to the laboratory and placed in culture. Medusae released from the hydroids were raised to maturity. Both hydroids and medusae possessed morphological characters corresponding to the genus Amphinema, but neither stage matched descriptions of those of any known species in the genus. Amphinema rollinsi, sp. n., is described herein based on characters of the field-collected hydroid colonies and their laboratory-raised medusae.
Simulation of shunt hybrid active power filter

Shunt hybrid active power filter can commendably achieve harmonic suppression and reactive power compensation.In this paper,it shows the APF's architecture and sets up a mathematical model.And the way of choosing the value of the main circuit's voltage ripple of DC side capacitor and the AC side inductance is proposed.MATLAB\Simulink\PSB is used to build simulation model and then get the simulation results.
Violence Exposure and Early Substance Use in High-Risk Adolescents.

This study examines the relationship between violence exposure and early substance use as mediated by trauma symptoms. The Assessment of Liability and Exposure to Substance Use and Antisocial Behavior Scale was used to assess violence exposure at age 10 and substance use by age 12. Mediation analysis indicated direct relationships between violence exposure and tobacco or illegal drug use and indirect relationships between violence exposure and girls’ substance use through trauma symptoms. Practitioners should consider violence exposure as a risk factor for early substance use in high-risk youths and potential gender differences in trauma symptom pathways to early substance use.
Design of Perforated Polymeric Packages for the Modified Atmosphere Storage of Broccoli

The optimum modified atmospheres required for the extension of shelf life of fresh produce span a wide range of CO2 and O2 compositions. However, the atmospheres that can be established inside intact polymeric packages are limited by the narrow range of the permeability ratio of polymeric films. This limitation can be overcome by using perforations. A mathematical model to aid in the design of perforated polymeric packages was developed. The predictions of the model were verified by an experimental study using broccoli.
A Comparison of Sociopolitical Legal Studies

This article compares sociopolitical perspectives about the law in three regions of the world: the United States, France, and Latin America. Despite their heterogeneity, these sociolegal perspectives share many practical and theoretical similarities. For this reason, this article proposes grouping them under the more general title of sociopolitical legal studies (SLS). This general label includes a collection of transdisciplinary research, theories, and studies that view law as a sociopolitical phenomenon central to the understanding of power and society. The concept of SLS reveals the existence of a transversal ground between three academic disciplines: sociology of law, legal theory, and sociolegal studies, which, in spite of multiple connections, rarely communicate with one another. Additionally, the term studies is used in a broad sense, including not just legal theories but also empirical analyses of the law.
Transcranial stimulation over the left inferior frontal gyrus increases false alarms in an associative memory task in older adults.

AbstractBackground:Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a potential tool for alleviating various forms of cognitive decline, including memory loss, in older adults. However, past effects of tDCS on cognitive ability have been mixed. One important potential moderator of tDCS effects is t
Kinetics of the Heterogeneous Ozonation of Nitrated Phenols

The kinetics of the heterogeneous ozonation of phenol and 27 nitrophenols representing a wide array of functional groups have been studied. In the systems examined, the process has been found to be zero order with respect to phenolic concentration which indicates mass transfer as the prime control on the process. Analysis of the first order rate constants has permitted computation of overall mass transfer coefficients for all compounds. The coefficients were sixty percent lower than the kLa values measured by others in water and showed very little variation regardless of chemical structure of the phenol. Efforts at development of a QSAR model for the kinetics were fruitless.
Does Offering Microsavings Make Sense for Microfinance Institutions

Within the past decade, two trends have emerged in the global microfinance industry. First, there has been a recent emphasis on financial sustainability. At the same time, microfinance institutions...
Competing Currencies: Designing for Politics in Units of Measurement

We present results of a qualitative study of the information systems used by college and university food banks and find that their inventory systems are characterized by the patchwork use of multiple units of measurement-currencies-collected at different points in their workflow for different stakeholders. Considerations of whether to track information by item count, points, monetary value, or weight are immensely political and privilege some stakeholders over others. We contribute to an emergent body of research in computer-supported cooperative work about the ways in which the politics of measurement influences the design of organizational information systems through an explanation of the ways that these different currencies embody politics and stymie design at the most mundane level of the information system-the unit of measurement.
An educational tool as an aid for making decisions about the initial treatment of gastric cancer.

e14684 Background: Tools for making individualized numerical estimates of outcomes and to provide useful information are revolutionizing medicine. We have produced such a tool for decision making f...
Low-molecular-weight heparin at home was as effective as unfractionated heparin in the hospital in proximal DVT

Source Citation Koopman MM, Prandoni P, Piovella F, et al. Treatment of venous thrombosis with intravenous unfractionated heparin administered in the hospital as compared with subcutaneous low-mole...
Aflibercept Action in a Rabbit Model of Chronic Retinal Neovascularization: Reversible Inhibition of Pathologic Leakage With Dose-Dependent Duration.

Purpose We establish and characterize the chronic retinal neovascularization (RNV) induced by intravitreal (IVT) injection of DL-α-aminoadipic acid (AAA) in a rabbit model and investigate the extent and duration of inhibitory actions induced by IVT aflibercept on the RNV. Methods Rabbits received a single IVT injection of AAA, with weekly follow-up fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). After 10 weeks, they received a single IVT aflibercept or control injection. RNV leakage was quantified from FA by image analysis with Photoshop. Some eyes were collected for histologic analysis. Results IVT AAA produced neuronal degeneration over a large fraction of the retina. RNV formed in the damaged area and by 10 weeks exhibited stable morphology and leakage, which persisted for at least 65 weeks. Control IVT injections did not affect RNV leakage, but IVT aflibercept completely blocked RNV leakage. The inhibition was reversible (i.e., the leakage returned as the drug cleared), and the duration of antileak effects with 500 μg aflibercept was approximately 8 weeks. Partial regression of the pathologic vasculature also occurred with aflibercept, with reestablishment as the drug cleared. Conclusions This model mimics a chronic human disease in its stability and persistence, and the antileak action of aflibercept is fully reversible with a dose-dependent duration. Therefore, this large eye model is uniquely suitable for investigations into the efficacy and duration of action of novel formulations and pharmacotherapies for retinal vascular diseases, and for studying the underlying pathobiology of retinal angiogenesis.
Verilog — A compact model of a ME-MTJ based XNOR/NOR gate

We present the first Verilog-A based models of a magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction (ME-MTJ) based XNOR and NOR logic gates. The ME-MTJ is a low-power beyond-CMOS technology, with possible applications in memory and logic devices. The models presented here have been developed in Verilog-A and validated with simulations using cadence spectre. We show the operation of this ME-MTJ dual-purpose logic gate illustrating integrated memory capabilities. A full adder based on the XNOR gate is also validated.
Therapeutic plasma exchange for severe hyperlipidaemia in a patient with poorly controlled diabetes.

Hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) is a common condition in the USA and is often caused or exacerbated by uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity and other metabolic disorders. It is usually asymptomatic until triglycerides exceed 1000 mg/dL. Signs include gastrointestinal pain, nausea, vomiting and dyspnoea. In type I DM, insulin deficiency leads to an inhibition of lipoprotein lipase (LpL).1 Control with insulin restores LpL function and reduces triglyceride levels. While initiating glucose control, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can be used adjunctively, with intravenous insulin, to rapidly decrease triglyceride levels and prevent acute pancreatitis. A man of 30 with poorly controlled type I DM, secondary to gallstone pancreatitis, presented for treatment of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and HTG. His father also has HTG, but no genetic testing for inherited lipid disorders has been pursued. The patient’s initial glucose level was 335 mg/dL and his HbA1c …
Wilson, William Julius (1935–)

William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor at Harvard University, is one of the best known and widely cited American sociologists of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His major books, Power, Racism and Privilege (1973), The Declining Significance of Race (1978), The Truly Disadvantaged (1987, revised edition 2012), When Work Disappears (1996), and More than Just Race (2010), all address an abiding personal and professional concern with and critical analysis of two issues, race and poverty.
Mammary Tumor Virus Infections and Immunity

Mammary tumorigenesis appears to be influenced by several factors including genetic background, hormones and the immune response. In animal models there is a correlation between infection with mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and an increased incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors. Exogenous MMTV is transmitted from high mammary tumor incidence strains to certain low incidence strains through the milk (1) with the result of increased numbers of tumors in the latter. There is evidence suggesting that MMTV infection results in integration of this retrovirus into the mammary glandular tissues (2). In recent years the possibility has been explored, that expression of an endogenous counterpart of MMTV may be involved in the etiology of mammary tumors. The observation by Hageman et al. (3) of MMTV virions in mammary tumors arising in some low incidence mouse strains that had different characteristics from the classic exogenous milk transmitted virus, supports a role of endogenous MMTV in tumorigenesis.
Bacterial Quorum Sensing as a Networked Decision System

Quorum sensing plays a significant role in infection, biofilm production and potentially can impact the design of microbial fuel cells in the future. Herein, a production of public-goods interpretation is employed to introduce a novel optimization-based model for bacterial quorum sensing. In this model, each bacterium cell act as a decision-maker seeking to maximize a pay-off function under the uncertainty on the concentration of the colony population. First, the design of a socially optimal strategy profile is considered, where all the cells employ the same threshold strategy. Second, the probability of not activating while the quorum is being formed is analyzed; this phenomenon is known in the literature as cheating. Lastly, preliminary results are presented that establish a connection between the new decision-making model with experimental data.
On Needles and Haystacks: The Perils of Cardiovascular Risk Screening in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Finding a needle in a haystack is a proverbially difficult task. The chance of finding a needle is increased if the haystack is made up of a substantial proportion of needles, unless the needles are identical in appearance to the hay. This illustrates a challenge in the development of risk prediction models for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although there are many needles in the RA population (i.e., individuals with elevated CVD risk appropriate for early preventive intervention), many do not appear to be high risk based on traditional CVD risk factors. As a telling illustration, Crowson, et al 1 demonstrated that 16% of the 525 patients with RA from Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA, experienced a CVD event during 10 years of followup. However, the 10-year Framingham risk score only predicted that 8.7% would have an event, a striking difference that illustrates the potential contribution of nontraditional risk factors, such as those related to RA disease activity and severity, to CVD risk. When almost 50% of the needles look like hay, how do you separate them? An early approach proposed was to multiply an individual’s CVD risk score by 1.5, based on the oft-cited average relative increase in CVD events for RA compared with the general population2,3. Although based on expert opinion and not validated using data from a longitudinal cohort, this strategy was recommended by a guideline committee organized by the European League Against Rheumatism Standing Committee for Clinical Affairs. In its first guideline published in 20104, the committee recommended using the 1.5 multiplication of the CVD risk score … Address correspondence to Dr. J.T. Giles. E-mail: jtg2122{at}columbia.edu
Training to Lead in an Era of Change: Insights from Ad Agency Leaders.

This study examines leadership training in advertising. Interviews with U.S.-based agency professionals revealed the lack of a systematic approach to leadership development. There was a consensus a...
The Selective Reduction of Aldehydes Using Polyethylene Glycol-Sodium Borohydride Derivatives as Phase Transfer Reagents

Abstract A phase transfer reagent derived from PEG-sodium borohydride was developed which controlled both the activity and the amount of the reagent in the organic phase. Using this reagent under solid-liquid phase transfer conditions, it was found that aldehydes could be selectively reduced in the presence of ketones without concurrent reduction of the ketone group. The reactions were conducted at room temperature and were generally complete within two hours.
Tempest in a Teapot - Surface and Volume Turbulence in a Closed System

Turbulence can be generated by oscillating a grid in a volume of water. The turbulent flow thus created has minimal mean shear and mean flow. We have studied the motion of small floating particles on the surface of such a turbulent fluid, as well as the velocity fluctuation in the volume of the fluid. For the surface motion, the standard deviation of the velocity difference of a pair of particles separated by a distance R can be fitted by log(R/R 0). That is in contrast to the volume measurements where the data are fitted by a power law. Nevertheless, our result is not explainable by present theories.
Not All People Are Cut Out for Strategic Criterion Shifting

Decisions are often based on memory, but memories are often vague and ambiguous. Therefore, one must establish some standard for how strong a memory must feel before it is accepted as part of one’s...
Comment on Brush and Miller’s “Trouble in Paradigm: ‘Gender Transformative Programming’ in Violence Prevention”:

Brush and Miller have provided an astute critique of "gender-transformative" antiviolence programming, encouraging us to take more seriously the effects of history, gender, and social structure. In this commentary, we extend their analysis in four directions by highlighting the everydayness of gendered violence, the relationship between masculinity and social legibility, the seductive rewards of masculine conformity, and the way norms are enforced through nets of accountability. We elaborate on the model provided by women's empowerment self-defense training to suggest a potential way forward for these programs.
121 Effect of pentoxifylline on motility of good- and poor-quality frozen-thawed equine sperm

Equine semen used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is typically frozen-thawed and may be of poor quality. To prepare sperm for ICSI, semen is typically centrifuged to remove freezing extender. However, centrifugation can cause damage to sperm, which is especially meaningful if sperm quality is already poor. We evaluated a method for selection of sperm without centrifugation, using a “swim-over” technique, and assessed the effect of pentoxifylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that increases sperm motility in other species. To mimic poor-quality semen, we thawed frozen semen (1×) and re-froze it three additional times (4×). Aliquots (0.25 µL; 50,000 sperm) of 1× or 4× semen were placed at the bottom of the right leg of an “H,” made using 15 µL of medium by tracing a template placed below a Petri dish. The medium used (Hanks’ balanced salt solution with 40 mg mL BSA and added lactate and pyruvate) contained different concentrations of pentoxifylline (0, 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 mg mL−1). One µL of medium was removed from the tip of the left arm of the H after 15 and 30 min incubation, and the number of sperm were counted. In a second study, we evaluated the effect of pentoxifylline on sperm motility parameters using computer-assisted sperm motility analysis. After thawing, 1× and 4× semen was washed to remove freezing extender and resuspended in the same medium but with 7 mg mL−1 bovine serum albumin (BSA), containing the different pentoxifylline concentrations. In Study 1, the number of collected sperm did not differ significantly for 1× sperm exposed to 0 to 4 mg mL−1 pentoxifylline (means of 15 to 23 sperm at 15 min, and 18 to 25 sperm at 30 min). Similarly, in 4× frozen semen, there was no significant difference in number of collected sperm between 0 mg mL−1 and 2 or 4 mg mL−1 pentoxifylline concentrations (<1 to 6 at 15 min; 5 to 6 at 30 min). In Study 2, at 0 min, % total motility was significantly higher in 1 and 2 mg mL−1 pentoxifylline than in 0 mg mL−1 for 1× sperm (47.8 ± 1.7 and 49.3 ± 1.9, vs. 32.1 ± 3.9, respectively; P = 0.018) and significantly higher for 1, 2, and 4 mg mL−1 pentoxifylline than for 0 mg mL−1 for 4× sperm (3.9 ± 0.9, 5.7 ± 0.4, and 8.2 ± 0.5, vs. 1.2 ± 0.4; P = 0.0001). Similar results were found at 15 and 30 min for 1×, and at 15 min for 4×. Pentoxifylline at 1 to 4 mg mL−1 significantly increased the percentage of progressive motility in 1× sperm at 30 min (17.8 ± 1.3, 21.8 ± 2.7, and 20.3 ± 1.2, vs. 10.0 ± 0.4; P = 0.002) and, at 4 mg mL−1, increased the percentage of progressive motility in 4× sperm at 0 min (1.43 ± 0.1 vs. 0.2 ± 0.1; P = 0.005) and 15 min (1.4 ± 0.2 vs. 0.1 ± 0.0; P = 0.0001). Exposure of poor-quality semen to pentoxifylline at 4 mg mL−1 improved total and progressive motility but did not increase the recovery of motile sperm in a swim-over collection preparation.
Endoscopic Ultrasound/Fine Needle Aspiration Is Effective for Lymph Node Staging in Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Presence of malignant regional lymph nodes (MRLNs) precludes curative oncological resection or liver transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Limited data support the utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)/fine needle aspiration (FNA) for detection of MRLNs in extrahepatic CCA, but there are no data for its role in intrahepatic CCA (iCCA). The aim of this study is to evaluate the staging impact of EUS for CCA, including analysis by subtype. APPROACH AND RESULTS We identified consecutive patients with CCA who underwent EUS staging at a single tertiary care center from October 2014 to April 2018. Among this cohort, we abstracted clinical demographic, radiographical, procedural, cytopathological, and surgical data. STATA 15 software was used for comparative analysis calculations (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). The study cohort included 157 patients; 24 (15%), 124 (79%), and 9 (6%) with intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal CCA, respectively. EUS was able to identify regional lymph nodes (RLNs) in a higher percentage of patients compared to cross-sectional imaging (86% vs. 47%; P < 0.001). FNA was performed in 133 (98.5%) patients with RLNs, with a median of three passes per node. EUS-FNA identified MRLN in 27 of 31 (87.1%) patients ultimately found to have MRLNs. For iCCA, EUS detected a higher percentage of RLN compared to cross-sectional imaging (83% vs. 50%; P = 0.048), with MRLNs identified in 4 (17%) patients. Among the entire cohort, identification of at least one MRLN by EUS was associated with lower median survival (353 vs. 1,050 days; P < 0.001) and increased risk of death (hazard ratio = 4.1; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS EUS-FNA is effective for identifying MRLN in patients with CCA, and should be routinely incorporated into staging of all CCA subtypes given the impact of MRLN on prognosis and management decisions.
A General Bayesian Multidimensional Item Response Theory Model for Small and Large Samples

Although item response theory (IRT) models such as the bifactor, two-tier, and between-item-dimensionality IRT models have been devised to confirm complex dimensional structures in educational and ...
Intensive Care Unit and Acute Care Unit Length of Stay After Congenital Heart Surgery

Background Postoperative length of stay (LOS) is an important quality metric and is known to vary widely across hospitals after congenital heart surgery. Whether this variability is explained by factors associated with the intensive care unit (ICU) or acute care unit (ACU) remains unclear. We evaluated the relationship between ICU and ACU LOS and the impact of ACU characteristics on postoperative LOS. Methods Hospitalizations for congenital heart surgery within the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) registry (August 2014 to February 2018) were included. Models were developed for ICU, ACU, and postoperative LOS by adjusting for differences in case-mix across hospitals. PC4 hospitals participating in the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3) were also surveyed on ACU organizational factors and practice patterns. Results Overall, 19,674 hospitalizations across 27 hospitals were included. There was significant variation in ICU and ACU LOS. Postperative LOS appeared to be most closely related to ICU LOS; 75% (6 of 8) of hospitals with shorter than expected postoperative LOS also had shorter than expected ICU LOS. A clear relationship between postoperative and ACU LOS was not observed. Hospitals with an ACU able to provide higher-acuity care as indexed according to the PAC3 survey were more likely to have shorter postoperative LOS (P Conclusions For hospitals that achieve shorter than expected postoperative LOS after congenital heart surgery, ICU LOS appears to be the primary driver. Higher-acuity resources in the ACU may be an important factor facilitating earlier transfer from the ICU. These data are key to informing quality improvement initiatives geared toward reducing postoperative LOS.
Interventions to Enhance Academic Engagement

Academic engagement may be thought of in terms of investment and participation in instruction, work, and academic tasks (Reschly et al. Best practices in fostering student engagement. In: Thomas A, Harrison P (eds) Best practices in school psychology: Student level services, 6th edn. National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda, pp 37–50, 2014). It is strongly associated with student achievement. Indicators of students’ academic engagement are observable and available to educators (e.g., time-on-task, homework completion, grades, credits earned). Academic engagement is highly influenced by school and classroom contexts. Thus, interventions address how time is used and increasing students’ interactions and active involvement with learning. This chapter provides an overview of the research on indicators of academic engagement and strategies and interventions to enhance academic engagement at both universal and more intensive levels.
The role of Wigner Distribution Function in Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging

Non-Line-of-Sight imaging has been linked to wave diffraction by the recent phasor field method. In wave optics, the Wigner Distribution Function description for an optical imaging system is a powerful analytical tool for modeling the imaging process with geometrical transformations. In this paper, we focus on illustrating the relation between captured signals and hidden objects in the Wigner Distribution domain. The Wigner Distribution Function is usually used together with approximated diffraction propagators, which is fine for most imaging problems. However, these approximated diffraction propagators are not valid for Non-Line-of-Sight imaging scenarios. We show that the exact phasor field propagator (Rayleigh-Sommerfeld Diffraction) does not have a standard geometrical transformation, as compared to approximated diffraction propagators (Fresnel, Fraunhofer diffraction) that can be represented as shearing or rotation in the Wigner Distribution Function domain. Then, we explore differences between the exact and approximated solutions by characterizing errors made in different spatial positions and acquisition methods (confocal, non-confocal scanning). We derive a lateral resolution based on the exact phasor field propagator, which can be used as a reference for theoretical evaluations and comparisons. For targets that lie laterally outside a relay wall, the loss of resolution is geometrically illustrated in the context of the Wigner Distribution Function.
A Qualitative Analysis of Career Advice Given to Women Leaders in an Academic Medical Center.

Importance Women in academic medicine continue to face systemic obstacles on their paths to leadership. In addition to improving recruitment and advancement opportunities, academic medical centers must facilitate a cultural shift that ensures sustained leadership pathways for women. Objective To better understand, from the perspective of women leaders, the workplace and cultural changes that need to take place in academic medicine to increase inclusivity and gender equity. Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study of 40 women physicians and administrators with senior leadership roles at Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center and research institution with campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, examined participants’ responses to a question regarding their paths to leadership. Replies were submitted between November and December 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Women were asked to describe career advice (positive or negative) they had received that was the hardest to accept but, in retrospect, turned out to be valuable. Results Of 40 participants, 25 (63%) were physicians and 15 (37%) were administrators at Mayo Clinic; 27 (68%) had achieved the role of chair or the administrative equivalent. Career experience ranged from 6 to 40 years. Of the 40 women leaders queried, 38 (95%) provided written responses, which were separated into the 4 following categories: leadership styles are perceived as having gendered qualities, attaining leadership skills involves a strategic learning process, collisions between personal life and the workplace should not deter individuals from pursuing leadership roles, and leadership pathways for women involved hurdles. These categories represented a roadmap illuminating perceptions about the academic medical workplace. Conclusions and Relevance These findings link generalizable principles to help to drive new strategies for gender parity. Shifting the culture of academic medicine begins with fully understanding impediments to women’s advancement. The advice women leaders recounted offered a roadmap as well as a glimpse of the extra effort required for women to succeed amid some of the system’s limitations and obstacles. A more complete understanding of gender biases may help to shape future programs to expand inclusivity and establish sustained leadership paths for women.
A novel sequence alignment algorithm based on deep learning of the protein folding code.

MOTIVATION From evolutionary interference, function annotation to structural prediction, protein sequence comparison has provided crucial biological insights. While many sequence alignment algorithms have been developed, existing approaches often cannot detect hidden structural relationships in the 'twilight zone' of low sequence identity. To address this critical problem, we introduce a computational algorithm that performs protein Sequence Alignments from deep-Learning of Structural Alignments (SAdLSA, silent 'd'). The key idea is to implicitly learn the protein folding code from many thousands of structural alignments using experimentally determined protein structures. RESULTS To demonstrate that the folding code was learned, we first show that SAdLSA trained on pure α-helical proteins successfully recognizes pairs of structurally related pure β-sheet protein domains. Subsequent training and benchmarking on larger, highly challenging datasets show significant improvement over established approaches. For challenging cases, SAdLSA is ∼150% better than HHsearch for generating pairwise alignments and ∼50% better for identifying the proteins with the best alignments in a sequence library. The time complexity of SAdLSA is O(N) thanks to GPU acceleration. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Datasets and source codes of SAdLSA are available free of charge for academic users at http://sites.gatech.edu/cssb/sadlsa/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Visual Bridge Damage Measurement Using Drone-Captured Image Quality Optimization

This study is intended to improve visual bridge damage measurement through image analysis of drone inspection images optimized in terms of quality. To optimize the drone-captured image quality, image properties, including brightness, contrast, and sharpness, are investigated and adjusted for this study. As part of the optimized damage measurement, visual inspections are initially conducted using DJI Matrice 210 for a multi-span timber bridge located in Fall River, South Dakota in the United States. To detect the entirety of any damage during the inspections, the drone records three videos of the bridge from which 15,996 images are extracted. From the drone-aided bridge inspection, several different types of damage, encompassing weathering, paint failure, crack, and split, are observed. Among all the images, the high-quality inspection images with distinct damage on certain bridge components such as timber girders are sorted out manually. Then, the various image properties for the high-quality inspection images are iteratively adjusted to optimize the images’ quality. Measurement of the individual damage detected during the inspection are completed with the optimized quality images. Particularly, the major challenge to identify the damaged area on the weathered timber bridge is resolved, as the edge domains of the damage are well-defined visualized and observed efficiently after the optimization of image quality. Key results indicate that the weathering area identified through the optimized image was measured to be 1.16 m2 but the identified area using the unfiltered image was 1.33 m2, showing a difference of 12.43%.
A Survey of Policy Responses to the Rural Attorney Shortage in the United States

This chapter surveys the short history of policymakers’ and scholars’ attention to the rural lawyer shortage in the United States, discussing this phenomenon as one aspect of a burgeoning rural access-to-justice (A2J) crisis. A number of initiatives to narrow the rural-urban justice gap are currently afoot in the United States, including the expanded use of paralegals and various interventions based on artificial intelligence and other technologies. These, however, are beyond the scope of this chapter, which focuses on the rural attorney shortage. We categorize policy responses to that problem into several overlapping strands: (1) programs that provide financial incentives and other supports for lawyers to practice in rural locales; (2) programs that channel urban attorney resources to rural areas; and (3) programs focused on cultivating and expanding the pipeline to rural practice. Where possible, we provide status reports on initiatives in an effort to document and publicize their progress, thereby informing future policymaking. Finally, we discuss briefly the medium- to long-terms impacts that changes driven by the COVID-19 pandemic may have on the legal profession and delivery of legal services in rural America.
Gaussian process regression-based learning rate optimization in convolutional neural networks for medical images classification

Abstract This research proposes a series of novel learning rate optimization algorithms with two versions for Adaptive Moment Estimation (Adam), which is a common optimizer in Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Optimizer that is used to control the training efficiency and prediction accuracy by controlling the convergence progress plays an important role in CNNs. However, optimizers such as Adam are usually not hyperparameter-free and very sensitive to the hyperparameters embedded in CNNs. For example, the learning rate is a hyperparameter that represents a step size in the calculations. The learning rate has the most significant influence on prediction accuracy, so optimizing the learning rate is the best way to improve accuracy. In this research, a series of Gaussian Process Regression (GPR)-based learning rate optimization (GLRO) algorithms are proposed to increase the classification accuracy. To be specific, the relationship between the learning rate and corresponding accuracy is studied and the potential learning rate is predicted by the GPR model which is built with previous learning rates and corresponding accuracies. Also, two strategies of the algorithm to select the input learning rate are tested separately. AlexNet, which is a state-of-the-art CNN, is used as a framework to evaluate the proposed algorithms. AlexNet is widely used in the healthcare system as medical imaging classification framework. The Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) images of human brain tumors are used to classify cells and non-cells in this research. The proposed GLRO are compared to the conventional learning rate annealing algorithm and the constant learning rate algorithm. The algorithms’ classifications of SRS images are evaluated in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision. To further validate GLRO, multiple benchmark medical images and CNN frameworks are tested. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed GLRO algorithms outperform other algorithms by showing a 96% classification accuracy on SRS images and achieve promising classification results on the other datasets and CNN frameworks.