cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Emergency Ultrasound in Arizona Community Emergency Departments

OBJECTIVES Despite the increased educational exposure to point-of-care ultrasound (US) at all levels of medical training, there are utilization gaps between academic and nonacademic emergency department (ED) settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the current practices and potential barriers to the use of point-of-care US in nonacademic EDs throughout the state of Arizona. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was electronically sent to all nonacademic EDs in Arizona. The survey consisted of questions regarding demographics, current practice patterns, policies, interdepartmental agreements, and perceptions regarding the use of point-of-care US. RESULTS Seventy nonacademic EDs were identified for inclusion in our study, and 58 EDs completed the survey, which represented an 83% response rate. Seventy-eight percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 67%-89%) perform or interpret point-of-care US examinations for patient care. The 3 most common applications of point-of-care US reported by respondents were focused assessment with sonography for trauma, cardiac US examinations, and line placement, and 36% (95% CI, 22%-50%) bill for point-of-care US examinations. At 75% (95% CI, 62%-88%) of EDs, no one is specifically responsible for reviewing point-of-care US examinations for quality assurance, and at 50% (95% CI, 35%-65%), no mechanism exists to archive images. Eighty-three percent (95% CI, 72%-94%) of EDs think that their groups will benefit from the American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Ultrasound Accreditation Program. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound equipment is available in nearly all nonacademic EDs in Arizona. However, it appears that most providers lack US training, credentialing, quality assurance, and reimbursement mechanisms.
Low Incidence of Deletions of ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) Gene in Patients (pts) with Multiple Myeloma (MM) as Detected by FISH.

Loss of function of ATM gene is associated with higher incidence of leukemia and lymphoma. ATM localized to 11q22.3-q23.1, is a tumor suppressor gene and plays an important role in cell cycle arrest, DNA repair mechanisms, and apoptosis. The incidence of deletion of ATM in MM remains unknown. Using a new commercially available fluorescently labeled DNA probe, we investigated the incidence of homozygous and heterozygous deletions of the ATM gene locus to explore its potential role in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). Fifty-three MM pts were evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the Vysis, Inc. LSI ATM (11q22.3) probe to assess the status of the ATM gene. LSI ATM (11q22.3) is a ~500 kb probe that hybridizes to the 11q22.3 region of chromosome 11 and spans the entire ~184 kb ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene and several others. Probe copy number was assessed in each patient after analyzing at least 200 interphase nuclei. Only pts with> 10% bone marrow involvements with malignant plasma cells were analyzed. Heterozygous ATM deletion was noted in 2/53 (3.7%) patients. These patients had 82% and 20% involvement of bone marrow (BM) with malignant plasma cells. Twenty-eight of 53 (%) patients showed an extra signal suggestive of trisomy 11, while no abnormality (2 signals) was noted in 23/53 (%) pts. There was no significant difference in the stage, B2M or extent of marrow involvement among patient with or without aberration of ATM gene. Up to 15–20% of the pts with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (CLL, mantle cell and other NHL) are reported to have ATM deletion suggesting a possible role of ATM protein in the pathogenesis of at least a subset of these disorders. Even though MM is a B-cell disorder, in our observation the prevalence of ATM deletion in these pts is uncommon and thus unlikely to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of MM.
Using Tangible Manipulatives for Hands-on Activities in Undergraduate Computer Science Classes (Abstract Only)

Hands-on activities can reinforce a variety of Computer Science concepts covered in class. Active learning techniques that utilize tangible manipulatives such as LEGO or other simple objects provide unique opportunities for students to explore or reinforce topics during class in a playful setting. This kinesthetic learning approach can also provide a platform that has a low learning curve, can facilitate creative thinking, improve student engagement with content and peers while adding gamification elements to the course. Different Computer Science topics lend themselves to such activities to differing degrees and the logistics of conducting these activities in large classrooms requires careful planning and execution, especially where cost is a factor and replication is desired between classes. Some educators may have experience while others may be interested but do not know where to start. BOF attendees will hear from those who have used different types of manipulatives, applied manipulatives to different Computer Science topics, and utilized said activities in different scenarios and contexts (e.g. large vs. small classes, single student vs. team activities). The sharing of ideas, strategies, and resources, as well as potential collaborations is also central to the discussion. The audience is expected to consist of both university faculty/lecturers (especially those who teach lower division courses) and high school teachers of computer science who are interested in engaging students in course content via kinesthetic activities and tangible manipulatives.
Fiber-metasurface for wavefront shaping

An array of embedded subwavelength fibers is proposed as a flexible, large-scale and mass-producible metasurface for wavefront shaping. As a proof of concept, we numerically demonstrate beam deflector, focusing optics, high reflector and sinusoidal wavefront shaping.
How to Redesign Your Course in "Realtime" Based on Student Feedback

StudentsA¢â¬â¢ interaction is one of the most important elements when teaching, particularly for an online course. However, not all courses are designed in a way to impact studentsA¢â¬â¢ interactions with peers and content. This poster will demonstrate, share, and discuss how one faculty and one instructional designer collaborated to design and redesign an online undergraduate course based on studentsA¢â¬â¢ weekly feedback. It is known that the majority of asynchronous online courses are designed and developed in advance based on the principles of best practices of teaching online. As such, some activities and pre-designed assignments in online courses are usually difficult to change while teaching the course. Course instructors usually prefer to redesign the course based on the end-of-semester feedback which becomes available at the end of the course. However, it is hard to modify the course when it has been already taught, which may lead to negative impacts on the course quality. In this session, two presenters will share how they were successful in collaborating for the redesigns of redesign activities and assignments while teaching the course. Both presenters will also share how to use studentsA¢â¬â¢ feedback to redesign the course when it is not late. This will help the audience to find strategies to redesign the course to enhance studentsA¢â¬â¢ interactions with peers and to increase studentsA¢â¬â¢ satisfaction level on the course. The audience will be able to discuss with presenters how to structure and design online collaborative writing assignment and how to assess and evaluate studentsA¢â¬â¢ collaborative work.AÂ These strategies can be applied to face-to-face classes too.For more information about classroom assessment:AÂ https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/teaching/classroom-assessment-techniques-cats
An ensemble approach to multi-view multi-instance learning

Abstract Multi-view learning combines data from multiple heterogeneous sources and employs their complementary information to build more accurate models. Multi-instance learning represents examples as labeled bags containing sets of instances. Data fusion of different multi-instance views cannot be simply concatenated into a single set of features due to their different cardinality and feature space. This paper proposes an ensemble approach that combines view learners and pursues consensus among the weighted class predictions to take advantage of the complementary information from multiple views. Importantly, the ensemble must deal with the different feature spaces coming from each of the views, while data for the bags may be partially represented in the views. The experimental study evaluates and compares the performance of the proposal with 20 traditional, ensemble-based, and multi-view algorithms on a set of 15 multi-instance datasets. Experimental results indicate the better performance of ensemble methods than single-classifiers, but especially the best results of the multi-view multi-instance approaches. Results are validated through multiple non-parametric statistical analysis.
A Novel Ca2+/CaM-regulated Microtubule Motor Protein from Plants: Role in Trichome Morphogenesis and Cell Division

In recent years Ca2+ has emerged as a key messenger in transducing many hormonal and environmental signals in plants (Hepler and Wayne 1985, Poovaiah and Reddy 1987, Poovaiah and Reddy 1993, Bowler and Chua 1994, Trewavas and Malho 1997, Sander et al 1999). However, the biochemical and molecular events involved in the mode of Ca2+ action are poorly understood. Ca2+ is believed to control many biochemical and molecular processes by interacting with several proteins either directly or through calmodulin (CaM), a highly conserved, multifunctional regulatory protein in eukaryotes (Roberts et al 1986, Snedden and Fromm 1998). Calmodulin action in regulating biochemical and molecular events and ultimately physiological processes involves its interaction with other proteins called CaM-binding proteins. The effect of this interaction usually results in regulation of enzymatic activity/function of the binding protein. In animal systems a large number of CaM-binding proteins have been characterized (Rhoads and Friedberg 1997). In plants, little is known about the number, localization, identity, function and regulation of CaM-binding proteins (Snedden and Fromm 1998, Zielinski 1998). In our attempts to identify interacting protein partners of CaM, we screened expression libraries of Arabidopsis and other plants with labeled CaM. This screening has resulted in isolation of several CaM-binding proteins.
The changing landscape of Lynch syndrome due to PMS2 mutations.

DNA repair pathways are essential for cellular survival as our DNA is constantly under assault from both exogenous and endogenous DNA damaging agents. Five major mammalian DNA repair pathways exist within a cell to maintain genomic integrity. Of these, the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway is highly conserved among species and is well documented in bacteria. In humans, the importance of MMR is underscored by the discovery that a single mutation in any one of four genes within the MMR pathway (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2) results in Lynch syndrome (LS). LS is an autosomal dominant condition that predisposes individuals to a higher incidence of many malignancies including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and gastric cancers. In this review, we discuss the role of PMS2 in the MMR pathway, the evolving testing criteria used to identify variants in the PMS2 gene, the LS phenotype as well as the autosomal recessive condition called Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency syndrome, and current methods used to elucidate the clinical impact of PMS2 mutations.
Tracheal release maneuvers

Tracheal resection and reconstruction has been slow to develop in the field of thoracic surgery. The ability to perform a low tension, well-vascularized anastomosis with good outcomes has improved with understanding of tracheal blood supply and the ability to perform tracheal release maneuvers. Laryngeal and suprahyoid release maneuvers can be helpful for cervical tracheal resections, while hilar and pericardial release maneuvers can be beneficial in thoracic tracheal resections. Simple maneuvers such as neck flexion and dissection of the avascular pretracheal plane can also be used to improve anastomotic tension. In this paper, we will review the indications, technical considerations and results of performing cervical and intrathoracic tracheal release maneuvers during tracheal resection and reconstruction.
A novel variant in TAF1 affects gene expression and is associated with X-linked TAF1 intellectual disability syndrome

We investigated the genome of a 5-year-old male who presented with global developmental delay (motor, cognitive, and speech), hypotonia, possibly ataxia, and cerebellar hypoplasia of unknown origin. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were performed on a family having an affected proband, his unaffected parents, and maternal grandfather. To explore the molecular and functional consequences of the variant, we performed cell proliferation assays, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) array, immunoblotting, calcium imaging, and neurite outgrowth experiments in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to compare the properties of the wild-type TATA-box-binding protein factor 1 (TAF1), deletion of TAF1, and TAF1 variant p.Ser1600Gly samples. The whole genome data identified several gene variants. However, the genome sequence data failed to implicate a candidate gene as many of the variants were of unknown significance. By combining genome sequence data with transcriptomic data, a probable candidate variant, p.Ser1600Gly, emerged in TAF1. Moreover, the RNA-seq data revealed a 90:10 extremely skewed X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in the mother. Our results showed that neuronal ion channel genes were differentially expressed between TAF1 deletion and TAF1 variant p.Ser1600Gly cells, when compared with their respective controls, and that the TAF1 variant may impair neuronal differentiation and cell proliferation. Taken together, our data suggest that this novel variant in TAF1 plays a key role in the development of a recently described X-linked syndrome, TAF1 intellectual disability syndrome, and further extends our knowledge of a potential link between TAF1 deficiency and defects in neuronal cell function.
Tool 1: The Relative Stationary Average Level

Part 2 develops tools for analyzing bonus-malus systems. Extensive simulations are used to compare and rank thirty different systems, from twenty-two countries: six countries from East Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia-Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand), fourteen European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), as well as Kenya and Brazil. Several of these countries have recently modified their system. In these cases both the old and the new BMS are studied in order to investigate the impact of the recent modifications. In some countries many different BMS coexist; only one or two typical systems are then analyzed. All BMS are described in appendix B.
Effects of 17-alpha-Estradiol, a Possible Endogenous Opiate Antagonist, on Cardiovascular Responses in Conscious, Unrestrained Rats

In target tissues responsive to estrogenic hormones such as 17-beta-estradiol, 17-alpha-estradiol is known to be inactive. It is generally accepted that steroid hormones act in target tissues by passing through cell membranes and binding to specific receptor proteins located in the cytoplasm. This action is followed by the translocation of the hormone-receptor complex to the cell nucleus, where it initiates changes in gene expression, which results in an increase in both RNA and protein synthesis. 17-alpha-estradiol does not bind to cytoplasmic receptor proteins, but evidence indicates that steroids, in addition to interacting with cytoplasmic receptors, also may interact with surface-membrane receptors to change the excitability of nerve cells. Recently, Majewska et al. (1986) found that two metabolites of the steroid hormones progesterone and deoxycroticosterone are potent barbiturate-like ligands of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-chloride ion channel complex, inhibiting the binding of the convulsant t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate to the GABA-receptor complex. LaBella et al. (1978) tested a large number of steroids in an opiate radioreceptor assay, and only 17-alpha-estradiol and two structurally related compounds (17-alpha-dihydroequilin and 17-alpha-dihydroequilenin) showed significant competition in a [3H]naloxone radioreceptor binding assay. This observation suggests that 17-alpha-estradiol may interact with opiate receptors in the cell membrane.
Krylov Projection Methods for Model Reduction

This dissertation focuses on efficiently forming reduced-order models for large, linear dynamic systems. Projections onto unions of Krylov subspaces lead to a class of reduced-order models known as rational interpolants. The cornerstone of this dissertation is a collection of theory relating Krylov projection to rational interpolation. Based on this theoretical framework, three algorithms for model reduction are proposed. The first algorithm, dual rational Arnoldi, is a numerically reliable approach involving orthogonal projection matrices. The second, rational Lanczos, is an efficient generalization of existing Lanczos-based methods. The third, rational power Krylov, avoids orthogonalization and is suited for parallel or approximate computations. The performance of the three algorithms is compared via a combination of theory and examples. Independent of the precise algorithm, a host of supporting tools are also develop ed to form a complete model-reduction package. Techniques for choosing the matching frequencies, estimating the modeling error, insuring the model's stability, treating multiple-input multiple-output systems, implementing parallelism, and avoiding a need for exact factors of large matrix pencils are all examined to various degrees
Differentiation and Integration of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

A function of the form f(x) = a x for a > 0 and a ≠ 1 is called an exponential function. When x is a rational number, the value of a x is defined in the usual way. If x is an irrational number, then a x is defined as the limit of a x , where x n is rational and approaches x . This chapter discusses the properties that exponential functions obey. The properties are immediate consequences of the definition when x 1 and x 2 are both rational. They are also valid when either x 1 or x 2 or both of x 1 and x 2 are irrational x. The properties of exponential functions are reflected in their graphs. The chapter also discusses logarithms and logarithmic functions. It lists several properties of the logarithmic function. These properties follow from the properties of the exponential function and are used in the calculation of the derivative of the logarithmic function.
Some Important Distinctions: The Traditional Distinction Between Instrumental and Independent Actions

A fact which, after a hard struggle, has now won universal acceptance among economists, is that virtually all actions are complementary, i.e. are judged as regards to their desirability, not as independent actions standing alone, but in conjunction with, or as components of, certain other actions.1 These other actions are actions which the individual tends to take in the future, though they will also be bound up with actions which he has taken in the past.
Using ΦX174 DNA as an exogenous reference for measuring mitochondrial DNA copy number

Quantitative real-time PCR has become a popular method to analyze and quantify changes in the copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and nuclear DNA (nDNA) is often used as an endogenous reference for mtDNA abundance. In our experience, using nDNA as a reference is problematic, due to differences in the extraction efficiency of nDNA and mtDNA and variation in the ploidy of experimental samples. Here, we report that the ratio of mtDNA to nDNA varies in repeated DNA extractions but that ΦX174 DNA, added before DNA extraction, is extracted with a similar efficiency to mtDNA, making it a suitable alternative reference for quantifying mtDNA copy number.
Heinrich Popitz and the Power of Violence and Technical Action in the Revolutionary and Information Ages

The publication of the Phenomena of power: Authority, domination, and violence into English allows for the English-speaking world to engage the work of Heinrich Popitz. Popitz provides a thorough and organized description of how power operates in social relations that should be valuable to any scholar of the human sciences. This essay is supportive of Popitz’s project, but seeks a critical engagement by extending the analysis on violence and technical power. I argue that reading Popitz alongside the decolonial thinker, Franz Fanon and the media ecologist, Marshall McLuhan can provide important correctives. In particular, Fanon’s analysis that the colonial use of rhetorical power to dehumanize the oppressed and McLuhan’s comment on the importance of the control of medium are missing in an otherwise very thorough philosophical anthropology on the phenomena of power.
Co(II) is not oxidized during turnover in the copper amine oxidase from Hansenula polymorpha

Co(II) substitution into the copper amine oxidases (CAOs) has been an effective tool for evaluating the mechanism of oxygen reduction in these enzymes. However, formation of hydrogen peroxide during turnover raises questions about the relevant oxidation state of the cobalt in these enzymes and, therefore, the interpretation of the activity of the metal-substituted enzyme with respect to its mechanism of action. In this study, Co(II) was incorporated into the CAO from Hansenula polymorpha (HPAO). The effect of hydrogen peroxide on the catalytic activity of cobalt-substituted HPAO was evaluated. Hydrogen peroxide, either generated during turnover or added exogenously, caused a decrease in the activity of the enzyme but did not oxidize Co(II) to Co(III). These results are in strong contrast with results from the CAO from Arthrobacter globiformis (AGAO), where hydrogen peroxide causes an increase in the activity of the enzyme as the Co(II) is oxidized to Co(III). The results of this study with HPAO support previous reports that have shown that this enzyme acts by transferring an electron directly from the reduced TPQ cofactor to dioxygen rather than passing the electron through the bound metal ion. Furthermore, these results provide additional evidence to support the idea that different CAOs use different mechanisms for catalysis.
Affective attunement in peer dyads containing children adopted from institutions.

Children who have experienced institutional care early in life tend to show deficits in behavioral and adrenocortical regulation that impact their ability to form friendships and have positive social interactions with peers. Understanding how post-institutionalized children interact with unfamiliar peers and the factors that predict the quality of these interactions may shed light on the processes contributing to the persistent, often increasing social deficits seen in post-institutionalized children. In this study, one child (either post-institutionalized or non-adopted; the "target") interacted with another non-adopted child (the "peer"; N = 58 dyads, M age = 9.65 years) through a series of competitive and cooperative games during which interaction quality and affect of each participant were coded. Three saliva samples were also collected from each participant to measure cortisol production across the session. No group differences in behavior, affect, or cortisol were found. However, non-adopted target children's affect was positively associated with their peers' affect and negatively associated with peers' change in cortisol across the session, while post-institutionalized target children's affect was not associated with their peers' affect or cortisol. Thus, future interventions may want to promote social skills in children exposed to early adversity by focusing on dyadic social contingencies rather than individual behavior.
Complete genome sequence of Salmonella enterica siphophage Shelanagig.

Here, we present the annotated genome of Shemara, a siphophage of Salmonella enterica The Shemara genome is 44 kb with 83 predicted protein-coding genes. At the nucleotide and amino acid levels, Shemara is most similar to phages in the Guernseyvirinae subfamily.
Assessment of transport properties, volume stability, and frost resistance of non-proprietary ultra-high performance concrete

Abstract This study focuses on the assessment of non-proprietary ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) mixtures exposed to the penetration of chloride ions, shrinkage due to moisture loss, and freeze and thaw cycles. For achieving a proper assessment, several non-proprietary UHPC mixtures were designed, cast, and tested for flow, compressive strength, tensile strength, surface resistivity, rapid chloride penetration, rapid chloride migration, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and loss of mass and dynamic modulus due to freeze and thaw cycles. The performance measures of the developed mixtures were then compared with those of two proprietary UHPC mixtures. The results obtained from this rigorous set of experimental tests showed how non-proprietary UHPC mixtures can be designed to experience chloride penetration as low as their proprietary counterparts, maintain high volume stability under both autogenous and drying shrinkage, and benefit from negligible degradation under freeze and thaw cycles. This study also quantified how the water-to-cement ratio, sand-to-cement ratio, and inclusion of silica fume can have substantial effects on the properties of non-proprietary UHPC mixtures. Considering the significant cost advantages of non-proprietary UHPC mixtures, the outcome of this study shed light on the feasibility of developing non-proprietary UHPC mixtures with desired properties, taking into account short- and long-term performance considerations.
Non-Meteorological Application of New Generation Geostatinary Satellites

Imaging radiometers such as the advanced baseline imager and the advanced Himawari imager on the new generation geostationary environmental satellites provide new opportunities for several non-meteorological applications. Examples of three such applications in fire detection, monitoring atmospheric aerosols for air quality and modelling downwelling solar radiation for power plants are presented here.
Augmented pressor and sympathoexcitatory responses to the onset of isometric handgrip in patients with type 2 diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) exhibit greater daytime blood pressure (BP) variability, increasing their cardiovascular risk. Given the number of daily activities that incorporate short-durati...
Big Data and Simulation to Analyze Higher Education Sustainable Development

Higher education institutions already accumulated enormous volumes of big data associated with student success, enrolment, professors, educational programs, educational computer systems, economics, etc., that potentially can be used for sustainable development analysis. However, their practical applications in higher education institutions are remained relatively rare because of complexity in the subject domain and lack of a methodological base to reuse some effective previously created models. This paper introduces an approach to incorporate big data into higher education sustainability analysis and reduce the complexity of the subject domain infrastructure by using a set of formalized systems. Within this approach, a simulation umbrella is used as a united methodological base to combine big data and sustainability analysis implementation. To illustrate how the proposed approach works, a simulation case-study associated with a USA young fast-growing higher education institution included in the paper.
Students' Perception on Instructor Bullying in a Local College in Zambales, Philippines.

Instructor bullying in the higher institution is an area given with the least attention and significance in the local context since bullying is affixed and attributed to with the students only. This descriptive study aimed to determine the perception of students on instructor bullying in a local college in Zambales, Philippines. There were 110 respondents in the study who enrolled and studied in the academic year of 2017-2018, which were conveniently selected. An instrument was created by the researchers and subjected to validity and reliability to a panel of experts. The data were then tabulated and analyzed using SPSS 20. The study found that the respondents were moderately aware of instructor bullying by college students. There was also a significant difference found when respondents were grouped according to sex. The rest of the demographic variables like age, year level and college did not produce a significant result. The implications drawn from the study can be considered for the basis of the policy included in the student handbook.
TrollHunter2020: Real-Time Detection of Trolling Narratives on Twitter During the 2020 US Elections

This paper presents TrollHunter2020, a real-time detection mechanism we used to hunt for trolling narratives on Twitter during the 2020 U.S. elections. Trolling narratives form on Twitter as alternative explanations of polarizing events like the 2020 U.S. elections with the goal to conduct information operations or provoke emotional response. Detecting trolling narratives thus is an imperative step to preserve constructive discourse on Twitter and remove an influx of misinformation. Using existing techniques, this takes time and a wealth of data, which, in a rapidly changing election cycle with high stakes, might not be available. To overcome this limitation, we developed TrollHunter2020 to hunt for trolls in real-time with several dozens of trending Twitter topics and hashtags corresponding to the candidates' debates, the election night, and the election aftermath. TrollHunter2020 collects trending data and utilizes a correspondence analysis to detect meaningful relationships between the top nouns and verbs used in constructing trolling narratives while they emerge on Twitter. Our results suggest that the TrollHunter2020 indeed captures the emerging trolling narratives in a very early stage of an unfolding polarizing event. We discuss the utility of TrollHunter2020 for early detection of information operations or trolling and the implications of its use in supporting a constrictive discourse on the platform around polarizing topics.
Optokinetic response for mobile device biometric liveness assessment

Abstract As a practical pursuit of quantified uniqueness, biometrics explores the parameters that make us who we are and provides the tools we need to secure the integrity of that identity. In our culture of constant connectivity, an increasing reliance on biometrically secured mobile devices is transforming them into a target for bad actors. While no system will ever prevent all forms of intrusion, even state of the art biometric methods remain vulnerable to spoof attacks. As these attacks become more sophisticated, liveness based attack detection methods provide a potential deterrent. We present a novel optokinetc nystagmus (OKN) based liveness assessment system for mobile applications which leverages phase-locked temporal features of a unique reflexive behavioral response. In this paper we provide proof of concept for eliciting, collecting and extracting the OKN response motion signature on a mobile device. Results of our most successful experimental machine learning classifier are reported for a multi-layer LSTM based model demonstrating a 98.4% single stimulus detection performance for simulated video based attacks.
Welfare Improving and Distributionally Neutral Tax Reforms

In a new model with incomplete markets, I quantitatively determine tax reforms that are welfare improving, distributionally neutral, and leave the budget balance unchanged in the long run. I consider a new reform. I eliminate capital income taxation and replace it with progressive consumption taxation, consisting of taxing necessities and luxuries at different rates. I compare steady states under various tax regimes. I find that progressive rather than uniform consumption taxation generates higher welfare gains in the long run and during the transition to the steady state. While this type of reform achieves redistribution neutrality only in the long run, it generates welfare gains for the whole population during the transition.These results stay robust when non-homothetic preferences are considered and progressivity in consumption taxation is achieved by subsidizing consumption of the poor. With respect to long term objectives, the choice of a more progressive consumption or labor-income tax system depends on the modelization of preferences. During the transition, a tax reform involving more progressive labor-income taxation generates smaller redistribution effects than any consumption tax reform.
On-admission anemia predicts mortality in COVID-19 patients: A single center, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of anemia based on admission hemoglobin (Hb) level as a prognostic risk factor for severe outcomes in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted from a random sample of 733 adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) obtained from a total of 4356 laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases who presented to the Emergency Department of Montefiore Medical Center between March-June 2020. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of in-hospital severe outcomes of COVID-19. A secondary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among the 733 patients included in our final analysis, 438 patients (59.8%) presented with anemia. 105 patients (14.3%) had mild, and 333 patients (45.5%) had moderate-severe anemia. Overall, 437 patients (59.6%) had a composite endpoint of severe outcomes. On-admission anemia was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, (Odds Ratio 1.52, 95% CI [1.01-2.30], p = 0.046) but not for composite severe outcomes. However, moderate-severe anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL) on admission was independently associated with both severe outcomes (OR1.53, 95% CI [1.05-2.23], p = 0.028) and mortality (OR 1.67, 95% CI [1.09-2.56], p = 0.019) during hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Anemia on admission was independently associated with increased odds of all-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Furthermore, moderate-severe anemia (Hb <11 g/dL) was an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Moving forward, COVID-19 patient management and risk stratification may benefit from addressing anemia on admission.
An ALA 122 THR substitution in the AHAS/ALS gene confers imazamox-resistance in Aegilops cylindrica.

BACKGROUND Wheat growers have limited herbicide options to manage Aegilops cylindrica Host (jointed goatgrass), with many relying on mesosulfuron or imazamox in Clearfield™ winter wheat. Both imazamox and mesosulfuron inhibit acetohydroxyacid synthase/acetolactate synthase (AHAS/ALS). In 2015, a suspected imazamox resistant biotype of Ae. cylindrica was found in eastern Washington. RESULTS Imazamox and mesosulfuron were applied to the suspected resistant and susceptible Ae. cylindrica biotypes in increasing application rates to evaluate herbicide dose needed to cause 50% growth reduction (GR50 ). The imazamox resistant biotype had a GR50 of 308.5 g ai ha-1 and was more than 5000 times more resistant to imazamox than a known susceptible biotype with a GR50 of 0.06 g ai ha-1 . The Ae. cylindrica resistant biotype was also resistant to mesosulfuron, with an GR50 of 46.82 g ai ha-1 , which was five times more than the susceptible GR50 of 8.6 g ai ha-1 . Sequencing of the AHAS/ALS gene revealed an Ala122 Thr substitution in the herbicide binding region of the AHAS/ALS gene on the D genome of Ae. cylindrica. The resistance trait was inherited as a dominant trait, and the Ala122 Thr co-segregates with the resistance phenotype. CONCLUSIONS An Ala122 Thr substitution in the AHAS/ALS gene on the D genome of Ae. cylindrica confers resistance to imazamox in Ae. cylindrica. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Creating Computer Programs: An Epistemic Commitment

There are already a number of excellent books available on the history of automating human intelligent behavior. Their writers, often pointing out the similar actions of computers and brains, employ the techniques of computer science and artificial intelligence to both better understand many of the mental activities that the human brain supports and to create programs critical to human progress. This book is different. We describe the successful use of the methodologies of science and computation to explore how we humans come to understand and operate in our world. While humankind’s history of articulating ideas and building machines that can replicate the activity of the human brain is impressive, we focus on understanding and modeling the practices that accomplishes these goals. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the art of programming, Alan Turing’s machine, and the foundations of computing, and asks the question of how best to represent complex world situations on a machine.
Identity Narratives: Stories from the Lives of Urban Adolescent Females

In this article, I present narratives told to me by female students of color who attended high school in an urban setting. Collected as part of an interpretive study in which I interviewed students during their senior year of high school and the first two years after graduation, these narratives focus on two themes: identity as oppositional and as contingent or shifting. I use these narratives to describe how youth simultaneously participated in and resisted school. I show that youth's shifting sets of identities shaped their participation in school, their definitions of “success” and the visions they held for the future. This article suggests that schools provide safe spaces for adults and young women to form mentoring relationships, that we reorganize schools so that school personnel have contact with fewer students, and finally, that we be careful not to write off students once they have children or because of poor academic records. The narratives belie simple explanations of success or failure for females of color living in poverty. Rather, they suggest the importance of listening to youth as we reformulate education policy and practice.
Wavelet Encoding of MRI Images

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Wavelet Transform Theory 3 MR Encoding by Spatially Selective Excitation 4 An Implementation of Wavelet-Encoded MRI 5 Signal-to-Noise Ratios 6 Limitations and Applications 7 Biographical Sketches Related Articles
A randomized controlled trial comparing scalable weight loss treatments in primary care.

Objective: Primary-care (PC) settings may be an opportune place to deliver obesity interventions. Scalable interventions utilizing motivational interviewing (MI), supported by Internet resources, may overcome obstacles to effective obesity treatment dissemination. This study was a randomized controlled trial testing two Web-supported interventions, motivational interviewing (MIC) and nutrition psychoeducation (NPC), an attention-control intervention, in comparison with usual care (UC). Methods: Eighty-nine overweight/obese patients, with and without binge eating disorder (BED), were randomly assigned to MIC, NPC, or UC for 3 months in PC. Patients were assessed independently at posttreatment and at 3-month follow-up. Results: Weight, triglyceride levels, and depression scores decreased significantly in NPC when compared to UC but not MIC; UC and MIC did not differ significantly. Weight loss results maintained at 3-month follow-up: approximately 25% MIC and NPC patients achieved at least 5% weight loss which did not differ by BED status. Fidelity ratings were high and treatment adherence was associated with weight loss. Conclusions: This is the first randomized controlled trial in PC testing MI for weight loss to include an attention-control intervention (NPC). NPC, but not MIC, showed a consistent pattern of superior benefits relative to UC. BED status was not associated, but treatment adherence was associated, with weight loss outcomes.
Role of Bacterial Ribosome Subunits in Barotolerance

The barotolerant nature of protein synthesis in Pseudomonas fluorescens is shown to be associated with the 30S ribosomal subunit.
The delay-reduction hypothesis: Effects of informative events on response rates and choice

The present study replicated a prior one by Pearce and Collins (1985) in which informative events displayed greater reinforcing strength than did uninformative ones despite higher rates of reinforcement on the uninformative alternative, both in a choice test and in a test that presented the events successively. The delay-reduction hypothesis of choice and conditioned reinforcement is consistent with results from the successive test but cannot account for the choice results. As the original study conducted the choice test following the successive test for all subjects, and as no reversals of the choice procedure were carried out, the present study replicated Pearce and Collins (1985) while controlling for order effects. Pigeons' relative rate of responding on the informative side was significantly greater in the successive procedure than in the choice procedure (as in the prior study); however, the uninformative side was significantly preferred to the informative side in the choice procedure when order of ...
Finite Element Analysis of Automotive Disk Brake and Pad in Frictional Model Contact

The object of this work is to present a study of the thermomechanical behavior of the automobile disc brake during the braking phase. Then, a purely mechanical study of dry contact between the disc and pads is developed with a good prediction becomes a major stake for the industrialists while modeling the loading and the boundary conditions around the disc. The same computer code was used to visualize displacements, total deformations in the disc, shear stresses, Von Mises stresses and, the tools of contact pads. Also studied was the case of thermoelasticity while interpreting the various exits results during this simulation.
Crises, Crisis Rhetoric, and Competition in Legal Education: A Sociological Perspective on the (Latest) Crisis of the Legal Profession and Legal Education

This article, part of a symposium on the future of legal education, examines the rhetoric of crisis today, compares it to the rhetoric of crisis in the 1930s, the closest analogue to the present, and points out that there are strikingly similar themes: too many lawyers; stagnant growth in legal services, caused in part by competitors taking legal business away; and a sense that the problem is with the law schools below the top of the legal hierarchy. The article suggests that the promotion of crisis by lawyers and law professors is as consistent with the strength of the legal profession as any purported decline. Advocates often build their reputations in part by taking sides with external critics, and in down economic times the crisis rhetoric is even more attractive and newsworthy. Lawyers end up dominating both sides of the debate about the value of a law degree - a pretty strong position, suggesting it may not be the right time to give up on law degrees. Noting that legal realists were the key individuals relatively late in the depression era who debunked the 'too many lawyers' theme and the attack on the more accessible law schools, the article seeks also to begin a discussion of what a new legal realist approach would be today, especially given the real problem of high tuitions and debt. Examining the relationship between competition, high tuition and debt, the article suggests that the major difference between the 1930s and the present is that there is tremendous competition today in the legal profession and in legal education - competition that US News rankings reflect but did not cause (as is true with respect to corporate law firms and The American Lawyer rankings). The market will have winners and losers, as with law firms, but, as is also true of law firms, they may not square up with the rankings hierarchy.
Critical swimming speeds of adult shovelnose sturgeon in rectilinear and boundary- layer flow

Summary Critical swimming speeds of sturgeon are presumably lower in vertically uniform, rectilinear flow than in heterogeneous boundary-layer flow. Movement in rectilinear flow of the water column necessitates frequent high-energy free-swimming, while movement in boundary-layers near the bottom of the river permits a variety of lower energy behaviours, and presumably, negotiation of greater mid-column water velocities. Comparative studies of sturgeon swimming performance in rectilinear and boundary layer flows, however, are lacking. Using a 1200-l laboratory swim tunnel, swimming performance was measured for 12 adult shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), 494–705 mm standard length. Tests were conducted at 20–25� C in rectilinear (N = 4) and boundary-layer flows (N = 8). Fifteen minute critical swimming speeds ranged from 89.3 to 112.6 cm s )1 in rectilinear flow, 129.5–172.1 cm s )1 in boundary-layer flow. Higher critical swimming speeds observed in boundary-layer flows was a combination of behavioural adaptations (body appression to flat, horizontal substrate) and availability of a low velocity refugium (water velocities at bottom of tank 21– 65 cm s )1 slower than those in mid and upper levels of tank). Results support the idea that sturgeon exploit boundary-layers to effectively move or hold position in fast-flowing rivers. Data may be applied to man-made river structures to facilitate fish passage and to reduce risk of sturgeon entrainment.
Parsing Akkadian Verbs with Prolog

This paper describes a parsing/generation system for finite verbal forms in Akkadian, with the possible addition of suffixes, implemented in Prolog. The work described provides the framework and engine to interpret the D, N, and G stems along with accusative, dative and ventive endings.
Polariton Dispersion Law in Periodic Bragg and Near-Bragg Multiple Quantum Well Structures

The structure of the polariton spectrum is analyzed for periodic multiple quantum well structures with periods at or close to the Bragg resonance condition at the wavelength of the exciton resonance. The results obtained used to discuss recent reflection and luminescent experiments by M. H\"ubner et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 2841 (1999)] that were carried out with long multiple quantum well structures. It is argued that the discussion of quantum well structures with a large number of wells is more appropriate in terms of normal modes of infinite periodic structures rather than in terms of super- and subradiant modes.
Validity and Reliability Issues of Performance-Portfolio Assessment

Abstract In a time when alternative assessment techniques, such as portfolios, are becoming more accepted, there remain questions regarding validity and reliability of such assessments. The author evaluated the validity and reliability of performance-portfolios in a preservice elementary methods class. In order to examine the validity of performance-portfolios, the students' domain-strategic and general-learning strategic knowledge were assessed. These measures, along with the number of education courses and the total hours of prior teaching experience, were used to predict group membership of students as determined by performance-portfolio scores. The contribution of each predictor variable, the percent of correct predictions, and the canonical discriminant functions were examined. The reliability was examined by comparing the two course instructors' scoring to each other and to student peer-raters. Results support performance portfolios as a valid method of assessing desired abilities of preservice teac...
Desert Bighorn Sheep: Changes in Genetic Variation Over Time and the Impact of Merging Populations

Abstract Founder effects, genetic bottlenecks, and genetic drift in general can lead to low levels of genetic diversity, which can influence the persistence of populations. We examine genetic varia...