cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graphical constraints in CoDraw

Constraint based drawing programs require users to understand and manage relationships between drawing elements. By establishing constraint relationships among elements the user effectively programs the drawing's behavior. This programming task requires a more sophisticated visual interface than conventional drawing programs provide. Users must have available-in a convenient format-information about the structure of the constraints that determine the drawing's interactive edit behavior. This format must support editing and debugging. CoDraw is a constraint based drawing program that can be interactively extended by its users. This paper describes the CoDraw program and its programming interface. >
Deterministic clock gating for microprocessor power reduction

With the scaling of technology and the need for higher performance and more functionality, power dissipation is becoming a major bottleneck for microprocessor designs. Pipeline balancing (PLB), a previous technique, is essentially a methodology to clock-gate unused components whenever a program's instruction-level parallelism is predicted to be low. However, no nonpredictive methodologies are available in the literature for efficient clock gating. This paper introduces deterministic clock gating (DCG) based on the key observation that for many of the stages in a modern pipeline, a circuit block's usage in a specific cycle in the near future is deterministically known a few cycles ahead of time. Our experiments show an average of 19.9% reduction in processor power with virtually no performance loss for an 8-issue, out-of-order superscalar processor by applying DCG to execution units, pipeline latches, D-Cache wordline decoders, and result bus drivers. In contrast, PLB achieves 9.9% average power savings at 2.9% performance loss.
Influences on Release‐Site Fidelity of Translocated Elk

Several eastern states are considering the restoration of free-ranging elk populations via translocation from western populations. Optimal habitat immediately surrounding release sites has been found to enhance elk reintroduction success in western states. Little information exists, however, to aid eastern managers in identifying release sites with the highest chance of restoration success. We monitored the movements of 415 translocated elk released at three sites in southeastern Kentucky to identify landscape characteristics that enhance release-site fidelity. The distance elk moved after release differed among sites (F2,322 5 4.63, p 5 0.01), age classes (F2,322 5 4.37, p 5 0.01), and time intervals (F2,322 5 40.74, p < 0.001). At 6 and 12 months post-release, adults (15.81 ± 17.32 and 16.38 ± 20.29) and yearlings (13.91 ± 16.44 and 14.61 ± 21.11) moved farther than calves (8.06 ± 14.03 and 9.37 ± 14.40). The release site with the highest fidelity was privately owned, 15% open, and had the highest amount of edge compared with the other release sites. The two remaining sites contained large amounts of expansive openland or forest cover with lower amounts of edge. Additionally, both sites were publicly owned and experienced a higher degree of human-generated disturbance compared with the site to which elk were most faithful. When selecting release sites, managers should avoid areas dominated by a single cover type with little interspersion of other habitats. Rather, areas with high levels of open-forest edge (approximately 5.0 km/km 2 ) and limited-human disturbance will likely enhance release-site fidelity and promote restoration success.
Propeptide of Aminopeptidase 1 Protein Mediates Aggregation and Vesicle Formation in Cytoplasm-to-Vacuole Targeting Pathway

Misfolded protein aggregation causes disease and aging; autophagy counteracts this by eliminating damaged components, enabling cells to survive starvation. The cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting pathway in yeast encompasses the aggregation of the premature form of aminopeptidase 1 (prApe1) in cytosol and its sequestration by autophagic proteins into a vesicle for vacuolar transport. We show that the propeptide of Ape1 is important for aggregation and vesicle formation and that it is sufficient for binding to prApe1 and Atg19. Defective aggregation disrupts vacuolar transport, suggesting that aggregate shape is important in vesicle formation, whereas Atg19 binding is not sufficient for vacuolar transport. Aggregation involves hydrophobicity, whereas Atg19 binding requires additional electrostatic interactions. Ape1 dodecamerization may cluster propeptides into trimeric structures, with sufficient affinity to form propeptide hexamers by binding to other dodecamers, causing aggregation. We show that Ape1 aggregates bind Atg19 and Atg8 in vitro; this could be used as a scaffold for an in vitro assay of autophagosome formation to elucidate the mechanisms of autophagy.
Theology of Nature in Sixteenth-Century Italian Jewish Philosophy

This paper focuses on several Italian Jewish philosophers in the second half of the sixteenth century and the first third of the seventeenth century. It argues that their writings share a certain theology of nature. Because of it, the interest of Jews in the study of nature was not a proto-scientific but a hermeneutical activity based on the essential correspondence between God, Torah, and Israel. While the theology of nature analyzed in the paper did not prevent Jews from being informed about and selectively endorsing the first phase of the scientific revolution, it did render the Jews marginal to it. So long as Jewish thinkers adhered to this theology of nature, Jews could not adopt the scientific mentality that presupposed a qualitative distinction between the Book of Nature and the Book of Scripture.
31P-NMR study of normoxic and anoxic perfused turtle heart during graded CO2 and lactic acidosis

We studied the effects of graded acidosis (both CO2 and lactic acid) and anoxia on intracellular pH (pHi) regulation, high-energy phosphates, and mechanical function of isolated perfused hearts of the turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) at 20 degrees C using 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. During CO2 acidosis, anoxia had no effect on apparent nonbicarbonate buffer value (d[HCO3-]/dpHi = 71 and 89 mM/pH in normoxia and anoxia, respectively) or on pHi regulation (dpHi/dpHe = 0.52 and 0.43 in normoxia and anoxia, respectively, where pHe is extracellular pH). During normoxic lactic acidosis, dpHi/dpHe was similar to the values observed in CO2 acidosis and averaged 0.55 overall. During anoxic lactic acidosis, however, similar regulation occurred over only a narrow range of pHe, and then dpHi/dpHe increased to greater than 1.0 at pHe less than 7.1. Creatine phosphate (CP), calculated as the area of the NMR peak, fell more in response to normoxic CO2 acidosis than to normoxic lactic acidosis; in anoxia, the fall in CP was further increased but to similar extreme levels (10-20% of control) in both acid perfusions. Cardiac output and maximum rate of pressure development each fell during acidosis in similar fashion in all protocols, and the responses were similar in normoxic and anoxic hearts. Heart rate, in contrast, decreased during acidosis, but this effect was more pronounced when hearts were anoxic. We conclude that the effect of acidosis on cardiac function can depend on the type of acidosis imposed. Based on the heart's insensitivity to anoxia alone, we suggest that anoxia may normally depress function indirectly via its effect on intracellular acid-base state.
Price Biases and Contract Design: Lessons from Tradesports

From 2000 to 2008, Tradesports operated an online betting site where gamblers used real money to wager on the outcomes of various sporting events. A critical difference between Tradesports and traditional casino-type venues is that participants were allowed to place wagers after underlying sporting events began. Thus, during its heyday, Tradesports was perhaps the ultimate laboratory for examining trader behavior during periods of high-intensity information flow. The lifespan of most sports-related contracts was around three hours, and tens of thousands of contracts were traded during many of these events. In a number of studies, inspection revealed several persistent biases. Understanding the source of these biases can potentially help corporations design and implement bias-free internal prediction markets that produce precise estimates of the likelihood of event outcomes.
PREDICTORS OF CARDIAC TAMPONADE FROM PERMANENT PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION: ANALYSIS OF 1,014,713 PROCEDURES

Cardiac tamponade is a relatively uncommon complication following Permanent Pacemaker (PPM) implantation. Therefore, limited data exists regarding the predictors of tamponade among recipients of this procedure. We sought to identify predictors of cardiac tamponade from PPM implantation and
American Religious Empiricism and the Possibility of an Ecstatic Naturalist Process Metaphysics

The most forceful critiques Robert Corrington mounts against Whiteheadianism target several problematic tendencies in the system of Whitehead, Hartshorne, and other leading Whiteheadian theologians rather than raze the entire legacy of process philosophy and theology. Actually, there is an alternate school of process philosophy and theology—the empiricist school—that embraces the broad contours of a processive and relational worldview while making many of the very same criticisms of Whitehead and his more rationalistic followers. But I argue an even bolder thesis: process empiricism shares enough in common with Corrington’s perspective to be ‘emancipatorily reenacted’ as an iteration of ecstatic naturalism, albeit a unique iteration. Collectively, the five American religious empiricists featured in this essay—Henry Nelson Wieman, Bernard Loomer, William Dean, Nancy Frankenberry, and Donald Crosby—open up a conceptual space within the Whiteheadian tradition for developing a kind of ecstatically inflected, ordinally chastened, and unequivocally naturalistic process metaphysics.
Coulombic Interactions and Crystal Packing Effects in the Folding of Donor−Acceptor Oligorotaxanes

The folding of a series of donor−acceptor oligorotaxanes is studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The oligorotaxanes consist of tetracationic cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) rings threaded onto oligomers of 1,5-dioxynaphthalene linked by polyethers. Minimum energy structures are isolated using simulated annealing from which insights into the interactions responsible for the folding are extracted. The folding in vacuum is primarily driven by Coulombic interactions between the ionic species. In turn, in a high dielectric medium, the folding is the result of a series of conflicting interactions primarily orchestrated by the rings. In both cases, folded globular structures result. The observed secondary structures extend a previously proposed pleated π-stacked model for the folding that has been, in fact, observed in crystal samples of a [3]Rotaxane, the smallest of the oligorotaxanes considered. Simulations using two different force fields in the crystal environment, in vacuum, and in explicit s...
Phylogenetic relationships among the New World cypresses ( Hesperocyparis ; Cupressaceae): evidence from noncoding chloroplast DNA sequences

Nearly 5.6 kb of noncoding chloroplast DNA sequence was combined with 9.2 kb of previously published sequence in addressing phylogenetic relationships among Callitropsis, Xanthocyparis, and the New World cypresses (Hesperocyparis; Cupressaceae). Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of aligned nucleotide sequence and coded length mutations provide strong support for several relationships. These include a clade in which Xanthocyparis and Callitropsis are successively nested at the base of a monophyletic Hesperocyparis and identification of H. bakeri as sister to the remaining Hesperocyparis. Two principal clades are recovered within Hesperocyparis; (1) the Arizonica group, which contains taxa sometimes recognized as varieties of H. lusitanica, H. guadalupensis, and H. arizonica, and (2) the Macrocarpa group, which contains H. macrocarpa and H. goveniana and its allies. Our results are equivocal with respect to placement of H. macnabiana, a morphologically distinct species resolved as the sister group to either the Macrocarpa or Arizonica group, depending on the data set analyzed. We discover many instances in which taxa recognized as varieties or closely related species are placed in disparate parts of the phylogeny. These include segregates of H. lusitanica, H. guadalupensis, and H. arizonica, all of which are included in clades with other species. Despite analyzing 14,799 bp of aligned sequence and 230 binary characters, we find poor support for several relationships, especially within the Arizonica group. These results suggest recovery of well-supported relationships among the closely related taxa of Hesperocyparis will require additional sources of evidence (e.g., morphological, biochemical characters). Implications for morphological evolution and taxonomic revision are discussed.
Spectroscopic neutron detection using composite scintillators

Shielded special nuclear material (SNM), especially highly enriched uranium, is exceptionally difficult to detect without the use of active interrogation (AI). We are investigating the potential use of low-dose active interrogation to realize simultaneous high-contrast imaging and photofission of SNM using energetic gamma-rays produced by low-energy nuclear reactions, such as 11B(d,nγ)12C and 12C(p,p′)12C. Neutrons produced via fission are one reliable signature of the presence of SNM and are usually identified by their unique timing characteristics, such as the delayed neutron die-away. Fast neutron spectroscopy may provide additional useful discriminating characteristics for SNM detection. Spectroscopic measurements can be conducted by recoil-based or thermalization and capture-gated detectors; the latter may offer unique advantages since they facilitate low-statistics and event-by-event neutron energy measurements without spectrum unfolding. We describe the results of the development and characterization of a new type of capture-gated spectroscopic neutron detector based on a composite of scintillating polyvinyltoluene and lithium-doped scintillating glass in the form of millimeter-thick rods. The detector achieves >108 neutron–gamma discrimination resulting from its geometric properties and material selection. The design facilitates simultaneous pulse shape and pulse height discrimination, despite the fact that no materials intrinsically capable of pulse shape discrimination have been used to construct the detector. Accurate single-event measurements of neutron energy may be possible even when the energy is relatively low, such as with delayed fission neutrons. Simulation and preliminary measurements using the new composite detector are described, including those conducted using radioisotope sources and the low-dose active interrogation system based on low-energy nuclear reactions.
Genetic Alterations in Intervertebral Disc Disease.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is considered a multifactorial disease. The last two decades of research strongly demonstrate that genetic factors contribute about 75% of the IVDD etiology. Recent total genome sequencing studies have shed light on the various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with IVDD. Aim: This review explores and presents updated information about the diversity of genetic factors in the inflammatory, degradative, homeostatic, and structural systems involved in the IVDD. Results: SNPs in the genes coding for structural proteins linked with IVDD or disc bulging include the Sp1 polymorphism of COL1A1, Trp3 polymorphism of COL9A3, several polymorphisms of COL11A1 and COL11A2, and a variable number tandem repeat polymorphism of ACAN. The rs4148941 SNP of CHST3 coding for an aggrecan sulfation enzyme is also associated with IVDD. The FokI, TaqI, and ApaI SNPs of the vitamin D receptor gene that is involved in chondrocyte functioning are also associated with IVDD. SNPs relevant to cytokine imbalance in IVDD include 889C/T of IL1a and 15T/A, as well as other SNPs (rs1800795, rs1800796, and rs1800797), of IL6, with effects limited to certain genders and populations. SNPs in collagenase genes include -1605G/D (guanine insertion/deletion) of MMP1, -1306C/T of MMP2, -1562C/T and a 5-adenosine (5A) variant (in the promotor region) of MMP3, -1562C/T of MMP9, and -378T/C of MMP-14. SNPs in aggrecanase genes include 1877T/U of ADAMTS-4 and rs162509 of ADAMTS-5. Among the apoptosis-mediating genes, 1595T/C of the caspase 9 gene, 1525A/G and 1595T/C of the TRAIL gene, and 626C/G of the death receptor 4 gene (DR4) are SNPs associated with IVDD. Among the growth factors involved in disc homeostasis, the rs4871857 SNP of GDF5 was associated with IVDD. VEGF SNPs -2578C/A and -634G/C could foster neovascularization observed in IVDD. Conclusion: Improved understanding of the numerous genetic variants behind various pathophysiological elements of IVDD could help advance personalized care and pharmacotherapeutic strategies for patients suffering from IVDD in the future.
New Capitalism, UNESCO, and the Re-enchantment of Culture

It is by now commonplace to make references to the high level of interconnectedness most people in the developed world enjoy (or decry). Some of the most prominent ways that contemporary scholars describe the present moment focus on the network, whether it’s Manuel Castells’s “network society” (Castells 1996–1999) or Luc Boltanski and Eve Chiapello’s “connexionist world” (Boltanski and Chiapello 2005). For these and other scholars, today’s networked world exists because of capitalist processes, though studies of capitalism in the last couple of decades seem to have taken a back seat to studies of what are thought to be its effects, whether one calls them network society or globalization or something else altogether. Yet capitalism, as I have written elsewhere (Taylor n.d.), ought to be the transcendent category of analysis, as it was for so many classic social theorists beginning, of course, with Marx.
Observations and Trends among Collapsed Bridges in New York State

AbstractA collection of condition and appraisal ratings of bridges prior to collapse is presented and analyzed to show commonalities among collapsed bridges in New York State. General observations ...
Systemic Mastocytosis Complicated by Non-Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension and Variceal Bleeding

Systemic mastocytosis is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by extracutaneous involvement of at least one organ. Although rare, infiltration of inflammatory mast cells within the portal vein may lead to obstruction of the sinusoids resulting in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. We present a patient with known history of systemic mastocytosis with bone marrow involvement presenting with new-onset esophageal variceal bleeding. Although systemic mastocytosis is uncommon, the subsequent development of hepatic involvement and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension are discussed. Further highlighted is a lack of organization guidelines and the potential for gastrointestinal and hepatic screening of mastocytosis patients with known extracutaneous involvement.
Before and After "I Do": Marriage Processes for Mid-Life Gay and Lesbian Married Couples.

This qualitative study examines how mid-life gay and lesbian married individuals articulate their decision to marry. Using 2013 data from 30 mid-life couples in Massachusetts, this study challenges...
A Link Between the Arts and the Sciences? B. F. Skinner’s Concept of Contingencies of Reinforcement

B. F. Skinner’s concept of contingencies of reinforcement may be a crucial one for understanding the relationship between the arts and the sciences in that each involves processes and products of human behavior. An operant interpretation based mainly on excerpts of the works of two modern novelists is used to illustrate some of the implications of the concept for the literary artist.
In harm's way: On Preferential Response to Threatening Stimuli

Given the evolutionary significance of survival, the mind might be particularly sensitive (in terms of strength and speed of reaction) to stimuli that pose an immediate threat to physical harm. To rectify limitations in past research, we pilot-tested stimuli to obtain images that are threatening, nonthreatening-negative, positive, or neutral. Three studies revealed that participants (a) were faster to detect a threatening than nonthreatening-negative image when each was embedded among positive or neutral images, (b) oriented their initial gaze more frequently toward threatening than nonthreatening-negative, positive, or neutral images, and (c) evidenced larger startle-eyeblinks to threatening than to nonthreatening-negative, positive, or neutral images. Social-psychological implications for the mind's sensitivity to threat are discussed.
The Approach to Antibodies After Heart Transplantation.

This review summarizes recent data about antibodies after cardiac transplantation, what testing modalities are available and how frequently to employ them, and when treatment is necessary. Technologies available for antibody detection have progressed over the past couple decades. New and preformed antibodies are associated with worse outcomes in transplant recipients. The frequency of screening for post-transplant antibodies and for antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) should be based on risk stratification. The presence of antibodies alone post transplant does not constitute a diagnosis of AMR. Treatment of post-transplant antibodies and AMR should be made in conjunction with consideration of AMR grade and graft dysfunction. Future directions will involve improved detection methods and further understanding of non-HLA antibodies and de novo antibodies in the post-transplant population. Additionally, aggressive efforts are currently underway to provide more therapeutic options.
A phase II trial of lenalidomide plus rituximab in previously untreated follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL): CALGB 50803 (Alliance)

Abstract Background This multicenter, phase II trial tested the tolerability and efficacy of lenalidomide plus rituximab in patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma (FL). Patients and methods Patients with grade 1–3a FL, stage 3–4 or bulky stage 2, FL international prognostic index (FLIPI) 0–2, and no prior therapy were eligible to receive rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly during cycle 1 and day 1 of cycles 4, 6, 8, and 10, plus lenalidomide 20–25 mg on days 1–21 for twelve 28-day cycles. The primary objectives were to evaluate response rates [complete (CR) and overall] and time to progression. Secondary objectives included toxicity, response according to polymorphisms in FcgR2A and FcgR3A, and changes in circulating pro-angiogenic cells. Results From October 2010 to September 2011, 66 patients were enrolled. Median age was 53 years, 34 were female, 15 had bulky disease, 21 were FLIPI 0-1, 43 FLIPI 2, and 2 FLIPI 3. One patient withdrew before receiving treatment. Fifty-one patients completed 12 cycles of lenalidomide. Reasons for discontinuation included withdrawal (n=6), adverse events (n=6), progression (n=2). Grade 3–4 hematologic toxicity included neutropenia (21%), lymphopenia (9%), and thrombocytopenia (2%), infection (11%), and rash (8%). Grade 1–2 toxicity included fatigue (78%), diarrhea (37%), rash (32%), and febrile neutropenia in one patient. The overall response rate was 95%; the CR rate was 72% (95% confidence interval, 60% to 83%). With a median follow-up of 5 years, the 2- and 5-year progression-free survival were 86% and 70%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival was 100%. There was no association between CR rate or PFS and FLIPI, histological grade, bulky disease, FcgR2A/FcgR3A polymorphism, or change in circulating endothelial cell/hematopoietic progenitor cell. Conclusion Lenalidomide plus rituximab was associated with low rates of grade 3–4 toxicity, yielded a CR rate and PFS similar to chemotherapy-based treatment and may represent a reasonable alternative to immunochemotherapy in previously untreated FL. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01145495.
A PHENIX perspective on soft observables in Heavy Ion Collisions

We present an overview of measurements from the PHENIX experiment focusing on soft observables in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The excellent particle identification of the PHENIX detector at low and intermediate transverse momentum provide an extensive set of measurements in nucleus-nucleus collisions and baseline measurements in p+p and d+Au collisions. Thermalized particle spectra, strong elliptic and radial flow, and HBT measurements reveal the global features of the hot QCD medium produced at RHIC energies while fluctuation measurements probe critical behavior near a phase transition. Collectively these measurements reveal a hot, dense medium with partonic degrees of freedom undergoing a locally-thermalized hydrodynamic expansion.
Gendering metapragmatics in online discourse: “Mansplaining man gonna mansplain…”

Abstract This study considers uses of the word mansplain as a phenomenon of gendered metapragmatics, or metalinguistic commentary related to male-female communicative dynamics. Mansplain (a portmanteau of man and explain), a neologism recently popularized on social media, is typically used by women to describe men speaking to women in a patronizing manner. However, the analysis of social media discourse reveals a wider range of meanings and uses, as users employ the word to critique, evaluate and/or normalize the appropriateness of other users’ language. From a dataset of 200 Twitter and Facebook posts, the study analyzes patterns of the word’s functions, showing how uses of mansplain not only expose varying beliefs about how men and women should or should not talk to each other, but also communicate affective and epistemic stances about the value of discussing other people’s language use more generally. Some reactions to the prevalence of the word are observable in various usages of mansplain, demonstrating both acceptance and rejection of gender-specific metalanguage. For example, some use the term deliberately to exhibit metapragmatic self-monitoring (e.g., “Not trying to mansplain but…”). However, others who reject the legitimacy of the term consider it to be a linguistic weapon used to unduly silence men’s voices. I argue that online comments using the word mansplain illuminate multiple sociocultural issues such as: how women, by labeling their verbal repression, are empowered to defy it through metapragmatics; how users retaliate against a gendered term; and how a word can be re-contextualized and re-appropriated transforming its meaning to reflect multiple viewpoints.
Are Peritraumatic Perceptions of Fear/Life Threat and Posttraumatic Negative Self-Conscious Appraisals/Emotions Differentially Associated with PTSD Symptoms?

In light of revisions to the diagnostic classification and criteria of PTSD in the DSM-5 that underscore a range of negative self-related appraisals and emotions beyond fear/anxiety, the current study examined the relative associations of peritraumatic perceptions of fear/life threat and posttraumatic negative self-conscious appraisals and emotions (shame, guilt, negative beliefs about the self, self-blame) with specific PTSD symptom clusters: re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and hyperarousal. The sample included 257 female survivors of intimate partner violence. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that peritraumatic perceptions of fear/life threat and posttraumatic negative self-conscious appraisals/emotions significantly correlated with each of the PTSD symptom clusters. Findings support the conceptualization of PTSD as involving concurrent fear- and self-related cognitive/emotional factors.
The Natural Impermanency of Most Temperate Wetlands

The current generation of mankind is the first to be concerned with the global consequences of human interactions with ecosystems. An unbiased analysis of ecosystems requires the understanding of their individual natural histories. In the following discussion of temperate wetlands and their associated ecosystems, major emphasis is placed on discrimination between temperate wetlands, which formed as artefacts of the global chilling and warming of the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial episodes, and those other wetlands whose natural histories have little or no direct relation with Late Cenozoic climatic variability.
The Cutting Pattern Problem for Tetrahedral Mesh Generation

In this work we study the following cutting pattern problem. Given a triangulated surface (i.e. a two-dimensional simplicial complex), assign each triangle with a triple of ±1, one integer per edge, such that the assignment is both complete (i.e. every triangle has integers of both signs) and consistent (i.e. every edge shared by two triangles has opposite signs in these triangles). We show that this problem is the major challenge in converting a volumetric mesh consisting of prisms into a mesh consisting of tetrahedra, where each prism is cut into three tetrahedra. In this paper we provide a complete solution to this problem for topological disks under various boundary conditions ranging from very restricted one to the most flexible one. For each type of boundary conditions, we provide efficient algorithms to compute valid assignments if there is any, or report the obstructions otherwise. For all the proposed algorithms, the convergence is validated and the complexity is analyzed.
The treatment of cutaneous blastomycosis with propamidine; a preliminary report.

The synthesis of propamidinef (4-4' diamidino-diphenoxypropane) was reported in 1942 by Ewins and his co-workers in the investigation of trypanocidal drugs (1). In 1943, the therapeutic activity of propamidine as a topical antiseptic against Cram positive cocci in chronic wound sepsis was demonstrated by Thrower and Valentine (2) and by other clinical investigators (3, 4, 5). In 1945, Elson reported the in vitro sensitivity of Btastomyces dermetitidis to propamidine (6). B. dermafitidis was completely inhibited by 3.75 micrograms of propamidine per cc. of yeast extract agar. Because of the marked in vitro sensitivity of B. dermatitidis and the absence of toxic symptoms in cases of wound sepsis treated with topical application of propamidine, therapeutic trial in eases of cutaneous blastomycosis seemed warranted. It should be emphasized that, in spite of the lack of toxic symptoms reported, when propamidine is used in concentration of 0.1% as a local antiseptic, this drug and related aromatic diamidines produce general toxic effects when given systemically. After the intravenous injection of 2 mgm. of propamidine per kg. of body weight in the treatment of African sleeping sickness, Lourie (7) noted the production of immediate and severe collapse which was alarming but transitory. Late toxic effects have also have been reported with the use of the aromatic diamidines. Delayed kidney and liver damage and dissociated anesthesia of the trigeminal nerve have been particularly serious. An excellent review of these compounds has been published recently by Sehoenbaeh and Greenspaa (5).
Extracting evolving pathologies via spectral clustering

A bottleneck in the analysis of longitudinal MR scans with white matter brain lesions is the temporally consistent segmentation of the pathology. We identify pathologies in 3D+t(ime) within a spectral graph clustering framework. Our clustering approach simultaneously segments and tracks the evolving lesions by identifying characteristic image patterns at each time-point and voxel correspondences across time-points. For each 3D image, our method constructs a graph where weights between nodes capture the likeliness of two voxels belonging to the same region. Based on these weights, we then establish rough correspondences between graph nodes at different time-points along estimated pathology evolution directions. We combine the graphs by aligning the weights to a reference time-point, thus integrating temporal information across the 3D images, and formulate the 3D+t segmentation problem as a binary partitioning of this graph. The resulting segmentation is very robust to local intensity fluctuations and yields better results than segmentations generated for each time-point.
Neuromuscular Diseases: Neuroanatomic and Differential Diagnoses

The neuromuscular diseases can be defined as those which affect the lower motor neuron (anterior horn cell, AHC), roots and root ganglia, plexus, nerves, neuromuscular junction and muscle. This covers an immense array of illnesses: degenerative, genetic, immune, infectious, metabolic, neoplastic, nutritional, paraneoplastic, traumatic, toxic, and vasculitic. Clearly, a thorough review is neither possible nor intended. An approach to patients with these disorders will be outlined with the major emphasis placed on the history and neurologic examination. The method used herein will be case presentations followed by case analysis.
Spatial heterogeneity in the abundance and fecundity of Arctic mosquitoes

The abundance of mosquitoes is strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic factors that act on the immature (aquatic) and adult (terrestrial) life stages. Rapid changes in land use and climate, which impact aquatic and terrestrial mosquito habitat, necessitate studying the ecological mechanisms, and their interplay with the changing environment, that affect mosquito abundance. These data are crucial for anticipating how environmental change will impact their roles as pests, disease vectors, and in food webs. We studied a population of Arctic mosquitoes (Aedes nigripes, Diptera: Culicidae) in western Greenland, a region experiencing rapid environmental change, to quantify spatial variation in adult abundance and reproduction. Using sweep nets, we collected about sevenfold more mosquitoes within the town of Kangerlussuaq and within a low‐elevation tundra valley compared to three other tundra locations. Dissections of adult female mosquitoes revealed that only 17% were gravid overall, with a range of 7–43% among sites. If gravid, mosquitoes matured an average of 60 eggs per individual—more in larger females. We found no indication of autogenous egg development. Analyses using our field data indicated that spatial variation in adult fecundity and survival of immatures could each account for a 10‐fold range in the per capita growth of mosquito populations. The availability of vertebrate hosts and aquatic habitat is changing in many parts of the Arctic and can be expected to influence Arctic mosquito abundance. In the Arctic, and elsewhere, life‐history data from natural populations of mosquitoes will significantly aid in understanding controls on the abundance of these globally ubiquitous insects.
MIMoSA: An Approach to Automatically Segment T2 Hyperintense and T1 Hypointense Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for in vivo detection and characterization of white matter lesions (WML) in multiple sclerosis (MS). The most widely established MRI outcome measure is the volume of hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted images (T2L). Unfortunately, T2L are non-specific for the level of tissue destruction and show a weak relationship to clinical status. Interest in lesions appearing hypointense on T1-weighted images (T1L) (“black holes”), which provide more specificity for axonal loss and a closer link to neurologic disability, has thus grown. The technical difficulty of T1L segmentation has led investigators to rely on time-consuming manual assessments prone to inter- and intra-rater variability. We implement MIMoSA, a current T2L automatic segmentation approach, to delineate T1L. Using cross-validation, MIMoSA proved robust for segmenting both T2L and T1L. For T2L, a Sorensen-Dice coefficient (DSC) of 0.6 and partial AUC (pAUC) up to 1% false positive rate of 0.69 were achieved. For T1L, 0.48 DSC and 0.63 pAUC were achieved. The correlation between EDSS and manual versus automatic volumes were similar for T1L (0.32 manual vs. 0.34 MIMoSA) and T2L (0.34 vs. 0.34).
Sensibilities of Artificial Intelligence

The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate a methodology of design which interrogates aspects of Artificial Intelligence and it’s abilities to develop novel sensibilities. The presented project, The Church of AI (Fig. 1), discusses the design technique itself as well as the underlying aspects of aesthetic, ethic and existence. The project started in the course Architectural Automations. An Advanced Design Studio of PennDesign [1], with the focus on the transforming potential of Artificial Intelligence and automation in architecture. The results of the studio addressed aspects of autonomous behavior in construction (Performative Machine [2]), the changed relationship to creative practice (Golden Playhouse [3]) and Worship & AI (Church of AI [4]). The later was selected as a topic for this paper as it demonstrates in a provocative fashion the multitude of lenses of observation for a problem like Artificial Intelligence and Architecture. Not only as a toolset to optimize very specific elements of architecture such as floorplan, material consumption and structure, but rather to emphasize architectures ability to serve as a cultural marker and place of worship. In that extent it proposes a position that radically challenges the idea of computational methodologies as tools of expedience and efficiency and rather embraces the possibility to use it as a tool of communication between the human mindset and an, as to this date, alien intelligence. Alien in the sense of defamiliarization or estrangement [5]. Following intense conversations in the studio about the nature of AI, and its possible impact on architecture the project The Church of AI started speculating about the various possible aesthetic conversations possible through the use of AI. Of course, AI is a generalist term that includes a wide range of approaches and ideas. In order to make progress within the frame of one semester a more specific approach was needed. The main question was wither an AI could create a novel sensibility based on specific datasets, and how human intervention could steer the results. Exploring possibilities for a Human/AI collaboration. Open image in new window Fig. 1. The Project Church of AI by Marianna Sanche & Leete Jane Wang – University of Pennsylvania 2018
Hypersurface Singularities. Nearby and Vanishing Cycles

Some of the early applications of the theory of perverse sheaves appear in Singularity Theory, for the study of complex hypersurface singularities. In Section 10.1 we give a brief overview of the local topological structure of hypersurface singularities, as originally described by Milnor. In Section 10.2 we investigate the global topology of complex hypersurfaces by means of invariants inspired by knot theory. The nearby and vanishing cycle functors, introduced in Section 10.3, are used to glue the local topological data around the singularities. Concrete applications of nearby and vanishing cycles are presented in Section 10.4 (to the computation of Euler characteristics of complex projective hypersurfaces), in Section 10.5 (for obtaining generalized Riemann–Hurwitz-type formulae), and in Section 10.6 (for deriving homological connectivity statements for the local topology of complex singularities).
Advancing the Use of an Analytical Hierarchy Process and Improved Random Indexes for Making Prioritized Decisions in Systems

In the early stages of the systems engineering process, an important focus is to create an understanding of the stakeholder needs. This is primarily done to prepare the system specification that forms the basis for the system’s design. By extension, example steps in this process include surveying stakeholders to better capture their intent, deriving and documenting requirements, and then using those requirements for subsequent activities, such as developing a functional baseline and candidate design alternatives. During this process, it is important to consider the full system lifecycle. As such, one major objective of a systems engineer is to translate the stakeholder’s needs into functional and nonfunctional requirements (NFRs). Despite this important role, early system designs are often faulty because important NFRs are poorly prioritized or not prioritized at all. While the prioritization of all requirements can be useful, this work focuses specifically on NFRs. It has been identified that the inability to identify the most useful NFRs can lead to system failure. Furthermore, the lack of NFR prioritization is considered one of the most expensive and difficult errors to correct, as well as one of the ten most significant risks in engineering. Systems need more emphasis on the relationships between the system’s elements, rather than on the individual elements or the whole system. Relationships among elements in a system can illustrate more than just the behavior of each element. The illustration can include the purpose for the system and the implications of changing how the NFRs associated with those elements are prioritized. This emphasis requires quantifiable tools and rigor to inform the decision makers. This research’s objective is to contribute to quantifiable decision-making methods and prioritization of NFRs in three ways: the development of a process to determine unique random index; the use of a continuous ranking scale; and the development of a universal decision-making heuristic to accompany prioritization of NFRs.
Preventing Dog Bites: It Is Not Only about the Dog.

Background: Dog bites can have an array of negative health impacts on victims. Research focusing on the correlates of bites focused on limited sets of variables and produced conflicting findings. Objective: To expand knowledge about the correlates of dog bites by exploring a comprehensive set of variables related to the nature of the dog and the circumstances surrounding the bite not commonly explored in extant research. Methods: Data were drawn from police department reports of dog bites in the city of Detroit between 2007–2015; 478 dog bites were reported. Multiple regression was used to determine the significant correlates of dog bites, focusing on the nature of the dog and the circumstances surrounding the bite. Results: Bites were caused by a neighborhood dog. Thirty-two percent of the reports involved dogs running loose; 25% dogs that had escaped from a fenced or unfenced yard; 9% escaped from their home; and 8% had broken off a chain, were being walked, or were in their own home. Based on multiple regression, the victim was most likely bitten in their own yard by a single neighborhood dog that escaped from its home or yard. Breed of dog was not correlated with bites in multiple regression. Conclusions: The greatest risk of bites does not come from wandering feral dogs. Based on multiple regression, the victim was most likely bitten in their own yard by a single neighborhood dog that escaped from its home or yard. Human error often contributes to bites.
Changes in Firearm and Medication Storage Practices in Homes of Youths at Risk for Suicide: Results of the SAFETY Study, a Clustered, Emergency Department–Based, Multisite, Stepped-Wedge Trial

Study objective We evaluate whether a counseling intervention implemented at the hospital level resulted in safer firearm and medication storage by caregivers of youths aged 10 to 17 years after their child’s evaluation in the emergency department (ED) for a behavioral health concern. Methods We used a stepped-wedge clustered design rolled out at 4 hospital sites to assess primary preregistered outcomes (self-reported storage changes caregivers made to household firearms and medications), assessed by survey 2 weeks after the ED visit. Three logistic models provided estimates of the intervention effect: an unadjusted model, a model with hospital-level fixed effects, and a model that further adjusts for time. Results Of the 575 caregiver participants, 208 were firearm owners (123 in usual care, 85 in the intervention). Baseline (pre-ED visit) characteristics did not differ between usual care and intervention phases. During the 2-year study period, twice as many caregivers whose child visited the ED after (compared with before) a hospital adopted the intervention improved firearm storage and 3 times as many improved medication storage (odds ratio [OR]=2.1 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.0 to ∞] and OR=3.0 [95% CI 2.2 to ∞], respectively). After adjusting for time, the intervention effect for medications persisted (OR=2.0 [95% CI 1.0 to ∞]); the effect on firearms did not (OR=0.7 [95% CI 0.1 to ∞]). Conclusion To our knowledge, this study is the first controlled trial to estimate the effectiveness of an intervention on firearm and medication storage in homes of youths at elevated risk of suicide. We found evidence that caregivers’ medication storage improved after their child’s ED visit, with evidence suggestive of improvement for firearm storage.
Chapter 2 – Sigmund Freud

Freud was a devote atheist throughout his life. He wrote a number of books about religion as an illusion created by humankind to compensate for peoples’ insecurities. Being ever faithful to his oedipal theory, it was inevitable that God would eventually take the form of a male. Even spiritual experiences, or oceanic feelings, were considered by Freud to be a regressive attempt at securing the original attachment with a parent. As Freud aged, and with the advent of the life instinct, it appears he might have begun to soften his reductionist evaluation of religions. However, he always maintained that eventually, due to the continued evolution of humanity’s higher reasoning, there would come a day when people no longer need religions.
A skillset and a stance: Program planning for cultural competence and cultural humility in home visitation.

Abstract Cultural competence has long been valued in home visitation, with a special focus on adapting home visiting programs to maximize their effects on specific cultures and populations. Critics advocate that traditional cultural competence training focusing on individual, professional skills-building should be replaced by cultural humility approaches that focus on humble engagement of participants. Little is known about how home visiting programs serving broadly diverse populations experience cultural competence and/or cultural humility efforts and initiatives on the ground. Interviews approximately 90−120 min in length were conducted with 34 home visiting program administrators in a large Midwestern state. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded thematically, and subjected to content analysis. Two themes were identified from interviews. Respondents emphasized that: 1) cultural competency training was required by home visiting program models, so cultural competency questions were always addressed in home visitation, especially in training for new home visitors; and 2) cultural competence also included many aspects of cultural humility, commitment to continuous self-evaluation and self-reflection on cultural encounters that identified cultural knowledge gaps and sought more information. Respondents did not see cultural competency and cultural humility as oppositional and saw both concepts as important for engaging participants in home visitation.
The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Otolaryngology Resident Education.

Objectives/Introduction:Laryngology is an expanding field that has been increasingly incorporated into otolaryngology resident training programs nationwide. The exposure to the field is variable ac...