cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A SURVEY OF APPROXIMATE LINEARIZATION APPROACHES FOR CHEMICAL REACTOR CONTROL

Abstract The tools of differential geometry have received considerable attention as a nonlinear approach to chemical reactor control over the past several years. Although there have been many successful case studies, there are a number of restrictions which limit the general applicability of these approaches. Among these restrictions are the size of the dynamical system, the properties of involutivity (for exact state linearization); minimum phase and well-defined relative degree (for input-output linearization). A number of chemical reactor systems have been identified which violate one or more of these restrictions. Alternatively, there are a number of approaches which can be used to “approximately” linearize a nonlinear system which is characterized by one or more of the above restrictions. In this article, we survey these approaches to approximate linearization. Among the approaches considered here are Poincare Linearization, Uniform System Approximation, Pseudolinearization, Extended Linearization, Geometrical Linearization and Control Perturbation Function approaches. These techniques all share the common property that in some neighborhood of an operating locus or a single operating point, the ideal “linearized” system behavior is obtained for the actual plant or for a “reasonably close” approximation.
Domains in Metric Measure Spaces with Boundary of Positive Mean Curvature, and the Dirichlet Problem for Functions of Least Gradient

We study the geometry of domains in complete metric measure spaces equipped with a doubling measure supporting a 1-Poincare inequality. We propose a notion of domain with boundary of positive mean curvature and prove that, for such domains, there is always a solution to the Dirichlet problem for least gradients with continuous boundary data. Here least gradient is defined as minimizing total variation (in the sense of BV functions), and boundary conditions are satisfied in the sense that the boundary trace of the solution exists and agrees with the given boundary data. This extends the result of Sternberg et al. (J Reine Angew Math 430:35–60, 1992) to the non-smooth setting. Via counterexamples, we also show that uniqueness of solutions and existence of continuous solutions can fail, even in the weighted Euclidean setting with Lipschitz weights.
Interaction of Prostaglandins and Angiotensin II in the Modulation of Renal Function in Congestive Heart Failure

Despite a dramatic fall in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate is usually preserved in patients with congestive heart failure until the terminal stages of the disease. This maintenance of renal function appears to be achieved in part by the synthesis of two vasoactive factors within the kidney--angiotensin II and prostaglandins--which are rapidly released whenever renal perfusion is compromised or sympathetic nerve traffic to the kidneys is increased. Although these two hormonal systems exert opposite effects on systemic and renal blood flow and sodium and water excretion, both act to preserve glomerular filtration rate: prostaglandins by a vasodilator action exerted primarily on the afferent arteriole and angiotensin II by a vasoconstrictor effect on the efferent arteriole. Consequently, when the synthesis of these hormones is experimentally blocked, renal function deteriorates, especially in subjects with marked renal hypoperfusion and sodium depletion; these two factors interact to determine the importance of intrarenal hormonal release in the modulation of renal function. Clinically, four specific factors have been identified that predispose patients with heart failure to the development of functional renal insufficiency after treatment with converting-enzyme or cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors: (1) marked renal hypoperfusion, (2) vigorous diuretic therapy, (3) diabetes mellitus, and (4) intensity of hormonal inhibition within the kidney. This last risk factor may provide the basis for differentiating among enzyme-inhibitory drugs and suggests that renal insufficiency in low-output states may be minimized by the development of therapeutic agents that block hormonal synthesis selectively at sites that are critical to the disease process but spare the homeostatic tissue-based enzyme systems that exist within the kidney.
Optimal Management of Cloacal Exstrophy

Classic management of cloacal exstrophy has emphasized primary closure of the omphalocele, end ileostomy, and delayed genitourinary reconstruction. The resultant mortality from "short-bowel syndrome" and urinary sepsis, and morbidity from inappropriate gender assignment has prompted us to reexamine the operative approach to this problem. Our experience involves 15 cases from 2 days to 21 years after repair. All had initial closure of their omphalocele. Nine of the 15 had closure of the vesicointestinal fistula with preservation of the distal colon segment and creation of an end colostomy; 2 had an initial ileostomy with later conversion to an end colostomy; and 2 have permanent ileostomies. Nine of the 15 were genetic males; six were converted to female, five during the newborn period and one at 9 months. The hemibladders were approximated in 13 of 15 and two had a primary turn-in of the exstrophied bladder. Three had bladder closure with iliac osteotomies delayed beyond the newborn period. Urinary diversion has been utilized in 11 patients, 7 ileal conduits, 1 vesicostomy, 2 cutaneous ureterostomies, and 2 temporary pyelostomies; only one patient remains with an exstrophied bladder. Three patients with closure of the bladder remain incontinent. Of our patients, 13 of 15 are alive and well. One died at age 2 days because of renal agenesis and one was 19 years old when found dead of an unknown cause. There have been no deaths due to short-bowel syndrome or sepsis, and no patients have had upper urinary-tract deterioration. These results prompt us to recommend the following therapy for cloacal exstrophy: (1) early closure of the omphalocele; (2) closure of the vesicointestinal fistula with creation of an end colostomy at the distal end of the blind pouch; (3) reapproximation of the hemibladders; and (4) gender assignment to female. Subsequent procedures in the stable infant would include bladder closure and later reconstruction for continence if the bladder is suitable or appropriate permanent diversion.
Tax administration practices and firms’ perceptions of corruption : evidence from Europe and Central Asia

Two competing conceptualizations of corruption in the literature allow viewing it either as efficient or burdensome from firms' perspective. Using data on the prevalence and nature of firms' interactions with tax authorities in 28 countries in Europe and Central Asia, this paper contributes to the evaluation of competing ideas in the literature about firms’ experience of corruption in tax administration. The findings presented in the paper provide provisional support for the second line of reasoning, that corruption in taxation is a burden, rather than a type of efficiency. Special emphasis is given to examination of taxation-related determinants of corruption prevalence (frequency and magnitude of bribery), as well as the effect of the interaction with tax authorities on perception of tax and overall corruption. Regardless of country context, it appears that, more than anything else, perceived corruption in tax administration and actual experiences with bribery during interactions with tax officials, affect the overall perceptions of corruption.
Liposarcoma of the Spermatic Cord: Case Report and Review of the Literature

This report describes a patient with liposarcoma of the spermatic cord. The clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and prognosis of this unusual sarcoma are reviewed. The low-grade malignant potential and irregular growth characteristics of this liposarcoma render preoperative diagnosis difficult. The role of radical orchiectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy in the treatment of spermatic cord sarcomas is discussed.
The Southwest Oncology Group Experience: Adjuvant Therapy for Stage IB and II Non-Seminomatous Testicular Cancer

During a two year period, 65 patients with Stage II non-seminomatous testis cancer were randomized to receive adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Of the 52 evaluable patients, 23 received radiation followed by chemotherapy (sequential), and 29 received the same chemotherapy as initial treatment, but had drug treatment temporarily interrupted for radiation (sandwich). The combined treatment was well tolerated, but did not eliminate recurrence. With regard to duration of survival and disease-free survival, no statistically significant difference could be found between the sequential and sandwich approaches.
Acute Surgical Illness in Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia

Acute abdominal pain frequently accompanies sickle cell crisis. The character of this pain may be difficult to discriminate from acute surgical processes such as acute cholecystitis or appendicitis. Seven patients with sickle cell disease presenting with abdominal pain underwent surgery. Review of the medical records demonstrated a characteristic pattern of presentation consistent from crisis to crisis. When patients with known sickle cell disease present with symptoms of abdominal pain, (1) the character of the symptoms, (2) precipitating events, (3) white blood cell count, (4) bilirubin, and (5) fever should be compared with those characteristics in previous crises. Deviation from previous patterns suggests an illness caused by problems other than sickel cell crisis.
Public Sector Employment in an Equilibrium Search and Matching Model

In this paper, we extend the standard Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides model of equilibrium unemployment to incorporate public-sector employment. We modify the model in three ways. First, we assume that workers are heterogeneous in terms of human capital. Second, we assume that productivity is match specic and that the distribution of match-specic productivity is more favorable in the sense of rst-order stochastic dominance the higher is a worker’s human capital. Third, we allow for both private- and public-sector employment. We prove existence of equilibrium and numerically analyze the eects of public-sector employment policy on the distributions of wages, productivities and human capital levels in the two sectors and on overall employment and welfare using data from Colombia.
Terrorizing Advocacy and the First Amendment: Free Expression and the Fallacy of Mutual Exclusivity

Recent concern about modern terrorists’ attempts to induce ideologically-driven violence has given rise to a First Amendment dilemma. Some conclude that to preserve our free speech tradition, unlawful advocacy must be protected absent the imminent danger of harm. Others argue that traditional First Amendment protection must be suspended in the specific context of terrorist speech to prevent potentially violent catastrophes. We seek to resolve this dilemma by recognizing a new hybrid category called “terrorizing advocacy.” This is a type of traditionally protected public unlawful advocacy that simultaneously exhibits the unprotected pathologies of true threats. When a speaker urges a willing listener to commit violence against an intended victim who is an intended recipient of the speaker’s advocacy, the speech constitutes a blend of protected persuasive and unprotected coercive speech. We propose a new multi-factor test designed to balance these competing elements in a manner that protects unlawful advocacy when appropriate but suppresses inherently coercive threats where they dominate the expression. In this manner we have recognized an inherent duality of two types of criminal speech when to date courts and scholars have implicitly assumed the mutual exclusivity of unlawful advocacy and true threats doctrine.
The Mechanism of Diabetic Retinopathy Pathogenesis Unifying Key Lipid Regulators, Sirtuin 1 and Liver X Receptor

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication secondary to diabetes and is the number one cause of blindness among working age individuals worldwide. Despite recent therapeutic breakthroughs using pharmacotherapy, a cure for DR has yet to be realized. Several clinical trials have highlighted the vital role dyslipidemia plays in the progression of DR. Additionally, it has recently been shown that activation of Liver X receptor (LXRα/LXRβ) prevents DR in diabetic animal models. LXRs are nuclear receptors that play key roles in regulating cholesterol metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and inflammation. In this manuscript, we show insight into DR pathogenesis by demonstrating an innovative signaling axis that unifies key metabolic regulators, Sirtuin 1 and LXR, in modulating retinal cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in the diabetic retina. Expression of both regulators, Sirtuin 1 and LXR, are significantly decreased in diabetic human retinal samples and in a type 2 diabetic animal model. Additionally, activation of LXR restores reverse cholesterol transport, prevents inflammation, reduces pro-inflammatory macrophages activity and prevents the formation of diabetes-induced acellular capillaries. Taken together, the work presented in this manuscript highlights the important role lipid dysregulation plays in DR progression and offers a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of DR.
Medical diagnostic imaging support systems for military medicine

The Surgeon''s General of the military services created the Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support (MDIS) project to exploit the results of extensive imaging research efforts over the past ten years. The MDIS project will achieve the objective of implementing filmless medical imaging systems at several military medical treatment facilities over the next 4 years. Filmless medical imaging systems must be presented to decision makers via strategic principles to foster support. MDIS is a superior alternative for health care delivery when compared to film- based image management systems which are inherently limited by film as a hard copy media. Four enabling core technologies make it possible to system integrate an effective filmless system for military medicine. These filmless MDIS systems will be acquired from industry through a contracting approach that (1) functionally describes subsystem and system performance for acceptable clinical operations, (2) validates proposed systems through performance evaluation, and (3) makes a system selection and contract award that based on best value for the government.
Theoretical estimates of equilibrium chlorine-isotope fractionations

Abstract Equilibrium chlorine-isotope (37Cl/35Cl) fractionations have been determined by using published vibrational spectra and force-field modeling to calculate reduced partition function ratios for Cl-isotope exchange. Ab initio force fields calculated at the HF/6-31G(d) level are used to estimate unknown vibrational frequencies of 37Cl-bearing molecules, whereas crystalline phases are modeled by published lattice-dynamics models. Calculated fractionations are principally controlled by the oxidation state of Cl and its bond partners. Molecular mass (or the absence of C-H bonds) also appears to play a role in determining relative fractionations among simple Cl-bearing organic species. Molecules and complexes with oxidized Cl (i.e., Cl0, Cl+, etc.) will concentrate 37Cl relative to chlorides (substances with Cl−). At 298 K, ClO2 (containing Cl4+) and [ClO4]− (containing Cl7+) will concentrate 37Cl relative to chlorides by as much as 27‰ and 73‰, respectively, in rough agreement with earlier calculations. Among chlorides, 37Cl will be concentrated in substances where Cl is bonded to +2 cations (i.e., FeCl2, MnCl2, micas, and amphiboles) relative to substances where Cl is bonded to +1 cations (such as NaCl) by ∼2 to 3‰ at 298 K; organic molecules with C-Cl bonds will be even richer in 37Cl (∼5 to 9‰ at 298 K). Precipitation experiments, in combination with our results, provide an estimate for Cl-isotope partitioning in brines and suggest that silicates (to the extent that their Cl atoms are associated with nearest-neighbor +2 cations analogous with FeCl2 and MnCl2) will have higher 37Cl/35Cl ratios than coexisting brine (by ∼2 to 3‰ at room temperature). Calculated fractionations between HCl and Cl2, and between brines and such alteration minerals, are in qualitative agreement with both experimental results and systematics observed in natural samples. Our results suggest that Cl-bearing organic molecules will have markedly higher 37Cl/35Cl ratios (by 5.8‰ to 8.5‰ at 295 K) than coexisting aqueous solutions at equilibrium. Predicted fractionations are consistent with the presence of an isotopically heavy reservoir of HCl that is in exchange equilibrium with Cl−aq in large marine aerosols.
Charles Nisbet: Second Thoughts on a Revolutionary Generation

Charles Nisbet (ne en 1736) est le premier president du Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvanie a partir de 1785 lorsqu'il emigre d'Ecosse. Nisbet se fait le champion de la cause des colons americains contre la couronne d'Angleterre. En matiere politique, Nisbet se veut elitiste en pensant que les affaires publiques devaient etre entre les mains d'hommes animes par un esprit public. Il est choque par la Revolution francaise et par les exces entraines par la souverainete du peuple. Il devient alors tres suspicieux a l'egard de ce phenomene. Au meme moment, il s'inquiete de l'absence d'appuis prives ou publics pour la religion
Triangle counting in large networks: a review

Counting and enumeration of local topological structures, such as triangles, is an important task for analyzing large real-life networks. For instance, triangle count in a network is used to compute transitivity—an important property for understanding graph evolution over time. Triangles are also used for various other tasks completed for real-life networks, including community discovery, link prediction, and spam filtering. The task of triangle counting, though simple, has gained wide attention in recent years from the data mining community. This is due to the fact that most of the existing algorithms for counting triangles do not scale well to very large networks with millions (or even billions) of vertices. To circumvent this limitation, researchers proposed triangle counting methods that approximate the count or run on distributed clusters. In this paper, we discuss the existing methods of triangle counting, ranging from sequential to parallel, single-machine to distributed, exact to approximate, and off-line to streaming. We also present experimental results of performance comparison among a set of approximate triangle counting methods built under a unified implementation framework. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of future works in this direction. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Efficient analysis of stochastic gene dynamics in the non-adiabatic regime using piecewise deterministic Markov processes

Single-cell experiments show that gene expression is stochastic and bursty, a feature that can emerge from slow switching between promoter states with different activities. In addition to slow chromatin and/or DNA looping dynamics, one source of long-lived promoter states is the slow binding and unbinding kinetics of transcription factors to promoters, i.e. the non-adiabatic binding regime. Here, we introduce a simple analytical framework, known as a piecewise deterministic Markov process (PDMP), that accurately describes the stochastic dynamics of gene expression in the non-adiabatic regime. We illustrate the utility of the PDMP on a non-trivial dynamical system by analysing the properties of a titration-based oscillator in the non-adiabatic limit. We first show how to transform the underlying chemical master equation into a PDMP where the slow transitions between promoter states are stochastic, but whose rates depend upon the faster deterministic dynamics of the transcription factors regulated by these promoters. We show that the PDMP accurately describes the observed periods of stochastic cycles in activator and repressor-based titration oscillators. We then generalize our PDMP analysis to more complicated versions of titration-based oscillators to explain how multiple binding sites lengthen the period and improve coherence. Last, we show how noise-induced oscillation previously observed in a titration-based oscillator arises from non-adiabatic and discrete binding events at the promoter site.
Theory of long-range interactions for Rydberg states attached to hyperfine-split cores

The theory is developed for one- and two-atom interactions when the atom has a Rydberg electron attached to a hyperfine-split core state. This situation is relevant for some of the rare-earth and alkaline-earth atoms that have been proposed for experiments on Rydberg-Rydberg interactions. For the rare-earth atoms, the core electrons can have a very substantial total angular momentum $J$ and a nonzero nuclear spin $I$. In the alkaline-earth atoms there is a single ($s$) core electron whose spin can couple to a nonzero nuclear spin for odd isotopes. The resulting hyperfine splitting of the core state can lead to substantial mixing between the Rydberg series attached to different thresholds. Compared to the unperturbed Rydberg series of the alkali-metal atoms, the series perturbations and near degeneracies from the different parity states could lead to qualitatively different behavior for single-atom Rydberg properties (polarizability, Zeeman mixing and splitting, etc.) as well as Rydberg-Rydberg interactions (${C}_{5}$ and ${C}_{6}$ matrices).
Amantadine Did Not Positively Impact Cognition in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multi-Site, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Despite limited evidence to support the use of amantadine to enhance cognitive function after traumatic brain injury (TBI), the clinical use for this purpose is highly prevalent and is often based on inferred belief systems. The aim of this study was to assess effect of amantadine on cognition among individuals with a history of TBI and behavioral disturbance using a parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of amantadine 100 mg twice-daily versus placebo for 60 days. Included in the study were 119 individuals with two or more neuropsychological measures greater than 1 standard deviation below normative means from a larger study of 168 individuals with chronic TBI (>6 months post-injury) and irritability. Cognitive function was measured at treatment days 0, 28, and 60 with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Composite indices were generated: General Cognitive Index (included all measures), a Learning Memory Index (learning/memory measures), and Attention/Processing Speed Index (attention and executive function measures). Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant between-group differences favoring the placebo group at day 28 for General Cognitive Index (p = 0.002) and Learning Memory Index (p = 0.001), but not Attention/Processing Speed Index (p = 0.25), whereas no statistically significant between-group differences were found at day 60. There were no statistically significant between-group differences on adverse events. Cognitive function in individuals with chronic TBI is not improved by amantadine 100 mg twice-daily. In the first 28 days of use, amantadine may impede cognitive processing. However, the effect size was small and mean scores for both groups were generally within expectations for persons with history of complicated mild-to-severe TBI, suggesting that changes observed across assessments may not have functional significance. The use of amantadine to enhance cognitive function is not supported by these findings.
Step-Down Impedance Control Network Resonant DC–DC Converter Utilizing an Enhanced Phase-Shift Control for Wide-Input-Range Operation

This paper introduces an isolated step-down impedance control network (ICN) resonant dc–dc converter that utilizes enhanced inverter and rectifier phase-shifts to achieve both soft switching and output voltage regulation. Compared to previously presented ICN converters, which utilize burst-mode control to achieve output voltage regulation, this ICN converter with the proposed enhanced phase-shift control has dramatically reduced output capacitance requirement. The avoidance of burst-mode control also simplifies the design of the converter's input electromagnetic interference filter, reduces switch stresses due to overshoots during repeated startup transitions, and improves converter efficiency by eliminating startup and shutdown losses as well as by reducing conduction losses when backing off in power. A closed-loop control architecture for the ICN converter operated under enhanced phase-shift control is also proposed, wherein state-feedback control is incorporated to guarantee stability and achieve good dynamic performance across wide variations in input voltage and output power. A prototype 1-MHz, 120-W step-down ICN converter designed for an input voltage range of 18–75 V, an output voltage of 12 V, and a 10:1 output power range is built and tested with both burst-mode control and the proposed enhanced phase-shift control. When operated with enhanced phase-shift control, the prototype ICN converter achieves a peak efficiency of 95.7% and maintains full-power efficiency above 91.7% across its 4:1 input voltage range. Compared to when operated under burst-mode control, the ICN converter with enhanced phase-shift control reduces converter losses by up to 30% and reduces the output capacitance requirement by two orders of magnitude. The prototype ICN converter is also operated under closed-loop control using a digitally implemented controller based on the proposed architecture, and is shown to successfully regulate its output voltage in the face of input voltage and load variations.
Mitochondria and Wolbachia titers are positively correlated during maternal transmission

Mothers provide their offspring with symbionts. Maternally transmitted, intracellular symbionts must disperse from mother to offspring with other cytoplasmic elements, like mitochondria. Here, we investigated how the intracellular symbiont Wolbachia interacts with mitochondria during maternal transmission. Mitochondria and Wolbachia may interact antagonistically and compete as each population tries to ensure its own evolutionary success. Alternatively, mitochondria and Wolbachia may cooperate as both benefit from ensuring the fitness of the mother. We characterized the relationship between mitochondria and Wolbachia titers in ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster. We found that mitochondria and Wolbachia titers are positively correlated in common laboratory genotypes of D. melanogaster. We attempted to perturb this covariation through the introduction of Wolbachia variants that colonize at different titers. We also attempted to perturb the covariation through manipulating the female reproductive tract to disrupt maternal transmission. Finally, we also attempted to disrupt the covariation by knocking down gene expression for two loci involved in mitochondrial metabolism: NADH dehydrogenase and a mitochondrial transporter. Overall, we find that mitochondria and Wolbachia titers are commonly positively correlated, but this positive covariation is disrupted at high titers of Wolbachia. Our results suggest that mitochondria and Wolbachia have likely evolved mechanisms to stably coexist, but the competitive dynamics change at high Wolbachia titers. We provide future directions to better understand how their interaction influences the maintenance of the symbiosis.
The three pillars of machine programming

In this position paper, we describe our vision of the future of machine programming through a categorical examination of three pillars of research. Those pillars are: (i) intention, (ii) invention, and (iii) adaptation. Intention emphasizes advancements in the human-to-computer and computer-to-machine-learning interfaces. Invention emphasizes the creation or refinement of algorithms or core hardware and software building blocks through machine learning (ML). Adaptation emphasizes advances in the use of ML-based constructs to autonomously evolve software.
Robustness of Interdependent Random Geometric Networks

We propose an interdependent random ggraph (RGG) model for interdependent networks. Based on this model, we study the robustness of two interdependent spatially embedded networks where interdependence exists between geographically nearby nodes in the two networks. We study the emergence of the giant mutual component in two interdependent RGGs as node densities increase, and define the percolation threshold as a pair of node densities above which the giant mutual component first appears. In contrast to the case for a single RGG, where the percolation threshold is a unique scalar for a given connection distance, for two interdependent RGGs, multiple pairs of percolation thresholds may exist, given that a smaller node density in one RGG may increase the minimum node density in the other RGG in order for a giant mutual component to exist. We derive analytical upper bounds on the percolation thresholds of two interdependent RGGs by discretization, and obtain 99 percent confidence intervals for the percolation thresholds by simulation. Based on these results, we derive conditions for the interdependent RGGs to be robust under random failures and geographical attacks.
Low-noise, digital-alloy avalanche photodiodes

Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) can provide higher sensitivity than p-i-n photodiodes owing to their internal gain. However, the gain, which originates from impact ionization is also a source of noise. Recently, using AlxIn1-xAsySb1-y grown as a digital alloy we have demonstrated APDs with noise as low as Si at telecommunication wavelengths (1300 nm to 1550 nm). In this paper, we report on additional AlInGaAsSb digital alloys and demonstrate noise suppression relative to random alloys. This is related to the fundamental issue of transport in ordered materials and provides the potential for “designer APDs” covering a broad range of spectral bands.
A survey of mobile technology usage and desires by caregivers of children with cancer.

BACKGROUND The use of mobile health (mHealth) has grown exponentially, even by caregivers of vulnerable populations. The study objective was to understand mobile technology usage, barriers, and desires by caregivers of children with cancer. PROCEDURE Paper surveys were mailed to caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer at Riley Hospital for Children between June 2015 and June 2017. The survey contained 13 questions, both fixed and open-ended, and was sent in both English and Spanish up to three times. RESULTS Respondents (n = 121) were primarily parents (93.2%), median age was 40.7 years (range 23-63), and most were white, non-Hispanic (74.4%). The majority made under $100,000 annual household income (72.9%) and had an education of at least some college or greater (74.5%). Nearly all owned a smart phone (99.2%) and most (61.2%) owned a tablet. Among operating systems, the majority used iOS (62.8%), while 49.6% used Android. About a third (37.1%) reported no barriers to mobile technology use, but 22.4% experienced "data limitations." Overall, 86.2% wanted at least one medical management website/app: medical knowledge (61.2%), symptom tracking/management (49.1%), and medication reminders (44.8%). Further, 62.1% wanted access to child's medical record and 58.6% wanted communication with medical providers. Lower education was significantly associated with experiencing phone/plan barriers (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION The majority of caregivers of children with cancer use mobile technology with minimal barriers; future research should focus on designing an mHealth tool to address the medical management needs by caregivers of children with cancer.
Examining transcriptional changes to DNA replication and repair factors over uveal melanoma subtypes

Uncontrolled replication is a process common to all cancers facilitated by the summation of changes accumulated as tumors progress. The aim of this study was to examine small groups of genes with known biology in replication and repair at the transcriptional and genomic levels, correlating alterations with survival in uveal melanoma tumor progression. Selected components of Pre-Replication, Pre-Initiation, and Replisome Complexes, DNA Damage Response and Mismatch Repair have been observed. Two groups have been generated for selected genes above and below the average alteration level and compared for expression and survival across The Cancer Genome Atlas uveal melanoma subtypes. Significant differences in expression between subtypes monosomic or disomic for chromosome 3 have been identified by Fisher’s exact test. Kaplan Meier survival distribution based on disease specific survival has been compared by Log-rank test. Genes with significant alteration include MCM2, MCM4, MCM5, CDC45, MCM10, CIZ1, PCNA, FEN1, LIG1, POLD1, POLE, HUS1, CHECK1, ATRIP, MLH3, and MSH6. Exon 4 skipping in CIZ1 previously identified as a cancer variant, and reportedly used as an early serum biomarker in lung cancer was found. Mismatch Repair protein MLH3 was found to have splicing variations with deletions to both Exon 5 and Exon 7 simultaneously. PCNA, FEN1, and LIG1 had increased relative expression levels not due to mutation or to copy number variation. The current study proposes changes in relative and differential expression to replication and repair genes that support the concept their products are causally involved in uveal melanoma. Specific avenues for early biomarker identification and therapeutic approach are suggested.
An exposition of the false confidence theorem

A recent paper presents the "false confidence theorem" (FCT) which has potentially broad implications for statistical inference using Bayesian posterior uncertainty. This theorem says that with arbitrarily large (sampling/frequentist) probability, there exists a set which does \textit{not} contain the true parameter value, but which has arbitrarily large posterior probability. Since the use of Bayesian methods has become increasingly popular in applications of science, engineering, and business, it is critically important to understand when Bayesian procedures lead to problematic statistical inferences or interpretations. In this paper, we consider a number of examples demonstrating the paradoxical nature of false confidence to begin to understand the contexts in which the FCT does (and does not) play a meaningful role in statistical inference. Our examples illustrate that models involving marginalization to non-linear, not one-to-one functions of multiple parameters play a key role in more extreme manifestations of false confidence.
Semantic WordRank: Generating Finer Single-Document Summarizations

We present Semantic WordRank (SWR), an unsupervised method for generating an extractive summary of a single document. Built on a weighted word graph with semantic and co-occurrence edges, SWR scores sentences using an article-structure-biased PageRank algorithm with a Softplus function adjustment, and promotes topic diversity using spectral subtopic clustering under the Word-Movers-Distance metric. We evaluate SWR on the DUC-02 and SummBank datasets and show that SWR produces better summaries than the state-of-the-art algorithms over DUC-02 under common ROUGE measures. We then show that, under the same measures over SummBank, SWR outperforms each of the three human annotators (aka. judges) and compares favorably with the combined performance of all judges.
Minimax Statistical Learning with Wasserstein distances

As opposed to standard empirical risk minimization (ERM), distributionally robust optimization aims to minimize the worst-case risk over a larger ambiguity set containing the original empirical distribution of the training data. In this work, we describe a minimax framework for statistical learning with ambiguity sets given by balls in Wasserstein space. In particular, we prove generalization bounds that involve the covering number properties of the original ERM problem. As an illustrative example, we provide generalization guarantees for transport-based domain adaptation problems where the Wasserstein distance between the source and target domain distributions can be reliably estimated from unlabeled samples.
U.S. Tax Laws and Capital Flight From Latin America

The interplay between the tax laws of the United States and those of the countries of Latin America creates inducements for capital flight. Most Latin American countries tax only income originating within their boundaries. If other countries tax income of foreigners originating within their boundaries as heavily, there is no tax advantage to capital flight. Latin American countries thus depend on other countries for the prevention of tax-induced capital flight and the loss of public revenues, investment funds, and equity it implies. Income from a U.S. trade or business conducted by foreigners, including capital gains, is subject to U.S. tax. Capital gains on real estate and dividends are generally taxed, but it may be possible to reduce those taxes substantially. The United States does not tax most other capital gains realized by foreigners. Most interest income paid to foreigners is also exempt from U.S. tax. Thus U.S. tax laws help attract capital from Latin America. A solution to this problem does not seem likely. The United States seems unlikely to reverse its policies. Little is to be gained from adoption of a residence-based approach by Latin American countries. A more radical approach that might be more effective would be a switch to consumption-based direct taxation in which interest income is neither taxed nor allowed as a deduction. This would reduce the attraction of favorable U.S. tax treatment by making equally attractive treatment available at home, but raises troublesome issues of equity, the treatment of foreign investment, and transition.
Synthesizing Bijective Lenses

Bidirectional transformations between different data representations occur frequently in modern software systems. They appear as serializers and deserializers, as parsers and pretty printers, as database views and view updaters, and as a multitude of different kinds of ad hoc data converters. Manually building bidirectional transformations—by writing two separate functions that are intended to be inverses—is tedious and error prone. A better approach is to use a domain-specific language in which both directions can be written as a single expression. However, these domain-specific languages can be difficult to program in, requiring programmers to manage fiddly details while working in a complex type system.
Effect of CPAP on airway reactivity and airway inflammation in children with moderate-severe asthma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Asthma is characterized by airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation. We previously demonstrated that adults with mild well-controlled asthma exhibited a marked decrease in airway reactivity (PC20 increased >2-fold) after using nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for 1 week. If CPAP produces a similar suppression of airway reactivity in children with moderate-severe asthma, who require chronic use of corticosteroids, then this non-pharmacological therapy might provide a beneficial alternative or supplemental therapy in these subjects. METHODS Children aged 8-17 years with moderate-severe asthma were treated with 4 weeks of nocturnal CPAP (8-10 cm H2 O) or sham CPAP (<2 cm H2 O). Adherence was monitored with a modem installed in the equipment or by memory cards. Airway reactivity, assessed by methacholine bronchial challenge, was measured prior to and following treatment. RESULTS The percentage of subjects adherent to treatment was similar in both groups (19/27 CPAP vs 19/28 sham, ~70%). There was a tendency for PC20 to increase with treatment in both groups (3.0-5.3 mg/mL CPAP vs 3.2 to 4.3 mg/mL sham, P = 0.083); however, the change did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.569). CONCLUSION We found that the 4-week treatment with nocturnal CPAP did not produce a twofold suppression of airway reactivity in children with moderate-severe asthma.
Dating hiatuses: a statistical model of the recent slowdown in global warming and the next one

Abstract. Much has been written about the so-called hiatus or pause in global warming, also known as the stasis period, the start of which is typically dated to 1998. HadCRUT4 global mean temperatures slightly decreased over 1998–2013, though a simple statistical model predicts that they should have grown by 0.016 °C/yr, in proportion to the increases in concentrations of well-mixed greenhouse gases and ozone. We employ a statistical approach to assess the contributions of model forcings and natural variability to the hiatus. We find that none of the model forcings explain more than a fifth of the missing heat and that the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) explains at least half and possibly more than four fifths of the missing heat. Looking forward, the simple model also fails to explain the large increases since then (0.087 °C/year over 2013–2016). This period coincides with another El Nino, but the ENSO fails to satisfactorily account for the increase. We propose instead a semiparametric cointegrating statistical model that augments an energy balance model with a novel multibasin measure of the oceans' multidecadal temperatures cycles. The model partially explains the recent slowdown and explains nearly all of the subsequent warming. The natural cycle suggests the possibility of a much longer hiatus over roughly 2023–2061, with rather important policy implications.
Singular vector formulas for Verma modules of simple Lie superalgebras

Abstract For a simple Lie superalgebra of type BDFG, we give explicit formulas for singular vectors in a Verma module of highest weight λ − ρ , which have weight s γ λ − ρ for certain positive non-isotropic roots γ. This implies the existence of a nonzero homomorphism between the corresponding Verma modules.
Multinomial goodness-of-fit based on U-statistics: High-dimensional asymptotic and minimax optimality

Abstract We consider multinomial goodness-of-fit tests in the high-dimensional regime where the number of bins increases with the sample size. In this regime, Pearson’s chi-squared test can suffer from low power due to the substantial bias as well as high variance of its statistic. To resolve these issues, we introduce a family of U -statistics for multinomial goodness-of-fit and study their asymptotic behaviors in high-dimensions. Specifically, we establish conditions under which the considered U -statistic is asymptotically Poisson or Gaussian, and investigate its power function under each asymptotic regime. Furthermore, we introduce a class of weights for the U -statistic that results in minimax rate optimal tests.
On universal $C^*$-algebras generated by $n$ projections with scalar sum

We study the universal C^*-algebras generated by n projections $p_1, >..., p_n$ subject to the relation $p_1+... p_n = \lambda 1$, $\lambda \in \mathbb R$. The questions of when these C^*-algebras are type I, nuclear or exact are considered. It is proved also that among these algebras there is continuum of mutually nonisomorphic ones.
Weighted norm inequalities for k -plane transforms

We obtain sharp inequalities for the k-plane transform, the "j-plane to k-plane" transform, and the corresponding dual transforms, acting on $L^p$ spaces with a radial power weight. The operator norms are explicitly evaluated. Some generalizations and open problems are discussed.
Hybrid Energy Storage Sizing and Power Splitting Optimization for Plug-In Electric Vehicles

In this paper, we develop formulation of a multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP) to optimally size a battery unit (BU) ultracapacitor (UC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) for plug-in electric vehicle (EV). In this application, the objectives were to minimize cost, weight, volume of the HESS simultaneously maximizing the remaining cycle life of the BU at the end of the driving cycle. The MOOP is solved by the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm type 2 algorithm. Detailed mathematical models for the BU and UC are given. The thermal effect on performance and sizing are also included in the formulation. The power demand by the EV powertrain is shared amongst the BU and HESS by two methods: First is by using wavelet transformation, while the second is by using power split ratio. The ratio of the power (i.e., power split) handled by each storage unit was determined by the optimizer. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the power splitting ratio verification. The problem was solved for using the urban dynamometer driving schedule and the highway fuel economy test driving profiles. This has resulted in sizing of an HESS with lower cost, volume, and weight than those existing in literature. Finally, the effect of changing the motor type on the MOOP result was investigated.
The Impact of Mobile Blockers on Millimeter Wave Cellular Systems

Millimeter wave communication systems can provide high data rates, but the system performance may degrade significantly due to interruptions by mobile blockers, such as humans or vehicles. High-frequency interruptions and lengthy blockage durations will degrade the quality of the user’s experience. A promising solution is to employ the macrodiversity of base stations (BSs), where the user equipment (UE) can handover to other available BSs if the current serving BS gets blocked. However, an analytical model to evaluate the system performance of dynamic blockage events in this setting is unknown. In this paper, we develop a line-of-sight (LOS) dynamic blockage model and evaluate the probability, duration, and frequency of blockage events considering all the links to the UE which are not blocked by buildings or the user’s own body. For a dense urban area, we also analyze the impact of non-LOS links on blockage events. Our results indicate that the minimum density of the BS required to satisfy the quality of service requirements of ultra-reliable low-latency communication applications will be driven mainly by blockage and latency constraints, rather than coverage or capacity requirements.
Preliminary results of identification and quantification of paclitaxel and its metabolites in human meconium from newborns with gestational chemotherapeutic exposure.

Objective Cancer diagnosis during pregnancy occurs in 1 out of 1000 pregnancies with common malignancies including breast and hematological cancers. Fetal exposure to currently utilized agents is poorly described. We directly assessed fetal exposure by screening meconium from 23 newborns whose mothers had undergone treatment for cancer during pregnancy. Study design Meconium was collected from newborns whose mothers were diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and underwent chemotherapy in the second or third trimester as part of the Cancer and Pregnancy Registry. We conducted screening of 23 meconium samples for chemotherapeutics and known metabolites of chemotherapeutics by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Putative identification of paclitaxel and/or its metabolites was made in 8 screened samples. In positively screened samples, we quantified paclitaxel, 3'-p-hydroxypaclitaxel, and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel by stable isotope dilution-LC-HRMS. Results Mean (standard deviation) levels of paclitaxel in positively screened samples were 399.9 (248.6) pg/mg in meconium samples from newborn born to mothers that underwent chemotherapy during pregnancy. 3'-p-hydroxypaclitaxel and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel mean levels were 105.2 (54.6) and 113.4 (48.9) pg/mg meconium, respectively. Conclusion Intact paclitaxel, 3'-p-hydroxypaclitaxel, and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel were detected in meconium, providing unambiguous confirmation of human fetal exposure. Variability in meconium levels between individuals may indicate a potential for reducing fetal exposure based on timing, dosing, and individual characteristics. This preliminary study may provide an approach for examining the effects of cancer diagnosis during pregnancy on other outcomes by providing a measure of direct fetal exposure.