cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TriState-SET: Proactive SET for improved performance of MLC phase change memories

The emerging Phase Change Memory (PCM) has many advantages such as good scalability and low leakage. MLC (Multi-Level Cell) PCM further extends the benefits by storing two or more bits per cell and thus reducing the per bit cost. However, adopting MLC PCM in main memory often leads to long write latency, high energy consumption, and degraded performance. In this paper, we propose TriState-SET, a proactive-SET based write strategy for improving MLC PCM write performance. TriState-SET proactively places device cells of a dirty memory line in full SET state. By utilizing only three states of 2bit MLC PCM, TriState-SET involves only fast state transitions when writing such a line at write-back time. Our experimental results show that TriState-SET increases performance by 11% and saves system energy by 6.7% (up to 12.2%), while achieving up to 25% (average 14.1%) energy-delay-product improvement.
Section 6694 Preparer Penalties and Tax Advice: The Latest on the Constantly Moving Target

Tax, business planning, and estate planning attorneys must be familiar with the ethical rules governing practice before the IRS, including the standards applicable to giving tax advice to clients. This paper will provide an overview of the recent changes to the tax advice rules in both the Internal Revenue Code and in Treasury Circular 230. These changes will have an impact on every lawyer practicing in business or estate planning, trust administration, or tax law. The paper will concentrate on the recent amendments to section 6694 and the new proposed regulations interpreting and applying those amendments.
Abstract W P293: Opportunities For Interventions In Stroke-Dizziness Presentations: A Prospective Single Center Surveillance Study

Objective: Ischemic stroke can be a diagnostic dilemma in presentations of acute dizziness and increased resources will likely be required to reduce instances of misdiagnosis. To inform the potential value of the deployment of increased resources, we sought to describe opportunities for therapeutic interventions from a series of acute dizziness-stroke patients who had diagnostic uncertainty (i.e., only mild or no general neurologic deficits) on presentation. Methods: Active and passive surveillance methods were used at a tertiary care center to identify acute dizziness patients with nystagmus or imbalance, excluding those with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, medical causes, or moderate-to-severe neurologic deficits. Stroke was defined as any acute infarction on a clinical or research MRI performed within 14 days of dizziness onset. Results: From November 21, 2009, to March 29, 2013, we identified 26 patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting with dizziness and either mild or no general neurologic deficits. Infarction volume was small ( 10cm3) in 5 (19%). The proportion of cases arriving within 3, 4.5, and 6 hours of symptom onset was 38% (10), 38% (10), and 46% (12). Two cases were treated with thrombolysis. Half of all cases were already prescribed a statin medication at the time of presentation and 42% (11) were already prescribed an antiplatelet or anticoagulant. One patient met clinical eligibility for sub-occipital craniectomy. Three patients were discharged to a skilled nursing facility (1) or acute rehabilitation (2), whereas the majority (22; 85%) were discharged home. Conclusion: In this single center study which used rigorous surveillance and imaging-based methods to capture cases of acute dizziness-ischemic stroke with only mild or no general neurologic deficits, we found that a minority of patients met time requirements for acute treatments, nearly half were already on secondary prevention medications, and the majority did not require discharge to a skilled nursing facility or acute rehabilitation.
Steroid Hormone Pathways in the Pig, with Special Emphasis on Boar Odor: A Review

Although castration of male pigs grown for meat production has long been a commercial practice in order to eliminate an undesirable odor emanating from the meat upon heating, intact males (boars) grow faster, utilize feed more efficiently and produce leaner carcasses. This review outlines the biochemical pathways of steroid hormone formation in the pig, placing special emphasis on the C19-delta 16-steroids, which have been shown to produce the "urine- or perspiration-like" odor of boar meat. Analytical methods currently available for quantitation of the C19-delta 16-steroids are also reviewed, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, radioimmunoassays and enzyme-linked-immuno-absorbent-assays (ELISA). Finally, methods for preventing boar odor are discussed, such as environmental methods of rearing boars, genetic selection against boar odor and autoimmunization against C19-delta 16-steroids. Autoimmunization techniques appear to offer the most promise for inhibiting production of the compounds responsible for boar odor in male pigs raised for meat production, while still maintaining the advantages of improved efficiency and greater leanness.
Evidence for a mitochondrial angiotensin-(1–7) system in the kidney

Evidence for an intracellular renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in various cell organelles now includes the endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, and mitochondria (Mito). Indeed, angiotensin (ANG) AT1 and AT2 receptor subtypes were functionally linked to Mito respiration and nitric oxide production, respectively, in previous studies. We undertook a biochemical analysis of the Mito RAS from male and female sheep kidney cortex. Mito were isolated by differential centrifugation followed by a discontinuous Percoll gradient and were coenriched in Mito membrane markers VDAC and ATP synthase, but not β-actin or cathepsin B. Two distinct renin antibodies identified a 37-kDa protein band in Mito; angiotensinogen (Aogen) conversion was abolished by the inhibitor aliskiren. Mito Aogen was detected by an Aogen antibody to an internal sequence of the protein, but not with an antibody directed against the ANG I N terminus. ANG peptides were quantified by three direct RIAs; mitochondrial ANG II and ANG-(1-7) contents were higher compared with ANG I (23 ± 8 and 58 ± 17 vs. 2 ± 1 fmol/mg protein; P < 0.01, n = 3). 125I-ANG I metabolism primarily revealed the formation of 125I-ANG-(1-7) in Mito that reflects the endopeptidases neprilysin and thimet oligopeptidase. Last, immunoblot studies utilizing the ANG-(1-7)/Mas receptor antibody revealed the protein in isolated Mito from sheep renal cortex. Collectively, the current data demonstrate that Mito actively metabolize the RAS precursor protein Aogen, suggesting that ANG-(1-7) may be generated within Mito to establish an intramitochondrial RAS tone and contribute to renal mitochondrial function.
Rflex vasodilatation in the cat and dog anesthetized with ketamine.

ConclusionReflex vasodilatation elicited by iv administration of norepinephrine was of a similar magnitude in the ketamine anesthetized dog and cat. In the dog an active component of the response was clearly manifested, whereas in the cat this was not the case. The cat anesthetized with ketamine, however, had a high degree of sympathetic vascular tone which appears to have accounted for a greater reflex vasodilator response than that obtained in the chloralose anesthetized animal.
Mammalian Neural Structure

In this chapter, some basic material on the structure of the human brain is presented. This includes simplified flow of information diagrams in terms of brain modules such as cortex and thalamus among others. Since the brain is a three dimensional structure, understanding how these modules interact is difficult to visualize, so simple cartoon images of how various brain structures relate to others is presented through two dimensional slice information. In addition, pathways for the flow of neurotransmitter signals are laid out as well as abstract models of the key building blocks of cortical structure.
The Welfare of Animals and Its Relevance to Our Health

Whether humans will ever find peace is up for conjecture, but this book aims to demonstrate that until we improve the welfare of non-human animals, we will never find health. For many involved in the health field, this proclamation will come as a great surprise. For others, it might be viewed as approaching heresy. How could the medical field, which is charged with the enormous responsibility of promoting human health and alleviating our suffering, also be concerned about the welfare of animals? It may be argued that animal welfare has nothing to do with human health, or even, more broadly, with human welfare. Yet, the notion that the way in which we treat animals impacts our own welfare is not a new one. Philosophers, scientists and other thinkers, dating from ancient Greece to modern times, have long suggested that when we disregard the welfare of other animals it may come back to haunt us in one way or another. The list of such thinkers is long and includes distinguished names such as Pythagoras, Plutarch, Socrates, Albert Einstein, St Francis of Assisi, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant and Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Number Sentence Trios.

If a number shown on the line does not work in a given sentence, put an "X" in the circle and call it a "can't use" number. For example, using 1 in the sentence □ 2 > 3 requires t e computation 1-2. Since 1-2 cannot be done within the set of whole numbers, X is put in the circle abov 1. This activity can also be done with a series of student work cards, laminated if possible, for ease in cleaning for reuse. A typical study card is shown in figure 1, along with the answer key for that activity.
Abstract 5242: Utilization of next-generation sequencing to identify clinically-relevant mutations in cell-free circulating tumor DNA from patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a uniquely lethal malignancy characterized by frequent mutations in KRAS, CDKN2A, SMAD4, TP53 and many other genes. Molecular characterization is complicated by relatively few patients presenting with surgically resectable disease, frequent absence of metastases in easily accessible sites, and short patient survival. We have shown that KRAS mutation can be detected in cell-free, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from the plasma in a subset of patients and is associated with poor prognosis. The ability to simultaneously detect multiple pancreatic cancer-specific mutations in ctDNA would open a new avenue for detection of clinically-relevant mutations. We collected blood from 28 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer prior to treatment on a phase II clinical trial of pharmacodynamically separated gemcitabine and erlotinib. DNA was extracted from both plasma and available matched FFPE tumor specimens and evaluated with the GeneRead DNA QuantiMIZE System (Qiagen). The mutation status of 160 commonly-mutated genes was determined using an amplicon sequencing assay. Sequencing libraries were prepared from DNA samples (40 ng input) by targeted enrichment of exonic regions using the Qiagen GeneRead Human Comprehensive Cancer Panel, which encompasses >744 kb genomic content with ∼8,000 amplicons. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on the Illumina MiSeq for validation analyses of a subset of matched tumor-ctDNA samples, and subsequently on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 for ultra-deep sequencing (1,000X) of the entire sample set. Read mapping, variant discovery, and functional annotation were performed with the Qiagen GeneRead Variant Calling Pipeline. The technical success of this sequencing assay for ctDNA, as well as FFPE DNA, was demonstrated by the resulting data meeting the expected NGS quality standards, including a high percentage of mappable reads (∼90%). In addition, the integrity of the sequencing data obtained from ctDNA samples was supported by detection of 82-94% of the variants found in each matched tumor. Somatic, non-synonymous variants were identified in 29 different genes and at allele frequencies typically Citation Format: Clifford G. Tepper, Ryan R. Davis, Stephenie Y. Liu, Rebekah A. Tsai, Irene M. Hutchins, Philip C. Mack, Thomas J. Semrad. Utilization of next-generation sequencing to identify clinically-relevant mutations in cell-free circulating tumor DNA from patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5242. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5242
When the fences come down: twenty-first-century lessons from metropolitan school desegregation

In this book, Siegel-Hawley travels back through the history of four Upper South Metropolitan Areas in order to understand the paths and roadblocks for regional school and housing desegregation. Sp...
Aligning the flow cytometric evaluation with the diagnostic need: an evidence-based approach

Aims Elimination of non-value added testing without compromising high-quality clinical care is an important mandate for laboratories in a value-based reimbursement system. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal combination of flow cytometric markers for a screening approach that balances efficiency and accuracy. Methods An audit over 9 months of flow cytometric testing was performed, including rereview of all dot plots from positive cases. Results Of the 807 cases in which leukaemia/lymphoma testing was performed, 23 were non-diagnostic and 189 represented bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. Of the remaining 595 cases, 137 (23%) were positive for an abnormal haematolymphoid population. Review of the positive cases identified minimum requirements for a screening tube as well as analysis strategies to overcome the diagnostic pitfalls noted. It is estimated that 38% fewer antibodies would be used in a screening approach, representing an opportunity for significant cost savings. Conclusions We provide a framework for developing an evidence-based screening combination for cost-effective characterisation of haematolymphoid malignancies, promoting adoption of ‘just-in-time’ testing systems that tailor the evaluation to the diagnostic need.
Identification and mapping of fruit rot resistance QTL in American cranberry using GBS

Sustainability of the cranberry industry is threatened by widespread and increasing losses due to fruit rot in the field as well as increasing restrictions on fungicide inputs. Breeding for resistance offers a partial solution but is challenging because fruit rot is caused by a complex of pathogenic fungi that can vary by location and from year to year. We identified four genetically diverse germplasm accessions that exhibit broad-spectrum fruit rot resistance under field conditions. Three of these accessions were used in biparental crosses to develop four populations segregating for resistance. Genotyping by sequencing was used to generate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for development of high-density genetic maps and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses. Nineteen QTL associated with fruit rot resistance, distributed on nine linkage groups, were discovered in our populations. Three of these QTL matched previously reported fruit rot resistance QTL. Four newly reported QTL found on linkage group 8 (Vm8), which explain between 21 and 33% of the phenotypic variance for fruit rot, are of particular interest to our breeding program. The populations described herein were also phenotyped for other horticulturally important traits, and QTL associated with yield and berry weight were identified. These QTL provide markers for candidate gene discovery and for future breeding efforts to enhance and pyramid disease resistance and other traits into elite horticultural backgrounds.
I'll Take My Science Spicy, Please.

The Task by William Cowper was published in 1785. This blank verse poem in 6 books helped spark the Romantic era, commented on social issues to encourage change and influenced English authors, notably Jane Austen. The Task still resonates in modern times with Cowper’s catchphrase “variety is the very spice of life,” reminding us to embrace and diversify our perspective through new experiences and dynamic relationships. Diversity is advantageous and preferred in nearly all aspects of life. Even in biology, heterogeneity of selected cell populations and single-cell molecular profile variations are essential for population-level function as “functional diversity facilitates collective behavior that otherwise would be inaccessible to a homogenous population.”1 Drawing from cellular biological diversity, we as scientists should incorporate diverse educational and experiential knowledge from ongoing personal and professional development. Training and mentoring the next generation of scientists requires blended career knowledge. I admire researchers with diverse educational experience and believe that from diversifying one’s knowledge and experience a broader range of working skills and professional network emerges. With having a diverse perspective, creative problem solving and a willingness to entertain and accept new or alternative viewpoints are gained. This is not to be interpreted that a scientist should not have a particular research theme rather there are experiences, skills, and training beyond STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to be successful in …
Computer Analysis of Buckling of Imperfect Shells

A digital computer program for the geometrically nonlinear static and dynamic response of arbitrarily loaded shells of revolution known as SATANS has been modified to account for arbitrary, naturally occurring initial geometric imperfections of any shape, location, or extent. Two specific axially loaded thin circular cylinders are analyzed using actual measured initial imperfections. Detailed numerical studies are conducted to determine the buckling loads of the perfect and imperfect cylinders. Several sets of boundary conditions are considered. An analysis procedure for imperfect shells is proposed. The numerically predicted buckling loads of the two cylinders are within 4% of the experimental buckling loads.
When Women Give Health Advice Online, Do We Listen? The Effect of Source Sex on Credibility and Likelihood to Use Online Health Advice

This experiment examined the effect of source sex on perceptions of source credibility and likelihood to use health advice given by an online source as well as the potential interaction effect betw...
Network Synchronization Through Stochastic Broadcasting

Synchronization is often observed in interacting dynamical systems, comprising natural, and technological networks; however, seldom do we have precise knowledge and control over the synchronous trajectory. In this letter, we investigate the possibility of controlling the synchronization of a network by broadcasting from a single reference node. We consider the general case in which broadcasting is not static, but stochastically switches in time. Through an analytical treatment of the Lyapunov exponents of the error dynamics between the network and the reference node, we obtain an explicit dependence of synchronization on the strength of the broadcasting signal, the eigenvalues of the network Laplacian matrix, and the switching probabilities of broadcasting. For coupled chaotic tent maps, we demonstrate that: 1) time averaging fails to predict the onset of controlled synchronization and 2) the success of broadcasting depends on the network topology, where the more heterogeneous the network is, the more difficult it is to control.
Sources of maladaptive behavior in 'normal' organisms

A basic assumption of most researchers is that behavior is generally functional, and indeed, in most instances the function is obvious. But in a number of cases, some behaviors of neurophysiologically 'normal' organisms appear to be maladaptive. Considerable research has been conducted to understand the basis of such behavior as well as how the frequency of such behavior can be reduced. Here we provide a brief panoramic review of the major sources of maladaptive behavior in neurophysiologically 'normal' organisms: a) altered environmental contingencies relative to those faced by ancestral generations in their environment of evolutionary adaptation, b) altered environmental contingencies within the lifespan of the animal, c) linked behaviors in which the dysfunctional behavior is a linked companion of a more valuable beneficial trait, and d) the labeling of some behaviors as 'maladaptive' when more careful examination finds that they provide net benefit. Most of our attention is on the consequences of altered contingencies across and within a generation, with altered contingencies within a generation constituting a form of associative interference. The central issue in these two cases can be framed in terms of insufficient or excessive transfer of training resulting in maladaptive behavior. We discuss the functional basis of successful and unsuccessful near transfer (i.e., stimulus and response generalization) and far transfer (including rule learning and abstraction).
Distinct roles of XPF-ERCC1 and Rad1-Rad10-Saw1 in replication-coupled and uncoupled inter-strand crosslink repair

Yeast Rad1-Rad10 (XPF-ERCC1 in mammals) incises UV, oxidation, and cross-linking agent-induced DNA lesions, and contributes to multiple DNA repair pathways. To determine how Rad1-Rad10 catalyzes inter-strand crosslink repair (ICLR), we examined sensitivity to ICLs from yeast deleted for SAW1 and SLX4, which encode proteins that interact physically with Rad1-Rad10 and bind stalled replication forks. Saw1, Slx1, and Slx4 are critical for replication-coupled ICLR in mus81 deficient cells. Two rad1 mutations that disrupt interactions between Rpa1 and Rad1-Rad10 selectively disable non-nucleotide excision repair (NER) function, but retain UV lesion repair. Mutations in the analogous region of XPF also compromised XPF interactions with Rpa1 and Slx4, and are proficient in NER but deficient in ICLR and direct repeat recombination. We propose that Rad1-Rad10 makes distinct contributions to ICLR depending on cell cycle phase: in G1, Rad1-Rad10 removes ICL via NER, whereas in S/G2, Rad1-Rad10 facilitates NER-independent replication-coupled ICLR.
Inhibition of growth of Staphylococcus aureus during production of acidophilus yogurt

Inhibition of growth of a pathogenic strain of Staphylococcus aureus and production of a metabolite, thermostable deoxyribonuclease (TDNase), in acidophilus yogurt and yogurt were investigated. The causative factors of inhibition (lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocin) were assessed. Accumulation of hydrogen peroxide after 2 h of fermentation was 0.88 p-g/ml, which caused a significant difference in the population of S. aureus between yogurts with and without catalase. Growth of S. aureus in the acidified yogurt was reduced after 4 h of fermentation when the pH of the medium was 4.8 or lower. Significant differences were found for the S. aureus populations of the acidified treatment and acidophilus yogurt with catalase suggesting that inhibition was due to bacteriocin(s) produced during the yogurt fermentation. The TDNase was significantly lower in the acidified yogurt and was totally inhibited in the three cultured yogurts during the fermentation period.
Phospholipid vesicle fusion induced by cations and poly-( ethylene glycol)

Membrane fusion is one of the essential events involved in many biological cellular processes such as exocytosis, endocytosis, membrane recycling, cell membrane assembly, fertilization, viral and bacterial infectious processes, etc. (Poste and Allison 1973, Rasmussen 1970, Blumenthal 1987, Ohnishi 1988). In spite of extensive research on membrane fusion, its molecular mechanism is not well understood. This is probably due to the fact that membrane fusions are attained through various molecular pathways depending on different biological fusion events (Duzgunes and Bronner 1988), and also biological membranes are composed of complex molecular structures (Houslay and Stanley 1982).
Consent or Coercion? A Critical Analysis of the Constitutional Contract

Humans are social creatures, and any social organization requires an understanding among its members about how individuals in the society interact, what their obligations are to fellow members of society, and what they can expect from others. This understanding is the social contract. The social contract is universal, in that as far back as history can trace, and in every place around the world, humans have always lived in groups and have always worked cooperatively. Constitutions are a formalization of the parts of the social contract that specify what obligations the group compels from its members, and what rights group members are entitled to in return. In contrast to the Constitutional contract, social norms are a part of the social contract that conveys behavioral expectations, but without a formal set of sanctions for those who do not conform.
Mössbauer Effect Studies of Spinodal Decomposition in Fe-Cr

Mossbauer effect studies have been carried out to investigate the 475°C decomposition of binary Fe-Cr alloys. Homogenized and quenched alloys of compositions Fe-24, 30, 37, 44, and 60 at. %Cr gave complex spectra at room temperature. Satisfactory fitting of the data was obtained by assuming random atomic arrangement and Mossbauer parameters obtained from dilute Fe-Cr alloys. These fits indicate that the fractional change of the iron hyperfine field due to an additional chromium nearest or next-nearest neighbor remains virtually constant over this wide composition range. The effect of more distant neighbors is evidenced by the required assumption of linewidths somewhat larger than natural.
Finding the Sources and Targets of Subjective Expressions

As many popular text genres such as blogs or news contain opinions by multiple sources and about multiple targets, finding the sources and targets of subjective expressions becomes an important sub-task for automatic opinion analysis systems. We argue that while automatic semantic role labeling systems (ASRL) have an important contribution to make, they cannot solve the problem for all cases. Based on the experience of manually annotating opinions, sources, and targets in various genres, we present linguistic phenomena that require knowledge beyond that of ASRL systems. In particular, we address issues relating to the attribution of opinions to sources; sources and targets that are realized as zero-forms; and inferred opinions. We also discuss in some depth that for arguing attitudes we need to be able to recover propositions and not only argued-about entities. A recurrent theme of the discussion is that close attention to specific discourse contexts is needed to identify sources and targets correctly.
A Decade of Online Advertising Research: What We Learned and What We Need to Know

Since the appearance of the first banner ad, online advertising has evolved significantly and now accounts for a substantial portion of all advertising spending. As online advertising tools prolife...
How to Keep the Small Bowel from Getting in the Way of a Laparoscopic Operation

Gravity is extremely useful in keeping the small bowel away from the laparoscopic field. If repositioning of the patient is not adequate, placement of a moist sponge or a lap pad can be effective in retracting the small bowel away.
THE INTERNAL VELOCITY FIELD IN BREAKING WAVES.

As far as is known, the results presented here are the first detailed measurements of the horizontal velocity component inside breaking waves. The field study was originally undertaken in 1960 to determine the presence and strength of mid-depth return flow under shoaling waves (Miller and Zeigler, 1961, 1964). In the course of the experiment, a series of measurements was made very close to the shore. During one tidal cycle, the instruments became exposed to breakers, and continued to operate. A study of the resulting data convinced us that detailed velocity measurements could be made within the natural breaker m the field. Accordingly, a series of runs was made and velocity data collected on breakers ranging from very small to storm size. This data will be presented and discussed in detail in a later portion of this paper. A number of laboratory studies have been made on breakers. These may be placed in three categories for our purposes. The first group includes detailed discussion of observations and sequential figures illustrating the development of breakers. An example is Mason (1951). The second group of papers gives some detail on the structure of breakers and presents, either by direct photograph or sketch of, the trajectory inside the breakers. Examples are Hamada (1951) and Morison and Crooke (1953). The third group of papers presents, in addition to most of the material referred to above, a series of vector maps of the internal velocity under various types of breakers, including both sinusoidal and solitary wave generated breakers. Papers in the third category include Iversen (1951), Larras (1952), and Ippen and Kulin (1955). The latter were of most direct interest to us within the context of the present study.
Outlier Accommodation in Nonlinear State Estimation: A Risk-Averse Performance- Specified Approach

This article presents a novel state estimation approach to the challenge of preventing outlier measurements from affecting the accuracy and reliability of state estimation. Since outliers can degrade the performance of state estimation, outlier accommodation is critical. The most common method for outlier accommodation utilizes a Neyman–Pearson (NP)-type test in a (extended) Kalman filter (KF) to detect and remove residuals greater than a designer specified threshold. Such threshold-based methods may use residuals arbitrarily close to the threshold, even when they are not needed to achieve an application’s performance specification. Outlier measurements that pass the residual test (i.e., missed detections) result in incorrect information being incorporated into the state and error covariance estimates. Once the state and covariance are incorrect, subsequent outlier decisions may be incorrect, possibly causing divergence. Risk-averse performance-specified (RAPS) state estimation works within an optimization setting to choose a set of measurements that achieves a performance specification with (locally) minimum risk of outlier inclusion. This article derives and formulates the RAPS solution for outlier accommodation. The approach applies to both linear and nonlinear applications. The main focus of this article is nonlinear applications. Linear applications are a special case of the results herein. This article contains RAPS implementation results for the nonlinear application that uses global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) and inertial measurements to estimate the state of a vehicle. The RAPS performance is compared with the traditional NP-EKF.
Associations Over Time Between Paid Medical Malpractice Claims and Imaging Utilization in the United States.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to explore state-level relationships between the incidence and payout amounts for medical malpractice claims and Medicare imaging utilization and spending across the United States. Methods Using claims data from a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries for 2004 to 2016, annual state population-adjusted rates of imaging utilization and spending were calculated. Using National Practitioner Data Bank files, all paid physician malpractice claims were identified, and lagged state population-adjusted rolling averages of paid claim frequencies and payout amounts were calculated. Controlling for secular trends and state fixed effects with robust standard errors clustered at the state level to account for serial autocorrelation, associations between imaging utilization and lagged paid malpractice claims were assessed using multivariate regression models. Log-log model specification was used to obtain elasticity measures. Results Between 2004 and 2016, national Medicare diagnostic imaging utilization and spending declined by 31.4% and 47.2%, respectively (from 355,057 to 243,517 examinations and from $28,591,146 to $15,099,291 per 100,000 beneficiaries). Overall national paid malpractice claims and payout amounts declined by 46.4% and 39.6%, respectively (from 4.83 to 2.59 claims and from $1,803,565 to $1,089,112 per 100,000 population). After controlling for secular trends and state fixed effects, advanced imaging utilization was positively associated with the lagged number of per capita paid malpractice claims. Each 1% increase in average paid malpractice claims was associated with a subsequent 0.20% increase in advanced imaging utilization (P = .001). Conclusions Positive associations between paid malpractice claims and advanced Medicare imaging utilization support the contention that US physicians use medical imaging as a defensive medicine strategy.
The growing legacy of a Great Observatory: Spitzer publications

After 16.5 years the Spitzer Space Telescope was decommissioned on 30Jan2020. We present a look at the legacy of Spitzer: the 9200+ papers that have used data from the telescope and are catalogued in the Spitzer Bibliographical Database. Over the lifetime of this Great Observatory, cryogenic depletion and budget constraints brought on operational changes that in turn impacted the publication rates. This paper looks into the differences in publication rates between the Spitzer cryogenic and warm missions, and identifies those fields on the sky with especially high data reuse rates and many papers. In addition it provides a look into the citations of Spitzer fundamental papers, as well as how well authors identified the data they used. From data that were used once, to data that were used many times; the legacy of the Spitzer mission continues to grow even after the data collection has finished, and its full impact will not be known for years to come.
A Machine Learning Approach for the Prediction of Formability and Thermodynamic Stability of Single and Double Perovskite Oxides

Perovskite oxides continue to attract huge interest due to their fascinating and wide-ranging properties for diverse applications. The tunability of these properties may be further enhanced by incr...
Socio-Cognitive Interaction Between Human and Computer/Robot for HCI 3.0

With an increasing number of AI applications in everyday life, the discussion on how to improve the usability of AI or robot devices has been taking place. This is particularly true for Socially Assistive Robots (SAR). The presented study in this paper is an attempt to identify speech characteristics such as sound and lexical features among different personality groups, specifically per personality dimension of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and to design an Artificial Neural Network reflecting the correlations found between speech characteristics and personality traits. The current study primarily reports the relationship between various speech characteristics (both mechanical and lexical) and personality dimensions identified in MBTI. Based on significant findings, an ANN (Artificial Neural Network) has been designed in an effort to predict personality traits only from speech processing. The current model yielded 75% accuracy in its predictive ability, warranting further attention to the applicability of speech data in developing and improving various domains of human-computer interactions.
Biochemistry of nicotine metabolism and its relevance to lung cancer.

Nicotine is the key addictive constituent of tobacco. It is not a carcinogen, but it drives smoking and the continued exposure to the many carcinogens present in tobacco. The investigation into nicotine biotransformation has been ongoing for more than 60 years. The dominant pathway of nicotine metabolism in humans is the formation of cotinine, which occurs in two steps. The first step is cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) 2A6–catalyzed 5′-oxidation to an iminium ion, and the second step is oxidation of the iminium ion to cotinine. The half-life of nicotine is longer in individuals with low P450 2A6 activity, and smokers with low activity often decrease either the intensity of their smoking or the number of cigarettes they use compared with those with "normal" activity. The effect of P450 2A6 activity on smoking may influence one's tobacco-related disease risk. This review provides an overview of nicotine metabolism and a summary of the use of nicotine metabolite biomarkers to define smoking dose. Some more recent findings, for example, the identification of uridine 5′-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase 2B10 as the catalyst of nicotine N-glucuronidation, are discussed. We also describe epidemiology studies that establish the contribution of nicotine metabolism and CYP2A6 genotype to lung cancer risk, particularly with respect to specific racial/ethnic groups, such as those with Japanese, African, or European ancestry. We conclude that a model of nicotine metabolism and smoking dose could be combined with other lung cancer risk variables to more accurately identify former smokers at the highest risk of lung cancer and to intervene accordingly.
CyberSense: A Closed-Loop Framework to Detect Cybersickness Severity and Adaptively apply Reduction Techniques

Researchers often collect subjective measurements before, after, and during the immersive experience to measure cybersickness severity. However, collecting data before and after the immersive experience does not provide a sufficiently granular understanding of cybersickness during the immersion. Thus, no preventive measures can be taken during immersion. This research presents CyberSense – an automated framework for cybersickness severity detection during immersion. The framework collects the users’ physiological data at user-defined intervals. It uses a pre-trained neural network to detect cybersickness severity on the experience with a root mean square error of 2.61 and adaptively adjusts the cybersickness reduction techniques.
Envisioning alternative relationships with the environment through computational design

Climate change is one symptom reflecting a larger problem of how we humans view ourselves as separate from the environment. How can computation and design help us expand our perception so we can better attend to the natural world?
The effect of patient age on discharge destination and complications after lumbar spinal fusion

Age is an important patient characteristic that has been correlated with specific outcomes after lumbar spine surgery. We performed a retrospective cohort study to model the effect of age on discharge destination and complications after a 1-level or multi-level lumbar spine fusion surgery. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was used to identify patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgery from 2013 through 2017. Perioperative outcomes were compared across ages 18 to 90 using multivariable nonlinear logistic regressioncontrolling for preoperative characteristics. A total of 61,315 patients were analyzed, with patients over 70 having a higher risk of being discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation center and receiving an intraoperative or postoperative blood transfusion. However, the rates of the other complications and outcomes analyzed in this study were not significantly different as patients age. In conclusion, advanced-age affects the discharge destination after a one- or multi-level fusion and intraoperative/postoperative blood transfusion after a one-level fusion. However, age alone does not significantly affect the risk of the other complications and outcomes assessed in this study. This study will help guide preoperative discussion with advanced-aged patients who are considering a 1-level or multi-level lumbar spine fusion surgery.
Kinetics of furfural electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis in acidic media on copper

Electrochemical processes can be implemented for the valorization of biomass-derived species such as furfural to generate fine chemicals and fuels. The electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis (ECH) of furfural (FF) can produce furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 2-methylfuran (MF) as the major products over Cu catalysts in acidic conditions. The production of these species are in competition and the kinetics of these reactions should be studied so that the product distribution can be better controlled. In this work, the competing kinetics of furfural ECH to furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran were studied on Cu in acidic media by using the applied cathodic potential, temperature, and initial concentration of furfural as probes. An increased temperature of the system was shown to promote the MF production in the range tested (15 °C and 45 °C), however the production of FA was decreased when the temperature was increased from 35 °C to 45 °C, due to significant promotion of side reactions. By varying the concentration of FF used in bulk electrolysis, we saw that the rates of reaction to FA and MF shift from positive order to zero order, suggesting a Langmuir–Hinshelwood or Eley–Rideal mechanism at −0.56 V vs. RHE and 25 °C. An analysis of the reaction mechanisms showed that a non-competitive Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism is likely occurring. In addition, we suggest the likely rate limiting steps based on the mechanisms are the first hydrogenation step of FF to C4H3O–CH2O to form FA, and the C–O cleavage of the C4H3O–CHOH intermediate to form MF.
TU‐F‐CAMPUS‐T‐01: Calculation of KQ for a Variety of Commercially Available Ionization Chambers in the Presence of An External Magnetic Field for MR‐Linac Dosimetry

Purpose: The strong magnetic fields associated with MRI have a significant impact on the dosimetry of radiotherapy beams as well as on the response of the detectors used to measure it. In order to calibrate the dose delivered by these beams, it is necessary to correct for these effects when performing measurements with ionization chambers. Methods: Detailed models of 16 commercially-available ionization chambers were implemented in Geant4. To validate these models, calculations of the beam quality correction factor kQ (defined by TG-51) were performed using the spectrum from a 6 MV Elekta SL25. kQ values were then recalculated for each detector with a 1.5 T external magnetic field applied uniformly across the geometry. Chamber, beam and B-field were all orthogonal. Results: The comparison between the kQ calculations and TG-51 showed agreement within 1.4%. The B-field calculations indicate that the change in kQ values due to the B-field is strongly affected by the volume and material of the ionization chamber. All large volume (>0.5 cm 3) ionization chambers had lower kQ values when used in a B-field. The kQ values for small volume chambers were very sensitive to the chambers’ collecting volume and could be higher or lower when used in a B-field. Conclusions: Of the chambers tested, the PTW 30011 demonstrated the smallest correction of just 1.2%. The next step is to calculate kQ using the energy spectrum from an actual MR-linac. Further validation of these results against measurements will be paramount before they can be used. Funding provided by Elekta Limited. The MR-linac spectrum will be provided by Elekta Limited based on a machine they have designed.
Beyond Seduction: Lessons Learned about Rape, Politics, and Power from Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Moshe Katsav

In the last decade, two influential international political figures, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund, and Moshe Katsav, former President of Israel, were accused of engaging in extreme and ongoing patterns of sexual violence. The collection of formal charges against the two men included rape, forcible indecent assault, sexual harassment, and obstruction of justice. The respective narratives surrounding the allegations against Katsav and Strauss-Kahn have their own individual characteristics, and each of the cases unfolded in diverging ways. Yet, the actions of these two men taken together, and the corresponding response of the legal systems in France, Israel, and the United States, offer an opportunity to evaluate contemporary issues of rape and power from a comparative perspective. This Article begins by telling the stories of how Strauss-Kahn and Katsav engaged in systematic patterns of sexual violence. It provides important background and context against which the two men are evaluated, offering a comparative analysis of the laws under which they faced accusations, formal charges, and in some instances, convictions. It is difficult to understand the ways in which the legal system and even the media responded to these allegations of sexual violence. This Article considers the victimization of women by the politically powerful by utilizing a framework created originally by Norwegian sociologist Nils Christie that identifies a set of characteristics describing the “ideal victim.” It next examines some of the legal issues impacted by stereotypes of “ideal” victims that conflict with the reality of “real” victims, making recommendations for expanding Christie’s framework to include an equally comprehensive evaluation of perpetrators and more importantly, the power differential that exists between victim and perpetrator. Midway through this Article, I explore the connection between sexuality, seduction, and sexual violence, and argue for a disentangling of these constructs. Finally, this article concludes by considering how the allegations against these powerful international political figures might advance the conversation on the intersection of sexual violence and power.
Absent and Accounted For: Absenteeism and Cooperative Learning*

In a small section collaborative learning environment where student work teams promote mutual learning about investments, students limit the opportunity to learn from other students if they are absent from class. Absenteeism not only denies the student the opportunity to learn from others but also denies other members of the student's work team the opportunity to learn from the absent student. Other team members' absenteeism should be costly for individual performance if collaborative learning fosters learning and retention. The research finds that while absenteeism is detrimental to the student's own performance, absenteeism of other team members from team activities has a significant negative effect on both individual exam and homework scores. The conclusions validate the benefits of active learning and of encouraging attendance in collaborative learning environments in all disciplines.
Continous Media Synchronization in Distributed Multimedia Systems

Future integrated networks are expected to offer a variety of multimedia services, some of which may involve recording and playback of multiple media strands such as video and audio. Media synchronization, which refers to the temporal coordination of the playback of multiple media strands, is the subject matter of this paper. We compare the requirements for media synchronization against those of clock synchronization and argue that clock synchronization may not be necessary, sufficient or desirable for ensuring media synchronization of pre-recorded media strands. We present a synchronization technique targeted for environments in which non-deterministic variations exist in network delays and in the rates of recording and playback. In this technique, at the time of recording, temporal relationships among media strands are recorded in the form of relative time stamps. In order to facilitate synchronization, at the time of playback, the display sites transmit lightweight feedback units back to synchronizer nodes, concurrently with playback of media units. Using these feedback units, the synchronizers estimate playback times of media units of different media strands and readjust playback so as to enforce synchronization.