cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policies and roles in collaborative applications

Collaborative systems provide a rich but potentially chaotic environment for their users. This paper presents a system that allows users to control collaboration by enacting policies that serve as general guidelines to restrict and define the behavior of the system in reaction to the state of the world. Policies are described in terms of access control rights on data objects, and are assigned to groups of users called roles. Roles represent not only statically-defined collections of users, but also dynamic descriptions of users that are evaluated as applications are run. This run-time aspect of roles allows them to react flexibly to the dynamism inherent in collaboration. We present a specification language for describing roles and policies, as well as a number of common “real-world” policies that can be applied to collaborative settings.
Alteration of Nucleosome Structure as a Mechanism of Transcriptional Regulation

The nucleosome, which is the primary building block of chromatin, is not a static structure: It can adopt alternative conformations. Changes in solution conditions or changes in histone acetylation state cause nucleosomes and nucleosomal arrays to behave with altered biophysical properties. Distinct subpopulations of nucleosomes isolated from cells have chromatographic properties and nuclease sensitivity different from those of bulk nucleosomes. Recently, proteins that were initially identified as necessary for transcriptional regulation have been shown to alter nucleosomal structure. These proteins are found in three types of multiprotein complexes that can acetylate nucleosomes, deacetylate nucleosomes, or alter nucleosome structure in an ATP-dependent manner. The direct modification of nucleosome structure by these complexes is likely to play a central role in appropriate regulation of eukaryotic genes.
Organophosphorus chemicals : Potent inhibitors of the human metabolism of steroid hormones and xenobiotics

Although it has been known for some time that organophosphate chemicals containing the P = S moiety are irreversible inhibitors of cytochrome P450, this knowledge has not been generally applied to the human metabolism of xenobiotics. Recent studies have demonstrated that organophosphate insecticides containing this moiety are potent inhibitors of the metabolism of both xenobiotics and endogenous substrates by human liver microsomes and by specific human cytochrome P450 isoforms.
Patterns of senescence in human cardiovascular fitness: VO2 max in subsistence and industrialized populations.

Author(s): Pisor, Anne C; Gurven, Michael; Blackwell, Aaron D; Kaplan, Hillard; Yetish, Gandhi | Abstract: ObjectivesThis study explores whether cardiovascular fitness levels and senescent decline are similar in the Tsimane of Bolivia and Canadians, as well as other subsistence and industrialized populations. Among Tsimane, we examine whether morbidity predicts lower levels and faster decline of cardiovascular fitness, or whether their lifestyle (e.g., high physical activity) promotes high levels and slow decline. Alternatively, high activity levels and morbidity might counterbalance such that Tsimane fitness levels and decline are similar to those in industrialized populations.MethodsMaximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) was estimated using a step test heart rate method for 701 participants. We compared these estimates to the Canadian Health Measures Survey and previous studies in industrialized and subsistence populations. We evaluated whether health indicators and proxies for market integration were associated with VO2 max levels and rate of decline for the Tsimane.ResultsThe Tsimane have significantly higher levels of VO2 max and slower rates of decline than Canadians; initial evidence suggests differences in VO2 max levels between other subsistence and industrialized populations. Low hemoglobin predicts low VO2 max for Tsimane women while helminth infection predicts high VO2 max for Tsimane men, though results might be specific to the VO2 max scaling parameter used. No variables tested interact with age to moderate decline.ConclusionsThe Tsimane demonstrate higher levels of cardiovascular fitness than industrialized populations, but levels similar to other subsistence populations. The high VO2 max of Tsimane is consistent with their high physical activity and few indicators of cardiovascular disease, measured in previous studies.
Computing Machines Can't Be Intelligent (...and Turing Said So)

According to the conventional wisdom, Turing (1950) said that computing machines can be intelligent. I don't believe it. I think that what Turing really said was that computing machines –- computers limited to computing –- can only fake intelligence. If we want computers to become genuinely intelligent, we will have to give them enough ``initiative'' (Turing, 1948, p. 21) to do more than compute. In this paper, I want to try to develop this idea. I want to explain how giving computers more ``initiative'' can allow them to do more than compute. And I want to say why I believe (and believe that Turing believed) that they will have to go beyond computation before they can become genuinely intelligent.
The impact of two universal randomized first- and second-grade classroom interventions on young adult suicide ideation and attempts ☆

Objective This paper reports the impact of two first- and second-grade classroom based universal preventive interventions on the risk of Suicide Ideation (SI) and Suicide Attempts (SA) by young adulthood. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) was directed at socializing children for the student role and reducing aggressive, disruptive behavior. Mastery Learning (ML) was aimed at improving academic achievement. Both were implemented by the teacher.
Robust state observer and control design using command-to-state mapping

In this paper, by introducing the concept of command-to-state/output mapping, it is shown that the state of an uncertain nonlinear system can robustly be estimated if command-to-state mapping of the system and that of an uncertainty-free observer converge to each other. Then, a global Jacobian system is defined to capture this convergence property for the dynamics of estimation error, and a set of general stability and convergence conditions are derived using Lyapunov direct method. It is also shown that the conditions are constructive and can be reduced to an algebraic Lyapunov matrix equation by which nonlinear feedback in the observer and its corresponding Lyapunov function can be searched in a way parallel to those of nonlinear control design. Case studies and examples are used to illustrate the proposed observer design method. Finally, observer-based control is designed for systems whose uncertainties are generated by unknown exogenous dynamics.
Isolation and Characterization of Some Oxidation Products Associated with Oxidized Flavor

Summary The limited oxidation of milk phospholipids yielded material which reproduced the typical oxidized flavor in milk. Isolation and characterization of the major oxidized flavor compounds showed that they are predominantly carbonyl compounds. Five different carbonyl compounds were evidenced by chromatography. The empirical formulae calculated for three compounds were C 15 H 26 O 3 , C 11 H 22 O, C 22 H 38 N 5 O 2 (as bis-hydrazone) and C 10 H 18 N 2 O (as monohydrazone). There is indication that the C15 was a di-unsaturated ketone without conjugation. The C 11 was presumably undecanal.
Mesendoderm induction and reversal of left-right pattern by mouse Gdf1, a Vg1-related gene.

TGFbeta signals play important roles in establishing the body axes and germ layers in the vertebrate embryo. Vg1 is a TGFbeta-related gene that, due to its maternal expression and vegetal localization in Xenopus, has received close examination as a potential regulator of development in Xenopus, zebrafish, and chick. However, a mammalian Vg1 ortholog has not been identified. To isolate mammalian Vg1 we screened a mouse expression library with a Vg1-specific monoclonal antibody and identified a single cross-reactive clone encoding mouse Gdf1. Gdf1 is expressed uniformly throughout the embryonic region at 5.5-6.5 days postcoitum and later in the node, midbrain, spinal cord, paraxial mesoderm, lateral plate mesoderm, and limb bud. When expressed in Xenopus embryos, native GDF1 is not processed, similar to Vg1. In contrast, a chimeric protein containing the prodomain of Xenopus BMP2 fused to the GDF1 mature domain is efficiently processed and signals via Smad2 to induce mesendoderm and axial duplication. Finally, right-sided expression of chimeric GDF1, but not native GDF1, reverses laterality and results in right-sided Xnr1 expression and reversal of intestinal and heart looping. Therefore, GDF1 can regulate left-right patterning, consistent with the Gdf1 loss-of-function analysis in the mouse (C. T. Rankin, T. Bunton, A. M. Lawler, and S. J. Lee, 2000, Nature Genet. 24, 262-265) and a proposed role for Vg1 in Xenopus. Our results establish that Gdf1 is posttranslationally regulated, that mature GDF1 activates a Smad2-dependent signaling pathway, and that mature GDF1 is sufficient to reverse the left-right axis. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that GDF1 and Vg1 are equivalent in biochemical and functional assays, suggesting that Gdf1 provides a Vg1-like function in the mammalian embryo.
Neurology education in resource-limited settings.

The staff of many academic and private neurology practices in the United States exceeds the number of neurologists in all of Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). As of 2004, there were approximately 3 neurologists per 100,000 population in high-income countries.1 This figure dropped by a factor of 100 to 3 neurologists per 10,000,000 in low-income countries, some of which do not have even a single neurologist. There is, however, no shortage of neurologic disease in countries with few or no neurologists. In fact, the majority of disability-adjusted life-years and deaths due to neurologic diseases occur in the countries where neurologic resources are most limited. The author thanks Dr. Gretchen L. Birbeck for suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript.
Analysis of the CMT1A-REP repeat: mapping crossover breakpoints in CMT1A and HNPP

The CMT1A-REP repeat sequence flanks a 1.5 megabase pair (Mb) segment of chromosome 17p11.2-12 which is duplicated in Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 1A (CMT1A) and deleted in hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP). The CMT1A-REP repeat is proposed to mediate misalignment and unequal crossover resulting in reciprocal chromosomal rearrangements in CMT1A and HNPP. We have constructed a physical map of the proximal and distal CMT1A-REP repeats. Cloned fragments from CMT1A-REP repeat regions are used to determine the size of the repeats and assess regions of homology. The crossover breakpoints were mapped in series of 30 unrelated CMT1A patients and 22 unrelated HNPP patients. The CMT1A-REP repeat spans approximately 27 kilobase pairs and appears to be continuous. Locations of restriction enzyme sites are highly conserved for the proximal and distal CMT1A-REP repeats. All crossovers mapped within the CMT1A-REP repeat sequence and heterogeneity for breakpoint location demonstrated. Seventy-seven percent (40 to 52) of CMT1A and HNPP chromosomes contained breakpoints which mapped within a 7.9 kb interval, suggesting the presence of a possible 'hotspot'for recombination in CMT1A-REP. DNA sequence analysis for 4 kb of the interval containing the majority of crossovers revealed over 98% sequence identity between proximal and distal CMT1A-REP repeat sequences. Probes useful for molecular-based diagnosis of CMT1A and HNPP are described.
Nutrition research on calcium homeostasis. II. Freshwater turtles (with recommendations)

This review reports on a decade of nutrition research into calcium (Ca) homeostasis in freshwater turtles, including research on non-nutritive factors that are essential for Ca homeostasis [i.e. ontogeny, environmental temperature and humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) light and photoreception]. Recommendations for future research include long-term research programmes in three specific areas: (1) photoreception, UV light and biosynthesis, (2) Ca homeostasis and vitamin and mineral supplementation, and (3) developmental indices, gut transit time (GTT) and energy requirements.
Characteristics of the chemotactic activity of heparin cofactor II proteolysis products

The physiological function of the serpin (serine proteinase inhibitor) heparin cofactor II (HCII) is not well understood. A role for HCII as an inhibitor of thrombin in the presence of dermatan sulfate and heparin has been proposed. Neutrophils (PMN) are the major cellular component of acute inflammation. HCII can be proteolytically inactivated by cathepsin G (CG) and elastase (LE), which are released by stimulated PMN. We have recently shown that reaction products of HCII with CG and LE are potent chemotaxins for PMN. Monocytes (monos) appear later in the course of inflammation than do PMN. They differentiate into macrophages in the tissues and participate in healing of damaged tissue and initiating immune responses. We found that the proteolysis products of HCll were chemotactic for monocytes in a fashion similar to their effects on PMN. At io�� to iO� M, the chemotactic activity of HCll proteolysis products was comparable to that of 10_8 M N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). The chemotactic activity of HCll-proteinase reaction products is mediated by a different mechanism than that of a1proteinase inhibitor (a1PI)LE complexes or fMLP. Our data suggest that chemotactic activity generated by proteolysis of HCII is not due to the conformational change induced by cleavage of the exposed loop near the reactive site nor by release of the reactive site peptide. We also compared the effects of HCII reaction products and fMLP on expression of Mac-i and p150,95 adhesive proteins. Mac-i has been implicated in mono adhesion and chemotaxis and as a potential initiator of coagulation. The surface expression of Mac-i was not increased above control levels by incubation of leukocytes with HCII digests, even though fMLP did increase surface Mac-i. Proteolysis products of HCII could play a role in the initial influx of PMN into a thrombus, and in the transition from acute to chronic inflammation, or to granulation and healing.
Internally Cured Concrete for Use in Concrete Pavement Using Accelerated Pavement Testing and Finite-Element Analysis

AbstractThree full-size instrumented test slabs were constructed and tested by a heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) to evaluate the structural behaviors of internally cured concrete (ICC) for pavement use in Florida conditions. Three mix designs from a prior laboratory testing program were selected. The selected mixtures were a standard mixture with 0.40 water-cement (w/c) ratio, an ICC mixture with 0.40 w/c ratio, and an ICC mixture with 0.32 w/c ratio. Concrete samples were made and tested for their strength, elastic modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and shrinkage properties in the laboratory. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model developed was calibrated by using a falling weight deflectometer (FWD) deflection basin as well as strain data under the HVS loading. From this study, it was found that ICC slabs appear to have better potential performance on the basis of the results of the critical stress analysis and the visual inspection of the test slabs.
Lessons learned: developing education for a system-wide documentation project

Background As Summa Health System implemented an integrated interdisciplinary documentation system, educational sessions for staff had to be developed and presented. Method Structure of classes, scheduling of sessions, ongoing revisions and refinements, and key elements of success are shared. Results Staff members incorporated the documentation changes into practice. Conclusion Other organizations may benefit and learn from the experiences of our two-hospital system in developing and scheduling education for a system-wide change project.
Ligamentous radiocarpal fracture-dislocation treated with wrist-spanning plate and volar ligament repair.

Radiocarpal fracture-dislocations are uncommon injuries characterized by dorsal or volar dislocation of the carpus with or without associated fracture of the distal radius. These injuries are frequently open and can be complicated by neurologic deficits, vascular compromise, or intercarpal ligamentous disruption. Dumontier et al classified radiocarpal fracture-dislocations into two groups. Group 1 included purely ligamentous injuries or those associated with a small radial styloid avulsion; group 2 injuries included a radial styloid fracture involving at least one-third of the scaphoid fossa. Group 1 injuries are particularly challenging to treat because the global ligamentous injury increases the risk of persistent radiocarpal instability, with generally poor outcomes reported if they present with ulnocarpal translocation.1 A variety of treatment techniques have been described, but current treatment recommendations involve surgical management. Goals of surgery include a concentric reduction of the radiocarpal joint, decompression of neurovascular structures, treatment of associated intercarpal injuries, and soft tissue repair.2 Unfortunately, even with successful open treatment, patient outcomes can be compromised by a 30–40% decrease in wrist motion and by persistent radiocarpal instability,1 2 3 4 suggesting improved surgical techniques are still required. We report on a group I radiocarpal fracture-dislocation treated with a dorsal wrist-spanning plate and open repair of the volar capsule, and we compare our results to those reported historically.
Physiological Effects of Temporary Occlusion of the Coronary Vessels.

Summary1. Compression of the coronary vessels and immediately adjacent tissue as descrilml caused pain without exception, sometimes salivation, vomiting in one case, a disturbance of respiration, “acute dilatation” of the heart and various changes in the electrocardiogram. Symptoms have not been produced by localized compression and tearing of the myocardium or pericardium. This may be due to a high threshold of problematical pain endings in the normal cardiac muscle and pericardium.2. Severance of the vagi has not interfered with transmission of pain impulses in 2 dogs.3. Removal of the left stellate ganglion has prevented the transmission of pain impulses in 2 dogs but salivation occurrecl in one of the 2.4. A prompt fall of blood pressure occurred in all acute experiments on compression of the coronary vessels as described. Section of the vagi usually prevented this fall in blood pressure.5. Fall of blood pressure, cardiac dilatation and cardiac irritability are increased by moderate cyanosis (anoxemia).
Diagnosis and treatment of skin manifestations of capillary fragility.

THIS subject is discussed under the following headings: vascular anatomy of the skin, with special reference to the site of capillary reactions; the methods of testing capillary fragility; the mech...
Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Properties of Boron Dipyrromethene–Thiophene–Triphenylamine-Based Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Because of the current increase in consumption of fossil fuels and its negative impact on the environment, clean energy technologies such as solar cells are highly desirable to address this global energy challenge. Among these, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as potential substitutes to traditional silicon-based solar cells. In this study, a series of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based dyes (1–5) which contain thiophene and/or triphenylamine (TPA) as redox relays of chromophorebridges are synthesized and characterized using electrochemical and optical spectroscopic methods for their potential applications in DSSCs. Their electrochemical and photophysical properties are investigated and compared with the computational results. DSSCs made of these BODIPY-based dyes exhibit incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) that correspond to their absorption profiles. BODIPY dye 5 bearing TPA provides the highest power efficiency because of its reversible redox activities, while the ...
Social Preference and Glutamatergic Dysfunction: Underappreciated Prerequisites for Social Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Impaired social functioning is pervasive in schizophrenia. Unfortunately, existing treatments have limited efficacy, and possible psychological or neurobiological mechanisms underlying social dysfunction in this disorder remain obscure. Here, we evaluate whether social preference, one key aspect of social processing that has been largely overlooked in schizophrenia research, and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction can provide insights into the mechanism underlying social dysfunction in schizophrenia. Based on evidence from developmental psychology, and behavioral and clinical neuroscience, we propose a heuristic model in which reduced NMDAR function may induce disrupted social preference that can subsequently lead to social cognitive impairment and social disability. We discuss its implications in terms of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, other disorders with marked social disability, and potential treatments.
Measuring Functional Recovery after Chronic Denervation of Peripheral Nerves: A Novel Rat Forelimb Model

BackgroundFunctional outcomes after vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) depend on nerve regeneration. After transplantation, the recipient peripheral nerve axons slowly grow and reinne...
Derivation of the Korteweg-Helmholtz Electric and Magnetic Force Densities Including Electrostriction and Magnetostriction from the Quasistatic Poynting's Theorems

The Korteweg-Helmholtz electric and magnetic force densities for quasistatic systems including the Coulomb-Lorentz force density on free charge and free currents; polarization and magnetization force densities; and electrostriction and magnetostriction force densities are derived from Poynting's theorem. In this derivation, stationary frame linear constitutive laws are used for dielectric, magnetic, and ohmic conducting media with dielectric permittivity epsiv(rho) and magnetic permeability mu( rho), which can be functions of mass density rho, itself a function of position and time, and sigma is the ohmic conductivity which can be space and time varying. Using the quasistatic Galilean transformations for electric and magnetic field variables with conservation of mass and Poynting's theorem, results give a modified Poynting vector, differing from the usual Emacr times Hmacr by a compressibility term, but with the usual electroquasistatic and magnetoquasistatic energy densities, power dissipation density, and Korteweg-Helmholtz force densities straight forwardly derived.
Laryngeal chondronecrosis after radiation therapy in a dog

A 5-year-old pug presented with a soft tissue swelling on the ventral neck and moderate stridor with associated respiratory effort. This patient received hypofractionated radiotherapy for metastatic upper lip mast cell tumour and to the submandibular lymph nodes 6 months before presentation. Oral examination showed moderate elongation of the soft palate, stage III laryngeal collapse with only the right laryngeal saccule mildly everted and exuberant pale epiglottal and left pharyngeal mucosa. Staphylectomy, resection of the epiglottal mucosa and left arytenoid lateralisation were performed. One day after surgery, temporary tracheostomy was performed after respiratory distress due to the severe laryngeal and pharyngeal oedema. A third oral exam showed pale and redundant caudal pharyngeal mucosa obstructing the rima glottis, soft and collapsible arytenoid cartilage with pale mucosa and bilateral everted laryngeal saccules. Permanent tracheostomy was elected and laryngeal cartilage biopsies were taken. Histologic diagnosis showed cartilage necrosis and abundant tissue oedema. The patient was euthanased 1 week later.
Fractal Heterogeneity in Minimal Matrix Models of Scars Modulates Stiff-Niche Stem-Cell Responses Via Nuclear Exit of a Mechanorepressor

Scarring is a long-lasting problem in higher animals, common after injury but also in diseases such as cancer. For example, chronic injury to liver leads to fibrotic scarring called cirrhosis, and cirrhosis is a major risk factor for liver cancer. Rreductionist approaches to scarring could aid in developing treatments. Here, we show that copolymerization of collagen I with polyacrylamide produces minimal matrix models of scars (MMMS), in which fractal-fibre bundles of collagen segregate heterogeneously to the hydrogel subsurface. Matrix stiffens locally — as in scars — while allowing separate control over adhesive-ligand density. The MMMS elicits scar-like phenotypes from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have become recognized recently as a major contributor to scarring in most or all tissues: cells spread and polarize quickly, increasing nucleoskeletal lamin-A but expressing more slowly the ‘scar marker’ smooth muscle actin (SMA). Surprisingly, expression responses to MMMS exhibit less cell-to-cell noise than homogeneously stiff gels. Such differences from bulk-average responses arise because a strong SMA repressor, NKX2.5, slowly exits the nucleus on rigid matrices. NKX2.5 overexpression overrides rigid phenotypes, inhibiting SMA and cell spreading, whereas cytoplasm localized NKX2.5 mutants degrade in well-spread cells. MSCs thus form a ‘mechanical memory’ of rigidity by progressively suppressing NKX2.5, thereby elevating SMA in a scar-like state. Initial studies of tumor-derived cells also show that - in contrast to soft tissue like gels - scar-like fractal rigidity strongly promotes proliferation driven by an oncogene.
Application Provisioning in FOG Computing-enabled Internet-of-Things: A Network Perspective

S-The emergence of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) has inspired numerous new applications. However, due to the limited resources in current IoT infrastructures and the stringent quality-of-service requirements of the applications, providing computing and communication supports for the applications is becoming increasingly difficult. In this paper, we consider IoT applications that receive continuous data streams from multiple sources in the network, and study joint application placement and data routing to support all data streams with both bandwidth and delay guarantees. We formulate the application provisioning problem both for a single application and for multiple applications, with both cases proved to be NP-hard. For the case with a single application, we propose a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme. For the multi-application scenario, if the applications can be parallelized among multiple distributed instances, we propose a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme; for general non-parallelizable applications, we propose a randomized algorithm and analyze its performance. Simulations show that the proposed algorithms greatly improve the quality-of-service of the IoT applications compared to the heuristics.
The listening healer in the history of psychological healing.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is the assessment of the healer's listening as an aspect of the history of caring and curing, with particular attention to its place in psychological healing. Method: An extensive range of philosophical, religious, and medical sources from antiquity to the present were studied. Results: Over the centuries, listening has been a crucial aspect of the various endeavors undertaken by hearlers in the interest of acquiring information from, achieving understanding of, and bringing about healing effects for sufferers
Applied Geography: A US Perspective

Applied geography is client driven and user oriented, and emphasizes useful information. It can bridge the gap between university and nonuniversity settings. Applied geography has a long history of leadership by both academicians and practicing geographers in the government and private sectors. Some public and private institutions have woven the use of geography into their institutional fabric. American examples include the US Census Bureau, the American Geographical Society, and the Association of American Geographers. At the international level, the International Geographical Union has institutionalized applied geography in its core. Applied geography also has a notable history in the private sector, including in the business community. Geography's main teaching and research themes are expressed topically in applied geography's pursuit of problem resolution in specific human–environmental issues, site selection, and many other subfields of the discipline. Applied geography has a very bright future in the twenty-first century, especially with the increased public awareness of the field and the value of its knowledge base and geotechnologies.
Selection of flame resistant protective clothing

Abstract: Selection of flame resistant (FR) protective clothing requires a good understanding of the potential risks and factors under consideration during the selection process. Performance and design specifications typically assist in determining whether the material and garment meet the minimum requirements. Not all products meeting these requirements perform at the same level, nor do they cost the same or prove suitable for all work scenarios. Therefore, importance of other factors such as comfort, care, cost, availability, and user preference should be used in addition. This chapter provides an overview on compliance requirements for different types of FR clothing as well as factors to be considered in the selection process. A case study for employees at an oil refinery is included as an illustrative example.
Single-Phase Hybrid Cascaded H-Bridge and Diode-Clamped Multilevel Inverter: RL Load Case

Each of the three multilevel inverter topological families - diode-clamped, cascaded H-bridge and flying capacitor - has its particular advantages and disadvantages. Hybrid multilevel inverters, combining two topologies, can yield more advantages than each possesses and even result in novel behavior, as in the case of connecting together a single-phase diode-clamped inverter and a single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter in series. This paper considers such a hybrid inverter supplying moderately-lagging power factor loads, which results in a different number of waveform levels than for unity power factor loads. A novel modulation scheme optimized for this load type is proposed, which yields lower harmonic distortion for both lagging power factor and unity power factor loads than when using the existing modulation scheme. Simulation and test results are shown as corroboration of the reduced distortion.
Correction to: Decision making with visualizations: a cognitive framework across disciplines.

The original article (Padilla et al., 2018) contained a formatting error in Table 2; this has now been corrected with the appropriate boxes marked clearly.
A prescription for better opioid prescribing

Informing physicians who prescribe opioids about opioid-linked deaths in their practice reduces future opioid prescribing.
Preexisting Right Ventricular Dysfunction Is Associated With Higher Postoperative Cardiac Complications and Longer Hospital Stay in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Nonemergent Major Vascular Surgery

Objectives To evaluate whether the presence of preexisting right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in high-risk patients undergoing nonemergent major vascular surgery is associated independently with higher incidents of postoperative cardiac complications and a longer length of hospital stay. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Single-center university hospital setting. Participants The patient population consisted of those identified as American Society of Anesthesiologists classification III and above who had a preoperative echocardiogram within 1 year of undergoing nonemergent major vascular surgery between January 2010 and May 2017. Measurements and Main Results After multivariate analyses, RV dysfunction (RVD) is associated independently with a higher incidence of postoperative major cardiac complications with an odds ratio = 6.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-38.5; p = 0.046). In addition, patients with RVD had a 50% longer length of stay than those without RVD (incident rate ratio [95% CI], 1.5 [1.2-1.8]; p Conclusion In this retrospective study of high-risk patients undergoing major vascular surgery, RV dysfunction was associated independently with a higher incidence of postoperative major cardiovascular events and longer length of hospital stays. Based on current findings, the prognostic value of RVD extends beyond the cardiac surgical cohort. Knowledge in management of patients with RVD in the perioperative setting should be understood by all anesthesiologists. Of note, a future study with a larger sample size is needed to validate the current findings given the small sample size of this study.
A Laboratory Investigation of Factors Influencing the Electrical Resistivity of Different Soil Types

Field-based electrical resistivity methods offer a nondestructive and rapid means to collect continuous subsurface data. As such, these types of geophysical methods are becoming increasingly popular tools for geotechnical engineers; however, it is challenging to derive geotechnical information, such as soil type, density, and water content, from the field measurements. Laboratory-based soil-box resistivity tests, such as AASHTO T 288-12, Standard Method of Test for Determining Minimum Laboratory Soil Resistivity, are also being used to examine the electrical resistivity of soils; however, it is unclear how density and a number of other factors may affect the results. A laboratory geophysical investigation was carried out to gain a better understanding of the parameters that affect the electrical resistivity of soils and to improve estimates of soil group classifications based on resistivity measurements. Nine different benchmark soils were tested, representing most of the major soil groups according to the unified soil classification system. The effects of water mineralization, water content, degree of saturation, density, and temperature on the measured electrical resistivity of the soils were investigated. The parameters that were found to be most effective in the identification of soil type are bulk density and degree of saturation. While the general trend between saturation and resistivity is known, results indicate that resistivity values reach a lower threshold at around 60 % saturation and that density and water mineralization become less influential as the saturation increases above this threshold. Regardless of the density or saturation, temperature was found to be an important parameter and should be monitored and corrected for in laboratory tests such as AASHTO T 288-12 when results are compared to field data. The influence of particle size and obtaining representative specimens in laboratory soil box testing were also shown to be important.
Endovascular Closure of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations after Cryptogenic Stroke: A Case Series

ABSTRACTBackground: To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of patients who presented with cryptogenic stroke due to pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM). Cryptogenic strok...
Cut it out! Thoracic surgeon's approach to pulmonary mucormycosis and the role of surgical resection in survival.

Background Mucormycosis portends a poor prognosis with mortality rates ranging from 50% to 70% in pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) and up to 95% in disseminated disease. However, detailed outcomes data have been lacking. It remains unknown how to identify patients who would benefit from surgical resection. Objectives We present our experience with patients undergoing surgical resection for PM, including an analysis of factors affecting postoperative survival. We also describe a thoracic surgeon's approach through illustrative cases. Patients/methods We conducted a single-centre retrospective study of all adult patients with PM who received antifungal therapy and underwent surgical resection or who received antifungal therapy alone at Stanford between January 2004 and June 2018. Results Twelve patients received antifungal therapy and underwent surgical resection and 13 patients received antifungal therapy alone. From infection onset to death (or right-censoring if still alive), patients who underwent surgical resection had a median survival of 406 days (mean, 561.3; range, 22-2510), and patients who received antifungal therapy alone had a median survival of 28 days (mean, 66.7; range, 8-447). In patients who underwent surgical resection, median postoperative survival time was 154 days (range, 11-2495), in-hospital mortality was 16.7%, and 1-year mortality was 50.0%. Age, primary disease, ASA status, extrapulmonary dissemination, laterality, multilobar involvement, number of lesions, largest lesion size, platelet count, surgical approach, type of resection or extent of resection were not significantly associated with postoperative survival. Conclusions Surgical resection significantly increases survival and should be strongly considered for selected patients with PM.
Diverse Multiple Prediction on Neuron Image Reconstruction

Neuron reconstruction from anisotropic 3D Electron Microscopy (EM) images is a challenging problem. One often considers an input image as a stack of 2D image slices, and consider both intra and inter slice segments information. In this paper, we present a new segmentation algorithm which builds a unified energy function and jointly optimize the per-slice segmentation and the inter-slice consistency. To find an optimal solution from the huge solution space, we propose a novel diverse multiple prediction method which also encourages diversity in partial solutions. We demonstrate the strength of our method in several public datasets.
Pan-enteric neuropathy and dysmotility are present in a mouse model of short-segment Hirschsprung disease and may contribute to post-pullthrough morbidity.

Abstract Purpose Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is characterized by distal intestinal aganglionosis. While surgery is lifesaving, gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders persist in many patients. Our objective was to determine whether enteric nervous system (ENS) abnormalities exist in the ganglionated portions of the GI tract far proximal to the aganglionic region and whether these are associated with GI dysmotility. Methods Using Ednrb-null mice, a model of HSCR, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to evaluate quantitatively ENS structure in proximal colon, small intestine, and stomach. Gastric emptying and intestinal transit were measured in vivo and small and large bowel contractility was assessed by spatiotemporal mapping ex vivo. Results Proximal colon of HSCR mice had smaller ganglia and decreased neuronal fiber density, along with a marked reduction in migrating motor complexes. The distal small intestine exhibited significantly fewer ganglia and decreased neuronal fiber density, and this was associated with delayed small intestinal transit time. Finally, in the stomach of HSCR mice, enteric neuronal packing density was increased and gastric emptying was faster. Conclusions ENS abnormalities and motility defects are present throughout the ganglionated portions of the GI tract in Ednrb-deficient mice. This may explain the GI morbidity that often occurs following pull-through surgery for HSCR.
3D human pose estimation with adaptive receptive fields and dilated temporal convolutions.

In this work, we demonstrate that receptive fields in 3D pose estimation can be effectively specified using optical flow. We introduce adaptive receptive fields, a simple and effective method to aid receptive field selection in pose estimation models based on optical flow inference. We contrast the performance of a benchmark state-of-the-art model running on fixed receptive fields with their adaptive field counterparts. By using a reduced receptive field, our model can process slow-motion sequences (10x longer) 23% faster than the benchmark model running at regular speed. The reduction in computational cost is achieved while producing a pose prediction accuracy to within 0.36% of the benchmark model.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Access to Medicaid-Contracted Pharmacies in Washington State, 2017.

INTRODUCTION Community retail pharmacies offer multiple public health services to meet the health care needs of medically underserved rural communities. Many rural residents are enrolled in Medicaid insurance, and it is important that pharmacies contract with Medicaid to meet the health care needs of these people. The objective of this study was to evaluate disparities in access to Medicaid-contracted pharmacies across the rural-urban continuum in Washington State. METHODS We linked data on licensed community retail pharmacies in Washington State in 2017 to lists of state Medicaid-contracted pharmacies. We classified pharmacies as being located in small rural, large rural, suburban, and urban areas by using rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes. We evaluated the likelihood of zip code-level access to at least 1 pharmacy that was contracted with a Medicaid insurance plan across the rural-urban continuum by using descriptive statistics and modified Poisson regression models, adjusted for zip code-level community characteristics. RESULTS Of 1,145 pharmacies in our study sample, 8.4% (n = 96) were not contracted with a Medicaid plan. Compared with urban core zip codes, small rural zip codes (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.46-0.91) and large rural zip codes (ARR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49-0.95) were significantly less likely to have access to a Medicaid-contracted pharmacy. Suburban zip codes did not differ significantly from urban core areas in their access to Medicaid-contracted pharmacies. CONCLUSION In Washington State, the likelihood of access to a Medicaid-contracted pharmacy decreased significantly as rurality increased. Policy efforts should aim to improve access for Medicaid enrollees, especially those outside urban centers.
Seeking a New Compass

The establishment of independent nation-states, and the linkage of these countries through trade, has not resulted in anything close to a convergence of economic welfare and political status. Large swaths of the world remain both miserable and marginal. These disappointments are brought into relief by the absence of an inspiring political narrative that provides purpose, direction, and hope for the poorer countries. There likewise is no narrative that propels the wealthier countries to assist in any meaningful way their less fortunate brethren. Poor countries have “heads of state,” but it is hard to think of a salient political philosophy that serves as a guide to improve public welfare. Likewise, there is minimal cooperation among countries to address common problems, including prominently climate change and environmental degradation. Countries are rudderless and atomized.
The Neoliberal Revolution in Industrial Relations

This essay provides an extended review of "Trajectories of Neoliberal Transformation: European Industrial Relations Since the 1970s" by Lucio Baccaro and Chris Howell (Cambridge University Press, 2017). Baccaro and Howell's important book challenges Varieties of Capitalism and argues instead that a neoliberal convergence has taken place in European industrial relations. Across Europe, employers now have much more freedom to run their businesses and “manage” their employees than they had a few decades ago. I describe the class actors and pathways to neoliberal transformation that are at the core of this book. I also draw out its political implications. I suggest that this neoliberal revolution has had several effects, including the rise of the populist right. In addition, I discuss the problem ecological constraints pose for capitalist growth models.
Abstract IA011: Conventional dendritic cells as regulators of therapeutic response in pancreas cancer

In these studies, we utilized spontaneous models of pancreatic and lung cancer to examine how neo-antigenicity shapes tumor immunity and progression. As expected, neoantigen expression during lung adenocarcinoma development leads to T cell-mediated immunity and disease restraint. By contrast, neoantigen expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) resulted in exacerbation of the inflammatory and fibrotic tumor microenvironment that drives disease progression and metastasis. Pathogenic TH17 responses are responsible for this neoantigen-induced tumor progression in PDAC. Underlying these divergent T cell responses in pancreas and lung cancer are differences in infiltrating conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Overcoming cDC deficiency in early- stage PDAC leads to disease restraint, while restoration of cDC function thru treatment with both CD40 agonists and FLT3L in advanced PDAC restores tumor-restraining immunity and enhances responsiveness to radiation therapy. Citation Format: David G. DeNardo. Conventional dendritic cells as regulators of therapeutic response in pancreas cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on the Evolving Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression: Mechanisms and Emerging Therapeutic Opportunities; in association with the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) Working Group; 2021 Jan 11-12. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(5 Suppl):Abstract nr IA011.
Increasing DER integration through discrete intraday settlements

Abstract Deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) is accelerating across the United States. These assets have the potential to provide cost-effective grid services and bulk power while supporting a low-cost energy transition to carbon-free electricity. Full integration of these resources into the bulk power system remains a barrier to unlocking the potential value of these assets. The regional wholesale energy markets, originally designed to integrate centralized, dispatchable power plants, must be reformed to adapt to the changing potential resource mix. The current day-ahead and real-time system is poorly designed for DERs. Day-ahead DER forecast errors create exposure to real-time price variations, as resources committed in the day-ahead market are required to rebalance in real-time, challenging the business model for DERs. New intraday markets with multiple discrete intermediate auctions between the day-ahead market and real-time market are needed to enable proper integration of DERs and efficient mitigation of forecast uncertainty risk. These markets must incorporate financially-binding commitments, closer-to-dispatch price signals, and adequate liquidity to ensure competition. Intermediate auctions should be built on top of existing intraday processes in each regional market, incorporating the principles of the existing market structures and leveraging the benefits of the centralized dispatch systems. Regional transmission organization (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs) should pursue and implement intermediate auctions to support fair, open, and efficient markets in the U.S.