cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On polynomial-time preference elicitation with value queries

Preference elicitation --- the process of asking queries to determine parties' preferences --- is a key part of many problems in electronic commerce. For example, a shopping agent needs to know a user's preferences in order to correctly act on her behalf, and preference elicitation can help an auctioneer in a combinatorial auction determine how to best allocate a given set of items to a given set of bidders. Unfortunately, in the worst case, preference elicitation can require an exponential number of queries even to determine an approximately optimal allocation. In this paper we study natural special cases of preferences for which elicitation can be done in polynomial time via value queries. The cases we consider all have the property that the preferences (or approximations to them) can be described in a polynomial number of bits, but the issue here is whether they can be elicited using the natural (limited) language of value queries. We make a connection to computational learning theory where the similar problem of exact learning with membership queries has a long history. In particular, we consider preferences that can be written as read-once formulas over a set of gates motivated by a shopping application, as well as a class of preferences we call Toolbox DNF, motivated by a type of combinatorial auction. We show that in each case, preference elicitation can be done in polynomial time. We also consider the computational problem of allocating items given the parties' preferences, and show that in certain cases it can be done in polynomial time and in other cases it is NP-complete. Given two bidders with Toolbox-DNF preferences, we show that allocation can be solved via network flow. If parties have read-once formula preferences, then allocation is NP-hard even with just two bidders, but if one of the two parties is additive (e.g., a shopping agent purchasing items individually and then bundling them to give to the user), the allocation problem is solvable in polynomial time.
Linoleic acid partially restores the triglyceride content of conjugated linoleic acid-treated cultures of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

We have previously demonstrated that a crude mixture of commercially available conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers suppressed triglyceride (TG) content and induced apoptosis in post-confluent cultures of murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Furthermore, we found that 100 mM of trans-10, cis-12 isomer of CLA had a greater TG-lowering and apoptotic effect than the crude mixture of CLA isomers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to: 1) compare the potencies of the two main isomers found in the crude mixture of CLA isomers, e.g. cis-9, trans-11 (41%) and trans-10, cis-12 (44%); and 2) determine if the TG-reducing actions of CLA could be attenuated by the addition of increasing levels of linoleic acid to the cultures. Preadipocyte differentiation was assessed on day 7 of the differentiation protocol by measuring TG content (per 10(6) cells), cell size, and lipid staining. In experiment 1, post-confluent cultures of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes treated for the first 6 d of differentiation with 100 mM of a crude mixture of CLA isomers or 44 mM of trans-10, cis-12 CLA had less TG content than all other cultures. In contrast, cultures supplemented with 41 mM of the cis-9, trans-11 CLA isomer had the same amount of TG as the BSA controls. In experiment 2, post-confluent cultures of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes treated for the first 6 d of differentiation with 50 mM trans-10, cis-12 CLA had less TG content and a greater number of smaller cells (10-12.5 microns) compared to all other treatments. CLA-treated cultures supplemented with increasing levels of linoleic acid (50-200 mM) had greater TG contents and greater numbers of larger cells (15-20 microns) than cultures treated with 50 mM of the trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomer alone. These data demonstrate that: 1) the TG-lowering effects of the crude mixture of CLA isomers is due almost exclusively to the trans-10, cis-12 isomer; and 2) linoleic acid partially reverses CLA's attenuation of TG content, suggesting that these unsaturated fatty acids may compete for incorporation into TG or phospholipid-derived eicosanoids that regulate preadipocyte differentiation.
Novel endo-α-N-acetylgalactosaminidases with broader substrate specificity

In an effort to identify novel endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidases (endo-alpha-GalNAcases), four potential genes were cloned. Three of the expressed proteins EngEF from Enterococcus faecalis, EngPA from Propionibacterium acnes, and EngCP from Clostridium perfringens were purified and characterized. Their substrate specificity was investigated and compared to the commercially available endo-alpha-GalNAcases from Streptococcus pneumoniae (EngSP) and Alcaligenes sp. (EngAL). All enzymes were incubated with various synthetic substrates, and natural glycoproteins and the released sugars were detected by colorimetric assay and thin layer chromatography analysis. The Core 1 disaccharide Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 1pNP was the most rapidly hydrolyzed substrate by all enzymes tested. EngEF exhibited the highest k(cat) for this substrate. EngEF and EngPA were also able to fully hydrolyze the Core 3 disaccharide GlcNAc beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 1pNP. This is the first report of endo-alpha-GalNAcases EngEF and EngPA acting on Core 3 in addition to Core 1 O-glycans. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in transglycosylation activities when Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 1pNP or GlcNAc beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 1pNP was incubated with various 1-alkanols in the presence of the endo-alpha-GalNAcases tested in this work.
Media searching on mobile devices

Mobile devices such as cellular phones are now capable of storing a significant amount of multimedia files and personal data. However these devices still use traditional directory browsing which offers little in terms of usability for searching and retrieving specific files. In this paper we design and implement a prototype media search engine for a mobile phone. We use modified versions of open source search and metadata extraction libraries along with scrollable instant search results and an auto-fill feature. The prototype has acceptable performance in terms of resource requirement and execution speed. Potential applications may include multimedia file searching in distributed mobile computing and peer-to-peer file sharing environments.
What is the evidence for the use of immunomodulatory agents to eradicate inhibitory antibodies in patients with severe hemophilia a who have previously failed to respond to immune tolerance induction

An 18-year-old man has severe hemophilia A that has been complicated by a high-titer inhibitory antibody (peak 170 BU/mL). He had previously failed a trial of immune tolerance induction (ITI) using daily high-dose (100 units/kg/d) factor VIII (FVIII) for 20 months and would like to know if immunomodulatory agents, with or without another course of ITI, might eradicate the inhibitor.
Full-scale biofilter reduction efficiencies assessed using portable 24-hour sampling units.

Portable 24-hr sampling units were used to collect air samples from eight biofilters on four animal feeding operations. The biofilters were located on a dairy, a swine nursery, and two swine finishing farms. Biofilter media characteristics (age, porosity, density, particle size, water absorption capacity, pressure drop) and ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) reduction efficiencies of the biofilters were assessed. The deep bed biofilters at the dairy farm, which were in use for a few months, had the most porous media and lowest unit pressure drops. The average media porosity and density were 75% and 180 kg/m3, respectively. Reduction efficiencies of H2S and NH3 (biofilter 1: 64% NH3, 76% H2S; biofilter 2: 53% NH3, 85% H2S) were close to those reported for pilot-scale biofilters. No N2O production was measured at the dairy farm. The highest H2S, SO2, NH3, and CH4 reduction efficiencies were measured from a flat-bed biofilter at the swine nurse...
The creation of new research directions through collaboration between disciplines

In 2004 the Knowledge-based Intelligent Engineering Systems (KES) Centre and the Aviation Education, Research and Operations (AERO) Laboratory formally agreed to collaborate on a number of aviation safety related projects. This collaboration has been important, and highly advantageous, in the identification of aviation safety related problems and their potential AI/CI based solutions. The collaboration has led to the development of a small group of seven researchers, including four PhD students. This will expand to eight PhD students from the end of 2009. This paper will describe the aviation safety projects that have arisen out of this collaboration.
STATISTICAL EQUILIBRIUM MEASURES AND COHERENT STATES IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL TURBULENCE

The equilibrium statistics of the Euler equations in two dimensions are studied, and a new continuum model of coherent, or organized, states is proposed. This model is defined by a maximum entropy principle similar to that governing the Miller-Robert model except that the family of global vorticity invariants is relaxed to a family of inequalities on all convex enstrophy integrals. This relaxation is justified by constructing the continuum model from a sequence of lattice models defined by Gibbs measures whose invariants are derived from the exact vorticity dynamics, not a spectral truncation or spatial discretization of it. The key idea is that the enstrophy integrals can be partially lost to vorticity fluctuations on a range of scales smaller than the lattice microscale, while energy is retained in the larger scales. A consequence of this relaxation is that many of the convex enstrophy constraints can be inactive in equilibrium, leading to a simplification of the mean-field equation for the coherent state. Specific examples of these simplified theories are established for vortex patch dynamics. In particular, a universal relation between mean vorticity and stream function is obtained in the dilute limit of the vortex patch theory, which is different from the sinh relation predicted by the Montgomery-Joyce theory of point vortices. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An optimal partition between on-chip and on-board interconnects

An optimal partition between on-chip and on-board interconnects is proposed, which achieves the highest possible global clock frequency as well as high wiring density. A general model is developed for adequate number and size of repeaters and the impact of this model on optimal partition of interconnects is also studied. Using on-board wires the global clock frequency of a projected system-on-a-chip in year 2011 can be increased by about 45% and the required silicon area for repeaters can also be reduced by 60%, using adequate repeater insertion.
Intrinsic optical bistability in 'compensated' hetero-n-i-p-i superlattices

A scheme for intrinsic optical bistability and switching in semiconductor heterostructures is proposed. The scheme does not require any external optical or electrical elements and possesses advantages of both the self-electrooptic effect device and doping superlattices. The switching properties of the proposed device are theoretically analyzed, and conditions for bistable operation are determined. >
Relative Susceptibility of Tribolium confusum Life Stages Exposed to Elevated Temperatures

Methyl bromide, a space fumigant used in food-processing facilities, may be phased out in the United States by 2005. The use of elevated temperatures or heat treatment is gaining popularity as a methyl bromide alternative. During heat treatment, the temperature of the whole food-processing facility, or a portion of it, is raised and held between 50 and 60 degrees C for 24-36 h to kill stored-product insects. We determined time-mortality responses of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum (Jacquelin du Val), eggs, young larvae, old larvae, pupae, and adults exposed to six constant temperatures between 46 and 60 degrees C. Responses of all five insect stages also were measured using exposure times of 160, 40, and 12 min at 46, 50, and 60 degrees C, respectively. Time-mortality responses of all T. confusum life stages increased with an increase in exposure time and temperature. Both time-mortality and fixed time responses showed eggs and young larvae to be most susceptible at elevated temperatures and old larvae to be least susceptible. Our results suggest that old larvae should be used as test insects to gauge heat treatment effectiveness, because heat treatment aimed at controlling old larvae should be able to control all other T. confusum life stages. Besides providing baseline data for successful use of heat treatments, time-mortality data collected at the six temperatures can be used for developing thermal death kinetic models for this species to predict mortality during actual facility heat treatments.
Did Wallace's Ternate essay and letter on natural selection come as a reply to Darwin's letter of 22 December 1857? A brief review

Charles Darwin's possible misappropriation of content from Alfred Russel Wallace's ‘Ternate essay’ of 1858 remains a topic of discussion, despite a lack of solid evidence proving misadventure. In this note new observations help clarify one critical element of the story: whether Wallace's materials represented in part a reply to the Darwin letter dated 22 December 1857. The conclusion is that they very likely did not, and in turn probably were sent in March, not April, 1858.
Insecticides and Herbicides

Pesticides in various forms have been used for hundreds of years. As technology has developed, the use of these chemicals has influenced the way we eat, and live. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing to present, the impact of the use of pesticides on the environment and the potential risk of consuming pesticide-treated food have been extensively evaluated. The neurological toxicities that result from acute high-dose exposure to pesticides are fairly well understood and have led to regulatory decisions regarding both occupational and consumer pesticide exposure. More recently however, researchers have investigated the importance of low-dose pesticide exposure and oxidative stress. Several markers of oxidative stress can be detected in rodents and non-model species at exposures that are orders of magnitude lower than doses that cause acute toxicity. The generation of reactive oxygen species that can be detected at these low dose exposures may play an important role in the mechanisms of toxicity that lead to the neurological diseases and cancers associated with pesticide exposure. In some studies, the use of antioxidants is able to relieve or prevent toxicity, indicating that oxidative stress may be mediating toxicity; however this is not true in all cases.
The distribution of agents to resources in a networked multi-player environment

A problem faced by all mobile organisms is how to search their environment for resources. Animals forage their environment for food, web-users surf the internet for desired data, and businesses mine the land for valuable minerals. When an individual organism forages their environment for resources, they typically employ a form of reinforcement learning to allocate their foraging time to the regions with the highest utility in terms of providing resources [Ballard 1997]. As the organism travels in its environment, it gathers information about resource distributions and uses this information to inform its subsequent movements. When an organism forages in an environment that consists, in part, of other organisms that are also foraging, then additional complexities arise. The resources available to an organism are affected not just by the foraging behavior the organism itself, but also by the simultaneous foraging behavior of all of the other organisms. The optimal resource foraging strategy for an organism is no longer a simple function of the distribution of resources and movement costs, but it is also a function of the strategies adopted by other organisms. Even if the resources are replenished with a constant rate, the optimal foraging strategy for an organism may fluctuate depending on the other organisms’ behavior.
Lower neuronal variability in the monkey dorsolateral prefrontal than posterior parietal cortex

The dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex are two brain areas involved in cognitive functions such as spatial attention and working memory. When tested with identical tasks, only subtle differences in firing rate are present between neurons recorded in the two areas. In this article we report that major differences in neuronal variability characterize the two areas during working memory. The Fano factors of spike counts in dorsolateral prefrontal neurons were consistently lower than those of the posterior parietal cortex across a range of tasks, epochs, and conditions in the same monkeys. Variability differences were observed despite minor differences in firing rates between the two areas in the tasks tested and higher overall firing rate in the prefrontal than in the posterior parietal sample. Other measures of neuronal discharge variability, such as the coefficient of variation of the interspike interval, displayed the same pattern of lower prefrontal variability. Fano factor values were negatively correlated with performance in the working memory task, suggesting that higher neuronal variability was associated with diminished task performance. The results indicate that information involving remembered stimuli is more reliably represented in the prefrontal than the posterior parietal cortex based on the variability of neuronal responses, and suggest functional differentiation between the two areas beyond differences in firing rate.
LACCARIA LACCATA COMPLEX IN NORTH AMERICA AND SWEDEN: INTERCOLLECTION PAIRING AND MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSES

Three intersterility groups, as well as several stocks which were intersterile with all other stocks, were detected among isolates obtained from North American collections referable to the Laccaria laccata complex. Members of these intersterility groups were intersterile with both of the intersterility groups previously identified among tested Swedish isolates referable to L. laccata sensu lato. Genetic divergence was detected between each of the four intersterility groups included in analyses of restriction fragment length polymorphisms of mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA. Multivariate morphometric analyses, however, only revealed a close correlation between basidioma morphology and intercollection pairing reactions in some cases. The following taxa are recognized from North America based on these studies: L. laccata var. laccata, L. laccata var. pallidifolia, L. longipes, L. montana, L. ohiensis (= L. tetraspora) and L. striatula. The tested Swedish material is referable to L. laccata var. moelleri and, putatively, L. laccata var. pallidifolia and L. ohiensis. These studies demonstrate the importance of using a variety of character sets for investigating taxonomic and biological problems in agarics that form ectomycorrhizae.
Prioritizing Environmental Justice and Equality: Diesel Emissions in Southern California

Existing environmental policies aim to reduce emissions but lack standards for addressing environmental justice. Environmental justice research documents disparities in exposure to air pollution; however, little guidance currently exists on how to make improvements or on how specific emission-reduction scenarios would improve or deteriorate environmental justice conditions. Here, we quantify how emission reductions from specific sources would change various measures of environmental equality and justice. We evaluate potential emission reductions for fine diesel particulate matter (DPM) in Southern California for five sources: on-road mobile, off-road mobile, ships, trains, and stationary. Our approach employs state-of-the-science dispersion and exposure models. We compare four environmental goals: impact, efficiency, equality, and justice. Results indicate potential trade-offs among those goals. For example, reductions in train emissions produce the greatest improvements in terms of efficiency, equality, and justice, whereas off-road mobile source reductions can have the greatest total impact. Reductions in on-road emissions produce improvements in impact, equality, and justice, whereas emission reductions from ships would widen existing population inequalities. Results are similar for complex versus simplified exposure analyses. The approach employed here could usefully be applied elsewhere to evaluate opportunities for improving environmental equality and justice in other locations.
Separation of highly viscous fluid threads in branching microchannels

We experimentally study the transport properties of threads made of high-viscosity fluids flowing in a sheath of miscible, low-viscosity fluids in bifurcating microchannels. A viscous filament is generated using a square hydrodynamic focusing section by injecting a ‘thick’ fluid into the central channel and a ‘thin’ fluid from the side channels. This method allows us to produce miscible fluid threads of various sizes and lateral positions in a straight channel and enables the systematic study of the downstream thread’s response to flow partitioning in branching microfluidic networks at low Reynolds numbers. A phase diagram detailing the various flow patterns observed at the first bifurcation, including thread folding, transport, and fouling, is presented along with transition lines. We also examine the role of viscous buckling instabilities on thread behavior and the formation of complex viscous mixtures and stratifications at the small scale. This work shows the possibility to finely control thread trajectory and stability as well as manipulate the structural arrangement of high-viscosity multiphase flows in complex microfluidic systems.
Grinding Damage in Fine Ceramics

Grinding damage, typically in the form of micro- and macroscopic cracks, chipping, voids, etc, is not normally preferred and should be avoided for structural components made of fine ceramics. This paper deals with grinding damage in fine ceramics. It gives a review on "ductile-regime"--the energy principle in grinding of fine ceramics, and analyzes the "pros" and "cons"of"ductile-regime"grinding. Theoretical and experimental evidences on grinding damage that goes beyond "ductile-regime"are also provided.
Functional properties of rat and human neocortical voltage-sensitive sodium currents

1. The functional properties of sodium currents in acutely dissociated adult human, neonatal rat [postnatal day (P) 3 and P10], and mature rat (P21-23) neocortical pyramidal neurons were studied using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. 2. The voltage dependence of activation and steady-state inactivation of neonatal rat sodium currents was shifted in the positive direction when compared with mature rat sodium currents. In contrast, no difference was detected between the voltage dependence of activation and steady-state inactivation of mature rat and adult human sodium currents. 3. The fast inactivation of rat (neonatal and mature) and human neocortical sodium currents were best fit with three components; a fast decay component, a slow decay component, and a persistent component. The magnitude of the persistent current in neocortical neurons averaged 1-3% of the peak current. Inactivation was faster for sodium currents in neonatal rat neocortical neurons than in mature neurons. No difference was detected in the kinetics of inactivation between mature rat and adult human sodium currents. 4. Saxitoxin (STX) inhibited neuronal sodium currents at nanomolar concentrations in neonatal and mature rat and adult human neocortical neurons. STX-insensitive channels were not detected. 5. STX affinity was also assayed using 3H-STX. A single high-affinity binding site was found in neonatal rat, mature rat, and adult human neocortical tissue. A developmental increase in STX binding site density in the rat neocortex was tightly correlated with the increase in the sodium current density (normalized to cell capacitance). Human neocortical tissue and mature rat neocortical tissue did not differ in STX binding site density or sodium current density. 6. From these electrophysiological and autoradiographic studies we conclude that 1) the increase in the normalized sodium current density and STX binding density with age postnatally reflects an increase in binding sites of sodium channels functionally expressed on neuronal membranes, 2) the functional differences in channel behavior with maturation can explain the higher threshold for excitation in neonatal neocortical neurons and the increase in accommodation or adaptation in firing in the mature neuron, and 3) mature rat neocortical neurons represent a valid model for the study of adult human pyramidal neocortical neurons in terms of Na+ channel expression and function.
Three-Dimensional Object Detection and Layout Prediction Using Clouds of Oriented Gradients

We develop new representations and algorithms for three-dimensional (3D) object detection and spatial layout prediction in cluttered indoor scenes. RGB-D images are traditionally described by local geometric features of the 3D point cloud. We propose a cloud of oriented gradient (COG) descriptor that links the 2D appearance and 3D pose of object categories, and thus accurately models how perspective projection affects perceived image boundaries. We also propose a "Manhattan voxel" representation which better captures the 3D room layout geometry of common indoor environments. Effective classification rules are learned via a structured prediction framework that accounts for the intersection-over-union overlap of hypothesized 3D cuboids with human annotations, as well as orientation estimation errors. Contextual relationships among categories and layout are captured via a cascade of classifiers, leading to holistic scene hypotheses with improved accuracy. Our model is learned solely from annotated RGB-D images, without the benefit of CAD models, but nevertheless its performance substantially exceeds the state-of-the-art on the SUN RGB-D database. Avoiding CAD models allows easier learning of detectors for many object categories.
Using Residential Segregation to Predict Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Two Different Approaches

Abstract Purpose Studies have found a variety of evidence regarding the association between residential segregation measures and health outcomes in the United States. Some have focused on any individuals living in residentially segregated places, whereas others have examined whether persons of specific races or ethnicities living in places with high segregation of their own race or ethnicity have differential outcomes. This article compares and contrasts these two approaches in the study of predictors of late-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses in a cross-national study. We argue that it is very important when interpreting results from studies like this to carefully consider the geographic scope of the analysis, which can significantly change the context and meaning of the results. Methods We use US Cancer Statistics Registry data from 40 states to identify late-stage diagnoses among over 500,000 CRC cases diagnosed during 2004–2009. We pool data over the states and estimate a multilevel model with person, county, and state levels and a random intercepts specification to ensure robust effect estimates. The isolation index of residential segregation is defined for racial and ethnic groups at the county level using Census 2000 data. The association between isolation indices and late-stage CRC diagnosis was measured by (1) anyone living in minority-segregated areas (place-centered approach) and by (2) individuals living in areas segregated by one's own racial or ethnic peers (person-centered approach). Results Findings from the place-centered approach suggest that living in a highly segregated African American community is associated with lower likelihood of late-stage CRC diagnosis, whereas the opposite is true for people living in highly segregated Asian communities, and living in highly segregated Hispanic communities has no significant association. Using the person-centered approach, we find that living in places segregated by one's racial or ethnic peers is associated with lower likelihood of late-stage CRC diagnosis. Conclusions In a model that covers a large geographic area across the nation, the place-centered approach is most likely picking up geographic disparities that may be deepened by targeted interventions in minority communities. By contrast, the person-centered approach provides a national average estimate suggesting that residential isolation may confer community cohesion or support that is associated with better CRC prevention.
Modeling of interfacial and bulk charge transfer in dye-sensitized solar cells

AbstractA simple, first-principles mathematical model has been developed to analyze the effect of interfacial and bulk charge transfer on the power output characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Under steady state operating conditions, the Butler-Volmer equation and Schottky barrier model were applied to evaluate the voltage loss at counter electrode/electrolyte and TiO2/TCO interfaces, respectively. Experimental data acquired from typical DSSCs tested in our laboratory have been used to validate the theoretical J–V characteristics predicted by the present model. Compared to the conventional diffusion model, the present model fitted the experimental J–V curve more accurately at high voltages (0.65–0.8 V). Parametric studies were conducted to analyze the effect of series resistance, shunt resistance, interfacial overpotential, as well as difference between the conduction band and formal redox potentials on DSSCs’ performance. Simulated results show that a “lower-limit” of shunt resistance (1...
Control of human skin wettability using the pH of anionic surfactant solution treatments

The outermost layer of human skin, or stratum corneum, acts as a protective barrier between underlying living tissue and the external environment. The wettability of this tissue layer can influence spreading of chemicals and the adhesion of pathogenic microorganisms. We show in this article that the wettability of isolated human stratum corneum can be controlled through treatment with solutions of the anionic surfactant, sodium lauryl sulfate, buffered to different pH values. Relative to control treatments with the buffer solution alone, surfactant solution treatments under acidic conditions cause delipidated stratum corneum to become more hydrophobic. In contrast, alkaline conditions cause the stratum corneum to become more hydrophilic; irrespective of lipid composition. This transition is consistent with a reorientation of bound surfactants at the tissue interface. Under acidic conditions, electrostatic binding of negatively charged surfactant head groups with positively charged keratin in the stratum corneum would increase tissue hydrophobicity due to the exposed hydrophobic tails. However, a hydrophobic based attraction of the apolar surfactant tails to the stratum corneum surface under alkaline conditions would leave the hydrophilic surfactant head groups exposed, causing increased tissue hydrophilicity. Changes in wettability with pH become diminished when lipids ordinarily found in stratum corneum are present, suggesting the lipids partially inhibit surfactant binding. Profilometry studies of the tissue topography highlight that surfactant induced changes in stratum corneum surface roughness cannot account for the observed changes in wettability.
SLIM: Enabling Transparent Extensibility and Dynamic Configuration via Session-Layer Abstractions

Increasingly, communication requires more from the network stack, e.g., seamless handoff and synchronization of state between multiple participants. Due to the lack of support for desired functionality, networking libraries are created to fill the void. This leads to considerable duplication of effort and complicates cross-platform development. Furthermore, the means for extending legacy protocol stacks is largely exhausted (e.g., the TCP options space in the SYN message is mostly allocated), making the addition of future extensions much more challenging. In this paper, we tease apart elements of session management that are currently conflated with the transport semantics in TCP and highlight the need for sessions in contemporary communications. Next, we propose session, flow, and endpoint abstractions that lead to a clearer description of advanced communication models. This effort results in an extensible session-layer intermediary (SLIM) that leverages the above abstractions to support the additional functionality needed by modern applications, such as mobility, communication between two or more participants, and dynamic reconfiguration. SLIM's approach also provides the means for future extensibility of the network stack in a backward-compatible way, thus enabling incremental adoption.
Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis

Guidelines regarding antibiotic prophylaxis against subacute bacterial endocarditis in patients with heart disease during minor procedures of the GI, GU, and respiratory tract have changed significantly in recent years. Current guidelines from the ACC/AHA recommend against antibiotic prophylaxis in all circumstances except in the case of active infection and during invasive dental procedures in a specific subset of at-risk patients.
P264 HLA antibody and liver transplantation

Aim HLA match is important to solid organ transplantation, especially to kidney and thoracic transplant. However, HLA antibody and matches to liver transplant are still critical topics figure out whether liver graft can develop antibody mediated rejection or protect other solid organ transplant. This study is focusing on monitoring pre- and post-transplant DSA of liver transplant to figure out the importance of HLA CI and CII antibody for liver and other organ transplantation. Methods Eight patients with liver transplant only and one patient received liver and kidney. All donors were no DCD donor but either EBV or CMV positive. Solid phase assay: Luminex HLA single antigen beads. Results 1. Two patients had pre HLA CI DSA. After 2–4 days of transplant, CI DSAs were disappeared and other CI antibodies within the same CREG of DSA were disappeared as well. One patient had DSA as B60 as in Fig. and DSA B60 disappeared after 4 days of transplant. 2. Three patients had pre HLA CII DSA. After liver transplanted, CII DSAs were not disappeared and CII DSA’s MFIs went up higher than pre transplant; there was one patient without DSA, when liver function became abnormal, this patient developed HLA CI and CII DSA; for the patient with liver and kidney transplant, liver graft can’t protect the kidney’s AMR caused from CII DSA (see Table). Conclusions The results indicate that if the patients with liver transplant have HLA CI DSA and functional liver, CI DSA will be cleaned soon after grafted and other CI antibody within the same CREG of DSA will be cleaned as well. If the liver graft failed or infected, the patient will develop both CI and CII DSA. There is a high rate of CII DSA detected after liver transplant. More cases will be collected in order to confirm the indication above. Download high-res image (474KB) Download full-size image Download high-res image (112KB) Download full-size image
Implications of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle and Initial Lactate Measurement on the Management of Sepsis

Background Sepsis remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, leading to the implementation of the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle (SEP-1). SEP-1 identifies patients with "severe sepsis" via clinical and laboratory criteria and mandates interventions, including lactate draws and antibiotics, within a specific time window. We sought to characterize the patients affected and to study the implications of SEP-1 on patient care and outcomes. Methods All adults admitted to the University of Chicago from November 2008 to January 2016 were eligible. Modified SEP-1 criteria were used to identify appropriate patients. Time to lactate draw and antibiotic and IV fluid administration were calculated. In-hospital mortality was examined. Results Lactates were measured within the mandated window 32% of the time on the ward (n = 505) compared with 55% (n = 818) in the ICU and 79% (n = 2,144) in the ED. Patients with delayed lactate measurements demonstrated the highest in-hospital mortality at 29%, with increased time to antibiotic administration (median time, 3.9 vs 2.0 h). Patients with initial lactates > 2.0 mmol/L demonstrated an increase in the odds of death with hourly delay in lactate measurement (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.0003-1.05; P = .04). Conclusions Delays in lactate measurement are associated with delayed antibiotics and increased mortality in patients with initial intermediate or elevated lactate levels. Systematic early lactate measurement for all patients with sepsis will lead to a significant increase in lactate draws that may prompt more rapid physician intervention for patients with abnormal initial values.
Proteinuria among patients with chronic kidney disease: a performance measure for improving patient outcomes.

Article-at-a-Glance Background In an effort to improve identification and treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) developed the Kidney Disease Quality Outcomes Initiative (KDQOI) clinical practice guidelines, which include measurement of proteinuria among all patients with CKD who are not receiving chronic dialysis therapy. Encouraging dissemination and utilization of these guidelines may be enhanced by the development of performance measures. The question of whether adequate evidence exists to advocate for the measurement of proteinuria in CKD as a performance measure was explored. Methods The US Preventive Services Task Force "chain of evidence" framework was used to guide evidence synthesis from the systematic review. Five questions were applied to specific links in the evidence chain: (1) Is there direct evidence that testing for proteinuria improves health outcomes? (2) What is the yield of testing, in terms of both accuracy and reliability of the test and the prevalence of undiagnosed proteinuria? (3) What adverse effects result from testing a person for proteinuria? (4) Does treatment of proteinuria as a result of testing provide an incremental benefit in health outcomes? and (5) What adverse effects result from treating a person for proteinuria? The systematic search specifically targeted meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Findings The systematic review revealed no direct evidence that testing for proteinuria among patients with CKD reduced incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the strong links between testing, treatment, and outcome suggest a correlation between proteinuria testing and ESRD. Conclusions Current evidence suggests that proteinuria testing (using the albumin-to-creatinine ratio [ACR]) among patients with CKD would be an appropriate health care quality performance measure for improving patient outcomes.
Algorithms for American Options

Similar to barrier options, American options may be terminated prematurely sometime between the settlement and the face maturity date. This seems to make the techniques discussed in Chapters 5 and 7 apphcable to portfolios that contain American options as well.
Text-Based Detection and Understanding of Changes in Mental Health

Previous work has investigated the identification of mental health issues in social media users, yet the way that users’ mental states and related behavior change over time remains relatively understudied. This paper focuses on online mental health communities and studies how users’ contributions to these communities change over one year. We define a metric called the Mental Health Contribution Index (MHCI), which we use to measure the degree to which users’ contributions to mental health topics change over a one-year period. In this work, we study the relationship between MHCI scores and the online expression of mental health symptoms by extracting relevant linguistic features from user-generated content and conducting statistical analyses. Additionally, we build a classifier to predict whether or not a user’s contributions to mental health subreddits will increase or decrease. Finally, we employ propensity score matching to identify factors that correlate with an increase or a decrease in mental health forum contributions. Our work provides some of the first insights into detecting and understanding social media users’ changes in mental health states over time.
Commodification in Hemingway’s Early Fiction

Commodification of traditional values, even morals, was a constant concern of Hemingway’s.1 By commodification, I mean monetizing what had been a traditional value, simply replacing what had been a...
The Interpretation of Plans

In his contribution, Scott Shapiro makes reference, within the framework of his theory of law as a plan, to the problem of legal disagreements. Shapiro emphasizes the relevance of social facts while refusing the requirement of interpretive conventions. Like Dworkin, he understands that, in order to provide an explanation for theoretical disagreements, it is essential to take into consideration the purpose of legal practice. In addition, both agree that the most appropriate interpretive methodology in a legal system depends on which best fits its objectives. But, unlike Dworkin, Shapiro does not accept that the attribution of a purpose requires an exercise in moral and political philosophy, but just an inquiry related to social facts. In this sense, the task of the legal interpreter is to detect the political objectives that were intended by the designers of the system, so that the relevant purposes are those that explain the practice and not those that justify; as a consequence, they may be morally deficient. To uncover these objectives, the interpreter must analyse the institutional structure and determine which objectives and values best explain the system. The correct interpretive methodology for the system will be the methodology that best harmonizes with the objectives of those who designed it.
The Epilepsy Genetics Initiative: Systematic reanalysis of diagnostic exomes increases yield.

Objective The Epilepsy Genetics Initiative (EGI) was formed in 2014 to create a centrally managed database of clinically generated exome sequence data. EGI performs systematic research-based reanalysis to identify new molecular diagnoses that were not possible at the time of initial sequencing and to aid in novel gene discovery. Herein we report on the efficacy of this approach 3 years after inception. Methods One hundred sixty-six individuals with epilepsy who underwent diagnostic whole exome sequencing (WES) were enrolled, including 139 who had not received a genetic diagnosis. Sequence data were transferred to the EGI and periodically reevaluated on a research basis. Results Eight new diagnoses were made as a result of updated annotations or the discovery of novel epilepsy genes after the initial diagnostic analysis was performed. In five additional cases, we provided new evidence to support or contradict the likelihood of variant pathogenicity reported by the laboratory. One novel epilepsy gene was discovered through dual interrogation of research and clinically generated WES. Significance EGI's diagnosis rate of 5.8% represents a considerable increase in diagnostic yield and demonstrates the value of periodic reinterrogation of whole exome data. The initiative's contributions to gene discovery underscore the importance of data sharing and the value of collaborative enterprises.
Introduction to “Common Space and Individual Space: Comments on a Group Task from the First Half of 1993,” Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw

The introductory text presents “Common Space and Individual Space: Comments on a Group Task from the First Half of 1993,” a document translated into English from Polish and published here. The orig...
Quantum vertex algebras and quantum affine algebras

In the general theory of vertex algebras, a basic open problem has been to develop a suitable theory of quantum vertex algebras so that quantum vertex algebras can be naturally associated to quantum affine algebras. Partially motivated by Etingof and Kazhdans theory of quantum vertex operator algebras, since 2005 we have systematically developed and studied a theory of (weak) quantum vertex algebras and their $\phi$-coordinated modules, and we have established natural connections of some celebrated algebras such as double Yangians with quantum vertex algebras. Especially, we have established a natural connection of quantum affine algebras with weak quantum vertex algebras. In this connection, weak quantum vertex algebras were associated theoretically, while the explicit structures are yet to be determined and we still need to prove that these are indeed quantum vertex algebras. To a certain extent, this provides a primary solution to the very open problem. On the other hand, with this theory being developed, it has been used to build natural connections of some important algebras with quantum vertex algebras, showing its high practical value. In this survey paper, we review the theory of (weak) quantum vertex algebras and their $\phi$-coordinated modules, and summarize the main results in this development, including the association of quantum vertex algebras to Zamolodchikov-Faddeev algebras, centerless double Yangians, and quantum $\beta\gamma$-system.
What usage can tell us about grammar: Embedded verb second in Scandinavian

This paper uses large-scale data extracted from a series of Swedish corpora to investigate the factors responsible for conditioning the choice of (optional) embedded V2 in Swedish. Embedded V2 has been argued to represent a more general kind of syntactic optionality found across languages: syntactic structures typically found in matrix clauses, but which are also available in certain types of embedded environments (so called Main Clause Phenomena). While the received view, going back to Hooper & Thompson (1973), is that the availability of main clause syntax has a semantic-pragmatic correlate in the presence of Illocutionary Force, pinpointing exactly what this amounts to has remained an open problem. Through statistical analysis of the Swedish corpus data, combined with results from a semantic-inference task, we are able to falsify certain previous (theoretical and empirical) claims about the distribution and interpretation of embedded V2. We additionally evaluate, and find no evidence to support, a processing or usage-based view of optionality in embedded V2. We argue instead that the interpretive notion driving the distribution of embedded V2 is discourse novelty; whether the embedded proposition is treated as discourse-old or new information. We argue that embedded V2 is licensed in contexts where p is discourse novel. While this is fundamentally a pragmatic notion, it is nevertheless tightly constrained by both lexical-semantic properties of the matrix predicate and other aspects of the grammatical context. An important methodological consequence of this work is that by looking at particular interactions of lexical and grammatical contexts, statistical analysis of usage data can be used to test specific predictions made by syntactic and semantic theory.