cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Completeness of coronary revascularization and survival: Impact of age and off-pump surgery.

Objectives We conducted a multicenter observational cohort study of the effect of completeness of revascularization on long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting. We also investigated the impact of age and off-pump surgery. Methods The Veterans Affairs Continuous Improvement in Cardiac Surgery Program was used to identify all patients (N = 41,139) with left main and 3-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent nonemergency coronary artery bypass grafting from October 1997 to April 2011. The primary outcome measure, all-cause mortality, was compared between patients with complete revascularization and patients with incomplete revascularization. Survival functions were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by using the log-rank test. Propensity scores calculated for each patient were used to match 5509 patients undergoing complete revascularization to 5509 patients undergoing incomplete revascularization. A subgroup analysis was performed in patients aged at least 70 years and patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Results In the unmatched groups, several risk factors were more common in the incomplete revascularization group, as was off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. In the matched groups, risk-adjusted mortality was higher in the incomplete revascularization group than in the complete revascularization group at 1 year (6.96% vs 5.97%; risk ratio [RR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.34), 5 years (18.50% vs 15.96%; RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07-1.26), and 10 years (32.12% vs 27.40%; RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.24), with an overall hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.09-1.28; P P = .048). The hazard ratio was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.303-1.655) for the unmatched off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting group and 1.156 (95% CI, 1.000-1.335) for the matched off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting group. Conclusions Incomplete revascularization is associated with decreased long-term survival, even in elderly patients. Surgeons should consider these findings when choosing a revascularization strategy, particularly if off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is contemplated.
Reconciling droughts and landfalling tropical cyclones in the Southeastern United States

A popular perception is that landfalling tropi- cal cyclones help to mitigate droughts in the Southeast- ern United States (SeUS). However intriguing paradigms on the role of large scale SST variations on continental US including SeUS droughts and seasonal Atlantic tropi- cal cyclone activity confronts us. These paradigms suggest that in the presence of warm (cold) eastern tropical Pacific and cold (warm) Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) lead to the increased likelihood of wet- ter (drier) conditions over the continental US including the SeUS. Juxtaposing this understanding with the fact that landfalling tropical cyclones contribute significantly to the annual mean total rainfall in the SeUS and in El Nino (La Nina) years with cold (warm) tropical Atlantic SSTA lead to reduced (increased) Atlantic tropical cyclone activity raises a conflict on the role of the large-scale SST varia - tions in SeUS hydroclimate. This study attempts to inves- tigate the apparent dichotomous role of the large scale SST variations on the SeUS hydrology by examining the role of rainfall from landfalling tropical cyclones in the SeUS to local seasonal droughts. Our study finds that the contribu - tion of the rainfall from landfalling tropical cyclone on the mitigation of monthly drought in the 28 SeUS watersheds
Evaluation criteria for appearance based maps

We present a set of task-based performance evaluation criteria designed to measure the quality of appearance based maps. Instead of aiming to measure a map's overall goodness, metrics defined in this paper focus on individual tasks, namely localization, planning, and navigation, and the quality of the map with respect to the their successful execution. The performance of a map in terms of localization is measured by the amount of information captured from the environment and the accuracy of this information. The planning metric favors instead maps with high connectivity and measures the validity of these connections. The navigation criterion, on the other hand, computes the robustness and stability associated with the paths that a robot will extract from the map. These metrics are tested on appearance maps created in our lab and their distinctiveness is shown.
Social Skills of Preschoolers with and without Craniofacial Anomalies

The study compared the social skills of preschoolers with and without craniofacial anomalies (CFA). Fifty-two children completed self-perception and facial expression tasks and a social skills interview. Parents and teachers also rated the children's social skills. Children with CFA gave less friendly responses to hypothetical social situations and were rated as less attractive by graduate students. Girls with CFA reported above average self-perceptions. Patients and teachers rated the children with CFA as having a level of social skills equal to the children without CFA. Different factors were predictive of level of social skills for CFA and control children.
Distillers Delight in the U.K.

Tony Hamilton, brand manager for Distillers Delight in the United Kingdom, is preparing for his upcoming meeting with his boss, Charlotte Handy, managing director for the United Kingdom for Global Distillers, Inc., one of the leading companies in the alcoholic beverages industry. The purpose of the meeting is to review how well his brand performed during the company's 2003 fiscal year. To say the least, it had been a very difficult year. No one had predicted any increase in the country's excise tax, let alone the 60% increase that took effect shortly after the company's 2003 fiscal year began. From that point on, almost nothing had gone according to plan. Thus, Tony is looking for a way to reconcile actual results with planned results in a way that is accurate, informative and understandable. This case is based on an actual situation, and it was written with the cooperation of one of the leading global companies in the spirits industry. The company name, the product name, individuals' names and the numerical data have all been disguised, yet the issues presented are real.
Foreign Exchange Rate Exposure and Corporate Policies

Despite the fact that empirical tests estimate foreign exchange rate exposure net of corporate hedging, there are still firms that exhibit significant residual exposures. It is believed that when faced with higher foreign exchange rate exposure, companies are more likely to run into an underinvestment problem. Therefore, in the current study I explore whether foreign exchange rate exposure is reflected in corporate policies beyond hedging. I establish that companies with higher foreign exchange rate exposure tend to hold more cash, have a higher likelihood of accessing capital markets and are less likely to issue dividends. Further, the relationship between foreign exchange rate exposure and these corporate policies is more pronounced for firms for which the underinvestment problem is likely to be more severe, namely firms with higher growth opportunities and firms operating in more competitive industries. Thus, I believe that exchange rate exposure is relevant not only to the decisions of multinational corporations with international involvement. In support, I find that half of the significant foreign exchange rate exposures in my sample come from firms with only domestic sales.
Acute Spondylolytic Spondylolisthesis. Risk of Progression and Neurological Complications

Acute spondylolytic spondylolisthesis was diagnosed after major trauma in five patients. The level of injury was between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae in one patient and between the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae in four. The initial spondylolisthesis was grade I in four patients and grade III in one. Four of the patients were initially managed non-operatively. The deformity did not progress in a five-year-old boy with grade-I spondylolisthesis who had been managed with immobilization in a body cast. The deformity progressed in two of the adolescents who had been managed non-operatively; the progression was from grade I to grade III in one of these patients and from grade III to grade V (spondyloptosis) in the other, in whom a cauda equina syndrome also developed. The latter patient was subsequently managed with posterior reduction and arthrodesis followed by an anterior arthrodesis, and the neurological deficits resolved. The deformity also progressed, from grade I to grade II over three years, in a fifty-seven-year-old woman who had been managed non-operatively. One patient who had a grade-I deformity was managed with immediate operative stabilization followed by immobilization in a thoracolumbosacral orthosis; the deformity did not progress. Although minor or repetitive trauma is often associated with spondylolysis, high-energy trauma may produce a more severe form of spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis. These deformities are more unstable, with instability similar to that of a fracture-dislocation, and they have a greater propensity to progress than the usual form of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Motion transduction in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) arrays using near-field optomechanical coupling.

Development of efficient and sensitive motion transducers for arrays of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) is important for fundamental research as well as for technological applications. Here, we report a single-wire nanomechanical transducer interface, which relies upon near-field optomechanical interactions. This multiplexed transducer interface comes in the form of a single-mode fiber taper on a fiber-optic cable. When the fiber taper is positioned sufficiently close to the NEMS array such that it can attain evanescent optical coupling with the array, individual NEMS resonances can be actuated using optical dipole forces. In addition, sensitive detection of nanomechanical motion can be realized when the evanescent waves confined around the taper are scattered by the motion. We have measured resonances from an array of 63 NEMS resonators with a displacement sensitivity of 2–8 pm·Hz–1/2 at a detection power of ∼100 μW (incident on the entire array).
Exploration of Mobility Modes Arising From the Breakdown of a Basic Regular Tetrahedron

One of the most important considerations in the design of robots is mobility. How does the system traverse the terrain and environment where it is expected to operate? In past efforts, engineers and scientists have received inspiration from man-in-the-loop vehicles and modes of mobility used by animals. While amazing advancements have been achieved, this top-down approach tends to focus on one specific solution to a problem which may cause other solutions to be overlooked. This paper approaches the mobility problem from a different point of view. Starting with the most basic three dimensional shape, a regular tetrahedron, we explore seven different modes of mobility arising from simple modifications of the initial shape. These resultant modes are then resolved into corresponding, existing mechanisms that are already widely applied. By using this bottom-up approach, we are able to explore available mobility modes in a much more comprehensive manner. Instead of starting with a complex system in mind, engineers will be able to use simple building blocks to enable different desired mobility behaviors.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Carbazole-based cyano-stilbene highly fluorescent microcrystals.

Aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) is reported for 1-cyano-trans-1,2-bis-(4-carbazolyl)phenylethylene (CN-CPE). The weak luminescence of dilute CN-CPE solutions is enhanced upon aggregate formation into 2−3 μm sized crystals. In contrast to general observations, crystal formation of CN-CPE causes a blue-shift in emission and enhances the intensity. X-ray cryatallographic analysis revealed that key factors causing high luminescence efficiency in the crystal are a lack of strong cofacial π−π alignment and the existence of the strong supramolecular interactions due to the intermolecular H-bonding. These factors seem to be responsible for the AIEE phenomenon as molecules of CN-CPE are held in a rigid twisted conformation, thereby increasing the fluorescence intensity in the solid or aggregated states. Accordingly, conformational twisting in the crystal packing process may be responsible for the unusual emission blue-shift in the aggregate.
A Novel Resolvin-Based Strategy for Limiting Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity.

Objectives: Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The current pharmacologic treatment for APAP hepatotoxicity, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), targets the initial metabolite-driven injury but does not directly affect the host inflammatory response. Because of this, NAC is less effective if given at later stages in the disease course. Resolvins, a novel group of lipid mediators shown to attenuate host inflammation, may be a therapeutic intervention for APAP hepatotoxicity.
Generation of Squeezed States in Optical Bistability

We predict that the homodyne output from an absorptive optical bistable cavity can exhibit squeezing for cavity-mode spacings near the generalized Rabi frequency.
Clinical Observation on Integrative Medicine in the Treatment of 48 Cases of Post-traumatic Bone Pain

Objective To analyze and study the curative effect of combined treatment of chinese and western medicine in the treatment of pain after bone trauma. Methods Selected bone trauma pain patients 96 cases from February 2013 to April 2015, who were randomly divided into two groups.The routine group of patients were given conventional treatment, the chinese and western medicine group were given traditional chinese and western medicine combined treatment and contrasted effect. Results Two groups of patients after treatment for one day, three day of pain score was compared with that of traditional chinese medicine and western medicine group were lower than the normal group, removal of analgesia pump after use painkillers number was significantly less than the conventional group, P 0.05. Conclusion The combined treatment of chinese and western medicine is effective, which is conducive to ease the pain of patients, reduce the use of analgesics.
Expression of functional cannabinoid CB2 receptor in VTA dopamine neurons in rats

We have recently reported the expression of functional cannabinoid CB2 receptors (CB2 Rs) in midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in mice. However, little is known whether CB2 Rs are similarly expressed in rat brain because significant species differences in CB2 R structures and expression are found. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical assays detected CB2 gene and receptors in DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which was up-regulated in cocaine self-administration rats. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated that activation of CB2 Rs by JWH133 inhibited VTA DA neuronal firing in single dissociated neurons. Systemic administration of JWH133 failed to alter, while local administration of JWH133 into the nucleus accumbens inhibited cocaine-enhanced extracellular DA and i.v. cocaine self-administration. This effect was blocked by AM630, a selective CB2 R antagonist. These data suggest that CB2 Rs are expressed in VTA DA neurons and functionally modulate DA neuronal activities and cocaine self-administration behavior in rats.
CURRENT CONCEPTS ON OSTEONECROSIS OF THE FEMORAL HEAD

It is estimated that 20000 to 30000 new patients are diagnosed with osteonecrosis annually accounting for approximately 10% of the 250000 total hip arthroplasties done annually in the United States. The lack of level 1 evidence in the literature makes it difficult to identify optimal treatment protocols to manage patients with pre-collapse avascular necrosis of the femoral head, and early intervention prior to collapse is critical to successful outcomes in joint preserving procedures. There have been a variety of traumatic and atraumatic factors that have been identified as risk factors for osteonecrosis, but the etiology and pathogenesis still remains unclear. Current osteonecrosis diagnosis is dependent upon plain anteroposterior and frog-leg lateral radiographs of the hip, followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Generally, the first radiographic changes seen by radiograph will be cystic and sclerotic changes in the femoral head. Although the diagnosis may be made by radiograph, plain radiographs are generally insufficient for early diagnosis, therefore MRI is considered the most accurate benchmark. Treatment options include pharmacologic agents such as bisphosphonates and statins, biophysical treatments, as well as joint-preserving and joint-replacing surgeries. the surgical treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head can be divided into two major branches: femoral head sparing procedures (FHSP) and femoral head replacement procedures (FHRP). In general, FHSP are indicated at pre-collapse stages with minimal symptoms whereas FHRP are preferred at post-collapse symptomatic stages. It is difficult to know whether any treatment modality changes the natural history of core decompression since the true natural history of core decompression has not been delineated.
Talking Hip-Hop: When stigmatized language varieties become prestige varieties

Abstract Focusing mainly on contrasting methodological approaches, this article presents a study on language attitudes in New York City toward Spanish heritage language in an urban context characterized by inequity. It is anchored in Labov's (1966) language stratification theories and builds on the work of several authors to explain why heritage language speakers in New York City perceive their variety of Spanish as being less prestigious compared with the Spanish varieties imposed in formal/academic contexts. The methodology used included an innovative matched-guise technique with rap followed by an interview. In the context of Hip-Hop, the results suggest that the stigmatized vernacular variety becomes the prestige variety. The social and educational significance of these findings is discussed. Furthermore, reflection on the research methods adopted in the study lends support to qualitative approaches for studying language attitudes.
Pembrolizumab-associated sarcoidosis.

Pembrolizumab is a humanized antibody that targets the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptor. It is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with advanced melanoma and metastatic non–small cell lung cancer. As an immune checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab augments a patient's immune system against an underlying malignancy. Systemic toxicities associated with use of PD-1 inhibitors such as fatigue, pyrexia, chills, and infusion reactions have been commonly reported.1 We report a case of sarcoidosis flare associated with pembrolizumab, which is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of sarcoidosis linked to PD-1 inhibition.
Feminist Psychology and Psychotherapy: A Personal Journey

ABSTRACTWhile growing up in a traditional, patriarchal family in Japan, I struggled between my wish to pursue my own dreams and the prevalent expectations for women to be subservient to men. The opportunity to come to the United States through marriage and to study at the University of California, Berkeley, was a catalyst for me to make major personal changes. I was also strongly influenced by the Civil Rights Movement that erupted around me, opening my eyes to the racism and sexism prevalent in the country. Learning from African American and Latino activists, I became an activist, first focusing on Asians in general. I then recognized that Asian American women were struggling under the double oppression of racism and sexism within their own community and in the majority world outside. I first did not think feminist psychology or feminist psychotherapy could be helpful for Asian American women as it appeared primarily designed for the middle class, White women. However, I was inspired by the minority femi...
Quasi-Deterministic Model for Doppler Spread in Millimeter-Wave Communication Systems

The most salient feature differentiating millimeter-wave communication systems from their predecessors will be electronically steerable pencil-beam antennas at the transceivers. Due to their extremely narrow beamwidth and the sparse millimeter-wave channel, few multipath components will be captured by the pencil-beams. Although each component has a unique Doppler-frequency shift, the combination of shifts across the detected multipath components captured will give rise to a Doppler spread. The width of the spread is uncertain because, to our knowledge, there are no such measurement results for millimeter-wave systems in open literature to date. To fill this void, we have designed an 83.5-GHz channel sounder that can measure the shift of multipath components in a mobile environment with super-resolution. In this letter, we develop a parameterized model for the Doppler spread by synthesizing the measured frequency shifts through a simulated antenna with variable beamwidth.
Understanding and Improving Temporal Fairness on An Electronic Trading Venue

Fairness, in general, is a topic that has received much attention in research on distributed systems. In their application as electronic trading venues, however, temporal fairness remains a topic that is poorly understood. This is concerning because operators of these venues generally have obligations to ensure their fairness. Consequently, this paper (1) describes what temporal fairness is and is not, (2) identifies things that can make it elusive, and (3) describes a mechanism for improving it that was recently retrofitted to a major FX trading venue: Thomson Reuters Matching.
Enabling Demand Response programs via Predictive Control of Building-to-Grid systems integrated with PV Panels and Energy Storage Systems

Demand Response (DR) program is one of the ancillary services to reduce the peak load contribution of buildings by altering the operation of dispatchable load including Heating, Cooling and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) load. In this paper, a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) is designed to optimize the power flows from the grid and Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to a commercial building equipped with HVAC systems and PV panels. The MPC framework uses the inherent thermal storage of the building and the ESS as a means to provide DR. Our results show that the proposed control framework for Building-to-Grid (B2G) systems can significantly reduce the maximum load ramp-rate of the electric grid to prevent duck-curve issues associated with increase in solar PV penetration into the grid. The B2G simulation testbed in this paper is based on the experimental data obtained from an office building, PV panels, and battery packs at Michigan Technological University integrated with a 3-phase distribution test feeder. Compared to the rule-based controller, the proposed predictive control approach can decrease the building operation electricity cost by 28% while decreasing maximum load ramp-rates by more than 70%.
Evidence-Based Review of Nonsurgical Management of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis and Evolving Role of Interventional Radiology

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Approximately 20 to 25% of patients have clinically detectable colorectal liver metastases (CLM) at the initial diagnosis, and nearly 50% of patients with colorectal cancer develop hepatic metastases at some point during the course of their disease. Patients with untreated CLM have a median survival time of approximately 4.5 months. For the resectable cases, surgical resection is the first-choice treatment. However, only 10 to 30% of patients with CLM are eligible for resection at presentation. There are several nonsurgical treatment options for patients with CLM who are not candidates for initial or potentially curative resection. These include systemic chemotherapy, locoregional therapy that includes thermal and nonthermal ablation, external beam radiation therapy, regional chemotherapy via the hepatic artery, and selective radioembolization using yttrium-labeled glass or resin microspheres. In this review, we discuss the nonsurgical treatment options described earlier that are part of the current multidisciplinary algorithm in the management of CLM and focus on the expanding role of interventional radiology.
Moiré method for in-plane and out-of-plane displacement measurements: Wavefront warpage induced by specimen deformation provides sufficient information to determineU andW displacement fields. Duplicate observations in the perpendicular plane givesV and redundant data forW

A high-frequency phase grating on a specimen surface is illuminated by oblique beams. Recordings of two diffracted beams by holographic interferometry reveal the wavefront changesNa andNb. In-plane displacements are proportional toNa−Nb, while out-of-plane displacements are proportional toNa+Nb. Experimental corroboration is presented.
How colorist microaggressions have eluded social work: A literature review

The social work profession has thoroughly engaged the concepts of racism and discrimination throughout history and now explores the growing concept of racial microaggressions in understanding the l...
Epigenetics: Stress makes its molecular mark

Trauma affects people differently. Epigenetics may be partly to blame, says Eric J. Nestler.
Gravitational interactions of stars with supermassive black hole binaries - I. Tidal disruption events

Stars approaching supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the centers of galaxies can be torn apart by strong tidal forces. We study the physics of tidal disruption by a binary SMBH as a function of the binary mass ratio $q = M_2 / M_1$ and separation $a$, exploring a large set of points in the parameter range $q \in [0.01, 1]$ and $a/r_{t1} \in [10, 1000]$. We simulate encounters in which field stars approach the binary from the loss cone on parabolic, low angular momentum orbits. We present the rate of disruption and the orbital properties of the disrupted stars, and examine the fallback dynamics of the post-disruption debris in the "frozen-in" approximation. We conclude by calculating the time-dependent disruption rate over the lifetime of the binary. Throughout, we use a primary mass $M_1 = 10^6 M_\odot$ as our central example. We find that the tidal disruption rate is a factor of $\sim 2 - 7$ times larger than the rate for an isolated BH, and is independent of $q$ for $q \gtrsim 0.2$. In the "frozen-in" model, disruptions from close, nearly equal mass binaries can produce intense tidal fallbacks: for binaries with $q \gtrsim 0.2$ and $a/r_{t1} \sim 100$, roughly $\sim 18 - 40 \%$ of disruptions will have short rise times ($t_\textrm{rise} \sim 1 - 10$ d) and highly super-Eddington peak return rates ($\dot{M}_\textrm{peak} / \dot{M}_\textrm{Edd} \sim 2 \times 10^2 - 3 \times 10^3$).
Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma: A clinicopathological study.

482Background: Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma (PUC) is a rare variant histology with poor prognosis. We report clinical outcomes on patients with PUC. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed treatments and outcomes in patients with PUC seen at our institution from 1996 through 2016. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival. Results: A total of 69 patients with a median age of 68 years were identified. Five patients presented with metastatic disease, whereas 64 were diagnosed with clinically localized PUC. Fifty-seven patients underwent radical cystectomy and the remainder elected for bladder preservation approaches. At time of cystectomy, 6 patients were found to have pathologically organ-confined disease (≤pT2 N0), and 51 had non-organ-confined disease (pT3,T4 or N+), 2 of which were noted to have diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis. Twenty-eight patients had positive surgical margins, most of which had extensive infiltrative disease not amenable to complete excision. Of the 14 patien...
A Chromium Hydroxide/MIL-101(Cr) MOF Composite Catalyst and Its Use for the Selective Isomerization of Glucose to Fructose

A metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based catalyst, chromium hydroxide/MIL‐101(Cr), was prepared by a one‐pot synthesis method. The combination of chromium hydroxide particles on and within Lewis acidic MIL‐101 accomplishes highly selective conversion of glucose to fructose in the presence of ethanol, matching the performance of optimized Sn‐containing Lewis acidic zeolites. Differently from zeolites, NMR spectroscopy studies with isotopically labeled molecules demonstrate that isomerization of glucose to fructose on this catalyst, proceeds predominantly via a proton transfer mechanism.
Errores concretos, o la magia de los cascarones

El error ha jugado un papel particularmente importante en el desarrollo de las tecnologias estructurales y constructivas del concreto, material cuya dimension estetica y mediatica tambien ha permitido explotar el fallo desde su significado etimologico mas sugerente, es decir, desde el del engano o engatusamiento, a traves de artimanas de lo visual propias de los mejores trucos de magia. Este articulo revela lo fundamental del error en la magia que sustento a una de las arquitecturas de concreto mas reconocidas y exitosas de la modernidad: los cascarones que Felix Candela realizo con su compania constructora Cubiertas Ala a mediados del siglo xx. A partir de los dos errores mas estrepitosos que sufrio Cubiertas Ala en sus dos decadas de vida: el colapso parcial de uno de los cascarones en construccion y el colapso financiero de la empresa, este articulo ofrece una nueva critica historica —y no matematica— de los cascarones, revelando lo fundamental del error cotidiano y encarnado en sus procesos de produccion.
Connectionist Natural Language Processing: A Status Report

Connectionist networks (CNs) exhibit many useful properties. Their spreading activation processes are inherently parallel in nature and support associative retrieval of memories. The summation and thresholding of activation allows for smooth integration of multiple sources of knowledge. CNs with distributed representations (Rumelhart and McClelland, 1986) exhibit robustness in the face of noise/damage and can learn to perform complex mapping tasks just from examples. Connectionist networks are also able to dynamically reinterpret situations as new inputs are received. These features are very useful for natural language processing (NLP) and offer the hope that connectionist approaches to NLP will replace the more traditional, symbolic approaches to NLP.
Abnormal Phospholipid Metabolism in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Elevations in Glycerophosphocholine and Glycerophospho-Ethanolamine Levels in Brain of Alzheimer’s Disease But Not in Down Syndrome Patients

Among the numerous neurotransmitter abnormalities described in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the decrease in the activity of choline acetyltransferase [the acetylcholine (ACh)-synthesizing enzyme] was first identified (Bowen et al., 1976) and remains the most robust. The cholinergic deficit in is strongly correlated with the cell loss (McGeer et al., 1984) and senile plaques (Perry et al., 1987) characteristic of AD, and probably contributes to Thc amncsia that is so prominent in this disorder. Brains of patients with Down syndrome (DS) have pathological features of AD by the fourth decade of life (Coyle et al., 1988, for a recent review) and develop cholinergic deficits similar to those in AD (Yates, 1983); Any theory that attempts to explain the vulnerability of cholinergic neurons in AD or DS should take into account their unique dual requirement for choline: all cells need choline for incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC), a structural component of biological membranes, but cholinergic neurons also need choline for ACh synthesis (Blusztajn and Wurtman, 1983). In disorders like AD, in which the loss of cholinergic neurons presumably causes localized deficiencies in cholinergic tone, surviving neurons may undergo a net degradation of their membrane phospholipids in order to supply sufficient choline to support augmented ACh synthesis and release (Maire and Wurtman, 1985; Ulus et al., 1989). In support of this hypothesis, we now report that concentrations of major metabolites of PC [glycerophosphocholine (GPC)] and of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) [glycerophosphoethanolamine (GPE)] are significantly increased in AD brains.
Role of Limited Evaluation and Aggressive Medical Management in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review of 113 Patients

AbstractMultiple sclerosis has frequent urological manifestations. Medical management, based on clinical symptoms and urodynamic findings, incorporates clean intermittent catheterization, oral pharmacological agents (that is oral oxybutynin) or their combination (the desired end point of treatment being complete retention with clean intermittent catheterization). Our objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of medical management in multiple sclerosis patients, determine the incidence of hydronephrosis at presentation and during treatment, and evaluate the impact of electromyography on patient management.We reviewed retrospectively 113 patients with documented multiple sclerosis (mean age 45 years, range 20 to 75 years and mean followup 41 months, range 6 to 136 months). Presenting symptoms were irritative alone or combined with obstructive symptoms in 94 patients (83%). On cystometrography 79 patients (70%) had detrusor hyperreflexia and 17 (15%) had an areflexic bladder. Coaxial needle electromyography w...
Improved triangle counting in graph streams: power of multi-sampling

Some of the well known streaming algorithms to estimate number of triangles in a graph stream work as follows: Sample a single triangle with high enough probability and repeat this basic step to obtain a global triangle count. For example, the algorithm due to Buriol et al. (PODS 2006) uniformly at random picks a single vertex v and a single edge e and checks whether the two cross edges that connect $v$ to $e$ appear in the stream. Similarly, the neighborhood sampling algorithm (PVLDB 2013) attempts to sample a triangle by randomly choosing a single vertex v, a single neighbor $u$ of $v$ and waits for a third edge that completes the triangle. In both the algorithms, the basic sampling step is repeated multiple times to obtain an estimate for the global triangle count in the input graph stream. In this work, we propose a multi-sampling variant of these algorithms: In case of Buriol et al's algorithm, instead of randomly choosing a single vertex and edge, randomly sample multiple vertices and multiple edges and collect cross edges that connect sampled vertices to the sampled edges. In case of neighborhood sampling algorithm, randomly pick multiple edges and pick multiple neighbors of them. We provide a theoretical analysis of these algorithms and prove that these new algorithms improve upon the known space and accuracy bounds. We experimentally show that these algorithms outperform well known triangle counting streaming algorithms.
Measuring Attitudes of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Students

The current complex environment of healthcare demands a comprehensive and collaborative approach where teamwork and collaboration are paramount. Recommendation by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) on Improving Diagnosis in Healthcare is "Facilitate more effective teamwork in the diagnostic process among healthcare professionals, patients, and their families". The objective of this study was to determine the readiness of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) students to participate in interprofessional simulation. The revised Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was chosen to assess CLS student9s attitudes toward interprofessional education before and after participating in an interprofessional simulation. We had 50 master9s degree CLS students participate in the simulations and complete the surveys. The simulation was a large-scale, multi-patient interprofessional scenario that occurred in a simulated ICU. In addition to the RIPLS items and demographics, we asked if students had previous experience with interprofessional simulation, and if students have worked in healthcare. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS. Our student population had an average age of 26.7 years (SD = 5.25; median age = 25; range = 20), was 70% female and 46% White. In addition, 26% had experience in inter professional simulation, while 48% had worked in health care. Students9 scores were high in all questions of RIPLS subscales but for the questions belonging to the Negative Professional ID (inverted scale) and for the Roles and Responsibilities subscales. UAB CLS students seem ready to learn in interprofessional teams. Faculty in CLS programs should provide interprofessional experiences for their students.
Fostering a College-going Culture for Historically Underserved Students: One Principal’s Role

Current scholarship focused on a college-going culture, and college readiness in schools often underestimates or gives little attention to the role of the school leader. This study draws on qualita...
Control Synthesis for Partial Differential Equations from Spatio-Temporal Specifications

In this paper, we introduce a new boundary control synthesis problem with temporal logic specifications for a wide range of linear partial differential equations. We leverage the finite element method (FEM) to reduce the problem to a control problem for discrete-time linear systems. The specifications are formalized using an extension of signal temporal logic (STL), called Spatial-STL (S-STL). A conservative procedure to reformulate the specification into a regular STL formula as part of the FEM reduction is presented. A mixed-integer linear encoding is then used to synthesize the control inputs from a given allowed set. We illustrate the algorithm by applying it to a heat propagation problem.
Dynamics of English Fluency Return for Refugees and Other Immigrants in the United States

Previous work has established that U.S. immigrants earn more if they are fluent in English, but a portion of that return likely reflects biases because fluency is correlated with unobserved factors...
Weighted composition operators on the Hilbert Hardy space of a half-plane

ABSTRACTOperators of type f→ψf∘ϕ acting on function spaces are called weighted composition operators. If the weight function ψ is the constant function 1, then they are called composition operators...
Beating the reaction limits of biosensor sensitivity with dynamic tracking of single binding events

The clinical need for ultrasensitive molecular analysis has motivated the development of several endpoint-assay technologies capable of single-molecule readout. These endpoint assays are now primarily limited by the affinity and specificity of the molecular-recognition agents for the analyte of interest. In contrast, a kinetic assay with single-molecule readout could distinguish between low-abundance, high-affinity (specific analyte) and high-abundance, low-affinity (nonspecific background) binding by measuring the duration of individual binding events at equilibrium. Here, we describe such a kinetic assay, in which individual binding events are detected and monitored during sample incubation. This method uses plasmonic gold nanorods and interferometric reflectance imaging to detect thousands of individual binding events across a multiplex solid-phase sensor with a large area approaching that of leading bead-based endpoint-assay technologies. A dynamic tracking procedure is used to measure the duration of each event. From this, the total rates of binding and debinding as well as the distribution of binding-event durations are determined. We observe a limit of detection of 19 fM for a proof-of-concept synthetic DNA analyte in a 12-plex assay format.
Teaching critical global consciousness among undergraduates: Opportunities, challenges, and insights

This paper presents reflections on educators’ experiences while teaching critical global consciousness and students’ conceptualizations of global citizenship and civic mindedness in an undergraduat...
Biogeographic and bathymetric patterns of benthic molluscs in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The Biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico (BioGoMx) database, which contains occurrence information of extant species in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), allows for the analysis of benthic mollusc diversity and distribution across the entire basin. For analyses, the GOM was split in 4 geographic sectors (NE, NW, SE, and SW) and 6 depth classes (inshore, upper shelf, lower shelf, upper slope, lower slope, and abyssal plain) for a total of 24 geographic-depth polygons. The northern GOM contained higher species richness than the south, the east more than the west. Species richness decreased with depth with maxima occurring on the upper shelf. Bivalves and gastropods dominated each geographic sector and depth class, together comprising >90% of the molluscan species richness. Assemblages were structured by depth more than by geographic sector. GOM molluscs fell into 3 broad depth-based assemblages: the inshore and continental shelf, the continental slope, and the abyssal plain species combined with the western lower slope. Geographically, taxonomic distinctness analysis indicated most NE depths fell below average distinctness and by depth polygons above and below the continental shelf break were frequently distinct. Cluster analysis based on taxonomic dissimilarity agreed with the analyses based on the species occurrence data. Mollusc feeding strategies largely followed estimated proportions for the larger Atlantic. Carnivory and suspension feeding were the most common with grazing, herbivory, and parasitism following behind. Chemosymbiotic species were also prevalent due to the widespread occurrence of cold seep habitats. Further taxonomic research and more sampling are needed to determine patterns at finer scales.
Auditor Skepticism and Client Ill Will

Professional skepticism is considered an essential component of audit quality. Consequently, research has focused on ways to increase skepticism by identifying factors that either limit or encourage its practice. However, research has yet to explore potential negative consequences of professional skepticism. We conduct two experiments to investigate if high levels of skepticism create ill will in audit clients, and how ill will affects the auditor-client relationship and audit quality. In the first experiment, we find that high skepticism creates ill will in the client, which increases the likelihood the client recommends switching auditors and decreases the amount of evidence provided to the auditor. We find that auditors can ingratiate themselves with the client as an intervention to decrease the development of ill will and mitigate its adverse effects. In our second experiment, we examine if client pressure to persuade the auditor of their accounting position mitigates the relationship between high skepticism and ill will. We find an interaction such that if the evidence does not support the accounting treatment the client recommends, a high level of auditor skepticism does not cause clients to experience as much ill will toward the auditor. We contribute to the literature by investigating a new empirical construct, client ill will, and developing a more nuanced perspective of the interactions between auditors and their clients.
The role of oxidant stress in acetaminophen-induced liver injury

Acetaminophen is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic, which can cause liver injury after an overdose. Although a controversial topic for some time, solid evidence for a critical role of oxidative and nitrosative stress has emerged during the last two decades. This review will discuss the cellular sources, amplification mechanisms and the consequences of the excessive formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the clinically relevant mouse model of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. This new mechanistic insight contributes to the better understanding of the mechanism of action of N-acetylcysteine, the only clinically approved antidote. In addition, it provides the rationale for the development of new antidotes that target the formation or metabolism of mitochondrial superoxide.
Acoustic streaming in second-order fluids

In this article, inner acoustic streaming for second-order fluids has been studied analytically by employing asymptotic expansions for a thin Stokes layer and low acoustic Mach number. In addition, a multiple-timescale approach has been adopted to separate the primary oscillatory flow and the steady acoustic streaming. The study considers two sample cases: (i) motionless boundary and (ii) vibrating boundary and compares the characteristics associated with their streaming. It is observed that both the primary oscillatory flow and acoustic streaming flow fields are suppressed in second-order fluids due to the extra stress components present in the fluids. This study considers both compressible and incompressible Stokes layers to bring out the acoustic streaming characteristics associated with fluid compressibility. For the compressible Stokes layer, stronger acoustic streaming flow results for the motionless boundary, leveraging the deeper interaction between the primary oscillatory pressure field and the steady streaming. In the case of a vibrating boundary, the primary oscillatory pressure field is independent of the Stokes layer compressibility, and hence, the acoustic streaming flow remains unaltered. The extra stresses in second-order fluids reduce the acoustic body force density, and the maximum reduction has been observed for the vibrating boundary. In order to understand Lagrangian streaming, Stokes drift has also been calculated and compared for all the scenarios. The theoretical analysis and fundamental insights derived from this study have potential for applications in diverse fields such as particle manipulation, biosensing, cell sorting, and removal of loosely bound material such as non-specifically bound proteins.
Out-of-Pocket Costs of Insulin and Diabetes-Related Supplies Among Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract The cost of insulin has increased exponentially since its discovery in the 1920s, but the degree to which this financial burden has been transferred to patients is unknown. The present study is a retrospective analysis using claims data for privately insured patients with type 1 diabetes from 2005 to 2017. We quantify the mean annual out-of-pocket costs for insulin and diabetes-related supplies during the study period. It is imperative for health care professionals to be aware of this cost, and we hope that these findings serve as a call for legislation to cap the rising price of insulin.
Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of steers managed with growth-promoting technologies while grazing toxic, endophyte-infected fescue during autumn and winter months

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to evaluate subsequent feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of steers that previously grazed endophyte-infected fescue and received either a mineral only (MIN) supplement or a cumulative management (CM) strategy. Materials and Methods Grazing occurred in autumn and winter of 2018 and 2019 with feedlot finishing after grazing. Within year, 60 fall-weaned steers (282 ± 7.7 kg) were randomly assigned to either MIN (n = 3) or CM (n = 3) pastures. The CM strategy include a steroidal growth implant, monensin, and 1% BW (as-fed basis) of 1:1 corn gluten feed:soybean hull mix. During feedlot finishing, steers were penned to maintain pasture groups. Results and Discussion Steers receiving CM were heavier (P = 0.002) entering the feedlot and finished 40 d earlier than MIN (161 vs. 201 ± 5.7 d, P Implications and Applications A CM strategy increases weight of steers grazing toxic fescue. This additional weight can reduce the days required for feedlot finishing without influencing carcass characteristics. Improved grazing performance and fewer days for feedlot finishing may reduce environmental impact.