cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRANIAL MORPHOLOGY OF DOMESTIC AND WILD CANIDS: THE INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPMENT ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGE.

The domestic dog varies remarkably in cranial morphology. In fact, the differences in size and proportion between some dog breeds are as great as those between many genera of wild canids. In this study, I compare patterns of intracranial allometry and morphologic diversity between the domestic dog and wild canid species. The results demonstrate that the domestic dog is morphologically distinct from all other canids except its close relatives, the wolf-like canids. Following this, I compare patterns of static and ontogenetic scaling. Data on growth of domestic dogs are presented and used to investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying breed evolution. Apparently, most small breeds are paedomorphic with respect to certain morphologic characters. In dogs and other domestic animals, morphologic diversity among adults seems to depend on that expressed during development.
Managers, Theory, and Practice: On What Do We Base Experienced Reflection?

This article comments on the book Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of Managing and Management Development, by Henry Mintzberg. Professor Mintzberg's latest effort regarding the d...
Shared Control of a Guided Parafoil and Payload System

The direct inclusion of human pilots into airdrop operations has a strong potential to increase the landing accuracy of conventionally autonomous guided airdrop systems. Human pilots have significant mental flexibility and an innate ability to prioritize requirements to aid safe and accurate landings. Autonomous algorithms on the other hand, are generally rigid in nature and cannot handle situations not directly programmed into the software. This paper outlines the work done to develop an integrated human-machine interface that combines the flexibility of human control decisions with the powerful ability of autonomous systems to measure data on the aircraft and generate key estimates. Two interfaces are presented melding a first person view camera mounted to the payload of the airdrop system and a bird's eye GPS based map of the drop zone with relevant system estimates overlaid. Flight testing of these digital feedback methods to the pilot are studied to identify the ability of human operators to successfully and accurately control an airdrop system to the ground. Results indicated that a trained human operator has the ability to improve landing accuracy over a conventionally autonomous system by 36%.
Car-parrinello molecular dynamics simulations of tensile tests on Si〈001〉 nanowires

Theoretical simulations of tensile tests on Si⟨001⟩ nanowires have been carried out using Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics. H-passivation was used to model experimentally occurring passivation in Si nanowires. First-principle molecular dynamics simulations at ambient temperature reveal the governing role of size, overall shape, and composition of the surface layer for the mechanical properties. Our results indicate that SiH2 groups in the outer layer and the octahedral shape of the wire soften Young’s modulus and allow wire to handle larger transverse strains than SiH groups in wires with the tetrahedral shape. The importance of the overall shape of the wire has been discussed by comparing the behavior of surface layers of {100} and {110} facets. The presence of the {100} facets helps to relax the transverse strain during tension. On the basis of changes in structural parameters, we have presented the schematic motion of Si atoms in core and surface layers before the fracture appeared.
Extinct Beringian wolf morphotype found in the continental U.S. has implications for wolf migration and evolution.

Pleistocene diversity was much higher than today, for example there were three distinct wolf morphotypes (dire, gray, Beringian) in North America versus one today (gray). Previous fossil evidence suggested that these three groups overlapped ecologically, but split the landscape geographically. The Natural Trap Cave (NTC) fossil site in Wyoming, USA is an ideally placed late Pleistocene site to study the geographical movement of species from northern to middle North America before, during, and after the last glacial maximum. Until now, it has been unclear what type of wolf was present at NTC. We analyzed morphometrics of three wolf groups (dire, extant North American gray, Alaskan Beringian) to determine which wolves were present at NTC and what this indicates about wolf diversity and migration in Pleistocene North America. Results show NTC wolves group with Alaskan Beringian wolves. This provides the first morphological evidence for Beringian wolves in mid-continental North America. Their location at NTC and their radiocarbon ages suggest that they followed a temporary channel through the glaciers. Results suggest high levels of competition and diversity in Pleistocene North American wolves. The presence of mid-continental Beringian morphotypes adds important data for untangling the history of immigration and evolution of Canis in North America.
The Application of Output protection technology in SCADA System

In the purpose of avoiding error output due to PLC module fault,this thesis introduces the NARI output protection technology and its related circuit designing.Besides,the application of this technology in v hydropower plant has been elaborated from the perspective of reliability,security and practicability.The NARI output protection technology is proven to be effective for preventing equipment malfunction brought by output error of PLC module,thus improving the reliability of SCADA System operation,laying the ground for further update of hydropower plant control systems in terms of security and dependability.
Investigation on retention rate of MSM follow-up cohort in Urumqi City

[Objective]To investigate the retention rate of follow-up cohort of men who have sex with men(MSM) in Urumqi City and its influencing factors.[Methods]MSM with negative HIV were recruited into a cohort by using snowball sampling.They were contacted for four times and followed-up for one time,to analyze the social demographic characteristics and sexual behavior features of investigation objects,and its influences on retention rate of follow-up cohort.[Results]There were 340 people in the cohort,259 of the participants were retained in the cohort within 12 month of follow-up,and the retention rate was 76.2%.The retention rate of people with good education background was higher than that of people with poor education background,and the difference was significant(P 0.05).[Conclusion]It is necessary to further explore the appropriate strategies and methods of cohort retention among MSM in Urumqi.
Peripheral Influences of Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity

Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychostimulant that is widely known to act directly upon the central nervous system (CNS) and to produce damage to the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems and the blood–brain barrier. Additionally, METH acutely increases oxidative stress, glutamate neurotransmission, and neuroinflammation, all of which are known to mediate METH-induced damage in the brain. In addition to the CNS effects, METH can result in detrimental effects in the periphery, but these effects have not been well characterized. However, relatively recent human case studies illustrate that METH affects the lungs, liver, muscle, kidneys, vasculature, and intestinal tract, resulting in organ dysfunction and the release of cytotoxic molecules into the circulation, including inflammatory mediators. This chapter focuses on the peripheral targets of METH and how damage to these organs might contribute to METH-induced neurotoxicity.
Introduction and Major Conclusions

Our subject is the kinds of interactions and interdependencies that have arisen among nations in the contemporary world economy, the nature and significance of the pattern of trade balances that has resulted from them, and the question of what-if anything-should be done by national governments about that pattern.
Teaching NeuroImages: Carotid cavernous fistula in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

A 25-year-old woman with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV and history of spontaneous right petrous internal carotid artery dissection presents with severe headache, right eye pain with extraocular movements, proptosis, and chemosis of the right eye. She reported hearing her heartbeat in her right ear. CT angiogram (figure) revealed an engorged right ophthalmic vein. Subsequent digital subtraction angiography confirmed a carotid cavernous fistula along a previously dissected carotid artery.
Are Microbial Politics Local

Kelly and colleagues report a randomized trial of fecal microbiota transplantation versus autologous stool for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. The editorialist discusses possible explana...
Intelligent design of conducting network in polymers using numerical and experimental approaches

Traditionally, a conjugated polymer is used to constitute a conductive network. An alternative method currently being used is nano-fillers as additives in the polymer. The optimization of fillers/polymer is necessary to form a functional network and preserve the overall mechanical properties of the polymer. This current study consists of two tasks using both experimental and numerical simulation methods to examine the influence of concentration, properties and orientation of carbon nano-fillers. The first task allows for a quick parameter optimization. However in the second task, various experiments were conducted in order to examine the modeling algorithm. Results show that the design of conducting a network is highly dependent on the concentration, orientation, shape of nano-fillers, the nature of the mix of nano-fillers and their mutual interactions.
Thermal effects associated with acoustic radiation force impulse imaging

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging uses brief, high-intensity, focused ultrasound pulses to generate radiation force in tissue. The absorption of acoustic energy also generates tissue heating. The purpose of this work is to study the maximum acoustic intensities that can safely be used in ARFI imaging, and to characterize the effects of tissue heating on ARFI displacement tracking. FEM models are implemented to determine the temperature increases associated with ARFI imaging for different transducer configurations and tissue properties. Model validation is accomplished with experimental measurements of heating using thermocouples in gelatin-based tissue-mimicking phantoms and porcine muscle. ARFI imaging typically employs in situ intensities of up to 1000 W/cm/sup 2/ that are applied over a period of less than 1 ms. FEM temperature increases of 0.2/spl deg/C are demonstrated for a single ARFI interrogation for an absorption of 0.5dB/cm/MHz, with cooling time constants on the order of several seconds. Tissue heating associated with two-dimensional ARFI imaging is a function of the spatial overlap of adjacent heated tissue volumes, with FEM temperature increases not exceeding 0.4/spl deg/C in current ARFI configurations. Real-time two-dimensional ARFI imaging temperature increases reach steady-state values of less than 2.0/spl deg/C after 1 minute at 1 frame per second. Tissue displacement due to thermal expansion is negligible for ARFI imaging, however changes in sound speed due to temperature changes may be appreciable. Experimental studies demonstrate that temperature increases of 0.15/spl deg/C are associated with a single ARFI interrogation for an absorption of 0.5dB/cm/MHz, with cooling time constants on the order of seconds. Tissue temperature increases do not exceed 1.5/spl deg/C for two-dimensional ARFI imaging. ARFI-induced thermal diffusivity patterns are shown to be functions of the transducer f-number, the tissue absorption, and the temporal and spatial spacing of adjacent ARFI imaging locations. Good agreement is observed between FEM and experimental data. We conclude that ARFI imaging is safe in soft tissue, although thermal response must be monitored when developing ARFI beam sequences.
Chemoattractant concentration–dependent tuning of ERK signaling dynamics in migrating neutrophils

The directed migration (chemotaxis) of neutrophils toward the bacterial peptide N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) is a crucial process in immune defense against invading bacteria. While navigating through a gradient of increasing concentrations of fMLP, neutrophils and neutrophil-like HL-60 cells switch from exhibiting directional migration at low fMLP concentrations to exhibiting circuitous migration at high fMLP concentrations. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is implicated in balancing this fMLP concentration-dependent switch in migration modes. We investigated the role and regulation of ERK signaling through single-cell analysis of neutrophil migration in response to different fMLP concentrations over time. We found that ERK exhibited gradated, rather than all-or-none, responses to fMLP concentration. Maximal ERK activation occurred in response to about 100 nM fMLP, and ERK inactivation was promoted by p38. Furthermore, we found that directional migration of neutrophils reached a maximal extent at about 100 nM fMLP and that ERK, but not p38, was required for neutrophil migration. Thus, our data suggest that, in chemotactic neutrophils responding to fMLP, ERK displays gradated activation and p38-dependent inhibition and that these ERK dynamics promote neutrophil migration.
Studies in prebiotic synthesis. V. Synthesis and photoanomerization of pyrimidine nucleosides

Abstract d -Ribose-5-phosphate, d -ribose and d -arabinose react with cyanamide in aqueous solutions to produce aminooxazoline derivatives. These in turn react with cyanoacetylene to yield, respectively, α-5′-cytidylic acid, α-cytidine and β-arabinosylcytosine. Anomerization and epimerization of these and related nucleosides and nucleotides occur when they are irradiated in aqueous solution with an unfiltered 253 mμ light source. The possible relevance of these reactions to prebiological chemistry and their application to the synthesis of nucleosides are discussed.
Conjugal Transfer of Agrobacterium Plasmids

Agrobacterium and its virulence plasmids have been the center of attention for better than a decade. The capacity of this organism to transfer DNA to plant cells has resulted in a paradigm for transkingdom genetic exchange and also has provided an extraordinarily useful tool for the study of plant processes at the molecular level. The molecular details of the mechanism by which Agrobacterium transfers DNA to plants are becoming understood and are reviewed in Chapter 9 of this book. However, only a little more than 15 years ago, the theory that Agrobacterium transferred DNA to plants, first seriously proposed by Petit et al (76), was subject to some doubt. To set the scene, early reports on the presence of bacterial DNA in tumor cells based on filter hybridization experiments (82, 92, 93, 97) were being challenged (25, 36) and results from renaturation kinetic analyses (9) provided no evidence to substantiate the model. However, all of these hybridization experiments suffered from one deficiency or another. The renaturation kinetic analyses, for example, although extremely sensitive, by their design could not detect specific sequences representing less than 5% of the probe even if present at a high copy number. Because the probes used in these studies were total bacterial genomic DNA, a set of specific sequences representing less than 250 kilobases (kb) would have gone undetected. These limitations were recognized, but in the days before recombinant DNA, technologies for developing more precise probes were extremely restricted. The problem of how to develop a set of specific candidate probes from a bacterium that lacked genetic systems such as F or bacteriophage X was daunting; the one hope at the time was that, if they did indeed exist, the specific sequences themselves might be associated with a plasmid in the virulent agrobacteria.
Seasonal Shifts in Soil Moisture throughout a Semiarid Hillslope Ecotone during Drought: A Geoelectrical View

This study investigated the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of soil moisture during a drought year throughout a first-order drainage basin whose hillslopes have different vegetation and soil. The north-facing slope has juniper trees [ Juniperus monosperma (Engelm.) Sarg.] and finer soil textures, while the south-facing slope has creosote bushes [ Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coville]. Time-lapse, two-dimensional electrical resistivity measurements, which can detect changes due to soil moisture, were conducted to capture subsurface moisture changes across the ecotone, from one hillslope to the other and along the ecotone down the valley axis. After the onset of the drought, the upper 3 m of the entire hillslope was mostly drying (resistivity was increasing). As the drought progressed and when there was less available shallow soil moisture, the resistivity profiles suggested that both juniper and creosote bushes sequestered moisture stored from increasingly greater depths, eventually reaching their respective average maximum rooting depths of ∼6 m for juniper and ∼3 m for creosote. However, this was also accompanied by decreases in resistivity (increases in soil moisture) at shallower depths, suggesting hydraulic redistribution. With shallow rewetting of the hillslope following storm events near the end of the study period, shallow areas could once again support vegetation on both hillslopes. Electrical resistivity imaging is effective for studying the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil moisture throughout the critical zone in response to water stress and can be used to inform ecohydrologic connections.
Age effects in eating disorder baseline risk factors and prevention intervention effects.

Objective Examine the impact of age on baseline eating disorder symptoms/risk factors and on the effects of completing three variants of an eating disorder prevention program. Method Six hundred and eighty women (60% White) were randomized to clinician-led Body Project groups, peer-led Body Project groups, an Internet-based version of the Body Project (eBodyProject), or educational video control condition. Participants, who were on average 22.2 years old (SD = 7.1, range 17–64, median = 19), were assessed at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Results Two of the seven baseline variables were significantly associated with age, indicating that older age was associated with lower reported dieting (r = −.12) and better psychosocial functioning (r = −.13). Interactions indicated that age moderated the intervention effects, such that group-based programs were superior to the Internet-delivered version in terms of eating disorder symptom reductions for women up to age 20, whereas the Internet-delivered program was superior to group-based interventions, particularly in terms of BMI reduction, for women over approximately age 25. None of the four tests examining whether age moderated the effects of delivering Body Project groups by mental health clinicians versus undergraduate peer educators were significant. Discussion Results suggest that group-based versions of the Body Project should be implemented with young women up to the age of 20, as they produce larger eating disorder symptom reductions, whereas the Internet version of the Body Project should be implemented with women aged 25 or older, as it produces superior weight loss/gain prevention effects.
Earthquake Nucleation on Faults With Heterogeneous Frictional Properties, Normal Stress

We examine the development of an instability of fault slip rate. We consider a slip rate and state dependence of fault frictional strength, in which frictional properties and normal stress are functions of position. We pose the problem for a slip rate distribution that diverges quasi-statically within finite time in a self-similar fashion. Scenarios of property variations are considered and the corresponding self-similar solutions found. We focus on variations of coefficients, a and b respectively, controlling the magnitude of a direct effect on strength due to instantaneous changes in slip rate and of strength evolution due to changes in a state variable. These results readily extend to variations in fault normal stress, σ, or the characteristic slip distance for state evolution, Dc. We find that heterogeneous properties lead to a finite number of self-similar solutions, located about critical points of the distributions: maxima, minima, and between them. We examine the stability of these solutions and find that only a subset is asymptotically stable, occurring at just one of the critical point types. Such stability implies that, during instability development, slip rate and state evolution can be attracted to develop in the manner of the self-similar solution, which is also confirmed by solutions to initial value problems for slip rate and state. A quasi-static slip-rate divergence is ultimately limited by inertia, leading to the nucleation of an outward expanding dynamic rupture: asymptotic stability of self-similar solutions then implies preferential sites for earthquake nucleation, which are determined by distribution of frictional properties.
Gastric submucosal haematoma caused by an amyloidoma in the setting of multiple myeloma.

Abstract This is a case of a 67-year-old woman with a history of multiple myeloma with amyloidosis who presented with massive hematemesis. Emergent upper endoscopy revealed a mass on the greater curvature of the stomach, which measured approximately 3 cm in width and 7 cm in length. The patient underwent a wedge resection of the gastric mass without complication. Microscopic examination of the gastric mass revealed amorphous deposits that were congophilic in nature and stained positive with Alcian blue. These findings are consistent with amyloidosis. The patient had a favourable postoperative recovery and was discharged from the hospital. This case highlights the need for clinicians to be aware of the possibility of spontaneous gastric haemorrhage secondary to light chain (AL) amyloidosis, especially in patients with a known bone marrow disorder.
Building on the Iran Nuclear Deal for International Peace and Security

After almost 20 months of intense negotiations, Iran six world powers – Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and the United States – agreed on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (J...
Systemic Complications Following Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) is a multisystem disorder. Initially, complications of a massive catecholamine release followed by the side effects of medical therapies, impact patients’ outcomes. The aim of this article is to provide an updated summary of the systemic complications following SE. In recent years, the importance of the multifaceted nature of SE and its relationship with clinical outcomes has been increasingly recognized. The cumulative systemic effects of prolonged seizures and their treatment contribute to morbidity and mortality in this condition. Most systemic complications after SE are predictable. Anticipating their occurrence and respecting a number of simple guidelines may improve the prognosis of these patients.
“There’s an app for that” — A novel tool to help community correction populations learn strategies to decrease HIV risk behaviors after release.

During the first 5 years of the Disease Risk Reduction Project, an in-prison intervention curriculum was developed and tested that focused on decreasing risky sexual and drug use behaviors after release. The WaySafe intervention curriculum was delivered during the 2 months prior to release from incarceration. Compared to the control group, those in WaySafe showed greater gains on all composite measures (e.g., HIV knowledge confidence, avoidance of risky sex, avoidance of risky drug use, HIV testing awareness, and risk reduction skills. In addition, WaySafe was followed by a take-home workbook to be completed post-release. The goal of the take-home assignment was to reinforce skills and strategies learned through WaySafe during the offenders’ transition back into the community. With lessons learned from the take-home assignment, as an important next step, the current project is focusing on adapting and delivering the intervention curriculum in community correction populations. Because computerized interventions have demonstrated promising results with substance abuse treatment [1], the new StaySafe intervention is formatted as an engaging computer-driven program. Computer applications in these treatment setting studies were found to be similarly or more efficacious than traditional counselor-led treatment sessions [1]. These findings suggest adoption of new technologies to deliver treatment. StaySafe will incorporate the same evidence-based cognitive principles as WaySafe in 12 self-paced modules that can be self-administered during the first 6 months under community supervision. This presentation will provide an overview of the computerized StaySafe approach and discuss the technological development of StaySafe elements. We will demonstrate the use of computerized, interactive, cognitive mapping strategies for presentation of ideas within the program as well as strategies for eliciting participant input and responses, including strengths and weaknesses of different response strategies (e.g., recording audio responses, using a keyboard or touchscreen to type responses, writing responses on the touchscreen, or choosing a response from a predetermined, pull-down list). Examples of several StaySafe computerized elements will be demonstrated.
Non-linear POGIL for Developing Cumulative Skills and Multidisciplinary Chemical Concepts for Non-science and Chemistry Majors

Engaging non-science majors in chemically related global and civic issues using rigorous chemical principles rather than descriptive discussion has been achieved using POGIL (Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning) group classroom activities. These activities provide an excellent foundation for developing students’ skills, confidence and comfort with scientific content to pursue independent literature projects on global and civic concerns. Based upon researched data, student project reports include a brief summary of an issue and one or more original calculations using conversion factors or stoichiometry to illustrate its magnitude, consequence or resolution. Being able to answer a chemical question of their own making transforms the students’ perceptions of their own abilities and of the accessibility of science in their lives [1].
Generalization of effective conductance centrality for egonetworks

Abstract We study the popular centrality measure known as effective conductance or in some circles as information centrality. This is an important notion of centrality for undirected networks, with many applications, e.g., for random walks, electrical resistor networks, epidemic spreading, etc. In this paper, we first reinterpret this measure in terms of modulus (energy) of families of walks on the network. This modulus centrality measure coincides with the effective conductance measure on simple undirected networks, and extends it to much more general situations, e.g.,directed networks as well. Secondly, we study a variation of this modulus approach in the egocentric network paradigm. Egonetworks are networks formed around a focal node (ego) with a specific order of neighborhoods. We propose efficient analytical and approximate methods for computing these measures on both undirected and directed networks. Finally, we describe a simple method inspired by the modulus point-of-view, called shell degree, which proved to be a useful tool for network science.
Measuring Engagement in Early Education: Preliminary Evidence for the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools–Early Education:

Engagement in early childhood is defined as a child’s level of participation with the environment. Engagement is an important construct in assessment and intervention of social and early learning c...
Wood property maps showing wood variability in mature longleaf pine: does getting old change juvenile tendencies?

Established illustrations of juvenile wood in pines depict a central core of wood, varying little by diameter or cambial age, to be nested within mature wood tapering to the upper portion of the stem; alternative illustrations show greater complexity in attributing variability within this central core of wood to its proximity to the crown and/or the maturity of the tree when the wood was formed. The present study addresses the degree to which different representations of juvenile wood are applicable to a sampling of 70-yr-old longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) trees. Wood property maps were derived from X-ray densitometry data gathered from tree disks taken at every 61 cm along each tree bole. Unique to the wood property maps herein is that the two cardinal directions of the data (north and south) were preserved, thus providing true full-stem profiles. Compared with maps reported for younger southern pines, the central core of low-density wood extending the length of the tree boles was noticeably wider at the midheight than at the lower and higher relative heights. Another difference was that the higher ring specific gravity (SG) values, particularly at the lower heights, did not extend all the way to the wood closest to the bark. Narrower ring width and higher ring SG values above the 3Q height, normally being wood features associated with higher wood quality, can be attributed to the maturity of the study trees. Altogether, the wood property maps and data comparisons were consistent with an alternative juvenile wood illustration proposing that all the wood at the base of the tree, comprised of juvenile corewood and juvenile outerwood, as being different from the majority of the tree wood, upward from a one-quarter relative height.
Wind Energy Applications for Municipal Water Services: Opportunities, Situation Analyses, and Case Studies; Preprint

As communities grow, greater demands are placed on water supplies, wastewater services, and the electricity needed to power the growing water services infrastructure. Water is also a critical resource for thermoelectric power plants. Future population growth in the United States is therefore expected to heighten competition for water resources. Especially in arid U.S. regions, communities may soon face hard choices with respect to water and electric power. Many parts of the United States with increasing water stresses also have significant wind energy resources. Wind power is the fastest-growing electric generation source in the United States and is decreasing in cost to be competitive with thermoelectric generation. Wind energy can potentially offer communities in water-stressed areas the option of economically meeting increasing energy needs without increasing demands on valuable water resources. Wind energy can also provide targeted energy production to serve critical local water-system needs. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Program has been exploring the potential for wind power to meet growing challenges for water supply and treatment. The DOE is currently characterizing the U.S. regions that are most likely to benefit from wind-water applications and is also exploring the associated technical and policy issues associated withmore » bringing wind energy to bear on water resource challenges.« less
Health Monitoring for Cyber Physical Systems

Cyber physical systems (CPSs) are characterized by behaviors emergent from the interactions of software systems with physical systems. Many complex CPSs utilize “independent monitoring” of the system behavior for any undesirable effects so that appropriate mitigation actions can potentially be taken. Typical independent monitoring systems for CPSs focus only on the violation of specified constraints that are detected “after-the-fact,” and any preemptive attempts to prevent the violation are handled by the core software systems. In this paper, we propose an independent health monitoring mechanism as a human-recognizable measure of trustworthiness of the system. Specifically, this mechanism not only detects actual violations of constraints but also calculates the possibility to violate the constraints. The proposed health monitor has two components: 1) health measurement functions that are specific and tailored to each component of a CPS and 2) a probabilistic health-state determination that is generic and directly derived from Bayesian estimation methods. The implementation and performance of the proposed monitoring mechanism were demonstrated with an autonomous vehicle self-navigating to a free parking space in MATLAB/Simulink simulations, which showed that the mechanism was able to promptly and accurately estimate the health state of the monitored system and help prevent accidents/catastrophes.
Book Review, The US Supreme Court and the Centralization of Federal Authority, by Michael A. Dichio

Does the U.S. Supreme Court protect the states from the expansion of federal authority? In this important new book, political scientist Michael Dichio argues that the answer is “no.” To the contrary, he contends that, throughout American history, “the Court …. has persistently acted as an important instrument of the broader central state, expanding federal authority over society.” The theory that the Supreme Court expands federal power at the expense of the states is not a new idea, having been first raised by anti-Federalist critics of the Constitution over 200 years ago. But Dichio provides the most thorough and wide-ranging defense of it to date, drawing on an extensive database of notable Supreme Court decisions from 1789 through 1997. Among other things, he shows that the Court constrained the states in important ways even in historical periods that are often thought of as high points for “states’ rights,” such as the Jacksonian era and the late nineteenth century. Dichio’s analysis is, in many ways, compelling, and is a major contribution to the literature on federalism and judicial review. But some of his methodological choices overstate the centralizing tendencies of the Supreme Court. He also unduly downplays some key ways in which the Court promotes decentralization of power. While the Supreme Court has never been a consistent ally of state governments seeking to limit federal authority, it is also not quite as consistent a centralizing force as Dichio suggests.
Academic failure and the role of early life course economic deprivation

Abstract Economic deprivation experienced in early childhood can have lasting effects for children. Studies that focus only on families living in poverty do not capture the breadth of experiences associated with economic deprivation. This study breaks down economic deprivation into two constructs, poverty and material hardship, and examines their relationship with academic failure later in childhood. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3591), this study examines how early childhood economic deprivation, measured by material hardship and income poverty, works through different cognitive and behavioral pathways, linking deprivation to grade repetition in elementary school. The findings of this study suggest that early childhood poverty works through cognitive pathways while material hardship works through behavioral pathways. Modeling these pathways by gender indicate that the link between hardship and externalizing behavior may be driven by gender differences, as this pathway is significant for males but not females.
A flexural design methodology for UHPC beams posttensioned with unbonded tendons

Abstract This paper provides a framework for predicting the flexural behavior of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) beams posttensioned with unbonded tendons. A mechanics based phenomenological model is presented to predict flexural capacity, and a set of equations that can be used to predict strand stress at the ultimate limit state is proposed and considers how the nonlinear domain of UHPC in tension affects flexural behavior. It is demonstrated that predictions based on the proposed equations and the presented flexural design methodology are in close agreement with results obtained from validated numerical simulations. The strand stress at ultimate is expressed as a function of neutral axis depth, effective depth of tendon, tendon length, loading configuration, loading pattern, plastic hinge length, maximum usable UHPC compressive and tensile strain, and shape of the stress-strain curve of the tendon. The influence of tendon area, mild steel area and yield stress, specified UHPC compressive strength and tensile strength, as well as beam cross-sectional dimensions are captured indirectly through the calculation of the neutral axis depth. The flexural design methodology is presented in terms of the failure mode observed when the considered specimens reach their ultimate load carrying capacity. The failure mode is characterized as either a fiber tension controlled failure or a UHPC compression controlled failure. The change in strand stress at the ultimate limit state, Δfps, the strand stress at the ultimate limit state, fps, and the nominal moment capacity, Mn, of 221 UHPC posttensioned beams obtained based on the proposed methodology are compared with results obtained from validated numerical models and it is demonstrated that average predicted values are within 5% of computed ones and the coefficient of variation is not greater than 17%.
BigSurvSGD: Big Survival Data Analysis via Stochastic Gradient Descent

In many biomedical applications, outcome is measured as a ``time-to-event'' (eg. disease progression or death). To assess the connection between features of a patient and this outcome, it is common to assume a proportional hazards model, and fit a proportional hazards regression (or Cox regression). To fit this model, a log-concave objective function known as the ``partial likelihood'' is maximized. For moderate-sized datasets, an efficient Newton-Raphson algorithm that leverages the structure of the objective can be employed. However, in large datasets this approach has two issues: 1) The computational tricks that leverage structure can also lead to computational instability; 2) The objective does not naturally decouple: Thus, if the dataset does not fit in memory, the model can be very computationally expensive to fit. This additionally means that the objective is not directly amenable to stochastic gradient-based optimization methods. To overcome these issues, we propose a simple, new framing of proportional hazards regression: This results in an objective function that is amenable to stochastic gradient descent. We show that this simple modification allows us to efficiently fit survival models with very large datasets. This also facilitates training complex, eg. neural-network-based, models with survival data.
Tamper-Indicating Quantum Seal

Verifying the integrity of a tamper-indicating seal is crucial in surveillance and containment technologies, as an intruder may try to hide a breach. Seals based on the no-cloning principle of quantum mechanics offer an unprecedented level of security. By monitoring the entanglement of transmitted photon pairs, the authors detect intrusion attempts with 99.99% probability, and just a 10${}^{-9}$ chance for a false alarm. In contrast, any conventional optical system would fail this test completely.
The San Lucas mountain range in Colombia: how much conservation is owed to the violence?

The imminence of forest conversion in the northern Andean region requires a careful evalu- ation of the social, political and economic context in which environmental efforts take place in order to achieve conservation. Through its socioeconomic effects violent conflict can result in threats pertinent to both conservation and resource management schemes. A survey of the San Lucas mountain range, at the northern tip of the Colombian Central Andes, is presented as a case study of factors associated with violent conflict that may hinder or enhance conservation in this complex social and political setting. Instability in land use and tenure associated with armed conflict were identified as major pressures associated with further conversion of tropical forest habitats; while low rates of settlement and measures enforced by armed rule were very effective in preserving certain tracts of forest. War certainly alleviates demographic pressure from settlers, but contemporary patterns of colonization in San Lucas suggest that armed conflict is detrimental to conservation purposes and to key members of the biological community.
Detecting Cybersecurity Attacks Using Different Network Features with LightGBM and XGBoost Learners

CSE-CIC-IDS2018 is an intrusion detection dataset containing roughly 16,000,000 normal and anomalous instances, with about 17% of these instances representing attack traffic. Our big data study has two parts, ensemble feature selection and model comparison. In the first part, we select features from the dataset for input to two classifiers that we employ in the second part. In the second part, we evaluate the performance of the classifiers with Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) and Fl-score. The outcome of our experiments enables us to answer three research questions. The first question is, “Does feature selection impact performance of classifiers in terms of AUC and Fl-score?” The second question is, “Does including the Destination_Port categorical feature significantly impact performance of LightGBM in terms of AUC and Fl-score?” And, our third question is, “Does the choice of classifier: LightGBM or XGBoost, significantly impact performance in terms of AUC and Fl-score?” For CSE-CIC-IDS2018, we conclude that feature selection and classifier choice impact performance score, and Destination_Port is a significant feature for LightGBM. In our case study, we present the application and analysis of the impact of an ensemble feature selection technique. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to apply this technique to the CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset.
Materials Properties and Manufacturing Processes of Nitinol Endovascular Devices

Both shape memory alloy and superelastic properties of nitinol material have attracted substantial attentions in a wide range of medical applications, specifically endovascular devices. The device could be collapsed in a low profile with cooling (i.e., martensite phase) and expanded the original shape in an elevated temperature in the body (i.e., austenite phase). This chapter focuses on (1) mechanical and biological properties of nitinol, (2) manufacturing various endovascular devices, and (3) currently commercially available nitinol endovascular devices including guidewires, stents, percutaneous heart valves, occluders, and filters.
Shifting claim-making, shifting trenches: the AKP's changing self-presentation

This article explores the dynamics of state-formation in Turkey during the AKP regime by questioning its claim of an almost two decades long continuity heading towards the centennial of the Republi...
A Systematic Review of Economic and Quality-of-Life Research in Carcinoid Syndrome.

To date, the economic burden and patient-reported outcomes associated with carcinoid syndrome (CS) in patients with neuroendocrine tumor (NET) remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of economic and quality-of-life (QOL) studies related to the treatment of CS. Articles included in the review were extracted from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Studies had to be in English and published between 1 January 2000 and 2 July 2020. Other study eligibility criteria included patients with NET with CS receiving treatment for CS, study outcomes of cost or QOL, and clinical trials or population-based studies using claims or other secondary databases. The interventions included somatostatin analogs, telotristat ethyl, or other treatment for CS. To evaluate the quality and bias of the included studies, the 24-item CHEERS and 10-item Gill and Feinstein checklists were used. We report a narrative synthesis of the findings from the selected studies. A total of 12 economic and 12 QOL studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for review. Patients with uncontrolled CS symptoms had 23–92% higher costs than those with controlled CS; mostly, ambulatory/outpatient services were the primary drivers of the costs. The use of telotristat ethyl may be cost effective if the societal willingness to pay is as high as $US150,000 per quality-adjusted life-year in the USA. Of the 12 QOL papers, only three case–control studies assessed QOL at baseline and more than two follow-up time points. Seven studies evaluated QOL at two or more time points but lacked a control group, obscuring direct intervention effects on patients’ well-being. We observed wide variations in the reviewed studies evaluating the economic burden and patient-reported outcomes, in terms of cost and QOL, of patients with CS. Although QOL is consistently impaired and costs are consistently increased by CS, the numbers of both cost and QOL studies among this patient population remain sparse, and many of the existing studies indicated an important need for quality improvement.
A Scoping Review of Recommendations and Training to Respond to Patient Microaggressions.

Patient microaggressions affect practitioners in all fields of healthcare and especially psychiatry. In multiple studies, healthcare professionals reported high rates of patient microaggressions and discrimination. To date, this is the first scoping review of recommendations and trainings on patient microaggressions. A scoping review of articles indexed in PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline, ERIC, and MedEdPORTAL was conducted from July 2020 to August 2020 to identify recommendations and solutions for healthcare professionals on responding to patient microaggressions. The review identified 27 studies that provide recommendations and trainings for healthcare professionals to address patient microaggressions. Twenty studies outlined recommendations for healthcare professionals and systems on how to respond to patient offenses. These 20 studies were grouped into establishing a supportive culture, addressing the microaggression, supporting the targets of microaggressions, discriminatory requests, and institutional responses. Six articles described trainings that equip providers with tools to address patient microaggressions, including the ERASE framework (“Expect/Recognize/Address/Support/Establish, Encourage”); Stop, Talk, and Roll; interrupting microaggressions; XYZ (“I felt X when Y because Z”); the ACTION model (“Ask/Come/Tell/Impact/Own/Next”); and the OWTFD tool (“Observe/Why/Think/Feel/Desire”). Recommendations and trainings for the response to microaggressions are emerging, and results of trainings are encouraging. However, more work is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these trainings in clinical settings and longitudinally.
Tackling Wicked Problems: Through the Transdisciplinary Imagination Valerie A. Brown, John A. Harris & Jacqueline Y. Russell (Eds)

This is a timely book. As profound socio-environmental change has slowly but surely crept into the consciousness of the general public, developing and achieving a path toward sustainability has tak...
Gynandromorphism in the Chydorid CLADOCERA1

A population of Pleuroxus in Lake Balaton, Hungary, formerly designated as P. balatonicus, is here considered to be a dwarf variety of P. uncinatus, in which the males resemble the females in their general morphology rather than being strongly dimorphic and in which the large females have lost the prominent teeth at the posterior-ventral angle of the shell, although these arc present in males and in smaller (younger) females. Although large dimorphic males occasionally occur in the population, bisexual reproduction apparently is accomplished primarily by the smaller sex-intergrade males. The mechanism whereby diploid female Cladocera product diploid males by parthenogenesis is as yet unknown.