cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Directorial Control in a Decision-Theoretic Framework for Interactive Narrative

Computer aided interactive narrative has received increasing attention in recent years. Automated directorial control that manages the development of the story in the face of user interaction is an important aspect of interactive narrative design. Most existing approaches lack an explicit model of the user. This limits the approaches' ability of predicting the user's experience, and hence undermines the effectiveness of the approaches. Thespian is a multi-agent framework for authoring and simulating interactive narratives with explicit models of the user. This work extends Thespian with the ability to provide proactive directorial control using the user model. In this paper, we present the algorithms in detail, followed by examples.
In situ aerosol optics in Reno, NV, USA during and after the summer 2008 California wildfires and the influence of absorbing and non-absorbing organic coatings on spectral light absorption

Abstract. Hundreds of wildfires in Northern California were sparked by lightning during the summer of 2008, resulting in downwind smoke for the months of June and July. Comparisons are reported for aerosol optics measurements in Reno, Nevada made during the very smoky month of July and the relatively clean month of August. Photoacoustic instruments equipped with integrating nephelometers were used to measure aerosol light scattering and absorption coefficients at wavelengths of 405 nm and 870 nm, revealing a strong variation of aerosol light absorption with wavelength. Insight on fuels burned is gleaned from comparison of Angstrom exponents of absorption (AEA) versus single scattering albedo (SSA) of the ambient measurements with laboratory biomass smoke measurements for many fuels. Measurements during the month of August, which were largely unaffected by fire smoke, exhibit surprisingly low AEA for aerosol light absorption when the SSA is highest, again likely as a consequence of the underappreciated wavelength dependence of aerosol light absorption by particles coated with non-absorbing organic and inorganic matter. Coated sphere calculations were used to show that AEA as large as 1.6 are possible for wood smoke even with non-absorbing organic coatings on black carbon cores, suggesting care be exercised when diagnosing AEA.
High-resolution N(6) -methyladenosine (m(6) A) map using photo-crosslinking-assisted m(6) A sequencing.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA and plays regulatory roles in mRNA metabolism. However, methods to precisely locate the m6A modification remain limited. We present here a photo-crosslinking-assisted m6A sequencing strategy (PA-m6A-seq) to more accurately define sites with m6A modification. Using this strategy, we obtained a high-resolution map of m6A in a human transcriptome. The map resembles the general distribution pattern observed previously, and reveals new m6A sites at base resolution. Our results provide insight into the relationship between the methylation regions and the binding sites of RNA-binding proteins.
Discourse on African American/Black Identity: engaging the expanded nigrescence theory with a diasporic consciousness

This manuscript theoretically explores the application of a stretched expanded nigrescence theory (NT-E) by making notions of consciousness explicit, thereby building on the research involving first generation U.S.-born Africans (FGAs). In taking this approach, a theoretical framework of a diasporic consciousness emerged an alternative for exploring the identity development of Africana people. To facilitate this process, a shift from conceiving identity along the lines of race and ethnicity was begun towards a conception that is solely culturally based on eight identified factors.
pHLIP®-mediated delivery of PEGylated liposomes to cancer cells.

We develop a method for pH-dependent fusion between liposomes and cellular membranes using pHLIP® (pH Low Insertion Peptide), which inserts into lipid bilayer of membrane only at low pH. Previously we establish the molecular mechanism of peptide action and show that pHLIP can target acidic diseased tissue. Here we investigate how coating of PEGylated liposomes with pHLIP might affect liposomal uptake by cells. The presence of pHLIP on the surface of PEGylated-liposomes enhanced membrane fusion and lipid exchange in a pH dependent fashion, leading to increase of cellular uptake and payload release, and inhibition of cell proliferation by liposomes containing ceramide. A novel type of pH-sensitive, “fusogenic” pHLIP-liposomes was developed, which could be used to selectively deliver various diagnostic and therapeutic agents to acidic diseased cells.
ANHYDROBIOSIS INCREASES SURVIVAL OF TRICHOSTRONGYLE NEMATODES

This study demonstrates that infective-stage larvae of 2 trichostrongyle ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, can enter into anhydrobiotic states when completely desiccated. Larvae of control trichostrongyle species, Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, that infect mice were unable to survive desiccation or to enter into anhydrobiosis. Ruminant larvae were able to survive up to 7 desiccation/rehydration cycles, and, during anhydrobiosis, metabolic activity was decreased and survival of the larvae was prolonged both in the laboratory and in the field. Relative humidity had no effect on ruminant larval survival after anhydrobiosis compared with controls. Temperature had a significant effect, 85.8 ± 2.3% of larvae in anhydrobiosis could survive low temperatures (0 C) that killed all control larvae. Metabolic activity, measured by changes in lipid content and CO2 respiration, was significantly lower in larvae that entered anhydrob...
Conditions equivalent to central symmetry of convex curves

In this paper we establish that a convex planar body C is centrally symmetric provided either one of the following conditions hold: (1) Each line halving the circumference of the boundary γ of C is a diametral line.(A diametral line is a line intersecting C in a chord of maximal length in the family of parallel chords.) (2) Each line halving the area of C is a diametral line.
Strings on plane waves: an introduction

This article is a brief introduction to different aspects of string theory on maximally supersymmetric plane waves in ten dimensions. The article touches on the following aspects: quantization of free strings on the plane wave background, the plane wave as a Penrose limit and it's relation to AdS / CFT; and finally the causal structure of the plane wave and holography.
Neurodevelopmental and growth impairment among extremely low-birth-weight infants with neonatal infection.

ContextNeonatal infections are frequent complications of extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants receiving intensive care.ObjectiveTo determine if neonatal infections in ELBW infants are associated with increased risks of adverse neurodevelopmental and growth sequelae in early childhood.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsInfants weighing 401 to 1000 g at birth (born in 1993-2001) were enrolled in a prospectively collected very low-birth-weight registry at academic medical centers participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes were assessed at a comprehensive follow-up visit at 18 to 22 months of corrected gestational age and compared by infection group. Eighty percent of survivors completed the follow-up visit and 6093 infants were studied. Registry data were used to classify infants by type of infection: uninfected (n = 2161), clinical infection alone (n = 1538), sepsis (n = 1922), sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis (n = 279), or meningitis with or without sepsis (n = 193).Main Outcome MeasuresCognitive and neuromotor development, neurologic status, vision and hearing, and growth (weight, length, and head circumference) were assessed at follow-up.ResultsThe majority of ELBW survivors (65%) had at least 1 infection during their hospitalization after birth. Compared with uninfected infants, those in each of the 4 infection groups were significantly more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at follow-up, including cerebral palsy (range of significant odds ratios [ORs], 1.4-1.7), low Bayley Scales of Infant Development II scores on the mental development index (ORs, 1.3-1.6) and psychomotor development index (ORs, 1.5-2.4), and vision impairment (ORs, 1.3-2.2). Infection in the neonatal period was also associated with impaired head growth, a known predictor of poor neurodevelopmental outcome.ConclusionsThis large cohort study suggests that neonatal infections among ELBW infants are associated with poor neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes in early childhood. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of brain injury in infants with infection so that novel interventions to improve these outcomes can be explored.
Decentralized, Adaptive Coverage Control for Networked Robots

A decentralized, adaptive control law is presented to drive a network of mobile robots to an optimal sensing configuration. The control law is adaptive in that it uses sensor measurements to learn the distribution of sensory information in the environment. It is decentralized in that it requires only information local to each robot. The controller is then improved by introducing a consensus algorithm to propagate sensory information from every robot throughout the network. Convergence and consensus of parameters is proven with a Lyapunovtype proof. The controller with and without consensus is demonstrated in numerical simulations. These techniques are suggestive of broader applications of adaptive control methodologies to decentralized control problems in unknown dynamic environments.
Politics as a Vocation: Notes Toward a Sensualist Understanding of Political Engagement

Drawing data from works of political non-fiction that help to reveal the moral and sensual underpinnings of political practice, this paper seeks to adumbrate a sensualist understanding of political engagement. After beginning with a brief discussion of Weber’s seminal essay “Politics as a Vocation,” I then construct an ideal type of political passion with which to highlight the inherent shortcomings that plague traditional explanations of political action. My argument is that these approaches are all vitiated by their reliance on Chinese-box epistemology. I go on to suggest that in order to obtain a genuinely sociological account of political engagement, one must develop methods that are true to the experiential specifics of politics while recognizing the conditions that shape the possibility of those very experiences.
Open Versus Robotic Prostatectomy

Currently, radical prostatectomy is the most commonly used treatment option for clinically localized prostate cancer in the United States. Surgical advances have been made due to better understanding of the prostatic and periprostatic anatomy, and technological developments of robotic instrumentation. In return, there have been improvements in oncological and functional outcomes: continence and potency. In part due to its minimally invasive approach, robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has increased in popularity over the past decade and has supplanted the open, retropubic approach as the most common surgical intervention. However, case series from centers of excellence for open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy have comparable outcomes. Determining factors on which procedure is best suited for the patient are based on surgeon experience and comfort with procedure, clinical judgment, and well-defined expectations for the patients. There are advantages and disadvantages with each approach, yet impact on outcomes remains to be better clarified. As the minimally invasive techniques increase in use, learning curves and cost of instruments have to be considered when comparing open and laparoscopic/robotic-assisted series. Ongoing developments in surgical techniques (open or minimally invasive) and increasing understanding of the local anatomy will serve to further improve oncological and functional outcomes.
The Effect of Fundamental Housing Policy Reforms on Program Participation

This paper estimates the effects of alternative reforms of the current system of low-income housing assistance on the number of people of various types who would receive assistance. The reforms are designed to eliminate the system’s substantial inefficiencies, inequities, and bias against homeownership. All would replace HUD’s largest low-income housing programs with alternative tenure-neutral housing voucher programs that serve all eligible families that apply for assistance. Most cost less than the current system. The estimated effects on program participation are long-run effects after the transition to the new system has been completed. The estimates of participation in the reformed voucher programs are based primarily on the five-percent household sample from the 2000 Decennial Census and participation experience in the only similar housing assistance programs that have been operated in the United States. HUD’s administrative records provide data on current recipients of low-income housing assistance. The paper explores the sensitivity of the results to the equations used to predict participation in the reformed voucher programs. The results indicate that even the reformed program that reduces public expenditure by more than 10 percent would serve 75 percent more people in total and many more in families of each type – white, black, and Hispanic; elderly and nonelderly; families living in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas; small, medium, and large families; and families in the first two real income deciles. The most underserved types experience the largest increases.
The Relational Basis of Neighborhood Selection: How Social Ties Shape Residential Migration and Mobility Outcomes for Low-Income Families

Why, when given the opportunity to move from high- to low-poverty neighborhoods, do some low-income families return to disadvantaged settings? Extant literature emphasizes low-income families’ “reactive” migration to structural forces beyond their control. But social ties are in fact a component of social structure that may be a relevant resource for low-income families’ residential migration decisions. Drawing on longitudinal geographic, interview, and social network data with 75 low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina, I find the importance of social ties is magnified in situations of unplanned moves. Network peers from the origin neighborhood provide information or help that minimize the costs and increase the expected benefits of residential migration after initial displacement. In the absence of social ties, a family may evaluate the costs of settlement in the new environment to be too high and “re-optimize” by moving to a neighborhood that maximizes proximity to social resources. In some cases, this tradeoff is an undesirable but necessary reality for low-income families who feel pressured to be closer to their network peers. These findings suggest that scholars and policymakers should reconsider how social networks shape residential migration and mobility, as well as what it means to live in a disadvantaged neighborhood.
Syphilis in Pregnancy

THE incidence of infantile congenital syphilis has decreased considerably in the United States during the past two decades; nevertheless, cases continue to appear in significant numbers in most city hospitals.1 Approximately 77 living infants with congenital syphilis have been treated at Grady Memorial Hospital in the past four years. Since congenital syphilis is preventable, it is necessary to inquire into the reasons for its continued occurrence. Although several articles on factors influencing the outcome of syphilis in pregnancy have been published, the criteria for diagnosis of infantile congenital syphilis in many of these studies are no longer accepted. Thus, in . . .
Application of fuzzy sets in decision analysis for prioritising critical energy infrastructures

This paper presents an approach for long-range decision-making in the domain of critical infrastructure using subjective information. Critical infrastructures provide goods and services essential to public wellbeing, including public safety, economic vitality, and security. Infrastructure owners, operators, and policy-makers have to make decisions related to fulfilling stakeholder needs. These decisions are routinely made in a landscape marked by ambiguity, complexity, unpredictability, and uncertainty associated with future states of infrastructure systems and their environment. In this paper, the authors suggest that fuzzy set theory could be used to enhance decision-making since it can account for unknown possible system states along any array of parameters. Specifically, this paper uses fuzzy sets to rank and prioritise three energy alternatives using five evaluation parameters and a possible infrastructure state of resiliency. A general model is developed that could be used to support a long-range decision process. The model can be adapted and deployed in other sectors in the domain of critical infrastructures.
202 ABLATION OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS REPLICON USING SMALL INTERFERING RIBONUCLEIC ACID.

The aim of this study was to characterize an adenovirus vector containing the gene for a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the 59-untranslated region (UTR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) transcript. Viral production of AdSi73 was upscaled in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, and virus particles were purified by a double cesium chloride centrifugation gradient and dialysis. Viral titer was determined by optical density measurement, and the presence of the siRNA gene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers. Cell cytotoxicity of AdSi73 was assayed in human hepatoma 7 (Huh-7) cells using the Trypan Blue Exclusion method to determine nontoxic titers of virus. AdSi73 was then infected in varying concentration at nontoxic levels into 5/15 replicon cell line stably expressing HCV replicon and grown in selection media supplemented with geneticin (G418) to select for cells expressing the HCV replicon. Twenty-four hours after infection, cells were fixed in acetone, and cells were immunostained for the viral protein NS3. The results of immunstaining showed a dose-dependent inhibition of NS3 expression. The findings of these studies demonstrated that the AdSi73 virus could be purified in a significant quantity and retain the siRNA gene. The data further showed that nontoxic levels of adenovirus could be infected into cells to elicit an inhibition of HCV protein expression. The findings of the current studies implicate that siRNA targeting the 59-UTR could provide a novel mechanism for treatment of HCV infection.
Immunofluorescent method for positive identification of null-cell type acute lymphocytic leukemias: use of heterologous antiserum.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients could be subclassified into two groups depending on whether or not their leukemia cells expressed a B-lymphocyte antigen. The antigen was detected by an indirect immunofluorescence test using rabbit antisera. In the positive group, consisting of 26 of 32 patients, the leukemia cells were of the "null"-cell type, i.e., they did not appear to express currently recognized T- and -b-cell markers. Absroption studies indicated that the positive null-cell group expressed a common antigen which was not expressed on the negative group. Of the 6 negative cases,, 5 expressed complement receptors and 3 expressed T-cell markers. The negative group was also characterized by high white cell counts and the pressence of a mediastinal mass.
Tonia’s Voice: From Dirt Roads to the Ivory Tower

In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I could not and would not be where I am today without the unwavering, if not sometimes confused, support and love of my parents. Both of my parents served in the U.S. Navy, my mother a disabled veteran and my father retired after serving in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Granada. Neither of my parents went to college, but they were insistent on raising an independent young woman who would get a college degree. Some days, I wonder if they knew what they were getting into when they made that decision.
Party differences in political content on social media

Purpose Social networking sites (SNS) increasingly serve as a source of political content for Americans. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationships between types of political content exposure, especially congruent vs incongruent content, and its effects on political expression and participation. This study pays special attention to whether these relationships differ depending on whether an individual affiliates with the Republican or Democratic party. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a representative national sample to examine the relationships among exposure to congruent vs incongruent political content via SNS, political expression, and political participation. This study also tests whether these relationships are consistent for Democrats vs Republicans. Findings The results suggest the effects of political content exposure on political expression on SNS depend on how many friends post about politics, as well as whether that content is congruent or incongruent with one’s political beliefs. Moreover, the relationship between exposure to congruent vs incongruent content, political expression, and political participation differs for Republicans and Democrats. Originality/value This study highlights the need for researchers to take more care in distinguishing the type of and the audience for political content exposure via social media websites. Further, if the relationships between seeing political content via social media and acting upon such content – either through posting behaviors or participatory activities – differs by political group, it raises the potential for disparities in democratic engagement.
Learning to Teach English Language Learners Through English Language Arts Methods: Findings from a National Survey

This chapter reports on the findings of a nationwide survey on English teacher preparation. Specifically, this chapter highlights English teacher educators’ responses to how the teaching of English language learners (ELLs) has been included, or not included, in the English education methods course over the past two decades. Findings of the chapter illustrate how English teacher educators envision teaching ELLs as part of the field’s domain. Discussion focuses on whether the English methods course should include a depth of understanding of teaching ELLs or whether the field’s presentation of an “awareness” of this topic is sufficient.
Shigellosis Febrile Status Epilepticus

A 4-year-old boy who became blind, deaf and mute after status epilepticus caused by hyperpyrexia from shigellosis is reported from the Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Audience-Targeted Design Considerations for Effective Scientific Storytelling

An effective visualization must be carefully designed according to its purpose. This article describes three projects focused on scientific storytelling in a different domain area and for a different target audience. The authors describe the lessons learned working in each scientific field and the techniques used to tailor the visual narrative to a specific audience type. The three projects are a visualization of particle accelerator data designed for domain scientists, a presentation of new findings from the fusion community designed for nonexpert adults, and an interactive exhibit of phytoplankton populations tailored toward museum visitors, especially children. Special design decisions had to be made to handle the unique conditions of each scientific area as well as the given background knowledge of the target audience. By evaluating the effectiveness of each of method, the authors gain insight into which aspects become important in developing a visualization with maximum usability.
Fault-tolerant on-chip networking through adaptive routing and dynamic partial reconfiguration

Packet-switching on-chip networks are anticipated to become the communication infrastructure in the near future for multi-core processors and systems-on-chip. Increasing chip densities and high clock frequencies present major challenges to manufacturing reliable circuits. Fault tolerance in networks-on-chip is considered one of the vital characteristics of a system that requires fast and reliable communication between its nodes. In this paper, we explore fault-tolerant solutions through routing and partial reconfiguration under permanent link or router failures. No redundant resource is needed to support fault tolerance. We present a new XY routing algorithm and take advantage of partial reconfiguration to make sure all processing elements (PEs) stay connected to the network. The proposed routing algorithm is proven to be livelock and deadlock-free. Simulation results show that even if up to 20% of the links in the network are faulty, the new reconfigurable architecture and algorithm manage to route packets around such faults, and deliver them to their destination in a relatively low latency. In addition, results show that our complementary design makes the network tolerant to faults happening on various routers of the network, whether it is a center, border, or corner router. The design is synthesized and implemented on Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGAs. Synthesis reports show that our design provides the fault tolerant characteristic without incurring any area or speed degradation.
Implementation of scalable fuzzy relational operations in MapReduce

One of the main restrictions of relational database models is their lack of support for flexible, imprecise and vague information in data representation and querying. The imprecision is pervasive in human language; hence, modeling imprecision is crucial for any system that stores and processes linguistic data. Fuzzy set theory provides an effective solution to model the imprecision inherent in the meaning of words and propositions drawn from natural language (Zadeh, Inf Control 8(3):338–353, doi: 10.1016/S0019-9958(65)90241-X , 1965; IGI Global, https://books.google.com/books?id=nt-WBQAAQBAJ , 2013). Several works in the last 20 years have used fuzzy set theory to extend relational database models to permit representation and retrieval of imprecise data. However, to our knowledge, such approaches have not been designed to scale-up to very large datasets. In this paper, the MapReduce framework is used to implement flexible fuzzy queries on a large-scale dataset. We develop MapReduce algorithms to enhance the standard relational operations with fuzzy conditional predicates expressed in natural language.
Technology meets healthcare: distance learning and telehealth.

In a time of increasing demands on physician productivity, computer and communication technologies allow health professionals to experiment with many applications that may provide opportunities to meet clinical demands while still participating in educational and research activities. “Telehealth” is a comprehensive term for the support of long distance clinical healthcare, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration. Educational opportunities are growing exponentially for those who cannot attend traditional courses because of limited time or geographic considerations. Research and medical information and medical consultations are being delivered instantly across wide geographic areas. Nearly every federal agency has a web site providing health information. Integrated clinical management systems can facilitate the management of patients with chronic diseases and provide an efficient way to integrate consultations and patient education, monitoring, follow-up, and support. Administrative functions can be interfaced with clinical management providing practitioners with the ability to better organize their services. Information systems at all levels are expanding their capacities and capabilities to meet the growing demand for medical knowledge.
Suicide Risk Assessment

Suicide is an unfortunate clinical outcome for many patients, and malpractice associated with suicide is the most common reason psychiatrists are sued. A crucial part of the psychiatric assessment is a systematic suicide risk assessment, and psychiatrists should carefully document the thought process involved with assigning risk to a patient. In this chapter, we provide a framework for assessing and documenting a suicide risk assessment based on the particular clinical setting. We also review empirical literature on risk and protective factors associated with suicide risk and discuss the legal implications involved with patient suicide.
PE Ninja Warrior: Designing an American Ninja Warrior Unit for Physical Education

Regular participation in physical activity during childhood and adolescence is critical to the development of healthy habits that will continue into adulthood. Research suggests that children who lead sedentary lives are more likely to continue those habits later in life. A key goal of physical education (PE) is to educate students on the importance of being physically active, as well as improve fitness levels. Recent literature suggests that school PE classes do more on this front. This has prompted the need for creative approaches in the PE classroom. PE Ninja Warrior is an example of a creative method that aims to meet the needs of today's youth. Based on the popular television show and trend, American Ninja Warrior, this article will highlight the implementation of such a program in PE, as well as identify and explain challenge course ideas.
Structural, electronic, and thermal properties of indium-filled In x Ir 4 Sb 12 skutterudites

Abstract The “phonon-glass/electron-crystal” approach has been implemented through incorporation of “rattlers” into skutterudite void sites to increase phonon scattering and thus increase the thermoelectric efficiency. Indium filled IrSb3 skutterudites are reported for the first time. Polycrystalline samples of InxIr4Sb12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) were prepared by solid-state reaction under a gas mixture of 5% H2 and 95% Ar. The solubility limit of InxIr4Sb12 was found to be close to 0.18. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction refinements reveal all InxIr4Sb12 phases crystallized in body-centered cubic structure (space group : I m 3 ¯ ) with ∼8% antimony site vacancy and with indium partially occupying the 16f site. Unlike known rattler filled skutterudites, under synthetic conditions employed, indium filling in IrSb3 significantly increases the electrical resistivity and decreases the Seebeck coefficient (n-type) while reducing the thermal conductivity by ∼30%. The resultant power factor offsets the decrease in total thermal conductivity giving rise to a substantial decrease in ZT. Principal thermoelectric properties of InxM4Sb12 (M = Co, Rh, Ir) phases are compared. As iridium is a 5d transition metal, zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetization were performed to unravel the effect of spin-orbit interaction on the electronic properties. These results serve to advance the understanding of filled skutterudites, and provide additional insight on the less explored smaller “rattlers” and their influence on key thermoelectric properties.
Entanglement and the Relevance of Method in Qualitative Research.

This brief article is an introduction to the feature article on self-reflection in interpretive phenomenology research. Self-reflection is discussed as a method that warrants more explicit descript...
Book Review: Metcalf and Reid: Fortran 90 Explained

This book is intended to be a comprehensive exposition of the Fortran 90 language. While pedagogical aspects are not paramount, neither are they ignored. Examples play a supporting role to discursive explanation. Tutorial exercises are included.
Finding High-Order Correlations in High-Dimensional Biological Data

In many emerging real-life problems, the number of dimensions in the data sets can be from thousands to millions. The large number of features poses great challenge to existing high-dimensional data analysis methods. One particular issue is that the latent patterns may only exist in subspaces of the full-dimensional space. In this chapter, we discuss the problem of finding correlations hidden in feature subspaces. Both linear and nonlinear cases will be discussed. We present efficient algorithms for finding such correlated feature subsets.
Lagrange and Bolza Problems of Optimal Control and Other Problems

As we have shown in Section 1.9, Lagrange, Bolza, and Mayer problems can be essen­tially transformed one into the other by simple changes of space variables. Thus, the necessary condition and the other statements of Chapter 4 for Mayer problems have their counterpart for Lagrange and Bolza problems. We present here briefly the main statements for the Bolza problems for easy reference, those for Lagrange problems being the same (with g =0).
Estimation Consistency of the Group Lasso and its Applications

We extend the `2-consistency result of (Meinshausen and Yu 2008) from the Lasso to the group Lasso. Our main theorem shows that the group Lasso achieves estimation consistency under a mild condition and an asymptotic upper bound on the number of selected variables can be obtained. As a result, we can apply the nonnegative garrote procedure to the group Lasso result to obtain an estimator which is simultaneously estimation and variable selection consistent. In particular, our setting allows both the number of groups and the number of variables per group increase and thus is applicable to high-dimensional problems. We also provide estimation consistency analysis for a version of the sparse additive models with increasing dimensions. Some finite-sample results are also reported.
Efficient Lock-Free Removing and Compaction for the Cache-Trie Data Structure

The recently proposed cache-trie data structure improves the performance of lock-free Ctries by maintaining an auxiliary data structure called a cache. The cache allows basic operations to run in expected O(1), instead of the previous \(O(\log n)\) bound. While earlier work showed that cache-tries improve inserts and lookups by 1.5–5\(\times \) on standard workloads, the remove operation was not previously examined. One of the main challenges of remove is to compact the trie – removing the elements should recycle the unused parts of the data structure.
Optimizing Upstream Health in the Community-Oriented Integrative Domain.

Abstract Three domains define major challenges facing U.S. health care. Although engagement in the clinical and service domains directly impacts health, integrative engagement operates at the commu...
Efficient Exploration of Many Variables and Interactions Using Regularized Regression.

The prevention sciences often face several situations that can compromise the statistical power and validity of a study. Among these, research can (1) have data with many variables, sometimes with low sample sizes, (2) have highly correlated predictors, (3) have unclear theory or empirical evidence related to the research questions, and/or (4) have difficulty selecting the proper covariates in observational studies. Modeling in these situations is difficult—and at times impossible—with conventional methods. Fortunately, regularized regression—a machine learning technique—can aid in exploring datasets that are otherwise difficult to analyze, allowing researchers to draw insights from these data. Although many of these methods have existed for several decades, prevention researchers rarely use them. As a gentle introduction, we discuss the utility of regularized regression to the field of prevention science and apply the technique to a real dataset. The data (n = 7979) for the demonstration consisted of 76 variables (151 including the modeled interactions) from the Youth Risk-Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2015. Overall, it is clear that regularized regression can be an important tool in analyzing and gaining insight from data in the prevention sciences.
Operation of a 50-kWth chemical looping combustion test facility under autothermal conditions

Abstract The United States Department of Energy is developing transformational fossil fuel combustion technologies that result in more efficient power cycles and/or substantial reductions in GHG emissions. Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) has the potential to achieve a lower cost of electricity than a supercritical pulverized coal power plant with an amine absorption system. Although the concept and research on chemical looping has a long history, CLC has numerous technical issues that must be addressed prior to a commercial debut. This effort is directed toward the following major issues for CLC: (1) demonstrating continuous solids handling, operability, and reactor performance at autothermal conditions and (2) preliminary assessments of oxygen carrier attrition and relative material make-up costs. These are critical issues that should be addressed under realistic conditions prior to directing resources toward larger scale demonstrations. This paper will also describe NETL’s small 50-kWth natural gas circulating CLC test facility located in Morgantown, WV. Despite its small size, this experimental test unit has operated at autothermal conditions for 11 h using a copper-iron-alumina oxygen carrier developed at NETL. This paper will describe the test facility and operating experiences using NETL’s “Gen 2.0” oxygen carrier material. Natural gas conversion to CO2 ranged from 70 to 90% over approximately 75 oxidation-reduction cycles during the autothermal operating period. Estimates for the process specific attrition rate during autothermal operation are also presented. Finally, estimates for the oxygen carrier makeup cost, specific to the NETL process configuration, are several orders of magnitude greater than the NETL target. Future work should focus on reducing the oxygen carrier material cost and improving the attrition resistance of the oxygen carrier material under autothermal test conditions.
Don't Have a Doubt, Get the Catheter Out: A Nurse-Driven CAUTI Prevention Protocol.

Despite the use of sterile technique for indwelling urinary catheter insertion, as well as use of the defined catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) bundle elements per Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety, the CAUTI rate in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a free-standing pediatric hospital was increasing. In 2017, the PICU accounted for 87% of the organization's CAUTIs and 65% of the total indwelling catheter device days. With an important risk factor for CAUTIs being the duration of catheterization, the indication for catheters became an organizational executive priority. Methods An early 2017 review of the bundle elements identified that the indication for catheterization was not consistently addressed in daily patient rounds. A multidisciplinary project team applying the Plan, Do, Check, Act methodology developed an evidenced-based, nurse-driven indwelling urinary catheter removal protocol. This protocol allows nursing autonomy when removing a catheter by providing clinical indications for catheter use and promoting prompt removal when no longer indicated. Results Indwelling urinary catheter device days in the PICU decreased by 28% within 6 months of protocol implementation. The PICU CAUTI rate declined from 4.8 (per 1,000 device days) in 2017 to 0.8 in 2018, 1 year after protocol implementation. Conclusions Providing the bedside nurse with an evidence-based protocol that is driven by specific patient indications and diagnoses allows them to practice autonomously in catheter removal. Prompt removal of indwelling urinary catheters results in decreased device days and decreased incidence of CAUTIs.
Wake Forest Alcohol Imagery Set: Development and Validation of a Large Standardized Alcohol Imagery Dataset.

Background The study of alcohol use frequency utilizes alcohol-related cue imagery. Although a number of alcohol-image databases currently exist, they have several limitations: Many are not publicly available, some use stock images or clip art rather than real photographs, several eliminate any photographs displaying brand information, and predominantly they contain relatively few images. The aim of this project was to develop a large, open-access database of alcohol-related cue images, containing photographs with and without brand information, taken in real-world environments, with images in a variety of orientations and dimensions. Methods The study collected 1,650 images voluntarily from the larger community, to capture photographs with a wide range of content, environments, and relation to alcohol. All images were then rated on scales of valence, arousal, and relation to alcohol by 1,008 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers, using classical emotion validation methods based on the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Survey respondents were screened with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Cronbach's alpha scores were calculated to determine the interrater reliability of scores across the whole sample, and within low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk drinkers for each rating domain. Univariate ANOVAs were run to determine differences in ratings across drinking groups. Results All Cronbach's alpha scores indicated high interrater reliability within the whole sample, and across drinking severity groups. Tukey's HSD post hoc results indicated greater arousal and affect in response to image viewing in moderate- and high-risk drinkers, and higher relation-to-alcohol ratings in low-risk drinkers. All images had categorization tags assigned by members of the study team. Conclusions The established imagery set includes 1,650 alcohol-related images, rated on scales of valence, arousal, and relation to alcohol, and categorized by type of alcohol depicted. The imagery database will be available for open-access download and use through Google Photos.
South Asia: Religions

This article discusses the form and function of the languages of religions in the multilingual and multireligious context of South Asia. The central goal is to examine the (a) multiple links between languages and religions, i.e., one language is used for many religions and many languages are used for one religion, (b) the role of historical factors, ideologies, and ‘authority’ in defining, sustaining, promoting, and changing the relationships among languages and religions across time and contexts, (c) the implications of these links (convergence, diglossia, heteroglossia, emergence of genres, identity construction), and (d) the contributions of religious languages to the field of linguistics.
Nanopore amplicon sequencing reveals molecular convergence and local adaptation of opsin genes

Local adaptation can drive diversification of closely related species across environmental gradients and promote convergence of distantly related taxa that experience similar conditions. We examined a potential case of adaptation to novel visual environments in a species flock (Great Lakes salmonids, genus Coregonus) using a new amplicon genotyping protocol on the Oxford Nanopore Flongle. Five visual opsin genes were amplified for individuals of C. artedi, C. hoyi, C. kiyi, and C. zenithicus. Comparisons revealed species-specific differences in the coding sequence of rhodopsin (Tyr261Phe substitution), suggesting local adaptation by C. kiyi to the blue-shifted depths of Lake Superior. Parallel evolution and "toggling" at this amino acid residue has occurred several times across the fish tree of life, resulting in identical changes to the visual systems of distantly related taxa across replicated environmental gradients. Our results suggest that ecological differences and local adaptation to distinct visual environments are strong drivers of both evolutionary parallelism and diversification.
An Approach For Concept Drift Detection in a Graph Stream Using Discriminative Subgraphs

The emergence of mining complex networks like social media, sensor networks, and the world-wide-web has attracted considerable research interest. In a streaming scenario, the concept to be learned can change over time. However, while there has been some research done for detecting concept drift in traditional data streams, little work has been done on addressing concept drift in data represented as a graph. We propose a novel unsupervised concept-drift detection method on graph streams called Discriminative Subgraph-based Drift Detector (DSDD). The methodology starts by discovering discriminative subgraphs for each graph in the stream. We then compute the entropy of the window based on the distribution of discriminative subgraphs with respect to the graphs and then use the direct density-ratio estimation approach for detecting concept drift in the series of entropy values obtained by moving one step forward in the sliding window. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through experiments using artificial and real-world datasets and its performance is evaluated by comparing against related baseline methods. Similarly, the usefulness of the proposed concept drift detection approach is studied by incorporating it in a popular graph stream classification algorithm and studying the impact of drift detection in classification accuracy.
Harnessing genome-wide association studies to minimize adverse radiation-induced side effects

Radiotherapy is used as definitive treatment in approximately two-thirds of all cancers. However, like any treatment, radiation has significant acute and long-term side effects including secondary malignancies. Even when similar radiation parameters are used, 5%-10% of patients will experience adverse radiation side effects. Genomic susceptibility is thought to be responsible for approximately 40% of the clinical variability observed. In the era of precision medicine, the link between genetic susceptibility and radiation-induced side effects is further strengthening. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have begun to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) attributed to overall and tissue-specific toxicity following radiation for treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers. Here, we review the use of GWAS in identifying polymorphisms that are predictive of acute and long-term radiation-induced side effects with a focus on chest, pelvic, and head-and-neck irradiation. Integration of GWAS studies with "omic" data, patient characteristics, and clinical correlates into predictive models could decrease radiation-induced side effects while increasing therapeutic efficacy.
W2FM: The Doubly-Warped Factorization Machine

Factorization Machines (FMs) enhance an underlying linear regression or classification model by capturing feature interactions. Intuitively, FMs warp the feature space to help capture the underlying non-linear structure of the machine learning task. In this paper, we propose novel Doubly-Warped Factorization Machines (or \(\mathtt{W2FM}\)s) that leverage multiple complementary space warping strategies to improve the representational ability of FMs. Our approach abstracts the feature interaction in FMs as additional affine transformations (thus warping the space), which can be learned efficiently without introducing large numbers of model parameters. We also explore alternative W2FM based approaches and conduct extensive experiments on real world data sets. These experiments show that \(\mathtt{W2FM}\) achieves better performance in collaborative filtering task not only relative to vanilla FMs, but also against other state-of-the-art competitors, such as Attention FM (AFM), Holographic FM (HFM), and Neural FM (NFM).