cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuous functions on metric spaces

In the previous chapter we studied a single metric space (X, d), and the various types of sets one could find in that space. While this is already quite a rich subject, the theory of metric spaces becomes even richer, and of more importance to analysis, when one considers not just a single metric space, but rather pairs (X, d X ) and (Y, d Y ) of metric spaces, as well as continuous functions f : X → Y between such spaces.
Upgrading of Coal-Derived Liquids

Upgrading of coal-derived liquids is an important aspect of direct coal liquefaction and may determine when such liquefaction will be economically feasible. Coal derived liquids (CDL) are largely unacceptable as refinery feedstocks because of their high heteroatom and metals content and their aromatic nature. Heteroatomic removal and metals reduction are part of some petroleum refinery processing, but the presence of condensed ring polyaromatics is unique to liquids from coal. Successful upgrading processes will have to achieve significant reductions in the content of these aromatic components. Methods will also have to be found to reduce the buildup of coke on the catalyst surface, which has been the main reason for decreasing catalyst-bed activity during upgrading processing.
Investigating equality: The Rényi spectrum

An equality index is a score quantifying the socioeconomic egalitarianism of the distribution of wealth in human societies; the score takes values in the unit interval, with the unit upper bound characterizing purely communist societies. In this paper we explore the Renyi spectrum, a continuum of equality indices that: (i) is based on the moments of the societies’ distributions of wealth; (ii) unifies various measures of socioeconomic inequality, including the Theil and Atkinson indices; (iii) displays a collection of amicable analytic properties; (iv) admits multiple Renyi-divergence representations; and (v) provides a high-resolution gauging of egalitarianism that is way beyond what can be offered by the common-practice measures of socioeconomic inequality, the Gini and Pietra indices. At large, the Renyi spectrum is applicable in the context of any distribution of non-negative sizes with a positive mean—yielding a high-resolution gauging of the distribution’s inherent statistical heterogeneity.
Cost of Alteplase Has More Than Doubled Over the Past Decade

Background and Purpose— Intravenous alteplase (tissue-type plasminogen activator) has been shown to be cost-effective because of savings in long-term disability. In October of 2005, an increased DRG payment to hospitals for alteplase-treated stroke patients was introduced. We sought to describe the trends in the cost of alteplase over time, in comparison to trends in hospital reimbursement in the United States. Methods— Using publicly available information on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website (www.cms.gov), we obtained CMS quarterly payment amounts between January 1, 2005, and October 1, 2014, for alteplase, listed as alteplase recombinant, per mg. CMS payment amounts are the manufacturer’s average sales price+6% until April 2014, when it was lowered to +4.3%. Estimates for DRG base payments were calculated within the Medicare Provider and Analysis Review (MEDPAR) for fiscal years 2006 (DRG 559) and 2013 (MS DRGs 61, 62, and 63) as (DRG relative weights)×(standardized operating and capital amount). The consumer price index was also queried for all prescription drugs, urban areas, during the same study period as reference. Results— The CMS payment amount for alteplase per milligram was $30.50 in January 2005 and $64.30 in October 2014. Trends in the CMS payment amounts for alteplase increased by 111% between 2005 and 2014. The consumer price index for all prescription drugs increased by 30.2% in the same time frame. The base payment for alteplase-treated stroke admissions was $11 173 in 2006 and $12 064 in 2013, an 8% increase. Conclusions— We found a striking increase in the cost of alteplase over the last decade, with a 100 mg vial now with a CMS payment of ≈$6400, a >100% increase over 10 years. During the same time frame, the DRG base payment to hospitals increased by only 8%, and alteplase cost increased from 27% of the payment in 2006 to 53% in 2013. Researchers and stroke physicians should be aware of these changes in drug costs and their impact on cost-effectiveness analyses.
A 24-GHz portable FMCW radar with continuous beam steering phased array (Conference Presentation)

A portable 24-GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar with continuous beam steering phased array is presented. This board-level integrated radar system consists of a phased array antenna, a radar transceiver and a baseband. The phased array used by the receiver is a 4-element linear array. The beam of the phased array can be continuously steered with a range of ±30° on the H-plane through an array of vector controllers. The vector controller is based on the concept of vector sum with binary-phase-shift attenuators. Each vector controller is capable of independently controlling the phase and the amplitude of each element of the linear array. The radar transceiver is based on the six-port technique. A free-running voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is controlled by an analog “sawtooth” voltage generator to produce frequency-modulated chirp signal. This chirp signal is used as the transmitter signal, as well as the local oscillator (LO) signal to drive the six-port circuit. The transmitter antenna is a single patch antenna. In the baseband, the beat signal of the FMCW radar is detected by the six-port circuit and then processed by a laptop in real time. Experiments have been performed to reveal the capabilities of the proposed radar system for applications including indoor inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging, vital sign detection, and short-range navigation, etc. (This abstract is for the profiles session.)
Characterization and acceleration for genomic sequencing and analysis

The advance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has dramatically reduced the cost of genome sequencing, which is a key technology to enable precision medicine. However, processing and analyzing the huge amount of data collected from NGS sequencers introduces significant computation challenges, and has become the bottleneck in many research and clinical applications. This has become a major workload for the Center for Domain-Specific Computing (CDSC) for acceleration in the past three years. In this talk, I shall present our ongoing study on characterizing and accelerating the best practice pipeline for genomic sequencing and analysis recommended by the Broad Institute. Our study includes the use of SSD and hardware accelerators on individual workstations, local computing clusters, and public clouds, such as Amazon AWS and Google Compute Engine.
CHAPTER 20 – A Geneticist Looks at Ovarian Cancer

A geneticist looks at ovarian cancer with a perspective that is different from a gynecologist or gynacologic oncologist. The primary focus of the geneticist is on the process of cancer development and not on its diagnosis and treatment. In ovarian cancer, a mutation can be inherited or developed spontaneously in the somatic target cell, known as an ovarian epithelial cell. The inherited change or the initial mutation commonly known as first hit, occurs by itself and is insufficient to produce malignant transformation of the target cell. Additional gene changes occur, before the ovarian epithelial cell becomes transformed and continues to divide to produce the cancer. Though the first hit is generally within a family and can be transmitted to successive generations, the subsequent gene changes contributing to malignant transformation are different in different family members. The differences in the patterns of mutations thus accumulated, contribute to the variations seen in the ages at which cancers develop within families. Genetics provide us with a tool that helps in identifying persons and families at highest risk to develop certain diseases, including several cancers. The chapter provides opportunities to institute surveillance, preventive treatments, and prophylactic surgeries that can reduce the clinical consequences for high-risk individuals and families. With advancement in research knowledge of the genetic basis of diseases can lead to new approaches to treatment.
Control-Theoretical and Topological Analysis of Covariance Intersection Based Distributed Kalman Filter

Covariance intersection (CI) extends Kalman filter (KF) in distributed estimation, since it can fuse Gaussian estimates in the absence of the estimates' correlations. However, even with the preliminary success on the integration of CI and KF, existing discussion limited in global behavior is unable to directly deal with a system with a mixture of unbounded-covariance and bounded-covariance agents. In other words, until this letter there has been no explicit investigation on the analytic relationship between effective observability in each agent and system topology, to the best of our knowledge. To formalize these problems, we establish CI-based KF with explicit CI topology, on top of the conventional KF with observation exchanges. Consequently, the effect of CI on KF can be characterized by the impact of individual CI links on each agents. In particular, we systematically show that CI links can diminish the effective unobservable space, which relaxes the boundedness criterion. In addition, as a conservative fusion scheme, there may exist CI links that provide no improvement on estimation performance but generate additional uncertainty. A method is proposed to identify and then to suppress such redundant CI links for enhanced estimation performance. Finally, the pros and cons of CI on distributed estimation algorithms are comprehensively characterized and substantiated by a numerical example.
Modification of Heterosocial Skills Deficits

This chapter is concerned with heterosocial skills, which are those skills necessary for social interchange between members of the opposite sex. Although these skills are relevant across the life span, the bulk of existing research has been concerned with the skills that are important in the early stages of dating relationships between college students. Unfortunately, these skills represent somewhat a will-o’-the-wisp. When globally defined, effective skills can often be distinguished from ineffective ones. However, relatively little success has been enjoyed in identifying the specific behaviors that comprise them.
Pulsation Studies of a 1.8 M⊙ Delta Scuti Model

A 1.8 M⊙ stellar model was evolved into the Delta Scuti instability region of the HR diagram, and used to calculate the nonadiabatic periods and growth rates of linear radial and non-radial pulsations. Comparisons with earlier partially-analytical calculations by Lee (1985) show good agreement. The radial modes of three 60-zone envelope models based on this same evolution model are also being studied using a nonlinear hydrodynamics code with time-dependent convection, in an attempt to reproduce the result of Stellingwerf (1979) that the amplitudes of such models grow without bound. We find that the linear growth rate of the fundamental mode is very small, a few parts in a million per cycle, and that care must be taken to model the envelope to a depth that includes most of the deep radiative damping. At present, our nonlinear calculations can detect growth rates only in excess of 10−4, but do not show a tendency for the amplitudes to grow. Perhaps including time-dependent convection and/or modeling deeper envelopes with additional radiative damping will limit the pulsation amplitudes to observed values.
Cognitive economy in artificial intelligence systems

Intelligent system, can explore only tiny subsets of their potential external and conceptual worlds. To increase their effective capacities, they must develop efficient forms of representation, access, and operation. In this paper we develop several techniques which do not sacrifice expressibility, yet enable programs to (semi-)automatically improve themselves and thus increase their productivity. The basic source of power is the ability to predict the way that the program will be used in the future, and to tailor the program to expedite such UBEB. Caching, abstraction, and expectation-simplified processing are principal examples of such techniques. We discuss the use of these and other economic principles for modern AI systems. Our analysis leads to some counterintuitive ideas (e.g., favoring redundancy over minimal storage in inheritance hierarchies).
The Patient with Severe Comorbidities: Cardiac Disease

In order to properly discuss the anesthetic management of patients with cardiac comorbidities undergoing liver transplantation (LTx), we will first briefly describe the cardiovascular changes that occur as a result of liver failure, including hemodynamic changes and cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. We will then concentrate on the following comorbidities: coronary artery disease (CAD), valvular heart disease, and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Preoperative diagnosis of cardiac comorbidities is essential to ensure preoperative optimization and proper intraoperative management and helps in determining the potential need for combined cardiac surgery and LTx. Poor left ventricular function (ejection fraction <35 %) or severe cardiac disease that cannot be improved or corrected is considered to be contraindication for LTx, and only rarely can a patient with these conditions be considered for combined heart Tx/LTx [1].
Age-Related Decrease in Innervation Density of the Lacrimal Gland in Mouse Models of Sjögren’s Syndrome

In many dry eye conditions including Sjogren’s syndrome, significant loss of secretory ability can be present even though areas of the lacrimal gland appear morphologically not affected by the disease process.1 This suggests an interruption(s) in the stimulation/secretion process that has affected the remaining acini, reducing the amount of protein and water they can secrete. The stimulation/secretion process begins with neurons releasing neurotransmitters, at least two of which, acetylcholine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), bind to receptors on the acinar cell surface and activate G protein pathways, increasing cAMP and IP3 levels.2 The IP3 will induce an increase in intracellular free Ca++, which, together with the increased levels of cAMP, will stimulate the secretion of protein. These same second message pathways may also affect anion and cation membrane channels that can alter the movement of water as well as ions such as Ca++ across the secretory epithelium into the lumen of the gland.3,4 We have examined this stimulus/secretion process in the extraorbital lacrimal glands from two mouse models for Sjogren’s syndrome,5 the MRL/MR-lpr-lpr [hereafter called MRL] and the (NZB/NZW) F1 [hereafter called NZB] strains, at different ages, and thus different stages of the disease, and compared them to those of a normal strain of mouse, the Swiss Webster [hereafter called SW] strain, at comparable ages. We have determined the innervation pattern and density in these glands and measured their ability to secrete protein in response to direct exposure to carbachol, an acetylcholine agonist. Our results strongly suggest that, in the NZB strain at least, there are important changes in the stimulus/secretion process associated with the disease that occur before significant lymphocytic infiltration that could account for the reduced tear output seen in lacrimal glands from these animals.
The Structured Controllability Radius of Symmetric (Brain) Networks

In this paper we propose and analyze a novel notion of controllability of network systems with linear dynamics and symmetric weights. Namely, we quantify the controllability degree of a network with its distance from the set of uncontrollable networks with the same structure, that is, with the minimum Frobenius norm of a structured perturbation rendering the network uncontrollable (structured controllability radius). We derive analytical conditions to compute the structured controllability radius of a network with symmetric weights, and illustrate our results through a number of examples. In particular, we use our theoretical results to study the controllability properties of a set of brain networks reconstructed from diffusion MRI data, and compare them with the controllability properties of a class of random networks. Our results show that brain networks feature a controllability radius that is consistently smaller than the one of random networks with similar weights, indicating that the considered brain networks may not be optimized to favor controllability.
Impact of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis on exercise and sports participation: Patient and parent perspectives.

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may limit physical activity due to intestinal or extraintestinal manifestations, fatigue, or exercise perception. We sought to evaluate the influence of IBD diagnosis on exercise and sports participation in a pediatric population. We compared patient-reported and parent-reported perspectives. Aim To evaluate the influence of IBD diagnosis on exercise and sports participation in a pediatric population. Methods Consecutive IBD outpatients (aged 10-18 years) and their parents completed parallel voluntary surveys. A validated, patient-reported functional activity scale, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS) was used to assess children's activity levels. Results There were 149 completed surveys (75% response rate) with mean participant age of 16.5 years [standard deviation (SD) = 4.0] and mean age at IBD diagnosis of 11.8 years (SD = 3.4). Most patients (77%) were diagnosed within 12 mo of symptom onset. Current athletic participation was reported in 65% across 65 sports. Participation was greatest before (40%) rather than after (32%) IBD diagnosis, with no reported change in 28%. IBD negatively impacted play/performance in 45% but did not change play/performance in 44%. IBD treatment improved patients' desire to exercise (70%) and subjective capacity for aerobic exercise (72%). Patients and parents agreed that IBD subjects demonstrate normal capacity for aerobic exercise (0.40, 95%CI: 0.22-0.58) and that treatment improved both participatory desire (0.33, 95%CI: 0.12-0.54) and capacity for aerobic exercise (0.52, 95%CI: 0.31-0.71). Almost all (99%) viewed exercise as healthy, and most encouraged its practice. IBD patients demonstrated normal mean HSS Pedi-FABS scores. Conclusion After pediatric IBD diagnosis, most patients continue exercise and sports, with mean activity levels comparable to American youth. Treatment positively impacts participatory desire and aerobic capacity. Patients favor the role of exercise in IBD.
Investigating New Reactivities Enabled by Polariton Photochemistry.

We perform quantum dynamics simulations to investigate new chemical reactivities enabled by cavity quantum electrodynamics. The quantum light–matter interactions between the molecule and the quanti...
Mediation Styles and Participants’ Perception of Success in Consultative Councils: The case of Guadalajara, Mexico

This article entails a comparative study of municipal consultative councils in Guadalajara, Mexico, to explore the mediation styles employed by those in charge of conducting the councils’ deliberation, which I call Mediators of Deliberative Process (MDP). Through the construction of an indicator called Participants’ Perception of Success, the article evaluates the relationship between the mediators’ styles and the degree to which participants think that the consultative council (CC) has been successful in achieving its purported goals. The results suggest that 1) MDPs exert different levels of directiveness that change over the course of the mediation according to the type of decision-making under deliberation; 2) that participants have a higher perception of the CC’s success in the case where the MDP is an expert in the subject matter of the council, resorts to a more directive approach to mediation, and deliberation is more oriented towards the outcomes of the mediation; and 3) that participants perceive the CCs as successful spaces to communicate with public officials, but least successful in having an influence over public policies.
The Art of Refusal: Notes on the Poetics of No

This essay proposes an approximation to the different ways in which the visual arts have dealt with versions of the word NO since Marcel Duchamp created his NON in 1959. This form of explicit negation has been explored in different formats and with myriad meanings by artists such as Boris Lurie, Santiago Sierra, Bahia Shehab and Maurizio Cattelan. I examine how their works emphasize political dimensions of refusal, questioning realities and notions that are prevalent in art as well as in other spheres. Their contributions also create new links that develop in severaldirections--associating people, ideas, art and history.
Research on Network Attack Detection Technology based on Reverse Detection and Protocol Analysis

With the rapid development of information technology, the security of Internet information system has become an urgent problem to be considered in the process of Internet development. In order to prevent the computer information system vulnerability, which may lead to hacker attack or virus attack, an active defense idea is proposed. That is to do not open source code and network protocol Trojan horse program vulnerability mining and paralysis attack. There are also many methods to detect network attacks. This paper introduces the research on network attack detection technology based on reverse detection and protocol analysis. By monitoring the network attack packets in the big data environment of power system, the attack packets are restored and analyzed to quickly diagnose and locate the network attack. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can quickly and accurately locate the network attack, analyze the attack process in detail, and find out the specific attack path and attack behavior, effectively ensuring the safe and stable operation of the company's information system network.
Hybrid auditory fMRI: In pursuit of increasing data acquisition while decreasing the impact of scanner noise.

Abstract Background Two challenges in auditory fMRI include the loud scanner noise during sound presentation and slow data acquisition. Here, we introduce a new auditory imaging protocol, termed “hybrid”, that alleviates these obstacles. New method We designed a within-subject experiment (N = 14) wherein language-driven activity was measured by hybrid, interleaved silent (ISSS), and continuous multiband acquisition. To determine the advantage of noise attenuation during sound presentation, hybrid was compared to multiband. To identify the benefits of increased temporal resolution, hybrid was compared to ISSS. Data were evaluated by whole-brain univariate general linear modeling (GLM) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). Results Comparison with existing methods: • Hybrid vs. Multiband: in both GLM and MVPA, hybrid showed widespread activation throughout the language network including the left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal regions, thalamus, and inferior colliculus. By contrast, multiband showed activity mostly within the left frontotemporal cortices. • Hybrid vs. ISSS: in MVPA, hybrid yielded more activation than ISSS throughout the language network. However, in GLM, hybrid detected less activation than ISSS. Despite the reduction of activation, hybrid more specifically detected activity in the canonical language network compared to ISSS. Conclusions Our data revealed that hybrid imaging restored neural activity in the canonical language network that was absent due to the loud noise or slow sampling in the conventional imaging protocols. With its noise-attenuated sound presentation windows and increased acquisition speed, the hybrid protocol is well-suited for auditory fMRI research tracking neural activity pertaining to fast, time-varying acoustic events.
Characterizing Racial Differences of Mental Health Burdens, Psychosocial Determinants, and Impacts on HIV Prevention Outcomes Among Young Men Who have Sex With Men: a Community-based Study in Two U.S. Cities

Few studies examine racial differences (e.g., Black vs. White) regarding the psychosocial pathways linking mental health burdens and various HIV-related outcomes among young men who have sex with men (MSM) in the U.S. We conducted a community-based study to examine the racial differences of mental health burdens (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress), the psychosocial determinants (e.g., HIV stigma, homonegativity, resilience, social support, loneliness, housing/food security) and impact on HIV-related outcomes (e.g., event-level alcohol/drug use before sex, condomless insertive/receptive anal sex, recent HIV testing, and PrEP awareness/willingness/use) among young Black MSM (YBMSM; n = 209) and young White MSM (YWMSM; n = 109) from two cities (Nashville, TN and Buffalo, NY) in the United States. Overall, we found YBMSM were more likely (p < 0.05) to experience anxiety and depression compared to YWMSM. Among YBMSM, we found structural inequities (housing instability, food insecurity, internalized homonegativity) were positively associated with anxiety/depression/stress (p < 0.001); we also found anxiety/depression was associated with increased alcohol/drug use before sex, and stress was associated with reduced recent HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness/willingness/use. Among YWMSM, we found psychological buffers (perceived social support, resilience) were associated with reduced anxiety/depression/stress (p < 0.001); anxiety was associated with increased condomless insertive/receptive anal sex and recent HIV testing among this subgroup. YBMSM and YWMSM differed in psychosocial determinants and HIV-related consequences regarding their mental health. Our findings provide important implications for developing culturally and contextually tailored interventions to address mental health burdens and HIV prevention outcomes among young MSM at highest risk for HIV acquisition.
The Resident-Run Minor Surgery Clinic: A Four-Year Analysis of Patient Outcomes, Satisfaction, and Resident Education

Objective A resident-run minor surgery clinic was developed to increase resident procedural autonomy. We evaluated whether 1) there was a significant difference between complications and patient satisfaction when procedures were independently performed by surgical residents vs. a surgical attending and 2) if participation was associated with an increase in resident procedural confidence. Design Third year general surgery residents participated in a weekly procedure clinic from 2014-2018. Post-procedure complications and patient satisfaction were compared between patients operated on by residents vs. the staff surgeon. Residents were surveyed regarding their confidence in independently performing a variety of clinic-based patient care tasks. Setting Massachusetts General Hospital General in Boston, MA; an academic tertiary care general surgery residency program. Participants Post-graduate year three general surgery residents that ran the clinic as part of a general surgery rotation. Results 1230 patients underwent 1592 procedures (612 in resident clinic, 980 in attending clinic). There was no significant difference in the 30-day complication rate between patients operated on by the resident vs. attending (2.5% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.49). 459 patient satisfaction surveys were administered with a 79.1% response rate. There was no significant difference in the overall quality of care rating between residents and the attending surgeon (87.5% top-box rating vs. 93.1%, p = 0.15). Twenty-one residents completed both a pre- and post-rotation survey (77.8% response rate). The proportion of residents indicating that they could independently perform a variety of patient care tasks significantly increased across the rotation (all p Conclusion Mid-level general surgery residents can independently perform office-based procedures without detriment to safety or patient satisfaction. The resident-run procedure clinic serves as an environment for residents to grow in confidence in both technical and non-technical skills. Given the high rate at which patients provide resident feedback, future work may investigate how to best incorporate patient derived evaluations into resident assessment.
Ligand-mediated synthesis of chemically tailored two-dimensional all-inorganic perovskite nanoplatelets under ambient conditions

All-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) offer impressive optoelectronic properties for light harvesting, energy conversion, and photoredox applications, with two-dimensional (2D) perovskite NCs further increasing these prospects due to their improved photoluminescence (PL) tuneability, impressive color purity, high in-plane charge transport, and large lateral dimensions which is advantageous for device integration. However, the synthesis of 2D perovskites is still challenging, especially toward large-scale applications. In this study, through the control of surface ligand composition and concentration of a mixture of short (octanoic acid and octylamine, 8-carbon chain) and long (oleic acid and oleylamine, 18-carbon chain) ligands, we have developed an extremely facile ligand-mediated synthesis of 2D CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, or mixture thereof) nanoplatelets (NPLs) at room temperature in an open vessel. In addition, the developed method is highly versatile and can be applied to synthesize Mn-doped CsPbX3 NPLs, showing a systematic increase in the total PL quantum yield (QY) and the Mn-dopant emission around 600 nm with increasing Mn and Cl concentrations. The reaction occurs in toluene by the introduction of CsX, PbX2, and MnX2 precursors under ambient conditions, which requires no harsh acids, avoids excessive lead waste, little thermal energy input, and is potentially scalable toward industrial applications.
A novelty detection approach to classification

Novelty Detection techniques are concept-learning methods that proceed by recognizing positive instances of a concept rather than differentiating between its positive and negative instances. Novelty Detection approaches consequently require very few, if any, negative training instances. This paper presents a particular Novelty Detection approach to classification that uses a Redundancy Compression and Non-Redundancy Differentiation technique based on the [Gluck & Myers, 1993] model of the hippocampus, a part of the brain critically involved in learning and memory. In particular, this approach consists of training an autoencoder to reconstruct positive input instances at the output layer and then using this autoencoder to recognize novel instances. Classification is possible, after training, because positive instances are expected to be reconstructed accurately while negative instances are not. The purpose of this paper is to compare HIPPO, the system that implements this technique, to C4.5 and feedforward neural network classification on several applications.
Higher-level gait disorders: An open frontier

The term higher-level gait disorders (HLGD) defines a category of balance and gait disorders that are not explained by deficits in strength, tone, sensation, or coordination. HLGD are characterized by various combinations of disequilibrium and impaired locomotion. A plethora of new imaging techniques are beginning to determine the neural circuits that are the basis of these disorders. Although a variety of neurodegenerative and other pathologies can produce HLGD, the most common cause appears to be microvascular disease that causes white-matter lesions and thereby disrupts balance/locomotor circuits.
Fetal macrosomia: Does antenatal prediction affect delivery route and birth outcome?

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether clinical or ultrasonographic prediction of fetal macrosomia influences subsequent delivery route and birth outcome in a clinical setting where macrosomia is not considered an indication for cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: The hospital records of 504 patients delivered of infants weighting ≥4200 gm between October 1989 and March 1994 were reviewed. Statistical comparisons were made between patients in whom fetal macrosomia was predicted before delivery (n = 102) and those in whom it was not (n = 402). Cesarean delivery, shoulder dystocia, and birth trauma rates were the variables of interest. RESULTS: Cesarean sections were performed in 52% of the “predicted” group deliveries and in 30% of the “not predicted” group (p < 0.01). The increased cesarean delivery rate in the predicted group appeared to be related to an increased incidence of labor inductions (42.5% vs 26.6%, p = 0.005) and a greater proportion of failed inductions. The proportion of patients delivered by cesarean section without a trial of labor was similar in the predicted and not predicted groups (14.7% vs 10.2%, p = 0.21). There was no significant differences in the incidence of shoulder dystocia or the occurrence of birth trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The antenatal prediction of fetal macrosomia is associated with a marked increase in cesarean deliveries without a significant reduction in the incidence of shoulder dystocia or fetal injury. Ultrasonography and labor induction for patients at risk for fetal macrosomia should be discouraged.
FIE on firmware: finding vulnerabilities in embedded systems using symbolic execution

Embedded systems increasingly use software-driven low-power microprocessors for security-critical settings, surfacing a need for tools that can audit the security of the software (often called firmware) running on such devices. Despite the fact that firmware programs are often written in C, existing source-code analysis tools do not work well for this setting because of the specific architectural features of low-power platforms. We therefore design and implement a new tool, called FIE, that builds off the KLEE symbolic execution engine in order to provide an extensible platform for detecting bugs in firmware programs for the popular MSP430 family of microcontrollers. FIE incorporates new techniques for symbolic execution that enable it to verify security properties of the simple firmwares often found in practice. We demonstrate FIE's utility by applying it to a corpus of 99 open-source firmware programs that altogether use 13 different models of the MSP430. We are able to verify memory safety for the majority of programs in this corpus and elsewhere discover 21 bugs.
Comparing JavaScript frameworks

In recent years, Web applications have become much more capable, driven primarily by the rise of JavaScript as a general-purpose programming language available in all major browsers. As browsers continue to compete with JavaScript performance, the Web platform has become a viable alternative in many cases to applications installed natively.
Enancing scattering and absorption in two-dimensional layered material systems with surface plasmons and periodicity

The electromagnetic waves scattered or absorbed by the structures having atomically thin layered materials can be enhanced by surface plasmon resonance and periodicity. In this work, we show that the enhancement can be accurately calculated using analytical methods specifically developed for multilayered media. Analytical methods' accuracy and efficiency is compared against experimental results found in the literature and commercially available full wave electromagnetic solvers, respectively.
A Distinctive Form of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin β-Subunit-like Material Produced by Cervical Carcinoma Cells

The DoT and CaSki human cervical carcinoma cell lines ectopically produce material immunologically similar to the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG beta). Culture fluids were analyzed by gel filtration chromatography and radioimmunoassay (RIA) using (a) antiserum directed to conformation-specific (core-directed) determinants not involving the carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) in hCG beta purified from urinary hCG (i.e., standard hCG beta) or (b) antiserum directed to the CTP in standard hCG beta. CTP-directed RIA recognized a peak of hCG beta-like immunoreactive material that eluted in the same position as standard hCG beta. However, core-directed RIA recognized additional hCG beta-like material (i.e., ectopic beta-II), most of which eluted before standard hCG beta. CaSki cells were incubated with [3H]mannose, [3H]proline, and [3H] leucine, and the spent medium was immunoprecipitated and analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Several labeled peaks were detected in the lane from the anti-hCG beta X Sepharose immunoprecipitate, one of which corresponded in mobility to standard hCG beta, with two more intense components migrating at higher apparent molecular weights. Carboxypeptidase Y digestion released only 0.2 mol equivalents each of [3H]proline and [3H]leucine from the labeled CaSki material immunoprecipitated with anti-hCG beta X Sepharose, compared to 1 mol equivalent each in similar analysis of standard hCG beta. These findings were consistent with the absence of the 4-carboxy-terminal amino acids from 80% of the hCG beta-like immunoreactive material secreted by CaSki cells. The affinity purified ectopic beta-II failed to combine with standard hCG alpha under conditions in which combination of standard hCG beta with standard hCG alpha was essentially complete. Neither aggregation nor proteolytic degradation was the cause of failure of ectopic beta-II to combine with hCG alpha. We conclude that both the DoT and CaSki cervical carcinoma cell lines secrete a distinctive form of hCG beta-like material, ectopic beta-II. Lack of recognition by CTP-directed antisera and amino acid analysis suggest that ectopic beta-II may lack the CTP, despite its apparent larger size relative to standard hCG beta.
Using standards to improve performance

The purpose of this article is to explore the nature and applications of professional standards for those in the training field. It provides background information regarding the growth of the profession and the creation of professional standards by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction. Detailed attention is given to the use of competencies in clarifying roles within the profession, hiring, establishing job expectations, planning professional growth opportunities, evaluating performance, succession planning, and knowing when training is not the solution to a performance problem. The growing issue of certification is also discussed. Emphasized throughout the article is how competencies enable us to communicate more clearly the roles and functions of the training profession, thereby enhancing professional credibility.
The Evolution of International Law and Courts

The creation and increased usage of permanent international courts to deal with a broad range of issues is a relatively new phenomenon. The founding dates of international courts suggests that three critical junctures were important in the creation of the contemporary international courts: the Hague Peace conferences and with it the larger movement to regulate inter-state relations through international legal conventions (1899-1927), the post-World War II explosion of international institutions (1945-1952), and the end of the Cold War (1990-2005). Examining the effects of these junctures and gradual changes in the practice of international jurisprudence, this chapter argues that the best way to understand the creation, spread and increased use of ‘new style’ international courts is by paying close attention to the major changes brought about through long-lasting slow processes of international institutional evolution.
Protein secretion in human mammary epithelial cells following HER1 receptor activation: influence of HER2 and HER3 expression

Protein secretion by mammary cells results in autocrine and paracrine signaling that defines cell growth, migration and the extracellular environment. Even so, we have a limited understanding of the cellular processes that regulate protein secretion. In this study, we utilize human epithelial mammary cell (HMEC) lines that were engineered to express different levels of HER1, HER2 and HER3. Using an ELISA microarray platform, we evaluate the effects of epidermal growth factor family receptor (HER) expression on protein secretion in the HMEC lines upon initiation of HER1 receptor activation. The secreted proteins include three HER1 ligands, interleukins 1α and 18, RANTES, vascular-endothelial and platelet-derived growth factors, matrix metalloproteases 1, 2 and 9, and the extracellular portion of the HER1 and HER2 proteins. In addition, we investigate whether MAPK/Erk and PI3K/Akt signaling regulate protein secretion in these cell lines and if so, whether the involvement of HER2 or HER3 receptor alters their response to MAPK/Erk and PI3K/Akt signal pathway inhibition in terms of protein secretion. Differential expression of HER2 and HER3 receptors alters the secretion of a variety of growth factors, cytokines, and proteases. Some alterations in protein secretion are still observed when MAPK/Erk or PI3K/Akt signaling is inhibited. This study suggests that HER overexpression orchestrates broad changes in the tumor microenvironment by altering the secretion of a diverse variety of biologically active proteins.
Hippo signalling controls Dronc activity to regulate organ size in Drosophila.

The Hippo pathway controls organ size by multiple mechanisms that ultimately regulate the transcriptional co-activator Yorkie (Yki). Downregulation of Hippo signalling leads to tissue overgrowths due to Yki-mediated activation of target genes, whereas overexpression of the pathway triggers apoptosis in developing tissues. However, the mechanism underlying cell death induced by Hippo (Hpo)-activation is not understood. We found that overexpression of Hpo leads to induction of Dronc (Drosophila Caspase-9 homologue) expression and downregulation of dronc can suppress/block Hpo-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, upregulation of Dronc activity strongly suppressed the overgrowth caused by Yki overexpression thereby suggesting that Hippo signalling restricts Dronc activity. Hippo-mediated cell death requires the activity of the initiator caspase Dronc. Loss-of-function of dronc in genetic mosaics leads to cell survival and increased cell proliferation in imaginal discs. dronc is transcriptionally suppressed in Yki overexpressing cells or cells mutant for other Hippo pathway components like warts (wts). We propose that Dronc is a transcriptional target of the Hippo signalling pathway. The Hippo–Dronc connection has implications in control of overall organ size and other growth regulatory mechanisms like compensatory proliferation and cell competition.
Molecular Systematics of the Order Crocodilia

servatism. Studies of protein divergence, while in agreement with traditional interpretations of afnnities between the alligators and caimans, suggest that the true and false gharials are more closely related to each other than to other crocodilians and that the true crocodiles are all very close relatives that may have diverged recently. Preliminary analyses from an ongoing study of restriction endonuclease analysis of crocodilian mitochondrial and ribosomal DNAs corroborate both of these observations, suggesting that the molecular approach will be very valuable for resolving crocodilian phylogeny.
In vitro inhibition of c-myc transcription by mithramycin.

Abstract Mithramycin is a DNA-binding antibiotic that has been reported to selectively affect c-myc expression [Snyder, R. C. et al., (1991) Biochemistry30, 4290–4297]. We used in vitro transcription to investigate the specificity of mithramycin action. We found that mithramycin inhibited transcription from the human c-myc P1 and P2 promoters, as well as from a minimal adenovirus-2 major late promoter, with equal efficiencies. Mithramycin also inhibited transcription elongation by creating kinetic blockades to the passage of RNA polymerase II. These data suggest that mithramycin may inhibit transcription non-specifically by affecting general processes such as transcription elongation.
Laser evaporation of droplets

A rigorous theoretical development is given for isobaric radial droplet evaporation (IRDE) induced by laser radiation. This rigorous development in the form of a computer code, IRDE is used to assess the accuracy of previous approximate theories for the description of this process as well as to derive a new and improved approximate theory.
Gene Mapping in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Statistical Methods, Data Analysis, and Experimental Design

In the 20th century geneticists began to unravel some of the simpler aspects of the etiology of inherited diseases in humans. The theory of linkage analysis was developed and applied long before the advent of molecular biology, but only the technological advances of the second half of the 20th century made large-scale gene mapping with a dense genome-spanning set of markers a reality. More recently, the primary topic of interest has shifted from simple Mendelian diseases, for which genotypes of some gene are the cause of disease, to more complex diseases, for which genotypes of some set of genes together with environmental factors merely alter the probability that an individual gets the disease, although individual factors are typically insufficient to cause the disease outright. To this end, a great deal of dogma has evolved about the best way to skin this cat, although to date success has been minimal with any approach. We postulate that the main reason for this is a lack of attention to experimental design. Once the data have been ascertained, the most powerful statistical methods will not be able to salvage an inappropriately designed study (Andersen 1990). Each phenotype and/or population mandates its own individually tailored study design to maximize the chances of successful gene mapping. We suggest that careful consideration of the available data from real genotype-phenotype correlation studies (as opposed to oversimplified theoretically tractable models), and the practical feasibility of different ascertainment schemes dictate how one should proceed. In this review we review the theory and practice of gene mapping at the close of the 20th century, showing that most methods of linkage and linkage disequilibrium analysis are similar in a fundamental sense, with the differences being related more to study design and ascertainment than to technical details of the underlying statistical analysis. To this end, we propose a new focus in the field of statistical genetics that more explicitly highlights the primacy of study design as the means to increase power for gene mapping.
Excitations in opal photonic crystals infiltrated with polarizable media

Photonic crystals (PC) are a class of artificial structures with a periodic dielectric function. PCs can be a laboratory for testing fundamental processes involving interactions of radiation with matter in novel conditions. We have studied the optical properties of opal PCs that are infiltrated with highly polarizable media such as j-aggregates of cyanine dyes. Opals are self-assembled structures of silica spheres. We report our studies on clarifying the relationship between a polaritonic gap and a photonic stop band (Bragg gap) when they resonantly coexist in the same structure. Infiltration of opal with polarizable molecules combines the polaritonic and Bragg diffractive effects. Both effects exist independently when the Bragg (at ω = ω B ) and polaritonic ( ω = ω T ) resonances are well separated in frequency. A completely different situation occurs when ω T ≈ ω B . Such a condition was achieved in opals that were infiltrated with J-aggregates of cyanine dyes that have large Rabi frequency. Our measurements show some dramatic changes in the shape of the reflectivity plateaus, which are due to the interplay between the photonic band gap and the polaritonic gap. The experimental results on reflectivity and its dependence on the light propagation angle and concentration of the cyanie dyes are in agreement with the theoretical calculations.