cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A robust threshold retracking algorithm for measuring ice-sheet surface elevation change from satellite radar altimeters

A threshold retracking algorithm for processing ice-sheet altimeter data is presented. The primary purpose for developing this algorithm is detection of ice-sheet elevation change, where it is critical that a retracking algorithm produce repeatable elevations. The more consistent an algorithm is in selecting the retracking point the less likely that errors and/or biases will be introduced by the retracking scheme in the elevation-change measurement. The author performed extensive comparisons between the threshold algorithm and two widely used ice-sheet retracking algorithms on Geosat datasets comprised of over 60000 crossover points. The results show that the threshold retracking algorithm, with a 10% threshold level, produces ice-sheet surface elevations that are more repeatable than the elevations derived from the other retracking algorithms. For this reason, the threshold retracking algorithm has been adopted by NASA/GSFC as an alternative to their existing algorithm for production of ice sheet altimeter datasets under the NASA Pathfinder Program. The threshold algorithm will be used to re-process existing ice-sheet altimeter datasets and to process the datasets from future altimeter missions.
Elementary Science Teaching Methods: Developing and Measuring Student Views about the Nature of Science

Given the time constraints on the one-semester elementary science methods course, instructors must be selective about what they teach to best prepare students to teach science. Developing student understandings of the nature of science is one of many areas to be addressed. The results reported here indicate that students begin their methods course with understandings of the nature of science which are largely incomplete. The results also indicate the potential of developing more complete understandings about the nature of science as a result of integrating teaching strategies throughout the semester. The students enrolled in this elementary science methods course develop significantly greater understanding about the nature of science throughout the semester, providing a sound foundation upon which students can continue to develop their understandings. These newly-acquired understandings increase the potential that these prospective teachers will assist their own students in developing authentic understandings and beliefs related to the nature of science.
Number-theoretic properties of certain CR mappings

We first prove a uniqueness result for certain group-invariant CR mappings to hyperquadrics. For cyclic groups these mappings lead to a collection of polynomials ƒp,q (with integer coefficients) in two variables; here p and q are positive integers. We use the uniqueness result to prove some surprising number-theoretic results about the ƒp,q, in particular, ƒp,q is congruent to xP + yP modulo (p) (for P ≥ 2) if and only if p is prime. We also determine recurrence relations for these polynomials for q ≤ 3 and determine a functional equation for a generating function. Finally, we discuss the invariant polynomials that arise for certain representations of dihedral groups to illustrate the non-Abelian case.
A novel user interface for group collaboration

Flexible user interfaces that can be customized to meet the needs of the task at hand are particularly important for real-time group collaboration. This paper presents the user interface of the DISCIPLE (DIstributed System for Collaborative Information Processing and LEarning) system for synchronous groupware along with the multimodal human-computer interface enhancement. DISCIPLE supports sharing of JavaBeans-compliant components, i.e., beans and applets, which at runtime get imported into the shared workspace and can be interconnected into more complex components. As a result, importing various components allows user tailoring of the human-computer interface. We present a software architecture for customization of both group-level and application-level interfaces. The application-level interface includes a management system for sharing multiple modalities across concurrent applications. This multimodal management system is loadable on demand yet strongly embedded in the DISCIPLE framework to allow a pervasive multimodal user experience. This creates a very flexible user interface enabling the users to tailor it to their specific needs. Finally, we report the informal laboratory experience with the framework tested on a variety of applications and discuss its limitations.
Análisis comparativo del gen P de Rinderpest Virus (RPV)

Rinderpest Virus (RPV) is the causative agent of a serious disease of domestic cattle. RPV is an enveloped virus with a single stranded, non-segmented, negat...
Induction of IκBα mRNA Expression in the Brain by Glucocorticoids: A Negative Feedback Mechanism for Immune-to-Brain Signaling

Peripheral injection of bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces brain mRNA expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α and the cytokine-responsive immediate-early gene IκBα. Peripheral LPS also increases levels of plasma glucocorticoids. Whether the induction of IκBα mRNA in the brain after peripheral LPS injection is caused by the feedback action of glucocorticoids has not been determined. In this study, we examined the mRNA expression of IκBα and IL-1β in the rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Injection of the glucocorticoid agonist dexamethasone induced IκBα mRNA expression in the brain in a pattern identical to that of LPS injection. LPS but not dexamethasone also induced IL-1β mRNA expression. Pretreatment with dexamethasone 30 min before LPS injection enhanced the expression of IκBα mRNA in the brain in a dose-dependent manner. Immobilization of rats for 2 hr (which raises glucocorticoid levels) also induced IκBα mRNA expression without inducing the expression of IL-1β. Brain IκBα expression induced by peripheral LPS injection was attenuated by pretreatment of rats with the glucocorticoid antagonist RU-486. Finally, increased expression of IL-1β mRNA in the brain was observed at 4 hr after peripheral LPS injection in adrenalectomized rats compared with sham-operated rats. These results reveal that in the brain glucocorticoids selectively induce IκBα mRNA expression, which serves as a negative feedback mechanism for peripheral LPS-induced synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. Such an inhibitory control mechanism may be important for preventing prolonged expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the brain after peripheral immune challenge.
Fruits and seeds of the Brandon Lignite: Magnoliaceae

Investigation of the fruits and seeds of the Oligocene (?) Brandon Lignite of west-central Vermont (U.S.A.) is continued with a consideration of the seeds of the Magnoliaceae of the deposit. Following a review of the morphology of modern magnoliaceous seeds and a summary of the fossil record of seeds of the family, two new species are described: Magnolia septentrionalis, which is quite similar to the seeds of the extant Magnolia grandiflora of the southeastern United States, and Magnolia waltonii, which lacks a modern counterpart but is closely comparable to the seeds of Magnolia lignita of the European Mid-Tertiary. The presence of two species of Magnolia in this deposit supports the assumed warm-temperate nature of the climate in Vermont during Brandon time. Diagnostic features for the description of the seeds of the Magnoliaceae are proposed.
Priming Regulatory T Cells and Antigen-Specific Suppression of Autoimmune Disease

20 1 Summary 20 2 Introduction 20 3 Identification of T Cells With Suppressor Function 21 3.1 Studying Treg Populations at the Clonal Level Using the EAE Model 23 3.2 Role of Regulatory T Cells in Human Autoimmune Disease 23 4 Immunotherapeutic Strategies to Treat Autoimmune Disease 24 4.1 Induction of Treg (Nonspecific) 25 4.2 Induction of Treg (Antigen-Specific) 25 5 Antigen-Presenting Cells and Priming of Treg 28 6 Conclusion 30 References 31
Wavelength dependence of reversible photodegradation of disperse orange 11 dye-doped PMMA thin films

Using transmittance imaging microscopy, we measure the wavelength dependence of reversible photodegradation in disperse orange 11 (DO11) dye-doped (poly)methyl-methacrylate (PMMA). The reversible and irreversible inverse quantum efficiencies (IQEs) are found to be constant over the spectral region investigated, with the average reversible IQE being B¯α=8.70(±0.38)×105 and the average irreversible IQE being B¯e=1.396(±0.031)×108. The large difference between the IQEs is hypothesized to be due to the reversible decay channel being a direct decay mechanism of the dye, while the irreversible decay channel is an indirect mechanism, with the dye first absorbing light, then heating the surrounding environment causing polymer chain scission and cross linking. Additionally, DO11/PMMA’s irreversible IQE is found to be among the largest of those reported for organic dyes, implying that the system is highly photostable. We also find that the recovery rate is independent of wavelength, with a value of β¯=3.88(±0.47)×10−3 min−1. These results are consistent with the correlated chromophore domain model of reversible photodegradation.
Demonstration of an Always-On Companion for Isolated Older Adults

We summarize the status of an ongoing project to develop and evaluate a companion for isolated older adults. Four key scientific issues in the project are: embodiment, interaction paradigm, engagement and relationship. The system architecture is extensible and handles realtime behaviors. The system supports multiple activities, including discussing the weather, playing cards, telling stories, exercise coaching and video conferencing. A live, working demo system will be presented at the meeting.
Lessons learned from grant writing: establishing a track record for funding and involving community providers in implementation.

The abstract, your research summary, may be the only part of your application reviewers read. For me, the best approach is to write it first
Reconstituting an Empire: Royal Itinerancy and Political Hegemony in Early Solomonic Ethiopia

This paper will present aspects of my PhD research investigating through archaeological and historical sources how and why early second millennium CE Ethiopian monarchs employed an itinerant lifestyle to improve and maintain hegemony over the Ethiopian Highlands. Following the disintegration of the Aksumite state in the late first millennium CE, a new dynasty emerged in the 13th-century that sought to reconstitute and expand the empire. The largest challenges facing these early “Solomonic” emperors in their quest for regional hegemony were the environmental and historical forces that strongly favored political decentralization and the empowerment of local elites. To address these issues, early Solomonic emperors abandoned traditional fixed capitals in favor of an itinerant mobile court. This institution quickly evolved into a formalized mobile capital, I argue, because of the advantages mobility and an ephemeral capital provided for direct intervention in local affairs and the potential for real and symbolic displays of power, improving and legitimizing imperial authority over subject people. The monarchy was aided by a close alliance with the Coptic Church in Ethiopia, establishing and sponsoring monastic communities that competed directly with the traditional nobility for power and wealth while providing infrastructural and ideological support to the imperial court.
Catheterization of the coronary sinus and the middle cardiac vein in man.

SummaryThe coronary sinus and the middle cardiac vein of man has been successfully catheterized. Work is in progress to utilize this technique in the measurement of coronary blood flow in man.
Heats of Formation for GeHn(n= 1-4) and Ge2Hn(n= 1-6)

Heats of formation, accurate to 2 kcal/mol or better, have been computed for GeHn (n = 1−4) and Ge2Hn (n = 1−6). The effects of basis set saturation, Ge 3d correlation, spin−orbit, and scalar relativity have been accounted for. The results show that the experimental heats of formation of GeH4 and Ge2H6 are likely in error by up to 4 and 9 kcal/mol, respectively. However, for individual bond energies, the computed results agree with some experimental determinations.
Trends in overweight and obesity among rural children and adolescents from 1985 to 2014 in Shandong, China

BackgroundChildhood overweight and obesity has increased dramatically during the past decades, both in developing and developed countries. The present study examined the prevalent trends in overweight and obesity among rural children and adolescents over the past 29 years (1985–2014) in Shandong, China.MethodsData for this study were obtained from six cross-sectional surveys (1985, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2014) of schoolchildren in Shandong Province, China. A total of 27,840 rural students aged 7–18 years were included in this study. Body mass index cut-off points recommended by the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) were used to define overweight and obesity.ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing continually in rural areas over the past 29 years (1985–2014). Using WGOC criteria, for boys, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 0.74% and 0.03% in 1985 to 16.35% and 17...
Double Truths Thought in Buddhism and Palace Style Literature

The guiding theory in palace style literature is the difference between being a proper person and writing good articles.The formation of this theory was affected by the rising double truths thought in Buddhism during the Qi and Liang periods.In particular,the new interpretation of double truths thought in Buddhism by Xiao Tong has a lot in common with that of palace style literature.Xiao Gang converted Buddhist ideas into the theory of guiding literature creation.On the one hand,he had a freer living environment than that of Xiao Tong.On the other hand,the creating reality was the increasing division of being a proper person and writing good articles.This theory had played an indispensable part for palace style literature to permeate through the middle and later period in Liang Period and the development of literature in Sui and early Tang dynasties.
Did the euro common currency increase or decrease business cycle synchronization for its member countries

We use two variants of Markov switching models to assess changes in output synchronization since the creation of the euro. Out of eight eurozone countries investigated, only one—the Netherlands—has synchronization increased since euro adoption, supporting the ‘endogenous optimal currency area’ argument of Frankel and Rose. However, in three other cases, business cycle synchronization actually fell since the euro's creation. Thus the ‘endogeneity’ of the optimal currency area criteria can go both ways—adopting a common currency may increase synchronization for nations ready for a common currency, but it can lower synchronization for nations that are far from synchronized before monetary unification.
DESIR: Decoy-enhanced seamless IP randomization

Sophisticated adversaries usually initiate their attacks with a reconnaissance phase to discover exploitable vulnerabilities on the targeted networks and systems. To mitigate the effectiveness of persistent reconnaissance attacks, we develop a defensive mechanism that dynamically mutates network topology with a large number of decoys to invalidate the attacker's knowledge from network scanning. We combine the IP randomization technique with decoy techniques and solve two challenges, namely, service availability to legitimate users and service security against unauthorized users. First, our solution can minimize the probability of the real servers being identified and compromised by unauthorized users through deploying a large number of decoy nodes, which change their IP addresses along with the real servers to prolong the scanning time of the attackers. Second, our solution can ensure seamless connection migration so that all existing communication connections between the legitimate users and the servers are always kept alive even after the servers migrate to different IP addresses multiple times. We implement a virtual machine based system prototype and evaluate it using state-of-the-art scanning techniques. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results show that our solution can effectively mitigate network reconnaissance attacks without sacrificing service availability.
A Microbiological Survey of Raw Ground Beef in Ohio

A microbiological survey of raw ground beef at the retail level was conducted in Ohio. The sampling plan required that the number of samples be distributed proportionately according to the Ohio county population. Four hundred fifty-seven samples were collected from both supermarkets and independent retail outlets representing all 88 counties in Ohio. Total aerobic plate counts (TPC), oxidase-positive counts (Ox Pos), coliform counts. and pH were used as criteria to reflect poor handling, storage, and sanitation practices. After statistical treatment of the data, operational curves were developed based upon the defined critical limits derived from the survey. Proposed microbiological guidelines for reflecting proper sanitation, storage and handling were developed from this information. The proposed acceptable criteria for “fresh” raw ground beef were defined as: less than 15,000.000/g TPC and less than 300,000 Ox Pos/1,000,000 TPC/g with a pH less than 5.85 (storage and handling); and less than 3000/g coli...
Improving User Choice Through Better Mobile Apps Transparency and Permissions Analysis

Our personal information, habits, likes and dislikes can be all deduced from our mobile devices. Safeguarding mobile privacy is therefore of great concern. Transparency and individual control are bedrock principles of privacy but making informed choices about which mobile apps to use has been shown to be difficult. In order to understand the dynamics of information collection in mobile apps and to demonstrate the value of transparent access to the details of mobile applications information access permissions, we have gathered information about 528,433 apps on Google Play, and analyzed the permissions requested by each app. We develop a quantitative measure of the risk posed by apps by devising a ‘sensitivity score’ to represent the number of occurrences of permissions that read personal information about users where network communication is possible. We found that 54% of apps do not access any personal data. The remaining 46% collect between 1 to 20 sensitive permissions and have the ability to transmit it outside the phone. The sensitivity of apps differs greatly between free and paid apps as well as between categories and content rating. Sensitive permissions are often mixed with a large amount of low-risk permissions and hence are difficult to identify. Easily available sensitivity scores could help users making more informed decision about choosing an app that could pose less risk in collecting personal information. Even though an app is “self-described” to be suitable for a certain subset of users (i.e children) it might contain content ratings and permission requests that are not appropriate or expected. Our experience in doing this research shows that it is difficult to obtain information about how personal data collected from apps is used or analyzed. In fact only 0.37% (1,991) of the collected apps show to have declared a “privacy policy”. Therefore, in order to make real control available to mobile users, apps distribution platforms should provide more detailed information about how their data if accessed is used. To achieve greater transparency and individual control, apps distribution platforms which do not currently make raw permission description accessible for analysis could change their design and operating policies to make this data available prior to installation.
Response of Spring Wheat to Sulfate-Based Salinity Stress under Greenhouse and Field Conditions

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a moderately salt-tolerant crop, is often grown in saline areas worldwide. This study was conducted to assess spring wheat response to sulfate-based salts under greenhouse and field conditions. In a greenhouse experiment, salinity treatments (control and 3.0, 5.0, 9.0, and 15.0 dS m–¹) were established by adding Na₂SO₄ and MgSO₄⋅7H₂O salts in soil–silica mixes. Similarly, field studies were conducted in naturally saline farmers’ fields in eastern North Dakota for a total of four site-years. In the fields, the soil was sampled to the 120-cm depth, and the depth-weighted mean root-zone salinity was calculated. Results indicated a variable response of spring wheat to salinity under greenhouse and field conditions. Under greenhouse conditions, plant height and number of tillers per plant decreased significantly at a soil saturated paste extract electrical conductivity (ECe) of 5 dS m–¹ and above. Similarly, root growth decreased significantly at a ECe of 9.0 dS m–¹ and above. Relative kernel and straw yields were unaffected by sulfate salts up to 8.2 and 2.9 dS m–¹, respectively. Above the threshold value, the kernel and straw yields declined by 12.0 and 4.9% per unit increase in ECe, respectively. In naturally saline fields, soil salinity decreased with soil depth, and the spring wheat responded by decreasing plant height by 1.2 cm per unit increase in ECe. However, root growth and relative crop yields were maintained. Our results suggest that the majority of the crop roots were exposed to low salinity levels in the surface soil layers in naturally saline fields, providing greater salinity tolerance in the crops.
Validation of a Simulation Model to Evaluate Crew Size

This paper describes the validation of a computer-based model to help identify potential overload situations that would be difficult to anticipate through intuitive assessments of how automation an...
Peri-operative care considerations for primary total knee arthroplasty in the obese patient

Abstract In the United States an increasing obesity epidemic compounded with growth in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) utilization is increasing the incidence of TKA in the obese population. Arthroplasty surgeons are directly affected by the obesity epidemic and need to understand how to safely offer a range of peri-operative care for these patients in order to ensure good clinical outcomes. Preoperative care for the obese patient involves nutritional counseling, weight loss methods, consideration for bariatric surgery, physical therapy, metabolic workup with diagnosis, and management of frequent comorbid conditions. Obese patients must also be counseled on their increased risk of complications following TKA. A successful surgical result is dependent on early risk mitigation techniques including weight loss, co-morbidity management, and nutritional optimization. In the operating room several steps can be taken to improve successful outcomes when performing TKA on obese patients. Peri-operative techniques including adequate surgical exposure, component positioning, and implant selection play an important role in the longevity of the implant in the obese TKA population who are at risk for post-operative tibial loosening and increased re-operation rates. Appropriate weight-adjusted antibiotic dosing, sterile surgical techniques, wound closure and coverage are essential in reducing infection in this susceptible population. Post-operative care of the obese patient following TKA involves several unique considerations. Chronic pain and obesity are frequent comorbid conditions and post-operative pain control regimens need to be tailored to these patients to improve function and surgical outcome. Obese patients can have a higher rate of all complications compared to healthy weight. All infection and deep infection increased in obese patients and patients must be counseled on their risks pre-operatively to encourage an active role in risk mitigation in the peri-operative period.
Abstract 3178: The p53 tumor suppressor protein paradoxically drives chemo-resistance in human medulloblastoma cells through suppressing the mTOR AKT pathway

Medulloblastoma (MB) accounts for approximately 25% of childhood brain tumors with 70% of the cases occurring in children under 10. Prognosis for children less than three years old is considerably worse and, due to its destructive effects on the developing nervous system, irradiation is largely avoided in this age group. The p53 pathway is considered a key determinant of anti-tumor responses in many tumors; however, its role in the regulation of cell survival, chemo-sensitivity and chemo-resistance in MB is much less well defined. It has been shown that p53 pathway defects, mutations and nuclear levels increase significantly from MB diagnosis to relapse and correlate with an adverse prognosis. We recently reported on the highly novel and unexpected finding that both the genetic (sh-RNA) and chemical silencing of p53 led to a significant increase in cell death by the drug VMY in MB cell lines with elevated basal p53 (e.g. in D556 cells which express wild type p53 and in DAOY cells that contain mutant p53) as measured by colony forming assays, DNA degradation assays and annexin-V staining, suggesting a surprising commonality in the p53 signaling in both cell lines despite the differences in their p53 status. Equally surprising was the observation that the silencing of p53 in D556 cells enhanced cell death by the clinically used drugs doxorubicin and vincristine. Conversely, we now find that suppressing p53 with sh-RNA in D283 cells, which express much lower levels of wild type p53 compared to D556, resulted in the more classical chemoresistance profile, suggesting a form of p53 ‘addiction’ in D556 and DAOY cells. Mechanistically, we observed that suppressing p53 with sh-RNA in D556 cells treated with VMY or doxorubicin significantly increased the levels of phosphorylated Chk1, S6K, gH2AX, and MDM2. Importantly, phospho-mTOR levels were also significantly increased in the D556/p53 sh-RNA cells and the suppression of mTOR enhanced chemoresistance. These somewhat paradoxical findings suggest that activated Akt/mTOR may induce MB cell death and that suppression of mTOR by p53 enhances chemoresistance. Our data provide new mechanistic insights into the role of p53 in primitive neuroectodermal tumors and may provide new approaches for enhancing the clinical outcome of patients with MB. Citation Format: Aisha Naeem, Muhammad U. Choudhry, Maria L. Avantaggiati, Olga C. Rodriguez, Chris Albanese. The p53 tumor suppressor protein paradoxically drives chemo-resistance in human medulloblastoma cells through suppressing the mTOR AKT pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3178. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3178
Pre-operative Short Form Survey is Predictive of Return to Play and Minimal Clinically Important Difference after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction:

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of pre-operative outcome scores for predicting minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and return to play (RTP) after anterio...
The Architecture of Neoliberalism: How Contemporary Architecture Became an Instrument of Control and Compliance

In The Architecture of Neoliberalism, Douglas Spencer questions a dominant tendency in recent architectural production that insists on seducing its users with a host of flexible, complex and adapti...
An unstructured mesh convergent reaction-diffusion master equation for reversible reactions

Abstract The convergent reaction–diffusion master equation (CRDME) was recently developed to provide a lattice particle-based stochastic reaction–diffusion model that is a convergent approximation in the lattice spacing to an underlying spatially-continuous particle dynamics model. The CRDME was designed to be identical to the popular lattice reaction–diffusion master equation (RDME) model for systems with only linear reactions, while overcoming the RDME's loss of bimolecular reaction effects as the lattice spacing is taken to zero. In our original work we developed the CRDME to handle bimolecular association reactions on Cartesian grids. In this work we develop several extensions to the CRDME to facilitate the modeling of cellular processes within realistic biological domains. Foremost, we extend the CRDME to handle reversible bimolecular reactions on unstructured grids. Here we develop a generalized CRDME through discretization of the spatially continuous volume reactivity model, extending the CRDME to encompass a larger variety of particle–particle interactions. Finally, we conclude by examining several numerical examples to demonstrate the convergence and accuracy of the CRDME in approximating the volume reactivity model.
Examining relationships between perceptions and objective assessments of neighborhood environment and sedentary time: Data from the Washington, D.C. Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment

Sedentary time (ST) and neighborhood environment (NE) are predictors of cardiovascular (CV) health. However, little is known about ST's relationship with NE. We examined associations of perceived and objective NE with ST in the predominantly African American faith-based population of the Washington, D.C. CV Health and Needs Assessment. After using community-based research principles, participants reported NE perceptions, including sidewalks, recreational areas, and crime presence. Factor analysis was conducted to explore pertinent constructs; factor sums were created and combined as Total Perception Score (TPS) (higher score = more favorable perception). Objective NE was assessed using Google Maps and the Active Neighborhood Checklist (ANC). ST was self-reported. Linear regression determined relationships between TPS and ST, and ANC scores and ST, for 1) overall population, 2) lower median-income D.C. areas, and 3) higher median-income DC and Maryland areas. For the sample (N = 98.9% African-American, 78% female), lower median-income areas had significantly lower mean TPS and ANC scores than higher median-income areas (p < 0.001). Three factors (neighborhood violence, physical/social environment, and social cohesion) were associated with overall NE perception. Among those in lower median-income areas, there was a negative association between TPS and ST that remained after covariate adjustment; this was not observed in higher median-income areas. There was no association between ANC scores and ST. Poorer NE perception is associated with greater ST for those in lower income areas, while objective environment is not related to ST. Multi-level interventions are needed to improve NE perceptions in lower-median income areas, reduce ST, and improve CV health.
Testing Phase Space Properties of Synchronous Dynamical Systems with Nested Canalyzing Local Functions

Discrete graphical dynamical systems serve as effective formal models in many contexts, including simulations of agent-based models, propagation of contagions in social networks and study of biological phenomena. A class of Boolean functions, called nested canalyzing functions (NCFs), has been used as a good model of certain biological phenomena. Motivated by these biological applications, we study a variety of analysis problems for synchronous graphical dynamical systems (SyDSs) over the Boolean domain, where each local function is an NCF. Each analysis problem involves testing whether the phase space of a given SyDS satisfies a certain property. We present intractability results for some properties as well as efficient algorithms for others. In several cases, our results clearly delineate intractable and efficiently solvable versions of problems.
A blunted phasic autonomic response to errors indexes age-related deficits in error awareness

Conscious error detection is impaired in older age, yet it is unclear which age-related changes in the nervous system contribute to this deficit. In younger adults, error commission is accompanied by phasic autonomic arousal, which purportedly contributes to conscious error detection. Because aging is associated with declining autonomic reactivity, reduced phasic arousal to errors may therefore contribute to age-related error detection deficits. To test this, we measured pupil dilation in younger (<30 years) and older (60-80 years) healthy adults during an eye movement task. The task required a subjective assessment of response accuracy, as well as a "meta-judgment" of the certainty underlying that accuracy-assessment. This allowed for a precise quantification of subjective error awareness. Behaviorally, we found reduced error awareness in older adults. Furthermore, while younger adults showed "residual" awareness of error commission on unreported errors (indicated by decreased rating certainty compared with correct responses), this effect was absent in older adults. Notably, pupil dilation correlated with both measures: between subjects, greater pupil dilation to reported errors was correlated with greater subjective certainty of error detection, and greater pupil dilation to unreported errors was correlated with greater "residual" awareness of unreported errors. In line with this association, older adults showed a reduced pupil response to both reported and unreported errors. Notably, older adults showed no pupil dilation to unreported errors, in line with their lack of "residual" error awareness on such trials. Taken together, our results suggest that reduced autonomic reactivity may contribute to age-related error awareness deficits.
Ethics and leadership in children's oral health.

PURPOSE This paper reviews key ethical precepts in health care for children, and explores how interpretations of justice predict different and sometimes conflicting approaches to children's dental needs. Ethics is a core competency for health professionals because of their special responsibilities toward patients and the public. Ethical principles guiding health professionals include: (1) beneficence; (2) nonmaleficence; (3) respect for autonomy; and (4) justice. Different theories of justice lead to different responses toward public needs, such as access to dental care. The most frequently encountered response in the dental community is volunteerism, consistent with the libertarian perspective on justice. Though desirable, volunteerism alone will never solve dental access issues because such efforts do not address the problems systematically. A policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) explicitly recognizes that children have a right to oral health care. Children's unique characteristics--their vulnerability, dependence, and developmental processes-call for special arrangements to address their health needs. Given the importance of children to society, it is critical that all health sectors work together to address children's health and well-being. However, those with the greatest knowledge of children's oral health needs-pediatric dentists-must take a leadership role in creating and supporting solutions to these needs. The AAPD has an opportunity to support systemic solutions at the state and national level to ensure that all children have access to oral health care. One example of a systemic solution is the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program in Washington State.
Magnetic, Batch Separation

Abstract Separation/enrichment of cells from heterogeneous mixtures, such as rare, or not so rare, nucleated cells in human blood, is a common laboratory process. Beyond density based separations, one the most common approaches is the use of antibodies conjugated to magnetic particles. In this report, a commonly used, commercially available, relatively simple, semi-batch system, Miltenyi Biotec MACS™ family of separation systems, is presented and its performance discussed.
Saddle Points and Accelerated Perceptron Algorithms

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding a linear (binary) classifier or providing a near-infeasibility certificate if there is none. We bring a new perspective to addressing these two problems simultaneously in a single efficient process, by investigating a related Bilinear Saddle Point Problem (BSPP). More specifically, we show that a BSPP-based approach provides either a linear classifier or an e-infeasibility certificate. We show that the accelerated primal-dual algorithm, Mirror Prox, can be used for this purpose and achieves the best known convergence rate of O(√log n/ρ(A))(O(√log n/e)), which is almost independent of the problem size, n. Our framework also solves kernelized and conic versions of the problem, with the same rate of convergence. We support our theoretical findings with an empirical study on synthetic and real data, highlighting the efficiency and numerical stability of our algorithm, especially on large-scale instances.
Defining and Modulating ‘BRCAness’

The concept of 'BRCAness' defines the pathogenesis and vulnerability of multiple cancers. The canonical definition of BRCAness is a defect in homologous recombination repair, mimicking BRCA1 or BRCA2 loss. In turn, BRCA-deficient cells utilize error-prone DNA-repair pathways, causing increased genomic instability, which may be responsible for their sensitivity to DNA damaging agents and poly-(ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPis). However, recent work has expanded the mechanistic basis of BRCAness, to include defects in replication fork protection (RFP). Here, we broaden the definition of BRCAness to include RFP and regulatory mechanisms that cause synthetic lethality with PARPis. We highlight these recent discoveries, which include mechanisms of RFP regulation, DNA damage checkpoint proteins, as well as kinases that regulate BRCA1/2 function. Importantly, many of these emerging mechanisms may be targeted for inhibition with small molecule inhibitors, thus inducing BRCAness in a much larger subset of BRCA-proficient tumors, with significant translational potential.
Evaluation of the Facelift Patient

In the public’s view, there is no procedure more synonymous with plastic surgery than the facelift. The ultimate goal of a facelift is to provide patients with a natural, unoperated appearance that results in a younger, refreshed version of himself or herself. While individuals vary in the onset and rate at which they age, there is a fundamental pattern and sequence to changes in facial appearance that occurs throughout the decades of life. The surgeon must appreciate the anatomic pathogenesis of facial aging in order to address the signs of aging in a natural way. Overall, the main principle of overriding importance in facelift is to restore harmony among the areas of the face with smooth transitions from the brow to the periorbital region to the midface to the jaw and to the neck. In consultation, it is important in the assessment to identify what areas need to be addressed and to understand the underlying pathogenesis that occurs with aging in order to restore this harmony.
Attitudinal Spillover from Misleading Natural Cigarette Marketing: An Experiment Examining Current and Former Smokers’ Support for Tobacco Industry Regulation

This research examined the influence of natural cigarette advertising on tobacco control policy support, and the potential for misbeliefs arising from exposure to cigarette marketing to affect such support. Ample research indicates that natural cigarettes such as Natural American Spirit (NAS) are widely and erroneously perceived as safer than their traditional counterparts because of their marketed “natural” composition. Yet regulatory action regarding natural cigarette marketing has been limited in scope, and little research has examined whether misleading product advertising affects support for related policy, an important component of the policy process. Here, we administered a large-scale randomized experiment (n = 1128), assigning current and former smokers in the United States to an NAS advertising condition or a control group and assessing their support for tobacco industry regulation. Results show that exposure to NAS advertising reduces support for policies to ban potentially misleading terminology from cigarette advertising, and these effects are stronger for daily smokers. Further, misinformed beliefs about the healthy composition of NAS partially mediate effects on policy support. Yet interestingly, exposure to NAS marketing does not reduce support for policies to establish standards for when certain terms are permissible in cigarette advertising. The results of this analysis indicate potential spillover effects from exposure to NAS advertising in the realm of support for regulatory action pertaining to tobacco industry marketing.
Vision, Educational Level, and Empowering Work Relationships:

Machinists (blind, sighted, and visually impaired) answered questions about trust, resource sharing, and empowerment in their work relationships. Employees with low vision were the least trusting a...
Comparison of the Copan WASPLab incorporating the BioRad expert system against the SIRscan 2000 automatic for routine antimicrobial disc diffusion susceptibility testing.

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the agreement at the categorical level between the Copan WASPLab incorporating the BioRad expert system against the SIRscan 2000 automatic for antimicrobial disc diffusion susceptibility testing. Methods The 338 clinical strains (67 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 19 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 75 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus and 177 Enterobacterales isolates) analysed in this study were non-duplicate isolates obtained from consecutive clinical samples referred to the clinical bacteriology laboratory at Geneva University Hospitals between June and August 2019. For the WASPLab the inoculum suspension was prepared in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instruction (Copan WASP srl, Brescia, Italy) by adding 2 mL of the 0.5 McFarland primary suspension used for the SIRscan analysis into a sterile tube filled with 4 mL of sterile saline (1:3 dilution). The inoculum (2 × 30 μL loop/spreader) was spread over the entire surface of Mueller–Hinton agar plates according to the AST streaking pattern defined by Copan. The antibiotic discs were dispensed by the WASP and inoculated media were loaded on conveyors for transfer to the automatic incubators. The plates were incubated for 16 h, and several digital images were acquired. Inhibition zone diameters were automatically read by the WASPLab and were adjusted manually whenever necessary. For the SIRscan 2000 automatic, the antimicrobial disc diffusion susceptibility testing was performed according to the EUCAST guidelines. The gradient strip method was used to resolve discrepancies. Results The overall categorical agreement between the compared methods reached 99.1% (797/804; 95% CI 98.2%–99.6%), 99.5% (1029/1034; 95% CI 98.9%–99.8%), and 98.8% (2798/2832; 95% CI 98.3%–99.1%) for P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and the Enterobacterales, respectively. Conclusions WASPLab incorporating the BioRad expert system provides a fully automated solution for antimicrobial disc diffusion susceptibility testing with equal or better accuracy than other available phenotypic methods.
Use of the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Model to Forecast Near-Term Regional Temperature and Precipitation

AbstractA data-driven approach for obtaining near-term (2–20 years) regional temperature and precipitation projections utilizing local historical observations was established in this study to facil...
Comparison of Different Surgical Approaches to Inferior Oblique Overaction.

The purpose of this study is to compare surgical outcomes of recession, anteriorization, and myotomy for the treatment of inferior oblique overaction (IOOA). A retrospective chart review of all pat...
Designing for quality of life and sustainability

Abstract Designing places that yield high quality of life (QOL) for residents is a foundation of planning and community development. A focus on sustainability is increasingly important in design thinking and implementation. At a community level, the consideration of sustainable planning and management can create policies and investments targeted at improved community outcomes. Sustainability management is viewed as a solution to many of the negative impacts that mass tourism can bring. A discussion on a new framing around place value incorporates design features of a community as a way of enhancing QOL. A destination example is featured to show the praxis of theory to practice for efforts to use sustainability to shape positive QOL. The article finishes with a discussion of the role that sustainability management can play in strengthening design and QOL.
Collapsing Bandits and Their Application to Public Health Interventions

We propose and study Collpasing Bandits, a new restless multi-armed bandit (RMAB) setting in which each arm follows a binary-state Markovian process with a special structure: when an arm is played, the state is fully observed, thus "collapsing" any uncertainty, but when an arm is passive, no observation is made, thus allowing uncertainty to evolve. The goal is to keep as many arms in the "good" state as possible by planning a limited budget of actions per round. Such Collapsing Bandits are natural models for many healthcare domains in which workers must simultaneously monitor patients and deliver interventions in a way that maximizes the health of their patient cohort. Our main contributions are as follows: (i) Building on the Whittle index technique for RMABs, we derive conditions under which the Collapsing Bandits problem is indexable. Our derivation hinges on novel conditions that characterize when the optimal policies may take the form of either "forward" or "reverse" threshold policies. (ii) We exploit the optimality of threshold policies to build fast algorithms for computing the Whittle index, including a closed-form. (iii) We evaluate our algorithm on several data distributions including data from a real-world healthcare task in which a worker must monitor and deliver interventions to maximize their patients' adherence to tuberculosis medication. Our algorithm achieves a 3-order-of-magnitude speedup compared to state-of-the-art RMAB techniques while achieving similar performance.
Operando Particle-Scale Characterization of Silicon Anode Degradation during Cycling by Ultrahigh-Resolution X-ray Microscopy and Computed Tomography

A combination of two-dimensional (2D) operando transmission X-ray radiograph sequences and three-dimensional (3D) in situ X-ray computed tomography was used to characterize a composite silicon anod...
Couples Coping with Cancer: Implications of Adaptive Process and Relationship Outcomes in Recent Findings for Marriage and Family Therapists and Medical Family Therapists

The majority of patients with cancer experience clinically significant levels of distress (Dyson et al., 2012; Kwak et al., 2013; Yanez, Garcia, Victorson, & Salsman, 2013) that varies by age at di...