cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiparameter Affinity Microchip for Early Sepsis Diagnosis Based on CD64 and CD69 Expression and Cell Capture

Sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide. In this work, a multiparameter affinity microchip was developed for faster sepsis diagnosis, which can reduce the mortality caused by late validation. The separation device captured cells expressing CD25, CD64, and CD69 into discrete antibody regions. The performance of multiparameter cell separation microchips was compared with flow cytometry analysis and validated with samples of septic patients (n = 15) and healthy volunteers (n = 10). The total analysis time was 2 h. Results showed that total on-chip cell counts for both CD64 and CD69 regions were linear with antigen expression levels. The difference between cell capture for septic and healthy samples was statistically significant (CD64: p = 0.0033; CD69: p = 0.0221, 95% confidence interval), indicating that sepsis is distinguishable based on microfluidic cell capture. For on-chip detection of CD64+ and CD69+ leukocytes, the AUC was 0.95 and 0.78, respectively. The combination of CD64 and CD69 for sepsis d...
Measuring Trust in Big Data

The huge technological progress we have witnessed in the last decade has enabled us to generate data at an unprecedented rate, leading to what has become the era of big data. However, big data is not just about generating, storing, and retrieving massive amounts of data. The focus should rather be on new analytical approaches that would enable us to extract actionable intelligence from this ocean of data. From a security standpoint, one of the main issues that need to be addressed is the trustworthiness of each source or piece of information. In this paper, we propose an approach to assess and quantify the trust level of both information sources and information items. Our approach leverages the vast literature on citation ranking, and we clearly show the benefits of adapting citation ranking mechanisms to this new domain, both in terms of scalability and in terms of quality of the results.
Model studies of leukocyte-endothelium-blood interactions: I. The fluid flow drag force on the adherent leukocyte

Using a large scale model and the concept of dimensional similarity, we have developed a dimensionless correlation which permits the estimation of the drag force of blood flow in an in vivo vessel on a leukocyte adherent to the vessel wall. This relationship is [formula: see text] where Re is a Reynolds number, Cd is a drag coefficient, and d/D is the leukocyte-to-vessel diameter ratio. This function increases rapidly with increasing d/D when d/D is greater than 0.5. A relationship between the drag force on the leukocyte, Ff, and the commonly used wall shear stress in the absence of the adherent cell, tau w, has also been developed, and is given by [formula: see text] This study shows that the discrepancy between the in vivo and in vitro critical wall stresses (above which leukocytes do not adhere to endothelial cell layers) is not due to misrepresentation of the corresponding drag forces on the leukocytes. The discrepancy must be due to real differences in the flow and/or cellular conditions between the in vivo and in vitro experiments.
Modeling KIC 10684673 as a delta Scuti-type variable

Abstract KIC 10684673 (TYC 3562-805-1) was observed by the Kepler mission, which obtained nearly 50,000 data points in the short cadence mode from May through June of 2009 for a total of about 33 days. It has been added to the Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog as an eclipsing binary. However it is flagged as uncertain in nature. Upon visual inspection, it is found the light curve is not consistent with features present in light curves from typical eclipsing binary systems. Instead, it shows features more consistent with pulsation. In the present study, it is shown the light curve can be satisfactorily modeled by considering the target as single, multi-modal δ Scuti pulsator.
Confusion Instead of Clarity: Publicly Reported Cardiac Surgery Ratings for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Aortic Valve Replacement

Background Public reporting of cardiac surgery ratings has been advocated to inform patient selection of hospitals. Although Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) ratings are based on audited risk-adjusted patient outcomes, other rating systems rely on administrative databases. In this study, we evaluate correlation among 4 widely used hospital rating systems for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and aortic valve replacement (AVR). Study Design We identified an initial cohort of 602 hospitals from US News & World Report's (USN) listing of the 2016-2017 “Best Hospitals for Cardiology & Heart Surgery.” From this cohort, current publicly available CABG and AVR ratings were collected from the STS, USN, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Healthgrades. All 4 rating systems rated hospitals as high, average, or below average performers for each procedure. We then determined the match rate between rating systems for individual hospitals and assessed interrater reliability with Cohen's κ. Results Rating systems had different distributions of high and low performing ratings assigned. USN rated hospitals as high performing for both CABG and AVR more frequently compared with STS, Healthgrades, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For CABG, the match rate between systems varied from 50% to 85%, with the best match between STS and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Similarly for AVR, the match rate varied from 50% to 73%, with the best match between STS and Healthgrades. Interrater reliability was poor among the 4 rating systems (κ Conclusions Publicly reported cardiac surgery ratings have significant discrepancy and poor correlation. This might confuse instead of clarify public perception of hospital quality for cardiac surgery.
Differential Emotional Abnormalities Among Schizotypy Clusters

Abstract Schizotypy, a multidimensional personality organization that reflects liability to develop schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, has been associated with a number of emotional abnormalities. Yet, the exact nature of any emotional abnormalities in schizotypy is relatively unclear. Using an ethnically diverse nonclinical sample (N = 2637), the present study identified homogenous clusters of individuals based on positive and negative schizotypy dimensions and explored three interrelated domains of emotion traits closely tied to functional outcomes and quality of life: affective experience, emotional awareness, and meta-level emotions. Consistent with prior research, four schizotypy clusters were obtained: low (“nonschizotypic”), high positive, high negative, and mixed (high positive and high negative). Regarding emotion correlates of schizotypy clusters, the mixed cluster was found to be the most deviant on almost all emotion traits (e.g., heightened trait negative affect, diminished emotional clarity), suggesting that the effects of positive and negative schizotypy are additive. In addition, positive and negative schizotypy clusters were associated with differential abnormalities, with the negative cluster presenting a wider range of, and more severe, impairments compared to the low cluster (e.g., reduced trait positive affect and reduced attention to positive emotion). The current study highlights the heterogeneity in emotional traits among schizotypy dimensions and the importance of studying the mixed schizotypy in terms of emotional dysfunction.
Turgor regulation and expansion growth of maize roots during adjustment to water stress

Transient responses of turgor (P) and growth to water stress were studied in maize roots to evaluate mechanisms that enable plants to adjust growth under limited water supply. Using a cell pressure probe, P was measured across the cortex throughout the expansion zone (3 to 10 mm behind the root tip). Upon exposure of roots to hyperosmotic solutions (KCl or mannitol), P declined rapidly due to water loss to the medium and elongation stopped as soon as P dropped below the yield threshold of growth (Y). However, elongation resumed within minutes, and continuous P measurements during this period indicated two mechanisms that enabled the recovery of growth: a) a reduction of Y from initially 0.6 MPa to values as low as 0.3 MPa, and b) an increase of P during the period of zero growth, presumably due to solute accumulation (transport). The rate of P increase declined with increasing osmotic pressures of the medium (πm), suggesting that solute accumulation was turgorsensitive. P recovery was confined to younger parts of the elongation zone at πm= 0.6 MPa, which was associated with a shortening of the elongation zone from initially 10 to 7 mm. The results indicate that solute accumulation could become a rate-limiting process for growth under water stress.
The “bander’s grip”: Reading zones of human–shorebird contact:

This article applies Mary Louise Pratt’s “contact” perspective within a multispecies ethnography of conservation encounters on the Delaware Bay. Using critical insights from decolonial feminist sci...
Big Data Analytic via Soft Computing Paradigms

Large sets of data have been accumulating in all aspects of our lives for a long time. Advances in sensor technology, the Internet, social networks, wireless communication, and inexpensive memory have all contributed to an explosion of “Big Data.” System of Systems (SoS) integrate independently operating, nonhomogeneous systems to achieve a higher goal than the sum of the parts. Today’s SoS are also contributing to the existence of unmanageable “Big Data.” Recent efforts have developed a promising approach, called “data analytic,” which uses statistical and computational intelligence (CI) tools such as principal component analysis (PCA), clustering, fuzzy logic, neuro-computing, evolutionary computation, Bayesian networks, etc. to reduce the size of “Big Data” to a manageable size and apply these tools to (a) extract information, (b) build a knowledge base using the derived data, and (c) eventually develop a nonparametric model for the “Big Data.” This chapter attempts to construct a bridge between SoS and data analytic to develop reliable models for such systems. The first application prediction of the stock market close is presented using a neural network paradigm. In the second application, a photovoltaic energy forecasting problem of a micro-grid SoS will be offered here for a case study of this modeling relation. The given input data represent the market price of the years which are between 2012 and 2013. The real exchange rate value of the NASDAQ stock market index is used. The results in both applications are quite promising.
“Teaching the Abbasid Muḥdathūn at the Global Turn”1

This essay addresses the challenges of teaching the poetry of the Abbasid modernizers (muḥdathūn) in a global context. The historicist approach to Arabic poetry in general, and to pre-modern Arabic poetry in particular, makes it difficult to engage with the work of these revolutionary poets poetically. A creative and comparatist approach to translation and an insistence on foregrounding this poetry’s relevance beyond its historical moment are ways of overcoming the hegemony of the historical imperative and inviting students to connect with this body of literature rhetorically and creatively. My observations are grounded in readings of samples from the work of Abbasid poets Abū Nuwās (d. 815) and Abū Tammām (d.845).
Remote, brain region–specific control of choice behavior with ultrasonic waves

The ability to modulate neural activity in specific brain circuits remotely and systematically could revolutionize studies of brain function and treatments of brain disorders. Sound waves of high frequencies (ultrasound) have shown promise in this respect, combining the ability to modulate neuronal activity with sharp spatial focus. Here, we show that the approach can have potent effects on choice behavior. Brief, low-intensity ultrasound pulses delivered noninvasively into specific brain regions of macaque monkeys influenced their decisions regarding which target to choose. The effects were substantial, leading to around a 2:1 bias in choices compared to the default balanced proportion. The effect presence and polarity was controlled by the specific target region. These results represent a critical step towards the ability to influence choice behavior noninvasively, enabling systematic investigations and treatments of brain circuits underlying disorders of choice.
The Rcs stress response system modulates Serratia marcescens induced inflammation and bacterial proliferation in a rabbit keratitis model

ABSTRACT In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the conserved bacterial Rcs stress response system mediates corneal pathogenesis associated with Serratia marcescens ocular infections. This was accomplished by modifying Rcs activity using mutant strains. These include a mutant that has a hyper-active Rcs system due to deletion of the IgaA family gene, gumB, and a gumB rcsC double mutant that is defective for Rcs signaling. The role of the Rcs system and bacterial stress response systems for microbial keratitis is not known. Here we observed that the Rcs-activated gumB mutant had a >50-fold reduction in proliferation compared to the wild type within rabbit corneas at 48 h, and demonstrated a notable reduction in inflammation based on inflammatory signs and proinflammatory markers measured at the RNA and protein levels. The gumB mutant phenotypes could be complemented by wild-type gumB on a plasmid and partially complemented by restoration of shlA cytolysin expression and elimination of capsular polysaccharide production. We observed that inactivation of the Rcs stress response system completely restored corneal virulence to the gumB mutant. NanoString transcriptional analysis of bacterial genes expressed during microbial keratitis demonstrated expression of gumB, rcsB, shlA, and three metalloprotease genes. Data suggest that the bacterial capsular polysaccharide is not necessary for infection, but capsule overexpression reduces inflammation. Together, these data indicate that GumB regulates virulence factor production through the Rcs system and this overall stress response system is a key mediator of a bacterium’s ability to induce vision-threatening keratitis.
Maximizing Amplified Energy Transfer: Tuning Particle Size and Dye Loading in Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles

We investigate amplified energy transfer in conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs or Pdots) by studying both fluorescence quenching of CPN donors and the sensitization of reactive dye acceptors. B...
A Comparative Analysis of Temporal Long Text Similarity: Application to Financial Documents

Temporal text documents exist in many real-world domains. These may span over long periods of time during which there tend to be many variations in the text. In particular, variations or the similarities in a pair of documents over two consecutive years could be meaningful. Most of the textual analysis work like text classification focuses on the entire text snippet as a data instance. It is therefore important to study such similarities besides the entire text document. In Natural Language Processing (NLP), the task of textual similarity is important for search and query retrieval. This task is also better known as Semantic Textual Similarity (STS) that aims to capture the semantics of two texts while comparing them. Also, state-of-the-art methods predominantly target short texts. Thus, measuring the semantic similarity between a pair of long texts is still a challenge. In this paper, we compare different text matching methods for the documents over two consecutive years. We focus on their similarities for our comparative analysis and evaluation of financial documents, namely public 10-K filings to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). We further perform textual regression analysis on six quantitative bank variables including Return on Assets (ROA), Earnings per Share (EPS), Tobin’s Q Ratio, Tier 1 Capital Ratio, Leverage Ratio, and Z-score, and show that textual features can be effective in predicting these variables.
Improved Vegetation and Wildfire Fuel Type Mapping Using NASA AVIRIS-NG Hyperspectral Data, Interior AK

In Alaska, wildfire map products have traditionally been generated from lower spatial and spectral resolution Landsat imagery such as LANDFIRE Program's Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) resulting in products that do not accurately assess fire fuel types for local sites. In this study we demonstrate the efficacy of AVIRIS-NG hyperspectral data for mapping Interior Alaska's vegetation and fuel type. Based on an evaluation of field plot data collected by the project team in 2019, the new vegetation map derived from AVIRIS-NG at Viereck IV level resulted in a 73% classification accuracy compared to the 32% accuracy of the LANDFIRE's product EVT derived from Landsat 8. Not only did our product more accurately classify fire fuels, it was also able to identify 20 dominant vegetation classes (percent cover > 1%) while the EVT product only identified eight dominant classes within the study area.
Comparing perceptions of a dimmable LED lighting system between a real space and a virtual reality display

Over the last several decades, designers have used digital screens to view images of real and simulated spaces and make critical design decisions. Screen technology has improved during this time, a...
Individual Stock-Picking Skills in Active Mutual Funds

It is difficult to identify active mutual funds that can predictably outperform passive benchmarks. In-sample alpha hardly predicts out-of-sample alpha. I focus on a particular type of managerial skills – the ability to generate alpha via profitable bets on firm specific risks (stock-picking), and show that a non-parametric first-order stochastic dominance (FSD) test can effectively identify such skills ex-ante in the cross section of active equity mutual funds. The FSD test has superior properties compared with linear regressions in identifying stock-pickers because the non-parametric approach evaluates the entire fund return distribution and develops robustness to a missing-factor problem. Empirically, the FSD test identifies a time-varying group of funds that are able to generate large outperformances out of sample. The identified funds show strong performance persistence. Compared with an average fund, they are smaller in size, charge higher fees, hold fewer stocks and attract more flows.
A Brief Survey of Anglicisms among Spanish Dialects

In this survey we design a method for comparing the patterns of English lexical borrowing into dialects of Spanish. Using data collected from Corpus del Espanol Actual (Subirats & Ortega, 2012), we compare the frequency of 28 Anglicisms among dialectal subcorpora. We create a model that is normalized and standardized among the dialectal data. For each token or class of tokens a Relative Borrowing Score (RBS) may be derived based on the deviation from the model baseline. Overall rates of borrowing are thus modeled for each country, as well as semantic patterns of borrowing based on category. A comparison between the rates of particular Anglicisms and native translation equivalents, is used to evaluate the semantic changes that accompany lexical borrowing. This RBS model is shown to concur with borrowing patterns attested in previous literature. It can serve as a broad tool for identifying areas for more detailed research. It may be adapted to more narrow investigations, such as the distribution of borrowings among sociolects.
Regularity of hyperbolic PDEs governing backstepping gain kernels for parabolic PDEs

In this paper a problem of boundary stabilization of a general class of linear parabolic PDEs is considered. Unlike in previous work in this field, strictly infinite dimensional backstepping is used, independent of any spatial discretization. The problem is formulated as a design of an integral operator whose kernel is shown to satisfy a well posed hyperbolic PDE. This PDE is then converted to an equivalent integral equation and by applying the method of successive approximations a unique solution to this equation is found and its properties are established. For important special cases feedback laws are constructed explicitly.
A Conformational Study of Porcine Thyrocalcitonin

Abstract The structure of porcine thyrocalcitonin has been evaluated by circular dichroism, optical rotatory dispersion, infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence. The degree of helical structure was estimated by circular dichroism (222 mµ) and optical rotatory dispersion (233 mµ) at the n → π* transition of the α helix. The optical activity at this transition suggests that thyrocalcitonin contains approximately 10% α-helical structure in aqueous solution. The spectrum of thyrocalcitonin in 6 m guanidine was similar to that of a randomly coiled polypeptide. In 2-chloroethanol, thyrocalcitonin formed a structure containing approximately 50% α helix. The near ultraviolet circular dichroic spectrum of thyrocalcitonin revealed a major band at 288 mµ, indicating that the tryptophanyl chromophore had restricted rotational freedom. Reduction and alkylation of the amino-terminal heptapeptide ring of thyrocalcitonin produced no significant change in the circular dichroic or optical rotatory spectra. In addition, the effects of alkaline pH and temperature on tryptophanyl emission were similar to the unmodified hormone. These findings preclude a high degree of organized structure in the heptapeptide ring, which is in marked contrast to the amino-terminal hexapeptide ring of oxytocin. These studies indicate that porcine thyrocalcitonin exists predominately in a random coil in aqueous solution. The polypeptide, however, does not appear to possess a rigid conformation and a coil ⇌ helix equilibrium may exist in water with guanidine shifting the equilibrium in favor of the coil and 2-chloroethanol in favor of the helix. The latter type of transition may occur at the receptor site of the hormone in lipid layers or cellular membranes where the water concentration is significantly reduced.
Disparities between Asbestosis and Silicosis Claims Generated By Litigation Screenings and Clinical Studies

In 2005, U.S. District Court Judge Janis Jack, presiding over an MDL proceeding involving 10,000 claims of silicosis, issued a 264 page opinion rejecting the reliability of thousands of medical reports generated by litigation screenings. In that report, she documented in great detail the existence of a fraudulent scheme to create bogus medical evidence that lead her to conclude that it is apparent that truth and justice had very little to do with these diagnoses. . . . [Indeed] it is clear that lawyers, doctors and screening companies were all willing participants in a scheme to manufacture. . . [diagnoses] for money. In this article, I consider whether hundreds of thousands of medical reports generated by asbestos screenings also have been manufactured for money. While both plaintiffs' lawyers and the litigation doctors they hire have steadfastly refused to disclose the percentage of those screened that are found to have asbestosis, I have been able to determine the percentages of positive diagnoses and to compare that to the results of a review of 80 clinical studies. Based on my research, I conclude that for every 1000 occupationally exposed workers screened, litigation screenings generate approximately 500-600 diagnoses of asbestosis. In a clinical setting, however, the number diagnosed with asbestosis would be 30-50. The excess diagnoses of asbestosis in litigation screenings produced over $25 billion in payments to claimants of which approximately $10 billion was paid to the lawyers. I also review clinical studies in which X-rays read by litigation doctors were re-read by independent medical experts. These re-readings found error rates that ranged from 62% to 97.5%. My review of the pandemic of nonmalignant asbestos-related disease claims which were filed in the 1990-2004 period in the tort system and with asbestos bankruptcy trusts and comparison with the number of hospitalizations primarily for asbestosis in that period shows similar disparities. The conclusion I draw from the data and evidence presented is that Judge Jack's findings with regard to the medical reports in the silica MDL applies with at least equal force to nonmalignant asbestos litigation: the medical reports are mostly manufactured for money.
The Ritualization of Family Meals II

In the 1780s, when Daniel and Catherine Van Voorhis had their silver and jewelry store on Hanover Square and lived there as well, their shop was located on the first floor at the front of the building, and their workroom was behind it. The couple and their younger children probably slept on the second floor above the store, the older children, apprentices, journeymen, and help sleeping on the third floor or in the attic. The women in the household prepared meals in the kitchen that was in the building’s back basement, and household members ate them in the combined dining-and-sitting room in the front basement. They started their day with breakfast and had their main meal—dinner—at midday. After evening supper, they often had their friends in for tea.1
Design of a Sprinkler Head and Hose Assembler for Physically Challenged Workers

Engineers traditionally have designed and produced products which had positive effect on the life of people. In particular physically or mentally challenged individuals who may not be able to perform, have long been helped by engineers to perform everyday tasks. ARC (Associations for retarded citizen) Fresno employs People who are mentally & physically challenged. The objective of ARC Fresno is to help these individuals’ stands on their feet. However, they must produce enough products that the company can keep them as an employee. The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a device which has been made to enhance the productivity of physically/mentally challenged individuals. The main task in this particular case is assembly of various types of drip irrigation parts that consist of sprinkler head and a hose that attaches to the sprinkler head which may be easy and safe to operate by said individuals. The task is somewhat difficult to do for a nonhandicapped person, especially when done eight hours a day. But for a handicapped individual person the same task becomes very difficult, and for some impossible. This paper describes the process that was undertaken in the design, development and building stages of the project. The goal of our project was to develop a mechanism that will assist a physically challenged person in the task described. The only criteria for the designs were to make the mechanism easy to duplicate and the cost of entire system should be low.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Emergent identity but not symmetry following successive olfactory discrimination training in rats

The search for symmetry in nonhuman subjects has been successful in recent studies in pigeons (e.g., Urcuioli, 2008). The key to these successes has been the use of successive discrimination procedures and combined training on identity, as well as arbitrary, baseline relations. The present study was an effort to extend the findings and theoretical analysis developed by Urcuioli and his colleagues to rats using olfactory rather than visual stimuli. Experiment 1 was a systematic replication of Urcuioli's (2008) demonstration of symmetry in pigeons. Rats were exposed to unreinforced symmetry probes following training with two arbitrary and four identity conditional discriminations. Response rates on symmetry probe trials were low and provided little evidence for emergent symmetry in any of the seven rats tested. In Experiment 2, a separate group of six rats was trained on four identity relations and was then exposed to probe trials with four novel odor stimuli. Response rates were high on identity probe trials, and low on nonmatching probe trials. The similar patterns of responding on baseline and probe trials that were shown by most rats provided a demonstration of generalized identity matching. These findings suggest that the development of stimulus control topographies in rats with olfactory stimuli may differ from those that emerge in pigeons with visual stimuli. Urcuioli's (2008) theory has been highly successful in predicting conditions necessary for stimulus class formation in pigeons, but may not be sufficient to fully understand determinants of emergent behaviors in other nonhuman species.
Rehospitalization risk factors for psychiatric treatment among elderly Medicaid beneficiaries following hospitalization for a physical health condition

Objectives: Hospitalizations for physical health problems can cause great mental health challenges. We examined risk factors and expenditures for early readmission for inpatient psychiatric treatment following a hospitalization for a non-psychiatric condition.Method: We used eight years of Florida Medicaid enrollment and claims data for (FY 2003–2011) as well as data obtained from the Florida Center for Health Information and Policy Analysis, Inpatient Hospital Database, to identify episodes of hospitalization for all Medicaid-enrolled older adults. There were a total of 781,660 index hospitalizations for non-behavioral health-related hospitalizations, 2690 (0.3%) of which resulted in a behavioral health-related rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge. We estimated the relative risk of early rehospitalization using Cox proportional hazards regression.Results: Participants (n = 276,254) were 76.8 ± 8.3 years old; 68.4% female and 43.5% White. As expected, we found that having a preexisting behavio...
Response: Training Doctoral Students to be Scientists:

The purpose of this article is to begin framing doctoral training for a science of social work. This process starts by examining two seemingly simple questions: “What is a social work scientist?” and “How do we train social work scientists?” In answering the first question, some basic assumptions and concepts about what constitutes a “social work scientist” are articulated, and how this individual is distinct from a “sharp” (a researcher with no independent vision), a scholar, and even a scientist within other disciplines. In responding to the second, these concepts are operationalized into educational principles necessary to creating new social work scientists.
Theory, Sampling, and Analytical Techniques in the Archaeological Study of Prehistoric Ceramics

How archaeologists analyze pottery is determined by archaeological theory, sampling considerations, and available analytical techniques. The most damaging impediment to methodological advance is lack of a theory of how patterns of ceramic variation are generated. It is argued herein that Darwinian evolutionary theory (or selectionism) provides a body of concepts capable of explaining patterned variation and specifies measurements to make in testing specific explanatory statements. Most existing analytical procedures (e.g., the "Type-Variety" system) are regarded as aspects of sampling, the role of which is to help reduce some of the bewildering heterogeneity in ceramic collections before attempting to measure evolutionarily significant variation. Technical analysis, often considered the domain of nonarchaeological specialists, actually produces the measurements needed to test explanatory statements made about pottery observed in the archaeological record.
System support for mobility

As we move closer to world-wide networking and the merger of computing and communications, truly mobile computing---computing while on the move---will become as unexceptional as truly mobile communication (using cellular telephones) is today. However, mobile computing poses new challenges for both system and application designers. Unlike telephony, where a new communications and terminal infrastructure was created to provide a well-understood service (peer-to-peer voice communication), and inter-operability was maintained at the central office, to realize the vision of mobile computing we need to adapt existing applications, and inter-operability must be provided for between peer applications and systems.Almost all of the computer applications that have been built to date make the assumption that their environment is invariant over a significant period of time. Previous generations of bespoke applications were designed around assumptions of computer speed, memory, network bandwidth, communications latency and user interface; changes in these assumptions may have necessitated a new design. Current mass-market ("shrink-wrapped") applications more commonly interrogate their environment when they are initialized, but then assume that nothing changes until after they terminate. Even a modest dynamic change, such as reducing the bit-depth of the available display (as might occur when a laptop is unplugged from a stationary monitor), is more than many applications can handle. Similarly, while operating systems are now often built to ascertain at boot time which network devices are available, and to initialize the appropriate drivers, they are typically unable to handle dynamic changes in these same attributes.The challenge of mobile computing is that many attributes of the application environment vary as the computer is moved from place to place. Moreover, the degree of variability is enormous. For example, available network bandwidth may vary by five orders of magnitude. Adapting to this variability is the shared responsibility of the application program and the operating system. We do not believe that there is a "silver bullet" that will automatically make all applications mobile. But we do believe that the use of the Synthetix specialization methodology will both make the problem tractable and will provide a framework for dividing between the application and the system the responsibility for adapting to change.The remainder of this position paper will describe in more detail the kind of variability that mobile applications will often encounter, and will then outline how we envisage adapting applications and systems to accommodate it.
Vesicoureteral reflux index (VURx): a novel tool to predict primary reflux improvement and resolution in children less than 2 years of age.

Abstract Purpose Surgical correction of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is influenced by recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) risk and the likelihood of spontaneous resolution. We aimed to identify factors associated with VUR resolution in children less than 2 years of age and to design a simple scoring tool to predict improvement and resolution. Materials and methods Children less than 2 years old with primary VUR were identified. Patient demographics, voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) findings and clinical outcomes over time were assessed. Multivariate analysis with time to resolution was performed to identify factors predictive of VUR improvement and resolution. A random forest model was used to confirm the VUR index (VURx) with normalized importance. Results Two-hundred and twenty-nine children met all inclusion criteria. Mean age at initial VCUG was 0.46 ± 0.43 years. Median clinical follow-up was 1.6 years (range 0.5–4.4 years). Children with grade 4–5 reflux, complete ureteral duplication or periureteral diverticula, and filling phase VUR, as well as female gender, had significantly ( p Conclusions Female gender, high-grade VUR, ureteral anomalies, and filling reflux are associated with longer time to improvement and non-resolution. VURx reliably predicts resolution of primary reflux in children less than 2 years of age.
Direct Attack on RAS: Intramolecular Communication and Mutation-Specific Effects

The crystal structure of RAS was first solved 25 years ago. In spite of tremendous and sustained efforts, there are still no drugs in the clinic that directly target this major driver of human cancers. Recent success in the discovery of compounds that bind RAS and inhibit signaling has fueled renewed enthusiasm, and in-depth understanding of the structure and function of RAS has opened new avenues for direct targeting. To succeed, we must focus on the molecular details of the RAS structure and understand at a high-resolution level how the oncogenic mutants impair function. Structural networks of intramolecular communication between the RAS active site and membrane-interacting regions on the G-domain are disrupted in oncogenic mutants. Although conserved across the isoforms, these networks are near hot spots of protein-ligand interactions with amino acid composition that varies among RAS proteins. These differences could have an effect on stabilization of conformational states of interest in attenuating signaling through RAS. The development of strategies to target these novel sites will add a fresh direction in the quest to conquer RAS-driven cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 21(8); 1810-8. ©2015 AACR. See all articles in this CCR Focus section, "Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers."
Outcomes research in rhinology: chronic rhinosinusitis.

Measuring ‘outcome’ in rhinology has been challenging investigators for decades. With the introduction of patient-based, quality of life outcomes, investigators have developed rhinologic-specific outc
Opportunity, community, and teen pregnancy in an Appalachian state.

ABSTRACT Teen pregnancy has become an issue that educators and public policy makers are obliged to treat as a serious problem. Too often, explanations of teen pregnancy have included uncritical use of the notion of adolescents at risk. Recently, however, attention has been given to structurally determined contextual factors in explaining teen pregnancy. Such contextual factors include economic and educational opportunities and costs, as well as chances for valued participation in socially and culturally stable communities. This interest in contextual factors parallels a development in the literature on high school dropouts. A data set previously employed to study variability in drop-out rates among school districts in the Appalachian state of West Virginia was used. Results show that teen pregnancy can be explained in much the same way as dropping out. Explanation in terms of contextual factors helps to avoid the victim-blaming accounts sometimes associated with the notion of teenagers at risk. It also su...
Survival of the beautiful: A conversation with David Rothenberg about evolution and beauty.

Correspondence to: Tam Hunt; Email: tam@communityrenewables.biz Submitted: 04/29/13; Accepted: 04/29/13 Citation: Hunt T. Survival of the beautiful: A conversation with David Rothenberg about evolution and beauty. Commun Integr Biol 2013; 6: e24857; http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/cib.24857 With respect to beauty, there is a growing awareness that even though determinations of beauty in particular cases shall remain entirely subjective, there is indeed a movement toward beauty in all animals and perhaps in all things. The somewhat misleading phrase that captures this truth in biology is “sexual selection.” Sexual attraction is indeed its primary mechanism, but we can infer, through the observed behaviors of animals and even in plants at a far more rudimentary level, that there is an appreciation for beauty that goes beyond sex itself. This is a controversial area, partly because of what I call “the behaviorist hangover.” Behaviorism held sway in much of the 20th Century and its proponents argued that we shouldn’t infer thoughts/feelings in animals or even other humans. Rather, we should stick entirely to observed behaviors and avoid explanations that rely on inferred mental states. This view has rightly been refuted not only because it is de-humanizing, but because anyone who has a pet or is around non-human animals for much time knows full well that other animals have rich inner lives, mood states, preferences, etc. Even though behaviorism has been largely rejected, there is still a tendency in many scientists and other intellectuals today to denigrate reasonable inferences about mental and emotional states. Survival of the beautiful A conversation with David Rothenberg about evolution and beauty
A CONCENTRATION POLARIZATION MODEL FOR THE FILTRATE FLUX IN CROSS-FLOW MICROFILTRATION OF PARTICULATE SUSPENSIONS

Cross-flow filtration with microporous membranes is increasingly used in the separation and concentration of particulate suspensions. Existing models for the filtrate flux are inadequate for correlating experimental observations and are based on contradictory physical mechanisms. We propose that the flux is limited by the formation of a dynamic concentration polarization boundary layer consisting of a high concentration of retained particles. A simple model is developed incorporating a shear-enhanced diffusivity of the large particles which arises from mutually induced velocity fields in the shear flow of the concentrated suspension. Predictions of the model agree well with experimental data for a variety of particulate suspensions. The model provides both a fundamental understanding of the physical phenomena governing flux and a rational basis for design of improved cross-flow filters.
Age-related changes in membrane lipid content and enzyme activities.

Abstract 1. 1. Microsomal and mitochondrial fractions were isolated from livers, kidneys and hearts of 6- and 24-month-old rats and the specific activities of several membrane-bound enzymes were determined. Differences were seen in the activities of the enzymes at the different ages. 2. 2. The phospholipid to protein ratios of the isolated fractions were determined. The phospholipid of the liver and kidney microsomal fractions was decreased in the old animals. No changes were seen in the ratio of membrane phospholipid to total lipid. 3. 3. Kinetic analysis was performed on two membrane-bound enzymes isolated from 6- and 24-month-old animals. Altered, perhaps inhibited, forms of the enzymes were indicated. 4. 4. It is concluded that enzyme changes observed to occur during aging are not directly correlated with in vivo phospholipid loss. The regulating influence of membrane conformation on the activity of bound enzymes, however, does appear to change.
The impact of supersurvey modes on cosmological constraints from cosmic shear fields

Owing to the mass-sheet degeneracy, cosmic shear maps do not probe directly the Fourier modes of the underlying mass distribution on scales comparable to the survey size and larger. To assess the corresponding effect on attainable cosmological parameter constraints, we quantify the information on super-survey modes in a lognormal model and, when interpreted as nuisance parameters, their degeneracies to cosmological parameters. Our analytical and numerical calculations clarify the central role of super-sample covariance (SSC) in shaping the statistical power of cosmological observables. Reconstructing the background modes from their non-Gaussian statistical dependence to small scales modes yields the renormalized convergence. This diagonalizes the spectrum covariance matrix, and the information content of the corresponding power spectrum is increased by a factor of two over standard methods. Unfortunately, careful calculation of the Cramer-Rao bound shows that the information recovery can never be made complete, any observable built from shear fields, including optimal sufficient statistics, are subject to severe information loss, typically $80\%$ to $90\%$ below $\ell \sim 3000$ for generic cosmological parameters. The lost information can only be recovered from additional, non-shear based data. Our predictions hold just as well for a tomographic analysis, and/or full sky surveys.
Forum on New Ideas in Tribology

The Forum on New Ideas was held at the end of the workshop to give participants an opportunity to express new ideas and directions in tribology. In addition, it gave an opportunity to review the highlights of the workshop and to continue discussion on important topics. It is the latter point that occupied most of the session. These pages contain a summary of these discussions and my views on what is new in tribology.
Differential effects of nicotine and tobacco smoke condensate on human annulus fibrosus cell metabolism.

Tobacco smoking increases the risk of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and back pain, but the mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of smoking are largely unknown. Current hypotheses predict that smoking contributes to IDD indirectly through nicotine-mediated vasoconstriction which limits the exchange of nutrients between the discs and their surroundings. We alternatively hypothesize that direct contact of disc cells, that is, cells in the outermost annulus and those present along fissures in degenerating discs, with the vascular system containing soluble tobacco smoking constituents could perturb normal metabolic activities resulting in IDD. In this study, we tested our hypothesis by comparing the effects of direct exposure of human disc cells to tobacco smoke condensate and nicotine on cell viability and metabolic activity. We showed that smoke condensate, which contains all of the water-soluble compounds inhaled by smokers, exerts greater detrimental effects on human disc cell viability and metabolism than nicotine. Smoke condensate greatly induced an inflammatory response and gene expression of metalloproteinases while reduced active matrix synthesis and expression of matrix structural genes. Therefore, we have demonstrated that disc cell exposure to the constituents of tobacco smoke has negative consequences which have the potential to alter disc matrix homeostasis. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29: 1585–1591, 2011
Cytoplasmic [InsP3] Drop Induces Transient High-Open-Probability Gating Mode in Type 1 InsP3R Channel

Single-channel activities of homotetrameric recombinant rat type 1 InsP3R channels expressed in mutant DT40-3KO cells with no endogenous InsP3R expression were studied in nuclear patch clamp experiments. In on-nucleus experiments with steady ligand conditions, the channel exhibits modal gating with at least two modes: a high-Po mode with Po = 0.4-0.6 and mean open duration (to) ∼ 3 ms; and a low-Po mode with Po < 0.05 but to still ∼ 3 ms. Cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) regulates channel Po biphasically by changing the likelihood of the channel being in the high-Po mode and the mean closed duration (tc) of the low-Po mode. Even under optimal ligand conditions ([Ca2+]i = 2 µM and cytoplasmic InsP3 concentration [InsP3] = 10 µM), the maximum mean Po observed was only ∼ 0.1, with the channel being in the low-Po mode the majority of time. InsP3 (33 nM to 10 µM) activates the channel by reducing its sensitivity to Ca2+ inhibition. In experiments with cytoplasmic-side-out nuclear membrane patches, when initial [Ca2+]i was low (55 nM) and [InsP3] was rapidly dropped from 10 µM to 0 using perfusion solution exchanges, the InsP3R channels had a high propensity to transiently enter a more active state before they became inactivated by the removal of InsP3. This behavior was more prominent, with the channel Po transiently increasing to ∼ 0.6, when [Ca2+]i was increased to optimal level (2.1 µM) instead of remaining constant at 55 nM. No transient increase in Po was observed in similar [InsP3] drops with [Ca2+]i kept constant at 2.1 µM. This suggests that sub-saturating [InsP3] can induce type 1 InsP3R channels to enter the high-Po mode with higher probability than saturating [InsP3].