jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Statistical thinking for engineers - what, why, and how?

Field: Decision Sciences (Social Sciences)

Many leaders in the quality profession, Dr. Deming being the foremost among them, have emphasized the need for engineers to have the ability to think statistically in order to understand and solve problems occurring in populations with variability. This article explains what statistical thinking is, why it is needed, and how the ability for it can be acquired. A series of real-world case studies show how statistical thinking helps in framing a physical problem in terms of statistical models, understanding the cause and effect relationships, and then devising solutions. A sample test is presented to define the range of statistical knowledge needed to gain the ability for statistical thinking.
Economic insecurity during the Great Recession and metabolic, inflammatory and liver function biomarkers: analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Background Economic insecurity correlates with adverse health outcomes, but the biological pathways involved are not well understood. We examine how changes in economic insecurity relate to metabolic, inflammatory and liver function biomarkers. Methods Blood analyte data were taken from 6520 individuals (aged 25–59 years) participating in Understanding Society. Economic insecurity was measured using an indicator of subjective financial strain and by asking participants whether they had missed any bill, council tax, rent or mortgage payments in the past year. We investigated longitudinal changes in economic insecurity (remained secure, increase in economic insecurity, decrease in economic insecurity, remained insecure) and the accumulation of economic insecurity. Linear regression models were calculated for nine (logged) biomarker outcomes related to metabolic, inflammatory, liver and kidney function (as falsification tests), adjusting for potential confounders. Results Compared with those who remained economically stable, people who experienced consistent economic insecurity (using both measures) had worsened levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, C reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and glycated haemoglobin. Increased economic insecurity was associated with adverse levels of HDL-cholesterol (0.955, 95% CI 0.929 to 0.982), triglycerides (1.077, 95% CI 1.018 to 1.139) and CRP (1.114, 95% CI 1.012 to 1.227), using the measure of financial strain. Results for the other measure were generally consistent, apart from the higher levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase observed among those experiencing persistent insecurity (1.200, 95% CI 1.110 to 1.297). Conclusion Economic insecurity is associated with adverse metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers (particularly HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and CRP), heightening risk for a range of health conditions.
An Efficient Object Segmentation Algorithm for Surveillance Systems

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

In this paper, we propose a novel method for detecting moving objects in a video sequence. The method is mostly suitable for video surveillance sequences in which background has no motion and changes are due to background changes (e.g. illumination changes and changes due to adding or removing parts of background) and the moving objects. In the first stage, we compute the difference image which is the difference between the background image and the coming image. The background image is obtained using a novel method. After that, we divide the difference image into blocks of equal size, and using mean and standard deviation of each block the difference image is divided into two regions at a coarse level (block level): foreground and background. To extract boundaries, we continue the procedure at the pixel level. Finally post processing is needed to eliminate false detection due to noise and eliminating shadow effects. Our proposed method has the ability of detecting multiple objects without knowing the number of objects a priori. In addition, a novel background update is proposed to cope with the changes of the background image.
Safety of Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) and nitric acid solutions in two-phase systems at elevated temperatures

Field: Chemical Engineering (Physical Sciences)

This paper addresses the prevention of self-accelerating oxidation of nitric acid and tributyl phosphate (TBP). An accident of this type, which occurred at Tomsk-7, Russia, in 1993, resulted from a slow chemical reaction occurring initially at sub-boiling temperatures. The accumulating heat and vapors overpressurized and burst a process tank. Two safety issues are addressed in this summary of experimental data: circumstances under which convection or radiation cooling of vessels will exceed reaction heat, and measures which can prevent or mitigate such reactions. Heat generations rates have been found to range widely. Thermodynamic calculations confirm that heat generation is reduced by a large factor when nitrogen oxides are able to escape from the reaction mixure. Scoping calculations show that the evaporation of water is potentially the most effective mechanism for heat removal in a large vessel, and experiments have demonstrated that water evaporation is effective for preventing runaway reactions in a vented, two-phase system operated below about 120 C. These data indicate that venting is the key to controlling runaway reactions. However, other experiments have indicated that the self-heating reaction did not present a danger, even if reaction heating led to an accelerating reaction, in a sufficiently vented system. To determinemore » how much venting was required, experiments were performed with pure organic phase and two-phase TBP-nitric acid mixtures. Data show a critical ratio of organic mass to vent area, above which the reacting system can reach potentially dangerous pressures. Experiments show runaway reactions occurring in vented systems only as the temperature approaches 130 C. These results clearly indicate that adequate venting of vessels containing heated TBP and nitrate is the key to controlling their reaction.« less
ChemInform Abstract: Pheromone Analysis Using Capillary Gas Chromatographic Techniques

Field: Chemistry (Physical Sciences)

Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
A comparison of a computer and pencil and paper assignment.

Field: Health Professions (Health Sciences)

Colleges are challenged to provide students with diverse teaching-learning experiences. Educators who introduce new teaching-learning experiences must evaluate the outcomes of these experiences. Three faculty members instituted a new multimedia computer-based assignment for undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a pediatric clinical course and then evaluated their knowledge and satisfaction. Students were asked to design a computer program about peripherally inserted central catheters, and to complete tests and summaries. During two semesters, 45 students participated in the assignment. As compared to another group of students who were asked to participate in a pencil and paper independent study assignment, these students were more satisfied with their computer assignment. Students in both groups, however, produced thought-provoking work and improved their knowledge base about central catheters. In many ways, the results support the use of a computer assignment.
Data from MYC Overexpression Drives Immune Evasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma That Is Reversible through Restoration of Proinflammatory Macrophages

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

<div>Abstract<p>Cancers evade immune surveillance, which can be reversed through immune-checkpoint therapy in a small subset of cases. Here, we report that the MYC oncogene suppresses innate immune surveillance and drives resistance to immunotherapy. In 33 different human cancers, MYC genomic amplification and overexpression increased immune-checkpoint expression, predicted nonresponsiveness to immune-checkpoint blockade, and was associated with both Th2-like immune profile and reduced CD8 T-cell infiltration. MYC transcriptionally suppressed innate immunity and MHCI-mediated antigen presentation, which in turn impeded T-cell response. Combined, but not individual, blockade of PDL1 and CTLA4 could reverse MYC-driven immune suppression by leading to the recruitment of proinflammatory antigen-presenting macrophages with increased CD40 and MHCII expression. Depletion of macrophages abrogated the antineoplastic effects of PDL1 and CTLA4 blockade in MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, MYC is a predictor of immune-checkpoint responsiveness and a key driver of immune evasion through the suppression of proinflammatory macrophages. The immune evasion induced by MYC in HCC can be overcome by combined PDL1 and CTLA4 blockade.</p>Significance:<p>Macrophage-mediated immune evasion is a therapeutic vulnerability of MYC-driven cancers, which has implications for prioritizing MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma for combination immunotherapy.</p></div>
Large N Phase Transitions, Finite Volume, and Entanglement Entropy

Field: Physics and Astronomy (Physical Sciences)

Holographic studies of the entanglement entropy of field theories dual to charged and neutral black holes in asymptotically global AdS4 spacetimes are presented. The goal is to elucidate various properties of the quantity that are peculiar to working in finite volume, and to gain access to the behaviour of the entanglement entropy in the rich thermodynamic phase structure that is present at finite volume and large N. The entropy is followed through various first order phase transitions, and also a novel second order phase transition. Properties of a specific heat in the neighbourhood of the critical point are computed. Behaviour is found that contrasts interestingly with an earlier holographic study of a second order phase transition dual to an holographic superconductor.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy: Result of Autonomic Denervation?

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

1. To investigate the nature of sympathetic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy, the microcirculatory vasoconstrictive responses to dependency were investigated in the skin of the hand of 76 reflex sympathetic dystrophy patients with unilateral disease by means of laser Doppler flowmetry (in perfusion units) and capillary microscopy. The patients were divided into three stages according to their perception of skin temperature (stage I in the case of a stationary warmth sensation, stage II in the case of an intermittent warmth and cold sensation, and stage III in the case of a stationary cold sensation). The vasoconstrictive responses were induced by lowering of the affected hand. 2. As compared to controls, the mainly sympathetically mediated vasoconstrictive response at thermoregulatory level of the skin microcirculation, as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, was attenuated at stage I (1.82 versus 1.41, P &lt; 0.05), stage II (1.82 versus 1.09, P &lt; 0.0001) and stage III (1.82 versus 1.14, P &lt; 0.01), suggesting the involvement of sympathetic denervation at all stages of the reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. This sympathetic denervation may also account for the observed increase in thermoregulatory skin blood flow at stage I as compared to controls (152 versus 81, P &lt; 0.01). 3. Since sympathetic denervation has been reported to cause increased sensitivity of vascular structures to catecholamines, the decrease in thermoregulatory skin blood flow at stages II (54 versus 81, P &lt; 0.05) and III (31 versus 81, P &lt; 0.05), both as compared to controls, may result from hypersensitivity to catecholamines of skin microvessels. 4. The sympathetically independent vasoconstrictive response at the nutritive level of skin microcirculation, as measured by capillary microscopy, was impaired only at stage III as compared to controls (1.04 versus 2.06, P &lt; 0.05). This divergence in microvascular reactivity upon dependency of the nutritive and thermoregulatory subsystems also supports the hypothesis of sympathetic dysfunction. 5. The disturbed vasoconstrictive responses to dependency may give rise to raised capillary pressures, contributing to the formation of oedema. 6. These findings suggest that sympathetic denervation and consequent hypersensitivity to catecholamines play an important role in the pathophysiology of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Theoretical study of ultrafast index dynamics in semiconductor optical amplifiers

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

We proposed a novel extended semiconductor optical amplifier （SOA） model for applications in femtosecond pulse transmission，in which various ultrafast nonlinear effects，such as gain dispersion and group velocity dispersion were taken into account. We analyzed the refractive index in response to variation of the input current and the length of SOA. Furthermore，the impact of carrier density pulsation and carrier heating on the refractive index dynamics of SOA was discussed respectively. The simulation model can be applied in parameter and operation condition optimization of SOAs in order to improve their femtosecond dynamic characteristics.
Associations Between Residential Segregation and Incident Hypertension: The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Background Residential segregation, a geospatial manifestation of structural racism, is a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities, and longitudinal studies examining segregation’s influence on cardiovascular health are limited. This study investigates the impact of segregation on hypertension in a multiracial and multiethnic cohort and explores whether neighborhood environment modifies this association. Methods and Results Leveraging data from a diverse cohort of adults recruited from 6 sites in the United States with 2 decades of follow‐up, we used race‐ and ethnicity‐stratified Cox models to examine the association between time‐varying segregation with incident hypertension in 1937 adults free of hypertension at baseline. Participants were categorized as residing in segregated and nonsegregated neighborhoods using a spatial‐weighted measure. We used a robust covariance matrix estimator to account for clustering within neighborhoods and assessed effect measure modification by neighborhood social or physical environment. Over an average follow‐up of 7.35 years, 65.5% non‐Hispanic Black, 48.1% Chinese, and 53.7% Hispanic participants developed hypertension. Net of confounders, Black and Hispanic residents in segregated neighborhoods were more likely to develop hypertension relative to residents in nonsegregated neighborhoods (Black residents: hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.09–1.62; Hispanic residents: HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04–1.70). Results were similar but not significant among Chinese residents (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.83–1.73). Among Black residents, neighborhood social environment significantly modified this association such that better social environment was associated with less pronounced impact of segregation on hypertension. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of continued investigations of groups affected by the health consequences of racial residential segregation while taking contextual neighborhood factors, such as social environment, into account.
Evaluation of Aegilops tauschii (Coss.) germplasm for Karnal bunt resistance in a screen house with simulated environmental conditions

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Karnal bunt (KB) of wheat, caused by Tilletia indica (Mitra) Mundkur, adversely affects international wheat trading and the movement of germplasm between countries due to quarantine restrictions. Breeding for host plant resistance requires the identification of KB resistance sources. Accessions of the D genome progenitor of bread wheat, Aegilops tauschii , were screened in a specially designed screen-house, where the optimum environmental conditions conducive for KB development were simulated by controlling temperature, humidity, fogging and shading. The 183 accessions were subjected to artificial inoculation with a mixture of nine KB isolates, and seven proved highly resistant and four moderately resistant over three rounds of screening over 3 years.
Gas-liquid two-phase flow across a bank of micropillars

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow across a bank of staggered circular micropillars, 100μm long with a diameter of 100μm and a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.5, was investigated experimentally for Reynolds number ranging from 5 to 50. Flow patterns, void fraction, and pressure drop were obtained, discussed, and compared to large scale as well as microchannel results. Two-phase flow patterns were determined by flow visualization, and a flow map was constructed as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities. Significant deviations from conventional scale systems, with respect to flow patterns and trend lines, were observed. A unique flow pattern, driven by surface tension, was observed and termed bridge flow. The applicability of conventional scale models to predict the void fraction and two-phase frictional pressure drop was also assessed. Comparison with a conventional scale void fraction model revealed good agreement, but was found to be in a physically wrong form. Thus, a modified physically based model for void fraction was developed. A two-phase frictional multiplier was found to be a strong function of mass flux, unlike in previous microchannel studies. It was observed that models from conventional scale systems did not adequately predict the two-phase frictional multiplier at the microscale, thus, a modified model accounting for mass flux was developed.
Clinical aspects of occlusion: 1. Occlusal terminology and the conformative approach.

Field: Dentistry (Health Sciences)

This two-part series aims to familiarize the reader with essential occlusal principles and terminology and to give some guidelines as to which cases are suitable for crown and bridgework. The first article covers occlusal terminology and the conformative approach, whilst the second will describe the reorganized approach. Both papers contain clinical cases which demonstrate how to overcome some of the occlusal problems encountered in this area.
Walking, talking, traveling exile : understanding the relevance of exile to Singapore.

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

Edward Said wrote at large about exile from his homeland, and his culture. His name itself presents his dilemma: was he culturally English, or Arab? But out of his experience of exile, Said produced a wealth of knowledge and understanding about culture and identity. This paper will show how and why that exilic experience can be, and should be, applied to Singapore. The application will then focus primarily on Colin Cheong’s Tangerine, a travel novel, to show how the exilic experience has been appropriated in Singaporean works thus far, and what it supposes and suggests for Singapore. The first part of the paper will deal with defining exile by showing what the existing ideas regarding exile are, and how I make sense of the existing views. The second part attempts to apply those understandings of exile and the exilic experience to Singapore--it addresses the relevance of exile to a country that seemingly has no need for exile. The third part of the paper then focuses primarily (but not exclusively) on Colin Cheong’s novel, which is classified under Singaporean travel literature. Why does travel literature matter when we consider an exilic experience? And in turn, how does the experience of exile in our travel literature inform the Singaporean living in his or her homeland? This third part attempts to give some resolution to those questions.
α4β7 integrin-dependent adhesion of T cells to MAdCAM-1 is blocked by vedolizumab in patients with chronic refractory pouchitis

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Background: The anti-α4β7 integrin antibody vedolizumab is an established therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has also been successfully used in patients with chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis following proctocolectomey with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. However, the expression and function of gut-homing markers as well as strategies to predict the response to vedolizumab in pouchitis are understudied so far. Methods: We used flow cytometry and dynamic adhesion assays to study the expression and function of gut-homing integrins on T cells from patients with pouchitis and controls as well as longitudinally during therapy of pouchitis with vedolizumab. Moreover, we describe clinical effects of vedolizumab in a cohort of patients with pouchitis. Results: T cells from patients with pouchitis express a specific profile of gut-homing integrins. Integrin α4β7 on T cells from patients with pouchitis mediates adhesion to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MAdCAM)-1, which can be blocked by vedolizumab in vitro. Vedolizumab efficiently treats pouchitis in a portion of patients and response correlates with dynamic adhesion profiles to MAdCAM-1. Conclusion: Our data suggest that T cell trafficking seems to be important for the pathogenesis of pouchitis and support the therapeutic use of vedolizumab. Integrin function might serve as a biomarker to predict response to vedolizumab.
Importance of Longitudinal Data on Emerging Adulthood to Understand the Development of Alcohol use Problems and Methodological Consideration

Field: Psychology (Social Sciences)

알코올 사용 장애(alcohol use disorder)를 포함한 알코올 사용과 관련된 문제는 개인의 건강을 위협할 뿐만 아니라 사회전체에 상당한 비용을 발생시킨다. 따라서 알코올 사용 문제에 관여하는 요인을 발견하기 위해 많은 연구가 이루어져 왔다. 최근에는 문제의 상태에 관여하는 요인을 넘어 문제 발생의 과정과 기제에 대한 이해로 관점이 전환되고 있으며 이를 위해 종단자료의 활용은 필수적이다. 고등학교를 졸업하는 19세 정도에 시작해서 보통 20대 중반까지 이어지는 성인진입기(emerging adulthood)는 알코올 사용의 양상과 알코올 사용에 관여하는 요인들이 역동적으로 변하는 시기이다. 따라서 이 시기 동안 수집된 알코올 사용과 인접 문제 행동, 관련 요인들에 대한 종단 자료는 알코올 사용 문제의 발생 기제에 대한 이해에 특별히 유용한 정보를 제공할 수 있다. 본 논문에서 크게 (1) 알코올 사용의 변화 양상의 파악, (2) 변화와 관련된 요인의 파악, (3) 요인과 시간의 상호작용 이라는 세 가지 주제를 중심으로 성인진입기의 종단자료를 통한 연구와 이러한 연구를 위한 통계적 방법론을 개괄하였다. 본 연구를 통해 성인진입기라는 발달단계의 중요성과 이 시기에 수집된 종단자료의 중요성을 재고하고 성인진입기를 포함하는 종단자료를 활용하여 알코올 사용 문제의 발생 기제를 이해에 초점을 맞춘 연구의 활성화에 기여할 수 있기를 기대한다.