cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Desalination on Archaeological Ceramics From The Casas Grandes Region in Northern Mexico

A preliminary investigation into the effects of desalination on archaeological ceramics with evidence of use as cooking pots, from the Casas Grandes region in northern Mexico, was carried out. Soluble salts extracted during desalination were identified by ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP), and related to local raw materials and the burial environment. The extraction of other soluble components in the ceramics during desalination, such as organic materials used in the manufacture or present as a result of the ceramic’s use, was investigated by analysing dry residues of the desalination solutions. Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyse the desalination residues. Changes in the microstructure as a result of prolonged immersion in distilled/deionised water were examined by petrographic analysis and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) of thin sections prepared from six sherds before and after desalination. The effect of desalination on the physical property of colour was also examined. The results of the experimental work suggest that desalination has significant limitations that need to be considered before its application as a conservation treatment for archaeological as well as ethnographic ceramics with deterioration due to salts.
Ambient temperature anion-dependent spin state switching observed in “mostly low spin” heteroleptic iron(II) diimine complexes

We report the synthesis, characterization, and representative anion-binding studies on a series of heteroleptic FeII diimine complexes that have been designed to show anion-triggered spin state switching at ambient temperatures. Starting with [(H2bip)2FeBr2] (1), ligand substitution affords [(H2bip)2Fe(NN)]2+ complexes, where (NN) = pipi (2), bpy (3), and phen (4). In the solid state, the tetraphenylborate and bromide salts of the complexes display different thermally induced spin crossover properties, with spin transition temperatures above 395 K. The solid state magnetic properties depend on the FeII ligand field parameters and anion–cation interactions as well as solvent and packing effects. In dichloromethane solution, the weakly bound tetraphenylborate salts show spin state diminution, amplified chemical shift responses toward the diamagnetic 1H NMR spectral window, and visible colour changes upon titration of bromide anions (as nBu4N+ salts). Both 1H NMR- and electronic absorption-monitored titration studies unequivocally link anion binding to a high spin → low spin transition for the minority species in solution. Further, the complexes show pronounced air stability, in contrast to the homoleptic parent complex [Fe(H2bip)3]2+. Tuning the FeII ligand field by judicious ligand substitution toward “mostly low spin” species thus increases both the environmental stability and operating temperature of the complexes, and provides evidence that spin state switching may serve as a viable signalling event for chemical sensing in solution.
A new straight edge detection algorithm using direction-controlled edge tracking and random hitting

This paper presents a new efficient straight edge detection algorithm for autonomous robot navigation and other visual tasks. First, we propose a new edge tracking algorithm that gives the endpoints of the detected edge. To obtain robust edge directions we use a least-squares linear fitting method to control the tracking process. Based on this "direction-controlled" edge tracking method, we construct an algorithm to find all major edges in an image. To minimize the exhaustive pixel processing, we adopt a random hitting method using a pseudo random number generator. Only if an initial pixel generated is significant, we track the edge that the pixel belongs to. To avoid finding the same segment twice, we examine whether a newly generated pixel is close to any of the already detected segments. Through our experiments we confirmed that most of major edges are detected by processing of an extremely small fraction of the total pixels. Only by processing of 4.36% of the total pixels we were able to detect 20 major line segments in a test image. Therefore, implementing this algorithm will be extremely effective in image understanding and visual applications including the model-based real-time robot navigation task.
Estimating Rainfall Intensities from Weather Radar Data: The Scale-Dependency Problem

Meteorological radar is a remote sensing system that provides rainfall estimations at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The radar-based rainfall intensities ( R) are calculated from the observed radar reflectivities ( Z). Often, rain gauge rainfall observations are used in combination with the radar data to find the optimal parameters in the Z‐R transformation equation. The scale dependency of the power-law Z‐R parameters when estimated from radar reflectivity and rain gauge intensity data is explored herein. The multiplicative ( a) and exponent (b) parameters are said to be ‘‘scale dependent’’ if applying the observed and calculated rainfall intensities to objective function at different scale results in different ‘‘optimal’’ parameters. Radar and gauge data were analyzed from convective storms over a midsize, semiarid, and well-equipped watershed. Using the root-mean-square difference (rmsd) objective function, a significant scale dependency was observed. Increased time- and space scales resulted in a considerable increase of the a parameter and decrease of the b parameter. Two sources of uncertainties related to scale dependency were examined: 1) observational uncertainties, which were studied both experimentally and with simplified models that allow representation of observation errors; and 2) model uncertainties. It was found that observational errors are mainly (but not only) associated with positive bias of the b parameter that is reduced with integration, at least for small scales. Model errors also result in scale dependency, but the trend is less systematic, as in the case of observational errors. It is concluded that identification of optimal scale for Z‐R relationship determination requires further knowledge of reflectivity and rainintensity error structure.
Turnpike Planning Horizons for a Markovian Decision Model

This paper establishes some asymptotic properties of the finite state and action space Markovian decision model. For the discounted case, a turnpike theorem is proven which states that an optimal immediate decision when the planning horizon is sufficiently large is to choose one of the decisions which is optimal when the planning horizon is infinite. An upper bound on how large is sufficiently large is given. An asymptotic property of the model for discount factors in a neighborhood of one is also developed.
Short-term intraocular pressure changes immediately after intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents

Purpose To assess short-term trends and the need to monitor intraocular pressure (IOP) changes immediately after intravitreal injections of ranibizumab, bevacizumab, pegaptanib, and triamcinolone acetonide. Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods Charts of 213 consecutive injections to 120 eyes of 112 patients were reviewed. Pressures were measured before injection, immediately after injection (T0), and at five-minute intervals until IOP was less than 30 mm Hg. Optic nerve perfusion was assessed by testing for hand movement vision and by indirect ophthalmoscopic examination. Kaplan-Meier and Chi-square analyses of IOP after injections and correlation of IOP spikes to drug, needle bore size, injection volume, and history of glaucoma were performed. Results Mean preinjection IOP was 14 mm Hg (range, 7 to 22 mm Hg). Mean IOP at T0 was 44 mm Hg (range, 4 to 87 mm Hg). All but one eye had at least hand movement vision and a perfused optic nerve at T0. IOP was reduced to less than 30 mm Hg in 96% of injections by 15 minutes and in 100% by 30 minutes. Eyes with a history of glaucoma took longer to normalize the IOP ( P = .002). Statistically significant IOP spikes were observed with a smaller needle bore size ( P P = .001). Conclusions Elevations in IOP immediately after intravitreal injections are common, but are transient. Prolonged monitoring of IOP may not be necessary on the day of injection in most cases if hand movement vision, optic nerve perfusion, and lack of intraocular complications have been verified. However, cautious monitoring should be considered in select cases.
Utility of Radionuclide Studies in Patients with Pulmonary Vascular and Airways Diseases

Radionuclide studies aid the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases by providing information about regional pulmonary ventilation, perfusion and ventilation-perfusion (V-P) relationships which cannot be obtained by other methods. Ventilation-perfusion lung studies are used to evaluate regional lung function in patients prior to pulmonary surgery, to detect obstructive airways disease and to aid management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. The following sections will discuss each of these subjects in detail.
The New Risktakers

I live in California in an oceanside county on the remote northern coast. In the summer, clusters of cyclists take on the challenging trip from Oregon into California and then down Highway 1, the coastal highway that runs the length of California. The northern stretch of this highway on which I live runs along the ocean edge for more than a hundred miles. Cycling this stretch is risky, for wind and fog come unexpectedly, and campers and trailers as well as heavily loaded logging trucks take up more than their half of the narrow two-lane highway. The breath-taking route takes cyclists through redwood forests and open range pastures and along high bluffs rising 300 feet or more above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Sources and consequences of seed size variation in Lupinus perennis (Fabaceae): adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses

Seed size variation within species and individuals is common. This variation may be adaptive in heterogeneous landscapes if the fitness consequences of seed size differ among environments or through time. Variation may also arise from constraints that limit control of seed size. I manipulated resource availability in both maternal and offspring environments to test conditions underlying these explanations for seed size variation in the herbaceous perennial Lupinus perennis. A fivefold variation in seed size arose primarily from differences among individuals and within-plant variability rather than from environmental conditions manipulated in the experiment. Environmental conditions had little effect on mean seed size; in contrast, within-plant variation in seed size increased with reduced resources. Fitness benefits from large seed size were similar across offspring environments, suggesting that environmental heterogeneity alone may not maintain seed size variation in this species. Surprisingly, seed size affected long-term fitness measures, including a plant's size and probability of flowering through its second year. These results are consistent with non-adaptive but not adaptive explanations for seed size variation. They also suggest that offspring size variation per se may contribute to variation in maternal fitness.
Olfactory Detection of Caches Containing Wildland Versus Cultivated Seeds by Granivorous Rodents

ABSTRACT. We conducted a study to examine the ability of granivorous rodents to detect caches made with wildland (native and nonnative) and cultivated seeds at 3 locations in western Nevada with different vegetation types and rodent community structures. We established artificial caches containing either 2 or 3 species of wildland seeds or cultivated seeds. Five seed species were tested at each site. Under dry conditions, rodents found caches containing cultivated seeds much more rapidly than caches containing wildland seeds. Wet conditions resulted in a similar order of detectability; however, all species of seeds were located much faster in wet conditions than under dry conditions. Natural selection has likely acted on the wildland seeds to reduce their olfactory signal and potentially reduce predation upon those seeds.
Sifting Through the Inconsistencies of Organizational Learning and Management Control

The evidence on the relations between the use of management control systems and organizational learning is conflicting and inconclusive. One reason for this may be that both management control systems and organizational learning are multi-faceted. To shed insights on the existing inconsistent evidence, we draw on cognitive load and framing theories to argue that the use of different types of management control systems will differently affect different types of organizational learning. Using survey data from 241 respondents our structural equation model provides evidence that the use of a cybernetic system is positively associated with generative learning while the use of a planning system is positively associated with adaptive learning. Moreover, the effect of each of the management control systems on performance outcomes is either partially or fully mediated by organizational learning. These results show the importance of recognizing the multi-faceted nature of both management control systems and organizational learning.
PARA UMA POÉTICA DO ESPAÇO EM CLARICE LISPECTOR: ANÁLISE DOS CONTOS “AMOR”, “A IMITAÇÃO DA ROSA”, “OS LAÇOS DE FAMÍLIA” E “PRECIOSIDADE”

O presente ensaio visa trabalhar o conceito de espaco na escrita de Clarice Lispector. Focar-se-a, por um lado, a dimensao fisica do conceito de espaco (analisando os espacos da casa e da rua) e, por outro lado, a dimensao mental e afetiva do espaco, com o objetivo de compreender de que forma o espaco fisico e os objetos interferem e se relacionam com o espaco mental das personagens, contribuindo para a tomada de consciencia do Eu feminino.
Understanding perennial wheat adoption as a transformative technology: evidence from the literature and farmers

Perennial grain crops are an example of a ‘transformative technology,’ in which the functionality and science of the technology differ in a fundamental manner from conventional grain crops. A review of the literature indicates that the motivation for farmer adoption of transformative technologies is complex and poorly understood. At the same time, many studies have found concern and awareness about environmental issues to be significantly and positively correlated with the adoption of no-till agriculture, organic farming and agroforestry. Building on these insights, we conducted an ex ante study of perennial wheat adoption among 11 farmers from Michigan and Ohio. Perennial wheat is not yet commercially available, so a semi-structured interview format was chosen to allow for in-depth discussions of the crop's potential characteristics and uses. Consistent with the literature on transformative technology adoption, farmers who approached us to learn more about perennial grains described soil and environmental quality as their primary motivations for doing so. Farmers suggested a total of ten different uses for perennial wheat, only one of which was mentioned specifically by interviewers. This diversity of proposed uses implied a wide range of criteria for adoption. A striking result was that the ability of perennial wheat to compete with annual wheat on the basis of yield, a focus of researchers, was brought up by only one of the interviewees, as many farmers proposed perennial wheat as a means of solving a problem for which no other crop provided an adequate solution, often by planting perennial wheat on an under-used or marginal area of the farm. This is suggestive that interacting with farmers could alter priorities in perennial grain improvement, as has occurred in other radically transformative agriculture technologies.
Vasoconstrictive responses of the testicular and caudal arteries in bulls exposed to ergot alkaloids from tall fescue1

ABSTRACT Color Doppler ultrasonography was used to evaluate vasoconstrictive responses of the testicular artery in yearling bulls to ergot alkaloids (Neotyphodium coenophialum) produced by a fungal endophyte that infects tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]. Alkaloid-induced constriction of the testicular artery could disrupt thermoregulation. Luminal areas of the testicular artery were monitored and analyzed for 2 experiments that were designed to evaluate fertility responses of bulls to toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue. Experiment 1 (pen experiment) compared diets containing toxic endophyte-infected or endophyte-free tall fescue seed, and Exp. 2 (grazing experiment) compared grazing diets consisting of toxic endophyte-infected and nontoxic endophyte-infected tall-fescue pasture. In Exp. 1 ultrasound images were acquired on 3 dates during the 126-d of feeding and in Exp. 2 on 4 dates during the 155-d of grazing. Luminal area of the caudal artery also was monitored as an indicator of alkaloid-induced vasoconstriction. Caudal and testicular arteries for the toxic treatment responded similarly between experiments. Across imaging dates for Exp. 1, caudal artery lumens for the toxic diet averaged 42% less (P
Cord Blood Banking Standards: Autologous Versus Altruistic

Cord Blood (CB) is either donated to public CB banks for use by any patient worldwide for whom it is a match, or stored in a private bank for potential autologous or family use. It is a unique cell product that has potential for treating life-threatening diseases. The majority of CB products used today are for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and are accessed from public banks. CB is still evolving as a hematopoietic stem cell source, developing as a source for cellular immunotherapy products, such as natural killer, dendritic and T-cells, and fast emerging as a non-hematopoietic stem cell source in the field of regenerative medicine. This review explores the regulations, standards and accreditation schemes that are currently available nationally and internationally for public and private CB banking. Currently, most of private banking is under regulated as compared to public banking. Regulations and standards were initially developed to address the public arena. Early responses from the medical field regarding private CB banking was that at the present time, because of insufficient scientific data to support autologous banking and given the difficulty of making an accurate estimate of the need for autologous transplantation, private storage of CB as “biological insurance” should be discouraged (Royal College of Gynecology 2001, American Academy of Pediatrics 2007; Ballen et al., 2008). To ensure success and the true realization of the full potential of CB, whether for autologous or allogeneic use, it is essential that each and every product provided for current and future treatments meets high-quality, international standards.
Survey of drug information activities of ASHP-accredited pharmacy practice residency programs.

ASHP has established accreditation standards for postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy practice residency programs, as well as required and elective program outcomes, goals, and objectives.[1][1] One pharmacy practice area addressed by the ASHP outcomes, goals, and objectives is drug information (DI
Veränderungen in dem histologischen Bilde und dem Lipoidaufbau des Zentralnervensystems in der Äthernarkose

1. In der Athernarkose wurden im Zentralnervensystem von Hunden und Katzen morphologische Veranderungen des Neurons beobachtet. Diffuse Farbung derNisslschen Korperchen in den Vorderhornzellen des Ruckenmarks und eine bauchige Auftreibung der Markscheiden bedingt durch eine Vermehrung von Flussigkeit innerhalb der Markscheiden. 2. Eine von H. und I. S. Maclean angegebene Methode zur fraktionierten Trennung der Lipine des Z. N. S. wurde in die praktische Anwendung ubertragen. In Narkoseversuchen an Katzen und Hunden wurde gefunden, das die acetonloslichen Bestandteile in allen Versuchen zunahmen. Die alkoholloslichen Bestandteile nahmen ab; gleichzeitig war auch die Menge der aus dem Alkoholextrakt mit Aceton fallbaren Lipine vermindert. Die Lecithinfraktion allein zeigt eine relative Zunahme. 3. Die Veranderungen in dem Lipingehalt der grauen Substanz waren ausgesprochener als diejenigen im Weis oder im Ruckenmark; entsprechend dem auch physiologischerweise schon um das 2–3 fache gesteigerten Stoffwechsel der Rinde. 4. Die morphologischen und chemischen Veranderungen setzten etwa nach der 2. Stunde ein, um dann schnell ein Maximum zu erreichen, das zwischen der 3. und 5. Stunde annahernd konstant blieb.
Reaction-space analysis of homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion with varying levels of fuel stratification under positive and negative valve overlap conditions:

Full-cycle computational fluid dynamics simulations with gasoline chemical kinetics were performed to determine the impact of breathing and fuel injection strategies on thermal and compositional st...
Clinical and metabolic study of 17-hydroxycorticosterone (Kendall Compound F); comparison with cortisone.

SummaryThe clinical and metabolic effects of parenterally-administered Cpd. F were investigated and compared with those of cortisone. Preliminary observations suggest similar responses but with Cpd. F appearing to be somewhat less active.
Autoradiographic localization of estrogen and androgen target cells in human and rat prostate carcinoma.

Abstract The distribution of estrogen target cells within the Dunning R3327-H rat prostate tumor following intravenous injection of tritiated estradiol into rat hosts was compared to the distribution obtained following incubation of a 2 mm.3 sample of the tumor with tritiated estradiol in organ culture. No difference was observed, indicating that the in vitro method was an effective approach for autoradiographic analysis of tumor biopsy samples. Subsequently, tumor samples were excised from solid tumors of R3327-H and R3327-MAT LyLu tumors growing in Copenhagen rats. These tumor models were chosen as representatives of hormone sensitive (R3327-H) and hormone insensitive (R3327-MAT LyLu) tumors. Normal rat dorsal prostate and human tumor biopsy samples were also studied. Autoradiographic studies were performed in vitro utilizing tritiated estradiol and tritiated dihydrotestosterone to compare the distribution of estrogen and androgen target cells. The present research demonstrated that 1) similar patterns of nuclear uptake of steroids are obtained with in vivo and in vitro autoradiographic techniques, 2) estradiol receptors occur primarily in extra-acinar epithelioid cells in both rat and human prostate carcinomas, 3) these epithelioid cells are not characteristic of the normal rat dorsal prostate, 4) androgen receptors occur in both acinar and stromal epithelioid cells in rat and primarily in acinar epithelial cells in human tumors and 5) in vitro autoradiographic methods can provide insight into differences in sensitivity to steroids which may be of diagnostic importance in the treatment of cancer.
Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Digital Ontotheology Toward a Critical Rethinking of Science Fiction as Theory

In utopian/science fiction literature, comprehensive knowledge is a familiar motif that also inspires recent policies to screen society through surveillance. In the late 20th century, a digital archive promised to facilitate quick access to abundant information and effective strategies to confront myriad challenges. Yet, today, the scale and scope of information accumulation in national and corporate repositories is reaching proportions whose intelligent processing excedes human capabilities, and triggering a shift in focus from dumb repository to artificial intelligence. Processing such accumulation of knowledge necessiates skills commonly attributed to divinity. Without a theory that recognizes this condition and informs the operations of artificial intelligence, the latter is likely to fail in human ways, e.g., by perceiving false patterns resulting from flawed theories assigning meaning to knowledge. For successful pattern recognition to occur, theories must rest on science fiction and a digital ontot...
Medicaid Rationing in Oregon: Political Wolf in a Philosopher's Sheepskin

Although the details of the proposal have shifted since it was first described, the Oregon Medicaid waiver has had one consistent feature: it will reduce benefits to AFDC mothers and children who are currently covered by Medicaid in that state, in the hopes of increasing coverage for other individuals who are now uninsured. Because of the adverse consequences for the AFDC population, there should be strong evidence supporting the purported benefits of the proposal before proceeding with the waiver. One of the most intriguing aspects of the waiver proposal is the claim that the money currently being spent on AFDC beneficiaries could be redistributed to expand coverage to a substantial number of the uninsured. The concept is that far more people could receive the most valuable services if those now being served gave up their coverage of the least valuable services. Other purported benefits of the waiver include enhanced citizen participation in decisionmaking, cost-savings, and improved payment levels and delivery arrangements. Remarkably, this analysis of the proposal reveals that the waiver is likely to achieve none of its stated objectives, and instead will have adverse consequences not identified by its proponents. What the proposal would do is to insulate politicians from visible responsibility for limiting benefits for AFDC children and adults. Finally, the proposal undermines 25 years of Medicaid as an entitlement program. As such, it would establish as a social ethic the principle that the poor can be relegated to inadequate care. Such an extreme measure is not justified by the fiscal situation in Oregon, which is not extraordinarily poor or overtaxed, and does not have a particularly generous or unusually expensive Medicaid program.
The Transformation of Republican Conservatism: The U.S. Senate, 1938-1952

Congressional conservatives in the 1940s are often portrayed as a monolithic bloc, united by their opposition to Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. This article, by examining Senate Republicans, argues that after 1938 the GOP was divided between "obstructionists" who continued to oppose FDR's social welfare agenda, and moderate, "new" conservatives who largely accepted the basic principles of the New Deal. The Depression and World War II forced many Republicans to recognize the fundamental alterations that industrialization had made in American life in the twentieth century. As a consequence, some Republicans modernized their conservatism to accept an enlarged role for the federal government, recognizing that in a mass, industrial society the intervention of the state was often necessary for the promotion of individual rights and liberties.
Statin use and the development of bone metastasis in breast cancer patients.

40 Background: The Mevalonic Acid Pathway has been implicated in the promotion of a microenvironment suitable for establishment of bony metastasis from breast cancer. The statins, which act on this pathway, have been shown to have in vitro antineoplastic activity against breast cancer. This study was designed to evaluate the association of statin use and development of bony metastasis in breast cancer patients. Methods: Medical records of patients treated for stage II-III breast cancer from 1999 to 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Statin use was defined as medication use for at least 3 months in patients with no evidence of disease after initial diagnosis and treatment. The primary outcome was development of metastasis to bone. Secondary outcomes were overall survival, disease free survival and other sites of distant metastasis. Results: A total of 841 patients were included in the study of which 223 used statins. Both unadjusted and multivariate analysis adjusted for age, race, grade, stage, BRCA stat...
Aluminum containing Na2CrO4: Inhibitor release on demand

Abstract The paper presents a new concept of metallic materials containing inhibitor, able to inhibit corrosion as it initiates. Al particles with uniformly dispersed sodium chromate (0.5–20 wt%) were produced by high-energy ball milling followed by cold compaction. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests and surface analysis after constant immersion tests revealed a significant improvement in corrosion behavior due to the sodium chromate addition up to 5 wt%. Improved corrosion behavior was attributed to the release of inhibitor as corrosion occurred. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated presence of the Cr3+ in the passive film.
Prevalence of Parent-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Associated Treatment Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2016.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the national prevalence of parent-reported attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and treatment among U.S. children 2–17 years of age usi...
Applications of fuzzy and rough set theory in data mining

The explosion of very large databases has created extraordinary opportunities for monitoring, analyzing and predicting global economical, geographical, demographic, medical, political, and other processes in the world. Statistical analysis and data mining techniques have emerged for these purposes. Data mining is the process of discovering previously unknown but potentially useful patterns, rules, or associations from huge quantity of data. Data mining can be performed on different data repositories such as relational databases, data warehouses, transactional databases, sequence databases, spatial databases, spatio-temporal databases, and text databases, etc. Typically, data mining functionalities can be classified into two categories: descriptive and predictive. Descriptive mining tasks aim at characterizing the general properties of the data in the databases, while predictive mining tasks perform inherence on the current data in order to make prediction in future.
YKL-40: a candidate biomarker for simian immunodeficiency virus and human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis?

This Commentary explores the possible role for YKL-40, a secreted mammalian chitinase-like protein, as a predictive biomarker for SIV encephalitis (SIVE) and HIV encephalitis (HIVE).
Almost Complex Manifolds; Integrability Conditions

Let M be a C∞ manifold of dimension n. To a point x ∈ M we will denote by Tx and T x * the tangent and cotangent spaces respectively. An almost complex structure on M is a C∞ field of endomorphisms Jx: Tx → Tx, such that J x 2 = −1x, where 1x denotes the identity endomorphism in Tx.
State and Location of Iron in Apollo 11 Samples

The oxidation state of iron has been investigated in the lunar soil, in clinopyroxene and glass separated from the soil, and in clinopyroxenes separated from two igneous rocks (microgabbros). In the soil, iron is exclusively in the ferrous state at octahedrally coordinated positions or in the metallic state. A small amount of metallic iron is probably paramagnetic. The ferric to ferrous iron ratios in the clinopyroxenes are zero with an error limit of ±0.01. The site occupancy in the clinopyroxenes is an ordered one, calcium and magnesium occurring at the M2 and M1 positions, respectively. Ferrous iron fills the remaining M1, M2 sites.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) for Decision Support

Online analytical processing (OLAP) refers to the general activity of querying and presenting text and number data from data warehouses and/or data marts for analytical purposes. This chapter gives an overview of OLAP and explains how it is used for decision support. Before the specific OLAP functions and platforms are presented, the connection between the OLAP systems and analytical data repositories is covered. Then, an overview of functionalities that are common for all OLAP tools is presented.
Micro/Nanotribology: State of the Art and Its Applications

Atomic force microscopy/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM) techniques are increasingly used for tribological studies of engineering surfaces at scales, ranging from atomic and molecular to microscales. These techniques have been used to study surface roughness, adhesion, friction, scratching/wear, indentation, detection of material transfer, and boundary lubrication and for nanofabrication/nanomachining purposes. Measurement of atomic-scale friction of a freshly-cleaved highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite exhibited the same periodicity as that of corresponding topography. However, the peaks in friction and those in corresponding topography were displaced relative to each other. Variations in atomic-scale friction and the observed displacement has been explained by the variations in interatomic forces in the normal and lateral directions. Local variation in microscale friction is found to correspond to the local slope suggesting that a ratchet mechanism is responsible for this variation. Directionality in the friction is observed on both micro- and macro scales which results from the surface preparation and anisotropy in surface roughness. Microscale friction is generally found to be smaller than the macrofriction as there is less ploughing contribution in microscale measurements. Microscale friction is load dependent and friction values increase with an increase in the normal load approaching to the macrofriction at contact stresses higher than the hardness of the softer material. Wear rate for single-crystal silicon is negligible below 20 uN and is much higher and remains approximately constant at higher loads. Elastic deformation at low loads is responsible for negligible wear. Mechanism of material removal on microscale is studied. At the load used in the study, material is removed by the ploughing mode in a brittle manner without much plastic deformation. Most of the wear debris is loose. Evolution of the wear has also been studied using AFM. Wear is found to be initiated at nano scratches. AFM has been modified to obtain load-displacement curves and for measurement of nanoindentation hardness and Young’s modulus of elasticity, with depth of indentation as low as 1 nm. Hardness of ceramics on nano scales is found to be higher than that on micro scale. Ceramics exhibit significant plasticity and creep on nanoscale. Scratching and indentation on nanoscales are the powerful ways to screen for adhesion and resistance to deformation of ultrathin films. Detection of material transfer on a nanoscale is possible with AFM. Boundary lubrication studies and measurement of lubricant-film thickness with a lateral resolution on a nanoscale have been conducted using AFM. Self-assembled monolayers and chemically-bonded lubricant films with a mobile fraction are superior in wear resistance.
Integrated aerial and destructive phenotyping differentiates chilling stress tolerance during early seedling growth in sorghum

Abstract Sorghum with greater chilling tolerance during early season has the potential to minimize terminal drought and heat stress damage and efficiently utilize early season residual moisture. Four promising chilling stress tolerant sorghum advanced breeding lines, a known early stage chilling tolerant Chinese landrace (Shan Qui Red - SQR) and a susceptible US elite cultivar (RTx430) as checks were assessed for chilling tolerance during emergence and early growth under field and controlled environments. Plants were exposed to a maximum day-time/minimum night-time temperature of 6/6°, 8/8°, 10/10°, 15/15°, 20/10°, 20/15° and 32/22 °C in two independent controlled environment growth chamber experiments. Field studies were conducted with two early (April 01 and 15) and regular (May 13 and June 02) plantings in 2016 and with one early (April 21) and regular (May 25) planting in 2017. Emergence rate and from seedlings harvested one month after emergence, leaf area, shoot weight, root weight, and other root morphological traits were recorded from all experiments. Aerial phenotyping using UAV fitted with multispectral camera was used to capture reflectance-based vegetation indices (NDVI and NDRE). Some advanced breeding lines recorded significantly better emergence, seedling growth and vigor, root biomass compared to SQR under chilling conditions. Aerial phenotyping indices from images taken between 30 and 60 days after emergence were consistently correlated with destructive measurements under early plantings, indicating their effectiveness in differentiating chilling responses. Aerial phenotyping indices have the potential to be utilized effectively for phenotyping genetically diverse populations for improving early season chilling tolerance in sorghum.
Bandwidth-Efficient Live Video Analytics for Drones Via Edge Computing

Real-time video analytics on small autonomous drones poses several difficult challenges at the intersection of wireless bandwidth, processing capacity, energy consumption, result accuracy, and timeliness of results. In response to these challenges, we describe four strategies to build an adaptive computer vision pipeline for search tasks in domains such as search-and-rescue, surveillance, and wildlife conservation. Our experimental results show that a judicious combination of drone-based processing and edge-based processing can save substantial wireless bandwidth and thus improve scalability, without compromising result accuracy or result latency.
Using Online Lectures to Promote Engagement: Recognising the Self-Directed Learner as Critical for Practical Inquiry

This study analyzed the relationships between teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence in online learning environments (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000), with an emphasis on examining ways in which the design of instructor presentation formats relates to student responses within discussion forums. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to determine the nature of student responses, primarily through the lens of the Practical Inquiry Model (Garrison, 2007) by coding all text within the initial student responses to content-based questions. Twenty students were randomly assigned to two sections in a graduate level, teacher education course. One group was provided metacognitive prompts throughout the asynchronous lecture presentation and told to pause the presentation and document their thinking relative to the prompts. The other group was not asked to pause and write during the presentation nor were there any metacognitive prompts embedded within the presentation. A Pearson’s Chi-Square analysis was used to analyze the coding of the text and a form of text analytics was used to seek out the nature of student learning and cognitive presence. There were no significant associations found between the design of the instructor presentation and levels within the Practical Inquiry Model. Furthermore, the themes, number of total themes and word count also remained consistent between the two groups.
Time-Controlled and FinFET Compatible Sub-Bandgap References Using Bulk-Diodes

This brief presents an innovative technique for precise reference generation based on “digital-alike” operation. The bias of pn-junctions is defined trough pulse timings, while respective PTAT and CTAT signals are sampled from the voltage-decay of a capacitor. The greatly simple structures offer intrinsic supply robustness and use charge sharing or addition, to achieve large reverse-bandgap levels. Here, we employ the bulk-to-substrate diode of any baseline process combined with charge-pump function, instead of BJT devices. Two different circuit ideas were designed in 16-nm FinFET, with ultra-low power requirements. The first version achieves an untrimmed $3\sigma $ -accuracy of ±0.82%, realizing 235-mV reference output down to 0.85-V supply. A second IP carries lowest complexity using a single diode only: it consumes 21 nA at $1680~\mu \text{m}^{2}$ active area, and provides larger levels of Vref ~370 mV at merely ±2.7 mV total spread from silicon data. Unlike prior art, the compact reverse bandgaps do not require typical analog structures, like resistors, matched biasing, or differential amplifiers.
Cavity quantum electrodynamics with quantum interference in a three-level atomic system

Abstract Spontaneously generated coherence and enhanced dispersion in a V-type, three-level atomic system interacting with a single mode field can considerably reduce the radiative and cavity decay rates. This may eliminate the use of high finesse, miniaturized cavities in optical cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments under strong atom-field coupling conditions.
The Surgical Approach to Abdominal Sacrocolpopexy and Concurrent Hysterectomy: Trends for the Past Decade.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to understand the surgical trends and 30-day complications of patients undergoing an abdominal sacrocolpopexy with a concurrent hysterectomy. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of surgical cases from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2010 to 2017 who underwent an abdominal sacrocolpopexy and a concurrent hysterectomy. RESULTS There were 9327 surgical cases of an abdominal sacrocolpopexy with a concurrent hysterectomy of which 7772 (83.3%) were minimally invasive and 1555 (16.7%) were through a laparotomy. The proportion of patients undergoing a laparotomy decreased by 2.4% per year from 2010 to 2018 (R2 = 0.77). Among minimally invasive procedures, 4359 (46.7%) involved a concurrent supracervical hysterectomy and 4968 (53.3%) involved a concurrent total hysterectomy. Among minimally invasive procedures, patients who had a concurrent supracervical hysterectomy both had a longer operative time and were more likely to be admitted at least 2 days postoperatively compared with those who had a concurrent total hysterectomy (P < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS Patients undergoing an abdominal sacrocolpopexy and concurrent hysterectomy are increasingly likely to undergo surgery in a minimally invasive approach. The Food and Drug Administration safety communication on electric power morcellation did not impact this trend. Although complication rates are low, regardless of the type of concurrent hysterectomy, some complications, such as blood transfusions and surgical site infections, seem to be highest for those undergoing a concurrent total hysterectomy despite the fact that a concurrent supracervical hysterectomy may be associated with a longer operative time and longer hospital admission.
Workplace Racial Discrimination, Negative Emotions Based on Treatment Due to Race, and Substance Use.

Experiencing racial discrimination may be associated with poor health outcomes including negative emotional states and substance use. The workplace is a setting where people may experience discrimi...
Who Joins the Franchise, Affiliation Model of Hospital Networks? An Analysis of Hospital and Market Characteristics of Members:

Joining nonownership based, organization-driven networks and alliances is a common strategy for hospitals to pursue yet little is known about what types of hospitals join these collaborations, due in part to challenges in identifying members. One novel network form that has recently emerged, and made identification feasible, is franchise-like "affiliation networks" in which affiliate hospitals pay an annual membership fee that allows access to the clinical expertise and resources of high-status, nationally ranked sponsor hospitals. Affiliation networks and their members publicize affiliation. Using 2006-2015 data on United States' hospitals, we find hospitals with higher patient acuity, teaching hospitals, and hospitals located in areas of higher utilization intensity were more likely to join an affiliation network. Joining affiliation networks does not appear to be in response to highly competitive markets because hospitals in less competitive environments are more likely to join and hospitals with higher net incomes are more likely to join.
Cooperative multi-target localization with noisy sensors

This paper addresses the task of searching for an unknown number of static targets within a known obstacle map using a team of mobile robots equipped with noisy, limited field-of-view sensors. Such sensors may fail to detect a subset of the visible targets or return false positive detections. These measurement sets are used to localize the targets using the Probability Hypothesis Density, or PHD, filter. Robots communicate with each other on a local peer-to-peer basis and with a server or the cloud via access points, exchanging measurements and poses to update their belief about the targets and plan future actions. The server provides a mechanism to collect and synthesize information from all robots and to share the global, albeit time-delayed, belief state to robots near access points. We design a decentralized control scheme that exploits this communication architecture and the PHD representation of the belief state. Specifically, robots move to maximize mutual information between the target set and measurements, both self-collected and those available by accessing the server, balancing local exploration with sharing knowledge across the team. Furthermore, robots coordinate their actions with other robots exploring the same local region of the environment.
A refined invariant subspace method and applications to evolution equations

The invariant subspace method is refined to present more unity and more diversity of exact solutions to evolution equations. The key idea is to take subspaces of solutions to linear ordinary differential equations as invariant subspaces that evolution equations admit. A two-component nonlinear system of dissipative equations is analyzed to shed light on the resulting theory, and two concrete examples are given to find invariant subspaces associated with 2nd-order and 3rd-order linear ordinary differential equations and their corresponding exact solutions with generalized separated variables.
The effect of sodium benzoate as a preservative on the reproductive system of male rats

In order to investigate the effect of sodium benzoate dosage on reproductive efficiency in mature male rats, the current study was conducted at the Faculty of Science, Qadisiyah University for the period from 15\10\2016 to 15\4\2017. Sixty adult male rats (aged 56 days and weighted 138±8.8 g) have been used in the present study. The rats have been divided randomly into three equal groups (20 rats to each group). The first group included the control (C) group and was injected with physiological saline solution daily. The second group was injected with sodium benzoate at a concentration of (50 mg\kg). The third group was injected with sodium benzoate at a concentration of (100 mg\kg). Each group was divided into two subgroups, each containing 10 rats, depending on the duration of the dosage, 2-3 weeks. After 24 hours on the last day of the experiment, animals were sacrificed, and testicular samples were taken for histopathological study. The result of the histological study on the testis showed a significant decrease in the composition of the sperm in the two groups (T1, T2) where the spermatozoa showed a small number of primary and secondary sperm cells as well as a decrease in the number of sperm and Leydig cells. This decrease increases with increasing concentration and duration compared to the control group. It is concluded from the results of the current experiment that the dosage of animals with sodium benzoate at a concentration of (50,100 mg\kg) body weight has a clear effect on the reproductive efficiency of male rats.