cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive distributed transforms for irregularly sampled Wireless Sensor Networks

We develop energy-efficient, adaptive distributed transforms for data gathering in wireless sensor networks. In particular, we consider a class of unidirectional transforms that are computed as data is forwarded to the sink along a given routing tree and develop a tree-based Karhunen-Loave Transform (KLT) that is optimal in that it achieves maximum data de-correlation among this class of transforms. As an alternative to this KLT (which incurs communication overhead in order to learn second order data statistics), we propose a backward adaptive filter optimization algorithm for distributed wavelet transforms that i) achieves near optimal performance and ii) has no communication overhead in learning statistics.
Full spectral calculation of non-retarded Hamaker constants for ceramic systems from interband transition strengths

Abstract The van der Waals (vdW) interaction is one of the key terms in the force balances dictating wetting behavior and intergranular film thicknesses. The characteristics of thin intergranular or surficial glass films are of increasing importance due to their role in determining the properties of polycrystalline ceramics. The Hamaker constant scales the London dispersion force part of the vdW interaction for a particular configuration of grains and films and is a direct function of the interband optical properties of the interatomic bonds of the materials. For ceramics, much previous work focused on simplified models, such as the Tabor-Winterton approximation (TWA), to determine Hamaker constants based on refractive indices. Herein we develop full spectral calculations of the Hamaker constants for various ceramic systems using experimentally determined interband transition strengths (ĵcv(ω)) to directly derive the London dispersion spectra (e2(ξ)) from which spectral difference functions lead to direct determination of the Hamaker constants. The results affirm the expectation that transitions involving valence electrons provide the predominant contribution to the dispersion forces for the compounds examined. Calculations have been done for the planar case of a gap between two semi-infinite bodies containing either vacuum or an intervening glassy layer. The results indicate that the TWA is useful for oxides with relatively low refractive indices, i.e., n ~ 1.4–;1.8. However, when any of the materials have larger indices, this approximation becomes inexact, and no obvious, simple correction to the TWA gives uniformly good results, as the behavior differs for simple covalent materials and for oxides with partially filled d-shells but having similar refractive indices. An important consequence is that Hamaker constants are smaller for such high index materials, especially oxides, with intervening glassy films than might be expected from approximations. Calculations have also been done for two other geometries, i.e., for an intervening film with a layer of a third material at both interfaces and for glass coated free surfaces. The former of these provides first insights regarding the behavior with nonuniform films which often differs markedly from that expected for homogeneous films of the same average composition.
Systems of Reason(ING) in the Idea of Education Reforms for Economic Development

This study focuses on problematizing the systems of reason in the globalization discourse of education reform for economic development. The objective is to analyze Puerto Rican education reforms in terms of developmental policies relating to the social constructions of human capital in linguistic, economic, and biopolitical terms.
Evidence-Based Mini-Review: Are Systemic Corticosteroids an Effective Treatment for Acute Pain in Sickle Cell Disease?

An 18-year-old African-American male with sickle cell disease (SCD) is admitted to the hospital with a vaso-occlusive pain crisis affecting his chest and right upper extremity. He has a history of asthma but does not have a fever or respiratory symptoms, and a chest X-ray is negative for an infiltrate. He is treated with intravenous fluids and morphine. You are asked about the potential efficacy of systemic corticosteroids as an adjunctive treatment for pain control.
Rational therapy of mixed dyslipidaemia in a patient with diabetes

Diabetic dyslipidaemia refers to the triad of elevated levels of triglycerides and small, dense LDL-C particles and low levels of HDL-C. These lipid abnormalities are largely responsible for the increased risk of cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes. This case study outlines a rational approach to the treatment of each of these lipid abnormalities and emphasises the importance of both lowering the LDL-C and raising the HDL-C in highrisk individuals. Combination drug therapy will often be necessary to achieve treatment goals in these patients. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2007;7:25‐30
Heat transfer and nonlinear thermal stress analysis of a convective surface mount package

Most prior heat transfer and thermal stress analyses of convective surface mount packages have relied on either an isothermal (constant temperature) model or a constant heat transfer coefficient model. This usually leads to a concern for the accurate estimation of the local temperature distributions and the induced stresses. To release this concern, this paper presents the use of the finite element analysis method in predicting the local temperature and stress distributions of a ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) package. The analysis has included a local heat transfer coefficient model with the thermal boundary condition that was obtained from a previous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution. The results are compared with that predicted by the isothermal model and the constant heat transfer coefficient model. Instances where the temperature dependent and elastic-plastic material behavior are significant to produce nonlinear stress response in some components of the modeled package are also examined.
OH column abundance over Table Mountain Facility, California: Intra-annual variations and comparisons to model predictions for 1997–2001

Measurements of the OH column abundance over the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Facility (TMF) have been made since July 1997 at 10°–80° solar zenith angle using a Fourier transform ultraviolet spectrometer. The measured OH column at any solar zenith angle is typically larger in the afternoon than in the morning. The variations observed in the OH column abundance appear to result from changes in atmospheric conditions on a daily or longer timescale. The larger observed variations are statistically significant. Sensitivity coefficients describing how the OH column abundance is expected to change in response to changes in the concentrations of H_2O, O_3, NO, CO, and CH_4 have been calculated on the basis of an analytic model. On the basis of these sensitivity coefficients and Halogen Occultation Experiment observations of O_3, the net sensitivity of the OH column abundance to variations in O_3 should be close to zero. The observed OH column abundance over TMF increased by about 25% from July 1997 to December 2001. This interannual trend in OH column abundance is not consistent with calculations that incorporate observed trends in H_2O and O_3 and is at least a factor of 2 larger than the calculated difference between solar minimum and maximum. Comparisons between measured and calculated normalized OH column abundances suggest that the sensitivity of OH to variations in H_2O may be a factor of 2 larger than predicted in present models and that there is some other major driver for the observed variability in the OH column abundance that was not included in the present analysis.
Digital Emulation of Analog Computer Techniques for the Solution of Kinetic Systems

A low-cost microcomputer and package of assembly language routines has been developed to emulate the structure and performance of a large analog computer. The advantages of the analog computer, as implemented in this scheme, include (1) a significant reduction in the programming effort involved in modeling complex dynamic systems and (2) the control of the simulation and model parameters in a completely interactive and flexible manner. The symbolic nomenclature and schematic representations involving devices, such as integrators, comparators, multipliers, and function generators, offers a powerful alternative to the more conventional numerical methods, that is, to provide very simply the solutions to large systems of differential equations. This approach invariably leads the user to a more thorough understanding of the dynamic character of the system. The technique is illustrated using a chemical kinetics example involving the simulation of laser-induced fluorescence. The results of this work have provided an assessment of a systematic error that occurs when using induced resonance fluorescence to measure OH concentrations in the troposphere of the earth.
Dissipative small-scale actuation of a turbulent shear layer

The effects of small-scale dissipative fluidic actuation on the evolution of large- and small-scale motions in a turbulent shear layer downstream of a backward-facing step are investigated experimentally. Actuation is applied by modulation of the vorticity flux into the shear layer at frequencies that are substantially higher than the frequencies that are typically amplified in the near field, and has a profound effect on the evolution of the vortical structures within the layer. Specifically, there is a strong broadband increase in the energy of the small-scale motions and a nearly uniform decrease in the energy of the large-scale motions which correspond to the most amplified unstable modes of the base flow. The near field of the forced shear layer has three distinct domains. The first domain (x/θ0 350) the inviscid instability of the shear layer re-emerges in what might be described as a ‘new’ baseline flow.
Influence of lightweight aggregate on the microstructure and durability of mortar

Abstract The results of an investigation on the effect of dry and prewetted lightweight aggregates on the microstructure and durability of mortar are presented in this paper. The results are compared with those obtained for normal aggregate mortar. There appears to be only a small difference in the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between dry and prewetted lightweight aggregate mortars. The porous ITZ surrounding lightweight aggregate appears to extend for about 10 and 15 μm from the aggregate surface for dry and prewetted lightweight aggregates, respectively. The ITZ for dry and prewetted lightweight aggregates seems to be surrounded by dense paste that extends from 10 to about 50 μm from the aggregate surface. This dense paste has lower porosity than that observed in the bulk paste located 50 μm and farther from aggregate surface. The normal aggregate mortar prepared with the same water/cement ratio appears to have porous ITZ that extends beyond 35 μm from the aggregate surface. The dry and prewetted lightweight aggregate mortars seem to have a lower sorptivity and electrical conductivity than does the normal aggregate mortar. Lightweight aggregate mortars also appear to have excellent resistance to sulfate attack as compared with normal aggregate mortar.
Predicting and Manipulating Cardiac Drug Inactivation by the Human Gut Bacterium Eggerthella lenta

Despite numerous examples of the effects of the human gastrointestinal microbiome on drug efficacy and toxicity, there is often an incomplete understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Here, we dissect the inactivation of the cardiac drug digoxin by the gut Actinobacterium Eggerthella lenta. Transcriptional profiling, comparative genomics, and culture-based assays revealed a cytochrome-encoding operon up-regulated by digoxin, inhibited by arginine, absent in nonmetabolizing E. lenta strains, and predictive of digoxin inactivation by the human gut microbiome. Pharmacokinetic studies using gnotobiotic mice revealed that dietary protein reduces the in vivo microbial metabolism of digoxin, with significant changes to drug concentration in the serum and urine. These results emphasize the importance of viewing pharmacology from the perspective of both our human and microbial genomes.
Beliefs and Recommendations Regarding Child Custody and Visitation in Cases Involving Domestic Violence: A Comparison of Professionals in Different Roles

Research is lacking on differing perspectives regarding custody cases involving domestic violence (DV). In a survey of judges, legal aid attorneys, private attorneys, DV program workers, and child custody evaluators (n = 1,187), judges, private attorneys, and evaluators were more likely to believe that mothers make false DV allegations and alienate their children. In response to a vignette, evaluators and private attorneys were most likely to recommend joint custody and least likely to recommend sole custody to the survivor. Legal aid attorneys and DV workers were similar on many variables. Gender, DV knowledge, and knowing victims explained many group differences.
Anticipation and Computation: Is Anticipatory Computing Possible?

Anticipation, a definitory characteristic of the living, is expressed in action. It implies awareness of past, present, and future, i.e., of time. Anticipatory processes pertain to the world’s dynamics. Anticipation also implies an observation capability, the acquired function of processing what is observed, and the ability to effect change. Computation means processing quantitative distinctions of physical entities and of those that inform the condition and behavior of the living. Autonomic processing is the prerequisite for anticipatory expression. In the physical, processing is reactive; in the living it is autonomic. Automated calculations, inspired by human “computers,” are different in nature from those involved in living dynamics. To distinguish between anticipatory and predictive computation is to account for the role of the possible future in dealing with change.
Lung Cancer Chemoprevention

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world and accounts for more than 150,000 deaths annually in the United States (1). Global progress in improving lung cancer outcomes has been exceedingly difficult (2,3). Progress in the specific area of chemoprevention research has also been challenging. Despite a vast at-risk population of current or past users of tobacco products (or perhaps because this population is so vast), it is difficult to assemble an appropriate-sized cohort of at-risk individuals to efficiently conduct a definitive chemoprevention trial (4, 5). In breast cancer, the key dynamic in launching initial chemoprevention research was the utility of tamoxifen in reducing second breast cancers (6,7). Since lung cancer is more frequently lethal than breast cancer, there is no large pool of initial survivors at risk for a second lung cancer. This difficulty in conducting lung cancer chemoprevention trials, though a major detriment to developing more effective lung cancer chemoprevention, is only one of a number of reasons for the lack of significant pharmaceutical industry efforts to develop a lung cancer chemoprevention drug (8).
Bubble-Induced Color Doppler Feedback for Histotripsy Tissue Fractionation

Histotripsy therapy produces cavitating bubble clouds to increasingly fractionate and eventually liquefy tissue using high-intensity ultrasound pulses. Following cavitation generated by each pulse, coherent motion of the cavitation residual nuclei can be detected using metrics formed from ultrasound color Doppler acquisitions. In this paper, three experiments were performed to investigate the characteristics of this motion as real-time feedback on histotripsy tissue fractionation. In the first experiment, bubble-induced color Doppler (BCD) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis monitored the residual cavitation nuclei in the treatment region in an agarose tissue phantom treated with two-cycle histotripsy pulses at ${>}30\text{ MPa}$ using a 500-kHz transducer. Both BCD and PIV results showed brief chaotic motion of the residual nuclei followed by coherent motion first moving away from the transducer and then rebounding back. Velocity measurements from both PIV and BCD agreed well, showing a monotonic increase in rebound time up to a saturation point for increased therapy dose. In a second experiment, a thin layer of red blood cells (RBC) was added to the phantom to allow quantification of the fractionation of the RBC layer to compare with BCD metrics. A strong linear correlation was observed between the fractionation level and the time to BCD peak rebound velocity over histotripsy treatment. Finally, the correlation between BCD feedback and histotripsy tissue fractionation was validated in ex vivo porcine liver evaluated histologically. BCD metrics showed strong linear correlation with fractionation progression, suggesting that BCD provides useful quantitative real-time feedback on histotripsy treatment progression.
Effectiveness of Postoperative Wound Drains in One- and Two-Level Cervical Spine Fusions

Background Cervical drains have historically been used to avoid postoperative wound and respiratory complications such as excessive edema, hematoma, infection, re-intubation, delayed extubation, or respiratory distress. Recently, some surgeons have ceased using drains because they may prolong hospital stay, operative time, or patient discomfort. The objective of this retrospective case-control series is to investigate the effectiveness of postoperative drains following one- and two-level cervical fusions. Methods A chart review was conducted at a single institution from 2010-2013. Outcome measures included operative time, hospital stay, estimated blood loss and incidence of wound complications (infection, hematoma, edema, and complications with wound healing or evacuation), respiratory complications (delayed extubation, re-intubation, and respiratory treatment), and overall complications (wound complications, respiratory complications, dysphagia, and other complications). Statistical analyses including independent samples t-test, chi-square, analysis of covariance, and linear regression were used to compare patients who received a postoperative drain to those who did not. Results The study population included 39 patients who received a postoperative drain and 42 patients who did not. There were no differences in demographics between the two groups. Patients with drains showed increased operative time (100.1 vs 69.3 min, p Conclusions/Level of Evidence Cervical drains may not be necessary for patients undergoing one- and two-level cervical fusion. While there were no differences in incidence of complications between groups, patients treated with drains had significantly longer operative time and length of hospital stay. Clinical relevance This could contribute to excessive costs for patients treated with drains, despite the lack of compelling evidence of the advantages of this treatment in the literature and in the current study.
Breeding and field performance of Xa21 transgenic japonica variety Shengdao301

Using a genetic transformation system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Xa21 gene against the bacterial blight disease was introduced into calli of a japonica variety Shengdao301 cultivated in Shandong Province. Based on Gus detection, marker assisted selection and inoculation from T_0 to T_5 generation, a great number of homozygous transgenic Shengdao301 plants were obtained. Performance of field resistance and agronomy traits were investigated.
Reason Analysis of Breakage for Imported 500 kV Composite Insulator

This paper analyzes the reasons of breakage for 500 kV composite insulators made by Siemens in German and Cocker in US. According to the tests and verifications, analysis and conclusions of this kind of two products are given, and the measures for preventing faults and suggestions are also presented.
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Agricultural Health Study Spouses: Associations with Pesticides and Other Farm Exposures.

Background:Farming has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the role of pesticides is not known.Objectives:We examined associations between RA and pesticides or other agricultural ex...
Weyl groups of some hyperbolic Kac–Moody algebras

Abstract We use the theory of Clifford algebras and Vahlen groups to study Weyl groups of hyperbolic Kac–Moody algebras T n + + , obtained by a process of double extension from a Cartan matrix of finite type T n , whose corresponding generalized Cartan matrices are symmetric.
The role of MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling in monophosphoryl lipid A-induced expansion and recruitment of innate immunocytes

Treatment with the TLR4 agonist MPLA augments innate resistance to common bacterial pathogens. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which MPLA augments innate immunocyte functions are not well characterized. This study examined the importance of MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling for leukocyte mobilization, recruitment, and activation following administration of MPLA. MPLA potently induced MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling. A single injection of MPLA caused rapid mobilization and recruitment of neutrophils, a response that was largely mediated by the chemokines CXCL1 and -2 and the hemopoietic factor G-CSF. Rapid neutrophil recruitment and chemokine production were regulated by both pathways although the MyD88-dependent pathway showed some predominance. In further studies, multiple injections of MPLA potently induced mobilization and recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes. Neutrophil recruitment after multiple injections of MPLA was reliant on MyD88-dependent signaling, but effective monocyte recruitment required activation of both pathways. MPLA treatment induced expansion of myeloid progenitors in bone marrow and upregulation of CD11b and shedding of L-selectin by neutrophils, all of which were attenuated in MyD88- and TRIF-deficient mice. These results show that MPLA-induced neutrophil and monocyte recruitment, expansion of bone marrow progenitors and augmentation of neutrophil adhesion molecule expression are regulated by both the MyD88- and TRIF-dependent pathways.
The Complement System

Abstract The immune response to a biomaterial involves both humoral and cellular components. Activation of the complement cascade by one of several pathways leads to the deposition of complement proteins (C4b, C3b) that are recognized by receptors on WBC, leading to the production of degradative enzymes and destructive oxygen metabolites. Recognition of C4b or C3b by additional complement proteins results in the formation of convertases (proteases) that amplifies the response leading to the production of C5a (a potent inflammatory mediator) and MAC, a cytolytic protein complex that activates platelets and destroys cells. Systemic exposure to C5a during extracorporeal therapies has been associated with neutropenia and cardiopulmonary manifestations that can have pathologic consequences. The biochemistry and cell biology of these processes are understood well enough to begin designing materials that have limited potential to activate complement, improving the biocompatibility of the devices that utilize these materials.
Concerted silencing of vitamin A genes in breast epithelial cells: Implications for cancer prevention.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A3 Genes with different biological functions become aberrantly hypermethylated in breast cancer (Widschwendter et al, Oncogene, 2002). Some of these hypermethylated genes are currently used for early detection of breast epithelial cell transformation (Fackler et al, Cancer Res, 2004), as well as for prediction of cancer risk in non-neoplastic breast tissue (Bean et al, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2005). Our recent work showed that development of resistance to the tumor suppressive action of retinoic acid (RA), the bioactive derivative of vitamin A, would precede morphological changes of breast epithelial cell transformation thus providing a way to predict breast cancer risk. Apparently, an impairment of RA-signal in breast epithelial cells leads first to RA-resistance, due to silencing of the RA-receptor beta 2 ( RAR β2 ) , which, in turn, can trigger the silencing of its target, the cellular retinol binding protein 1 ( CRBP1) , critical for the transport of vitamin A as well as normal breast epithelial cell morphology. Silencing of both genes is marked by epigenetic changes, including DNA hypermethylation, readily detectable in breast samples with current technology. The discovery of this epigenetic network opens the way for devising an ad hoc panel of hypermethylated markers for clinical applications. Further, maintenance of the integrity of RA-signal in breast tissue might prevent the occurrence of the epigenetic "domino effect" involving RA-responsive genes and consequently breast tumorigenesis.
GRAMMATICAL PATTERN CLASSIFICATION

This chapter discusses the pattern recognition from quite a different direction. The reason for studying formal linguistics in computer science is that there is a correspondence between a program and the design of a machine that can recognize the strings of symbols which are well formed expressions (sentences) in a language defined by a generative grammar. String classification provides a more general approach to pattern recognition than the vector classification approach taken up to this point. Vectors are strings of finite length, and can be described using a generative grammar. Because there are only a finite number of vectors in any class, the language corresponding to the vectors in some subspace of the Euclidean description space can be thought of as a finite language. There is no question that the grammatical viewpoint in picture classification is an important one. It is an excellent way of approaching some problems, including many which are ill represented in vector classification. Statistical distinctions, especially, are often well handled by vector classification methods. Finally, there are a number of picture processing applications for which neither grammatical nor vector classification procedures are suitable. The field awaits new ideas.
Application of battery-supercapacitor energy storage system for smoothing wind power output: An optimal coordinated control strategy

In the application of energy storage for smoothing wind power output, the combination of battery and supercapacitor (SC) is considered as an effective alternative to improve the battery lifetime and enhance the system economy. In this paper, third-order Butterworth low-pass filter and high-pass filter are adopted to smooth the wind power and allocate power between battery and SC. Then, an optimal coordinated control strategy is proposed to determine the cut-off frequencies of the two filters and the power sharing between battery and SC. With this strategy, the total deprecation cost of the system caused by charge/discharge is minimized while satisfying the requirements of wind power integration. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with a simulation study.
Automatic synthesis of control alphabet policies

This paper presents a method for synthesis of control alphabet policies, given continuum descriptions of physical systems and tasks. First, we describe a model predictive control scheme, called switched sequential action control (sSAC), that generates global state-feedback control policies with low computational cost, given a control alphabet. During synthesis, sSAC alphabet policies are directly encoded into finite state machines using a cell subdivision approach. As opposed to existing automata synthesis methods, controller synthesis is based entirely on the original nonlinear system dynamics and thus does not rely on but rather results in a lower-complexity symbolic representation. The method is validated for the cart-pendulum inversion problem and the double-tank system. The approach presents an opportunity for real-time task-oriented control of complex robotic platforms using exclusively sensor data with no online computation involved.
Plants turn on the tap

Plant transpiration is the largest continental water flux. Research now shows that climate and water availability projections are highly sensitive to the ways that plant responses to changing atmospheric conditions are represented.
Isolated Inferior Rectus Muscle Entrapment following Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Orbital complications are known risks of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The lamina papyracea and medial rectus muscle are the most commonly injured structures during ESS. Inferior rectus injury is more rare, with only one reported case of isolated inferior rectus injury in the literature. Guidelines for managing ESS-induced inferior rectus injury do not exist, and delayed intervention and management of adjacent sinuses may affect long-term outcomes such as persistent diplopia and disfigurement. In this report, we present a case of a 67-year-old man with diplopia due to isolated left inferior rectus muscle entrapment and injury from violation of the orbital floor during previous ESS. We postulate that an incomplete maxillary antrostomy contributed to scar band formation and entrapment of the inferior rectus muscle after the orbital floor was violated, and advocate early intervention with a wide, complete maxillary antrostomy if the orbital floor is injured during ESS.
Polyedertheorie bei Ganzzahligkeit

Wir haben schon die Frage gestellt, ob die konvexe Hulle der ganzen Punkte in {x | Ax ≤ b} ein Polyeder ist, kommen infrage: die Daten (A, b) sind nicht rational, derZulassigkeitsbereich ist unbeschrankt.
FEEDBACK LINEARIZING CONTROLLER DESIGN FOR CHEMICAL PROCESSES: CHALLENGES AND RECENT ADVANCES

Abstract Many chemical processes are difficult to control due to their inherent nonlinear characteristics. Feedback linearization is a promising approach for controlling such highly nonlinear processes. In this paper, we discuss a few problems which are encountered when feedback linearization is applied to chemical processes and provide an overview of our attempts to address these problems. More specifically, we focus on several issues not adequately addressed by existing feedback linearization theory including: (i) unmeasured state variables; (ii) unmeasured disturbances; (iii) time delays; and (iv) process constaints. The concepts are illustrated using a simple chemical reactor model which exhibits many of the nonlinear characteristics observed in industrial processes.
Cyclooxygenase inhibition in patients with coronary artery disease.

The prostanoids are receptor-activating lipid mediators that exert a pervasive influence on body functioning because they involve all organ systems and their effects can be heightened by various disease states and pathophysiologic conditions [(1)][1]. The enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) catalyzes the
Estimating Models of Supply and Demand: Instruments and Covariance Restrictions

We consider the identification of empirical models of supply and demand with imperfect competition. As is well known, a supply-side instrument can resolve price endogeneity in demand estimation. We show that, under common assumptions, two other approaches also yield consistent estimates of the joint model: (i) a demand-side instrument, or (ii) a covariance restriction between unobserved demand and cost shocks. Covariance restrictions can obtain identification even the absence of instruments. Further, supply and demand assumptions alone may bound the structural parameters without additional restrictions. We illustrate the covariance restriction approach with applications to ready-to-eat cereal, cement, and airlines.
Abstract WP279: Cardiac Biomarkers Predict Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose: Cardiac biomarkers may help identify stroke mechanisms and may aid in improving stroke prevention strategies. There is limited data on the association between these biomarke...
On the Design of a Physiological Signal Feature Extraction and Segmentation Digital Subsystem

Real-time and compact algorithms are desired for wearable physiologic monitoring devices. We present a QRS waveform detection algorithm, inspired by the Stockwell time-frequency transform and targeted to embedded architectures. The proposed QRS detector uses a complex filter for feature extraction and efficient estimations to achieve minimal computations and limited digital hardware resources. The QRS detector algorithm is demonstrated to reduce the computational cost and maintain accuracy.
Mammalian Taste Cells Express Functional Olfactory Receptors

The peripheral taste and olfactory systems in mammals are separate and independent sensory systems. In the current model of chemosensation, gustatory, and olfactory receptors are genetically divergent families expressed in anatomically distinct locations that project to disparate downstream targets. Although information from the 2 sensory systems merges to form the perception of flavor, the first cross talk is thought to occur centrally, in the insular cortex. Recent studies have shown that gustatory and olfactory receptors are expressed throughout the body and serve as chemical sensors in multiple tissues. Olfactory receptor cDNA has been detected in the tongue, yet the presence of physiologically functional olfactory receptors in taste cells has not yet been demonstrated. Here we report that olfactory receptors are functionally expressed in taste papillae. We found expression of olfactory receptors in the taste papillae of green fluorescent protein-expressing transgenic mice and, using immunocytochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments, the presence of olfactory signal transduction molecules and olfactory receptors in cultured human fungiform taste papilla (HBO) cells. Both HBO cells and mouse taste papilla cells responded to odorants. Knockdown of adenylyl cyclase mRNA by specific small inhibitory RNA and pharmacological block of adenylyl cyclase eliminated these responses, leading us to hypothesize that the gustatory system may receive olfactory information in the periphery. These results provide the first direct evidence of the presence of functional olfactory receptors in mammalian taste cells. Our results also demonstrate that the initial integration of gustatory and olfactory information may occur as early as the taste receptor cells.
Independent female filmmakers: a chronicle through interviews, profiles, and manifestos

Michele Meek’s Independent Female Filmmakers is an invaluable collection of some of the very best interviews with legendary female practitioners in film, television, and the visual arts originally ...
Developing a Mentorship Practice Through Self-Study:

Structured dialogue, grounded in self-study, has been used to improve teaching practice, but its effects on mentor practice have not been assessed. This article reports findings from an analysis of...
Preconditioning ADMM for Fast Decentralized Optimization

In this work, we consider the distributed optimization problem using networked computing machines. Specifically, we are interested in solving this problem using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) while accounting for edge weights. Existing works focus on star graphs and use simple heuristics for other types of graphs. The present work shows that the optimal edge weights design is equivalent to the preconditioning matrix of ADMM that leads to the fastest convergence speed. Based on a tight convergence rate of ADMM, we show that the preconditioning matrix of general graphs can be found by minimizing the ratio of the largest and smallest nonzero eigenvalue of the graph Laplacian. Numerical experiments show that preconditioned ADMM converges much faster to a certain accuracy with less communication rounds, and exemplify the robustness to topology changes of the underlying network.
Modeling thin layers of analytes on substrates for spectral analysis: use of solid/liquid n and k values to model reflectance spectra

Since solids are only sometimes seen en masse in a pure bulk form, and for liquids other than water almost never, a capability to model reflectance spectra from analytes deposited on various substrates would be highly advantageous. If available, the real, n ( ν ) , and imaginary, k ( ν ) , components of the complex refractive index, n∼ = n + ik, can be used to simulate infrared spectra, accounting for reflection, refraction, and absorption phenomena as a function of wavelength. We focus on using the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) derived n / k vectors for solid and liquid analytes deposited as thin layers on different types of substrates including conductors, such as aluminum, and inorganic dielectrics, such as glass. The model is an adaptation of the Monte Carlo ray trace modeling program, TracePro, extended through the use of its macrolanguage. The model is tested using thin films of organic liquids including silicone oil and no. 2 diesel fuel, as well as organic solids such as caffeine and acetaminophen on aluminum and glass. The predicted spectra for the solid films were compared to experimental hemispherical reflectance data measured using a Fourier transform spectrometer with an integrating sphere. The thickness of the calculated layer is a parameter for predicting the (transflectance) spectra and is obtained using the areal density measured from gravimetric methods to generate the thin-layer samples. Comparison of the calculated spectra with experimental hemispherical reflectance data shows excellent agreement, indicating promise for the use of measured n / k data to synthesize reference spectral data. In particular, accounting for the inhomogeneity of the deposits greatly improved the match with experimental data. Finally, the theoretical modeling shows that for thicker layers (ca. 20 to 100 μm) of typical organics possessing moderately strong k values, the longwave infrared features are often saturated and better spectral contrast is obtained from the overtone/combination bands in the shortwave infrared.
Mitigating Burnout in Residents via a Clinical Practice Tool

Background: This may be a bitter pill to swallow, but physician burnout is real. Not only are physicians twice as likely to be burned out than matched controls, but burnout peaks in residency with 40-70% of US pediatric residents affected. One sobering observation is that there are further sequelae such as depression (20% of residents—twice that of the general population) and increased medical errors. Likewise, 300 to 400 US physicians take their own lives annually. Fortunately, our culture has changed where we are acknowledging burnout, searching …
Characterization of focused ultrasound-mediated brainstem delivery of intranasally administered agents.

Abstract Focused ultrasound-mediated intranasal (FUSIN) delivery is a recently proposed technique that bypasses the blood-brain barrier to achieve noninvasive and localized brain drug delivery. The goal of this study was to characterize FUSIN drug delivery outcome in mice with regard to its dependency on several critical experimental factors, including the time interval between IN administration and FUS sonication (Tlag1), the FUS pressure, and the time for sacrificing the mice post-FUS (Tlag2). Wild-type mice were treated by FUSIN delivery of near-infrared fluorescent dye-labeled bovine serum albumin (800CW-BSA, used as a model agent). 800CW-BSA was intranasally administered to the mice in vivo, followed by intravenous injection of microbubbles and FUS sonication at the brainstem. Fluorescence imaging of ex vivo mouse brain slices was used to quantify the delivery outcomes of 800CW-BSA. Major organs, along with the nasal tissue and trigeminal nerve, were harvested to assess the biodistribution of 800CW-BSA. The delivery outcome of 800CW-BSA was the highest at the brainstem when Tlag1 was 0.5 h, which was on average 24.5-fold, 5.4-fold, and 21.6-fold higher than those of the IN only, Tlag1 = 1.5 h, and Tlag1 = 4.0 h, respectively. The FUSIN delivery outcome at the lowest pressure level, 0.43 MPa, was on average 1.8-fold and 3.7-fold higher than those at 0.56 MPa and 0.70 MPa, respectively. The mean concentration of 800CW-BSA in the brainstem after FUSIN delivery decreased from 0.5 h to 4.0 h post-FUS. The accumulation of 800CW-BSA was low in the heart, lung, spleen, kidneys, and liver, but high in the stomach and intestines. This study revealed the unique characteristics of FUSIN as a noninvasive, efficient, and localized brain drug delivery technique.
Eveningness Predicts Negative Affect Following Sleep Restriction.

Abstract Although considerable research has shown that sleep loss results in decreased positive affect, findings regarding change in negative affect are inconsistent. Such inconsistency may be due in part to variability in individual difference factors, such as chronotype, which is associated with both sleep and affective outcomes. Chronotype represents the tendency to be a morning- or evening-type person and is underpinned by the timing of circadian processes linked to sleep and mental health. The present study examined the predictive effect of chronotype above and beyond that of depression on affective response to sleep restriction in a sample of healthy sleeping adults (n = 73). Participants completed measures of chronotype and depression at baseline and measures of positive and negative affect before and after one night of sleep restriction (4 hours between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.). Results indicate a large, significant decrease in positive affect following sleep restriction, but no statistically significant change in negative affect. Subsequent analyses showed that chronotype predicted affective response to sleep restriction, such that eveningness predicted a medium, significant increase in negative affect following sleep restriction, controlling for depression—however, there was no association between chronotype and change in positive affect in response to sleep restriction. These findings highlight a differential effect of sleep loss on positive and negative affect and suggest that evening chronotype may confer a distinct vulnerability for increased negative affect following sleep loss.
“More Davids than Goliaths?” A Case for the Power of Small Firms To Be Stronger Innovators Compared to Larger Firms During a Global Pandemic

The biblical story of David and Goliath depicts how an ordinary man was confronted with a tremendous challenge and had to respond in an immediate and effective manner in order to be victorious. This same sentiment embodied in the story of David and Goliath holds true in the context of business innovation and reimagination among small firms, especially right now during the Coronavirus Global Pandemic. This conceptual paper discusses how large firms, or Goliaths, have proven track records and tremendous amounts of muscle and resources to support innovation, R&D, and even unexpected emergencies. Yet, small firms, or Davids, often suffer from the liability of newness, sudden change in the business environment, and do not have the same resources to consistently finance on-going innovation or even operations. Nevertheless, we present a case that small firms, like David, can be victorious by being empowered as well as by leveraging their own creativity, resourcefulness, ingenuity, strategic innovation, and reimagination of their businesses during the current Global Pandemic.
A sensitivity analysis of probability maps in deep-learning-based anatomical segmentation

Purpose Deep-learning-based segmentation models implicitly learn to predict the presence of a structure based on its overall prominence in the training dataset. This phenomenon is observed and accounted for in deep-learning applications such as natural language processing but is often neglected in segmentation literature. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the significance of class imbalance in deep-learning-based segmentation and recommend tuning of the neural network optimization objective. Methods An architecture and training procedure were chosen to represent common models in anatomical segmentation. A family of 5-block 2D U-Nets were independently trained to segment 10 structures from the Cancer Imaging Archive's Head-Neck-Radiomics-HN1 dataset. We identify the optimal threshold for our models according to their Dice score on the validation datasets and consider perturbations about the optimum. A measure of structure prominence in segmentation datasets is defined, and its impact on the optimal threshold is analyzed. Finally, we consider the use of a 2D Dice objective in addition to binary cross entropy. Results We observe significant decreases in perceived model performance with conventional 0.5-thresholding. Perturbations of as little as ±0.05 about the optimum threshold induce a median reduction in Dice score of 11.8% for our models. There is statistical evidence to suggest a weak correlation between training dataset prominence and optimal threshold (Pearson r = 0.92 and p ≈ 10 - 4 ). We find that network optimization with respect to the 2D Dice score itself significantly reduces variability due to thresholding but does not unequivocally create the best segmentation models when assessed with distance-based segmentation metrics. Conclusion Our results suggest that those practicing deep-learning-based contouring should consider their postprocessing procedures as a potential avenue for improved performance. For intensity-based postprocessing, we recommend a mixed objective function consisting of the traditional binary cross entropy along with the 2D Dice score.
Self-reported late effect symptom clusters among young pediatric cancer survivors

Most survivors of childhood cancer experience subsequent chronic conditions but little is known about concurrent symptoms. This study seeks to identify late effect symptom clusters among young pediatric cancer survivors. Survivors ≥ 18 or parents of survivors < 18 years enrolled in an institutional cohort study indicated (yes/no) if they experienced certain symptoms after treatment. The sample was randomly divided in half for exploratory factor analyses to identify symptom clusters followed by confirmatory factor analyses. Symptoms with ≥ 10% prevalence were included. Cluster structure generalizability across subgroups was examined using congruence coefficients. The sample included 579 survivors (74% non-Hispanic white, 45% leukemia, 12.8 ± 4.5 years at survey, 5.9 ± 3.5 years since therapy). Respondents averaged three symptoms. Three clusters were identified: (1) gastrointestinal: abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting (Cronbach’s α = 0.74); (2) psychological: depression, anxiety, memory problems, anger management problems, sleep problems (α = 0.71); and (3) neurologic: problems walking, numbness/tingling, fatigue, back pain, chronic pain, weakness/inability to move legs (α = 0.71). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-cluster structure (standardized root mean square residual: 0.09; parsimonious goodness of fit: 0.96; Bentler-Bonett normed fit index: 0.95). The gastrointestinal and psychological clusters were generalizable across most subgroups while the neurologic cluster varied across age and race/ethnicity subgroups. Three distinct late effect symptom clusters were identified in young childhood cancer survivors with gastrointestinal and psychological clusters remaining relatively stable across subgroups. Future studies should focus on the characteristics of patients who experience these symptoms, especially those with high symptom burden, and the synergistic impact on quality of life.