cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoexcitation of the NO dimer below the threshold of the NO(A2Σ+) + NO(X2Π) channel: a photoion and photoelectron imaging study

The photoexcitation of (NO)2 at 242–221 nm is studied by photoion and photoelectron imaging. A broad and structureless absorption band starting at 41,300 � 300 cm � 1 is observed. Ionization via the excited state accesses predominantly a dissociative state of (NO) þ . The broad kinetic energy distribution of the photoelectrons suggests that the excited state has a large valence component in the Franck–Condon region, and that the geometries of the excited neutral state and the dimer ion state differ markedly. We propose that the same bright state of mixed valence/Rydberg character is accessed at 242–200 nm, in agreement with preliminary ab initio calculations. 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Large-amplitude electric fields associated with bursty bulk flow braking in the Earth's plasma sheet

We report observations of large-amplitude (>50 mV/m) electric fields primarily associated with bursty bulk flow events. These electric fields reach ~500 mV/m, which are some of the largest electric fields (E) observed in the magnetotail. E not only has a larger than expected component perpendicular to the magnetic field but often has an intense parallel component. High time resolution waveforms reveal nonlinear structures such as electron phase-space holes and double layers, which suggest strong field-aligned currents or electron beams. Further examination shows that these large-amplitude electric fields are almost always accompanied by enhanced magnetic field fluctuations. The electric fields are enhanced both above and below the ion cyclotron frequency, whereas the magnetic field fluctuations (δB) are mostly below the ion cyclotron frequency. Analysis of the wave spectra and the Poynting flux suggest that shear Alfven waves are participating in these events. The Alfven waves are revealed through the |δE|/|δB| ratio and strong field-aligned Poynting flux, sometimes reaching nearly 1 mW/m2. This value, when mapped to the low-altitude auroral region, exceeds 1 W/m2, which is an extreme value for that region. This Alfvenic activity is accompanied by evidence of compressional modes. These observations support a hypothesis whereby intense currents or electron beams, generated by kinetic Alfvenic waves that result from a turbulent cascade in bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region, may be an energy source for large-amplitude electric fields. The large-amplitude electric fields may act as a dissipation mechanism and relax the highly tangled magnetic fields that result from the turbulence. Furthermore, these observations offer strong support that Alfvenic Poynting flux from the BBF braking region can be the energy source for Alfvenic aurora.
Women and the Labour Movement in France, 1869–1914*

In histories of European trade union movements, the observation that women industrial workers were rarely found among the membership has become axiomatic. In virtually every developed nation, it seems that once the industrial order was established, predominantly male trade unions were everywhere the rule, and female unions and trade unionists everywhere notable exceptions.
Use of Methylprednisolone in Patients following Acute Myocardial Infarction: Hemodynamic and Metabolic Effects

Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of methylprednisolone were investigated in a double-blind study of 28 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), confirmed by unequivocal electrocardiographic and enzyme changes. Measurements were performed prior to and at 1.5, 3, 4, 4.5, 12 and 24 hours following infusion of methylprednisolone (13 patients) or placebo (15 patients). Although systemic vascular resistance decreased from 1,750 to 1,420 dynes·sec·cm -5 (p 2 (p
Intrinsic Grain Boundary Mobility in Alumina

Ultra-high purity alumina was sintered in hydrogen at temperatures ranging from 1325° to 2020°C. Normal grain growth was maintained in all samples and grain boundary mobilities were measured. The data represent the most complete measure of intrinsic grain boundary mobility for alumina grain growth currently available. There are two orders of magnitude of discrepancy between the calculated and measured intrinsic grain boundary mobility. It is proposed that this discrepancy results from the poor assumption of the Burke-Turnbull model, which suggests that grain boundaries are ideally disordered and atomically rough. Implications of these results on the mechanism of solid-state single-crystal conversion in alumina are also discussed.
Prenatal Development of Monozygotic Twins and Concordance for Schizophrenia

While twin concordances for schizophrenia have been used to estimate heritability and to develop genetic models, concordances in subtypes of monozygotic (MZ) twins can also be used to investigate the influence of prenatal development in the etiology of mental illness. We used within-pair variability and mirroring of fingerprints to estimate retrospectively the placentation status of concordant and discordant MZ twins. The results indicate that concordant MZ pairs were more likely to have been monochorionic (MC) and to have shared a single placenta, whereas discordant MZ pairs appear more likely to have been dichorionic (DC) with separate placentas. Pairwise concordances for MZ twins without MC markers averaged 10.7 percent. In contrast, concordances for MZ twins with one or more MC markers averaged 60 percent. This suggests that simple MZ concordance rates may overestimate schizophrenia heritability and that prenatal development may also be important in the etiology of schizophrenia. Because MC (but not DC) twins usually share fetal blood circulation and hence are likely to share infections, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that fetal infections may be a significant etiological factor in schizophrenia.
Probabilistic methods for the impact of an SET in combinational logic

A novel method is proposed in order to calculate the probability of an SET resulting into SEU. The method is proposed to calculate the propagation of SET to the output gate at any time instant within the latching window. The method uses symbolic simulation and disjoint covers of appropriately formulated functions to take into consideration re-convergent paths and therefore more accurate calculations. This is evaluated experimentally on the benchmark circuits.
Assessment in a Common Core Era: Revolutionary or Evolutionary?.

In conjunction with the adoption and subsequent implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), state-led consortia are developing next-generation assessments aligned to the CCSSM. This paper discusses the progress and plans of two main coalitions of states—the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)— as they work to develop new and innovative assessments to measure the CCSSM and replace current state assessments. They attempt to integrate into each of their assessment systems various facets of testing (e.g., online administration, computer adaptive testing, performance-based tasks) already in existence. What is proposed to be revolutionary and innovative in testing appears more like the next evolutionary step in assessment. Scheduled for full implementation in 2014–2015, what remains to be seen is whether these assessments can accomplish two goals: (1) close the gap with NAEP and (2) replace college placement tests.
Epidemiological analysis of measles situation from 2004 to 2010 and its control strategies in Quanzhou city Licheng District

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of measles in Licheng District of Quanzhou city,forecast the prevalent trend and provide a basis for making prevention and control strategy.Methods:The incidence data of measles from 2004 to 2010 in Licheng District were collected and analyzed statistically.Results:A total of 116 cases with confirmed measles were reported through direct network report system.The annual average incidence rate was 6.55/100 000.There were 2 measles cases from 2009 to 2010.The annual average incidence rate was sharp dropped(18.44/100 000) compared with last five years(0.39/100 000).There were two peaks in incidence rate,the first from March to August,and the second peak in December.Most cases were from Jiangnan Street and Fuqiao Street where most floating population was located.The incidence was significant increased in population aged 0-1 years and 20-30 years.A total of 123 confirmed cases were reported by Immunization monitoring system,which floating population accounted for 52.03%,and patients with no immunization history or unknown history accounted for 91.87%.The immunization rates of floating population were significantly lower than the local population.Conclusions:Measles surveillance system is more sensitive than direct network report system.Accumulation of susceptible population,gathering of floating population,lack of routine immunization and insufficient school check for enrollment verification are risk factors to measles incidence and prevalence.After the leak replanting in 2008 and aggrandizement during 2009-2010,measles has been controlled.Strengthening the management of floating population,developing targeted vaccination,eliminating immune blank point,improving immunity of population are key in controlling incidence rate of measles below 1/1 000 000 in 2012.
Effect of Xiaoyao Powder on the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in amygadala of rats induced by chronic restrain stress

Objective: To investigate the effect of Xiaoyao Powder on expression of the apoptosis factor bax and Bcl-2 in amygdala,which induced by the chronic restraint stress in the rats.Methods: 36 male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: control,stress,Xiaoyao Powder.After 14 days restraint stress,the protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in amygdala in these 3 groups were examined by west blotting analysis.Results: Compared with control group,expression of bax in amygdala in stress group was increased significantly.However,Xiaoyao Powder could reverse this potential,as compared with the stress group,and the differences were significant.What's more,there were no significant differences among these three groups on the expression of Bcl-2 in amygdala.Conclusion: Xiaoyao Powder may effectively improve the apoptosis situation of amygdala,which induced by chronic restraint stress by increasing the protein expression of bax.
Impacts of climate change and renewable energy development on habitat of an endemic squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis , in the Mojave Desert, USA

Abstract Predicting changes in species distributions under a changing climate is becoming widespread with the use of species distribution models (SDMs). The resulting predictions of future potential habitat can be cast in light of planned land use changes, such as urban expansion and energy development to identify areas with potential conflict. However, SDMs rarely incorporate an understanding of dispersal capacity, and therefore assume unlimited dispersal in potential range shifts under uncertain climate futures. We use SDMs to predict future distributions of the Mojave ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis Merriam, and incorporate partial dispersal models informed by field data on juvenile dispersal to assess projected impact of climate change and energy development on future distributions of X. mohavensis. Our models predict loss of extant habitat, but also concurrent gains of new habitat under two scenarios of future climate change. Under the B1 emissions scenario- a storyline describing a convergent world with emphasis on curbing greenhouse gas emissions- our models predicted losses of up to 64% of extant habitat by 2080, while under the increased greenhouse gas emissions of the A2 scenario, we suggest losses of 56%. New potential habitat may become available to X. mohavensis, thereby offsetting as much as 6330 km2 (50%) of the current habitat lost. Habitat lost due to planned energy development was marginal compared to habitat lost from changing climates, but disproportionately affected current habitat. Future areas of overlap in potential habitat between the two climate change scenarios are identified and discussed in context of proposed energy development.
An efficient repeating signal detector to investigate earthquake swarms

Repetitive earthquake swarms have been recognized as key signatures in fluid injection induced seismicity, precursors to volcanic eruptions, and slow slip events preceding megathrust earthquakes. We investigate earthquake swarms by developing a Repeating Signal Detector (RSD), a computationally efficient algorithm utilizing agglomerative clustering to identify similar waveforms buried in years of seismic recordings using a single seismometer. Instead of relying on existing earthquake catalogs of larger earthquakes, RSD identifies characteristic repetitive waveforms by rapidly identifying signals of interest above a low signal-to-noise ratio and then grouping based on spectral and time domain characteristics, resulting in dramatically shorter processing time than more exhaustive autocorrelation approaches. We investigate seismicity in four regions using RSD: (1) volcanic seismicity at Mammoth Mountain, California, (2) subduction-related seismicity in Oaxaca, Mexico, (3) induced seismicity in Central Alberta, Canada, and (4) induced seismicity in Harrison County, Ohio. In each case, RSD detects a similar or larger number of earthquakes than existing catalogs created using more time intensive methods. In Harrison County, RSD identifies 18 seismic sequences that correlate temporally and spatially to separate hydraulic fracturing operations, 15 of which were previously unreported. RSD utilizes a single seismometer for earthquake detection which enables seismicity to be quickly identified in poorly instrumented regions at the expense of relying on another method to locate the new detections. Due to the smaller computation overhead and success at distances up to ~50 km, RSD is well suited for real-time detection of low-magnitude earthquake swarms with permanent regional networks.
Identity Development in the Digital Age: An Eriksonian Perspective

In this chapter, the authors explore the role that networked platforms play in identity development during emerging adulthood. They use the stories of two youth to highlight dominant themes from existing research and to examine the developmental implications of forming one’s identity in a networked era. The inquiry is theoretically informed by the work of the psychologist Erik Erikson, who depicted identity development as a process of exploration that ultimately results in a sense of personal continuity and coherence. The authors consider what insights this theory — formulated in the mid-twentieth century — has to offer in a digital world. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the practical implications relating to education, policy, and the design of new technologies.
Advanced Biomanufacturing: A Radical Manufacturing Paradigm Shift from Conventional, Centralized, Off-the-Shelf Production to On-Demand, Decentralized, Plug-and-Play Production of Cell- and Tissue-Based Products

Advanced Biomanufacturing: A Radical Manufacturing Paradigm Shift from Conventional, Centralized, Off-the-Shelf Production to On-Demand, Decentralized, Plug-and-Play Production of Cell- and Tissue-Based Products
The Mexican Interest Rate Pass-Through in the Post-U.S. Subprime Mortgage Crisis Era

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the nature of the Mexican interest rate pass-through during the post-U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. The empirical results reveal a very high short-run and an almost complete long-run interest rate pass-through. The bounds test indicates a long-term relationship between countercyclical monetary policy and market rates. Notwithstanding the rigid inflation targeting set by the Mexican Central Bank in the very concentrated Mexican market and its openness to foreign competition, the Mexican open economy is very small compared to the U.S. economy. Despite these conditions, the Mexican Central Bank has been very effective in conducting its countercyclical monetary policy.
Relative Motion Flexion Splinting for Flexor Tendon Lacerations: Proof of Concept.

Background: The principle of relative motion has allowed patients to regain a higher degree of hand function, while protecting extensor tendon repairs. The purpose of this study was to determine wh...
Improving Knowledge-Based System Performance by Reordering Rule Sequences

In this paper, we argue that KBS validation should not be limited to testing functional properties of the system, such as its input - output behavior, but must also address its dynamic properties, such as its run-time performance. We describe an automated procedure, which under certain limitations can recognize relations between rules, typically expressed as “meta-rules” or “control heuristics” and hardwired in the KBS’s control strategy. The presented procedure takes as an input the operational version of the knowledge base theory generated by a CTMS-based verification tool, and returns a reordered set of rules which when applied to a specific problem generates possible solutions of that problem in order according to a specified criterion, for example the length of the path leading to the solution. We show an example to illustrate the proposed procedure.
Development and Feasibility Testing of a Patient Safety Research Simulation

Abstract Background It is critical to understand but difficult to study nursing behavior in response to safety interventions. Methods A common nursing scenario, evidence based on appropriate nursing actions in response to patient safety risks, and a corresponding measure of nursing behavior, the Safety Action Performance Scale, were developed. These tools were content validated and tested for feasibility. Results The scenario was low-cost, realistic, and successfully used in a mixed-method pilot study. The Safety Action Performance Scale was easy to use and revise for greater interrater reliability. Conclusion Simulation provides a feasible means for testing safety interventions to improve safety-oriented behavior and subsequent patient outcomes.
Staking the Claim/Walking the Field

When jurisprudence became a science of relations in law in its own right in the nineteenth century, the historical link between philosophy and law was severed.1 It is now nearly thirty-five years since Cairns appraised this rift between philosophy and law. In the interim new links have been forged. The most conspicuous philosophical-legal tie is, perhaps, in the area of rights. A less visible relation between law and philosophy can be seen through Peirce’s pragmatic thoughts. The name for this fresh approach to the study of law and other social systems is semiotics. A special area of this new field of inquiry is legal semiotics with its ramified inquiry into economics and politics.
Detection with polychromatic x-ray pencil beam illumination: information-theoretic bounds.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) by x-ray imaging is commonly used for finding manufacturing defects, cargo inspection, or security screening. These tasks can be regarded as examples of a detection problem where a target is either present or not. Task-specific information (TSI) [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A24, B25 (2007)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.24.000B25; Appl. Opt.47, 4457 (2008)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.47.004457] bounds, an information-theoretic based metric, are presented for a threat detection task. A system using polychromatic x-ray pencil beam object illumination and energy-resolving detectors for both absorption and diffraction measurements is employed for this task. Water and diesel are two liquids chosen as non-threat and threat materials, respectively, for this study. Three different threat class configurations are examined: a homogeneous object with fixed thickness, a homogeneous object with stochastic thickness, and a dual-material object (i.e., representing a target and clutter) with stochastic thickness, where the threat material has a fixed thickness. We find for the threat class composed of a dual-material object that a minimum threat thickness of 4.5 cm is needed to achieve a desired TSI≥0.7 using a joint absorption and diffraction measurement.
Unrelated Parallel Machine Selection and Job Scheduling With the Objective of Minimizing Total Workload and Machine Fixed Costs

This paper is concerned with scheduling of a set of ${n}$ single-operation tasks/orders on a set of $m$ unrelated parallel machines where subcontracting is allowed. When a machine/subcontractor is chosen to do a set of orders/tasks, it incurs a one-time fixed cost. When a job/order is performed by a machine/subcontractor, there is a cost that depends on the machine/subcontractor. The objective is to choose a subset of ${k}$ machines and/or subcontractors from the set of all ${m}$ available machines and/or subcontractors to perform all jobs to minimize the sum of total workload costs and total fixed costs. We discuss the complexity of the problem, and prove NP-hardness of the problem. Simplified mathematical development is provided that allows efficient implementation of two-exchange algorithms. An efficient tabu search heuristic with a diversification generation component is developed. An extensive computational experiment of the heuristic for large-scale problems with comparison to the results from CPLEX software is presented. We also solved 40 benchmark ${k}$ -median problems available on the Internet that have been used by many researchers. Note to Practitioners —To be competitive in the global market, companies must be prudent in the use of their resources. This paper considers a parallel scheduling environment where choosing in-house machines and/or subcontractors as resources to perform the orders/jobs is the main objective. Processing time (or cost) of a job to be performed by different machines or subcontractors can be different. Furthermore, if a machine or a subcontractor is chosen to perform a set of orders, there is a one-time fixed cost (in the case of subcontractor it can be considered transportation cost) that depends on the machine or subcontractor. The scheduling criteria are to choose a subset of $k$ machines and/or subcontractors to do all orders/jobs while minimizing the sum of the total workload and total fixed costs. The complexity of the problem is discussed and shown to be NP-hard. An efficient tabu search that solves large-scale problems in fraction of a second of CPU time is presented and an extensive computational experiment is provided.
1.12 – Solar Radiation Resource Assessment for Renewable Energy Conversion

This chapter addresses measurements, modeling, and databases of solar energy potential that may serve as fuel for solar energy conversion systems. Developing innovative designs for capturing and converting solar radiation is only one part of the equation for solar system deployment. Identifying, locating, and prospecting for the appropriate quantity and quality of solar resources to fuel these systems is critical to system designers, investors, financial backers, utilities, governments, and owner/operators. This chapter addresses the fundamentals and state of the art for measuring, modeling, and applying solar radiation resource data to meet decision-making needs.
Temperature-Dependent Skew Scattering in an AuMn Spin Glass

The Hall effect seen at low temperatures in dilute alloys of a transition metal dissolved in a group-1B noble metal shows1,2 a large component that clearly does not arise from the classical Lorentz force. This extraordinary component is found generally to increase with decreasing temperature, to be approximately proportional to the solute’s concentration, and to show a saturation when the applied field strength B is increased sufficiently.1 For all but the most dilute alloys,1 this component far outweighs the classical contribution arising from the Lorentz force. This extraordinary component has been called3−5 the “skew component” of the Hall effect, and its origin has been attributed3−6 to the asymmetric (or skew) scattering of the conduction electrons as a result of spin-orbit coupling during their scattering by the magnetic ion.6 We have studied the temperature dependence of this component in the Hall resistivity ρH through the spin glass transition in an Au + 8.1 at.% Mn alloy in applied fields in the range 0.025 – 0.1T. The results show features that are related tentatively to the behaviour of magnetic clusters and ‘loose spins’.
Computer Chemistry Studies of Organic Reactions: The Wolff Rearrangement

The Wolff Rearrangement (WR) describes the isomerization of a-carbonyl carbenes into ketenes. Originally observed during the irradiation or thermal decomposition of a-diazoketones, such carbene intermediates also occur in other areas of organic chemistry, for example during the reaction of oxygen with acetylene.
Tailored Buckling Constrained by Adjacent Members

Abstract This paper exploits the accuracy and versatility of additive manufacturing to display interesting buckling behavior in slender elastic columns. A set of parallel columns were printed to relatively high precision, and then subjected to axial loading. The load-deflection behavior is influenced by the post-buckled mutual contact between adjacent columns. Given the capability of incorporating prescribed (but small) initial geometric imperfections using additive manufacturing it is feasible to seed post-bucking behavior, effectively tailoring stiffness.
Investigation of non-CB1, non-CB2 WIN55212-2-sensitive G-protein-coupled receptors in the brains of mammals, birds, and amphibians.

Purpose: Previous studies have found non-CB1 non-CB2 G-protein-coupled receptors in rodents that are activated by the aminoalkylindole cannabinoid agonist WIN55212-2. This work obtained evidence fo...
Inhibition of NOX2 signaling limits pain-related behavior and improves motor function in male mice after spinal cord injury: Participation of IL-10/miR-155 pathways.

Abstract NADPH oxidase (NOX2) is an enzyme that induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and serves as a switch between the pro-inflammatory and neurorestorative microglial/macrophage phenotypes; such changes play an important role in neuropathic pain and motor dysfunction. Increased NOX2 expression after spinal cord injury (SCI) has been reported, and inhibition of NOX2 improves motor function. However, the underlying mechanisms of NOX2 in post-traumatic pain and motor deficit remain unexplored. In the present study, we report that depletion of NOX2 (NOX2−/−) or inhibition of NOX2 using NOX2ds-tat significantly reduced mechanical/thermal cutaneous hypersensitivity and motor dysfunction after moderate contusion SCI at T10 in male mice. Western blot (WB, 3 mm lesion area) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed that SCI elevates NOX2 expression predominantly in microglia/macrophages up to 8 weeks post-injury. Deletion of NOX2 significantly reduced CD11b+/CD45hiF4/80+ macrophage infiltration at 24 h post-injury detected by flow cytometry and 8-OHG+ ROS production at 8 weeks post-injury by IHC in both lesion area and lumbar enlargement. NOX2 deficiency also altered microglial/macrophage pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory balance towards the neurorestorative response. WB analysis showed robust increase of Arginase-1 and YM1 proteins in NOX2−/− mice. Furthermore, qPCR analysis showed significant up-regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels in NOX2−/− mice, associated with reduced microRNA-155 expression. These findings were confirmed in CD11b+ microglia/macrophages isolated from spinal cord at 3 days post-injury. Taken together, our data suggest an important role for IL-10/miR-155 pathway in regulating NOX2-mediated SCI-dysfunction. Thus, specific targeting of NOX2 may provide an effective strategy for treating neurological dysfunction in SCI patients.
Criteria in Studies of Creativity

This chapter discusses the criteria in studies of creativity. The criteria in studies of creativity are (1) generally acknowledged creativity—persons who have been regarded as creative throughout history are selected for study; (2) representation in secondary sources—dictionaries of famous people or histories written about specific areas of endeavor are consulted to compile a list of persons for further study; (3) expert judgment—persons who are experts in their fields evaluate others in their field as to their creativity; (4) quantity of products—persons are selected in terms of the number of products they have produced that presumably involve creativity as, for example, when one differentiates among individuals on the basis of the number of patents each has; (5) psychometric tests—psychological tests that measure various psychological factors and characteristics that are presumably related to creativity; and (6) the process as a criterion—the creative process itself is used as a criterion. As novelty can be achieved in different ways, one observes individuals at work to determine whether they have achieved novelty through the creative process or through other processes.
Duration of Treatment Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave on Spasticity and Subgroup-Analysis According to Number of Shocks and Application Site: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE To investigate duration of the treatment effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on spasticity levels measured with Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) regardless of the patient group (stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy) and evaluate its spasticity-reducing effect depending on the number of shocks and site of application. METHODS PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched from database inception to February 2018. Randomized controlled trials and cross-over trials were included. All participants had spasticity regardless of cause. ESWT was the main intervention and MAS score was the primary outcome. Among 122 screened articles, 9 trials met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS The estimate of effect size showed statistically significant MAS grade reduction immediately after treatment (standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.00 to -0.13; p=0.012), 1 week after (SMD=-1.81; 95% CI, -3.07 to -0.55; p=0.005), 4 weeks after (SMD=-2.35; 95% CI, -3.66 to -1.05; p<0.001), and 12 weeks after (SMD=-1.07; 95% CI, -2.04 to -0.10; p=0.03). Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed for the 'immediately after ESWT application' group. The prediction equation obtained from metaregression was -1.0824+0.0002* (number of shocks), which was not statistically significant. Difference in MAS grade reduction depending on site of application was not statistically significant either in subgroup analysis (knee and ankle joints vs. elbow, wrist, and finger joints). CONCLUSION ESWT effectively reduced spasticity levels measured with MAS regardless of patient group. Its effect maintained for 12 weeks. The number of shocks or site of application had no significant influence on the therapeutic effect of ESWT in reducing spasticity. Ongoing trials with ESWT are needed to address optimal parameters of shock wave to reduce spasticity regarding intensity, frequency, and numbers.
Critical Points of Linear Neural Networks: Analytical Forms and Landscape Properties

Due to the success of deep learning to solving a variety of challenging machine learning tasks, there is a rising interest in understanding loss functions for training neural networks from a theoretical aspect. Particularly, the properties of critical points and the landscape around them are of importance to determine the convergence performance of optimization algorithms. In this paper, we provide a necessary and sufficient characterization of the analytical forms for the critical points (as well as global minimizers) of the square loss functions for linear neural networks. We show that the analytical forms of the critical points characterize the values of the corresponding loss functions as well as the necessary and sufficient conditions to achieve global minimum. Furthermore, we exploit the analytical forms of the critical points to characterize the landscape properties for the loss functions of linear neural networks and shallow ReLU networks. One particular conclusion is that: While the loss function of linear networks has no spurious local minimum, the loss function of one-hidden-layer nonlinear networks with ReLU activation function does have local minimum that is not global minimum.
Design for Test and Hardware Security Utilizing Retention Loss of Memristors

Scan chains, as the most common design-for-testability (DFT) technique, provide a powerful way for structural testing of integrated circuits (ICs). However, they can be easily exploited by unauthorized parties to acquire critical design information. Scan-based attacks are one kind of side-channel attack that reveals the comprehensive information of IC chips. Reports have shown many successful scan-based attacks against the mainstream cryptographic systems, such as Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and so on. On the other hand, current countermeasures are limited to either the incomplete protection of scan information or significant redesign complexity. In this article, we propose a new secure scan chain design technique using memristor devices. By utilizing the natural and highly unpredictable degradation in memristor cells, the proposed technique can provide truly random scan confusion with a simple mechanism. Detailed circuit implementation is also presented and demonstrates 0.6% hardware, 2.4% timing overhead compared to an AES-256 circuit with about 100- $\mu \text{W}$ power overhead.
Fearing the Night: Debating the Legacy of Ahmad Fardid

Transnationalism in Iranian Political Thought: The Life and Times of Ahmad Fardid, by Ali Mirsepassi. Cambridge University Press, 2017. 408pp., Hb. £62.99, ISBN-13: 9781107187290; Pb. £19.99, ISBN-13: 9781316636473.
Can multi-strategy management stabilize nitrate leaching under increasing rainfall?

The increased spring rainfall intensity and amounts observed recently in the US Midwest poses additional risk of nitrate (NO3) leaching from cropland, and contamination of surface and subsurface freshwater bodies. Several individual strategies can reduce NO3 loading to freshwater ecosystems (i.e., optimize N fertilizer applications, planting cover crops, retention of active cycling N), but the potential for synergistic interactions among N management practices has not been fully examined. We applied portfolio effect (PE) theory, a concept originally developed for financial asset management, to test whether implementing multiple N management practices simultaneously produces more stable NO3 leaching mitigation outcomes than what would be predicted from implementing each practice independently. We analyzed simulated data generated using a validated process-based cropping system model (APSIM) that covers a range of soils, weather conditions, and management practices. Results indicated that individual management practices alone explained little of the variation in drainage NO3 loads but were more influential in the amount of residual soil NO3 at crop harvest. Despite this, we observed a general stabilizing effect from adopting well-designed multi-strategy approaches for both NO3 loads and soil NO3 at harvest, which became more pronounced in years with high spring rainfall. We use the PE principle to design multi-strategy management to reduce and stabilize NO3 leaching, which resulted in 9.6% greater yields, 15% less NO3 load, and 61% less soil NO3 at harvest than the baseline typical management. Our results make the case for applying the PE to adapt NO3 leaching mitigation to increased climate variability and change, and guide policy action and on-the-ground implementation.
Drs. Singh and Magrey reply.

We thank Paras Karmacharya and colleagues for their letter to the editor1, which furthers the discussion about racial differences in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). They highlight that the reported prevalence of AS in African Americans of 8% in our study is low2.
Cara and MacRae’s Psychosocial Occupational Therapy: An Evolving Practice (4th ed.)

Anne MacRae is the sole editor for the first time with this fourth edition, which has been extensively revised to meet the changing needs of occupational therapy practitioners and students. This ed...
From Time Series to Euclidean Spaces: On Spatial Transformations for Temporal Clustering.

Unsupervised clustering of temporal data is both challenging and crucial in machine learning. In this paper, we show that neither traditional clustering methods, time series specific or even deep learning-based alternatives generalise well when both varying sampling rates and high dimensionality are present in the input data. We propose a novel approach to temporal clustering, in which we (1) transform the input time series into a distance-based projected representation by using similarity measures suitable for dealing with temporal data,(2) feed these projections into a multi-layer CNN-GRU autoencoder to generate meaningful domain-aware latent representations, which ultimately (3) allow for a natural separation of clusters beneficial for most important traditional clustering algorithms. We evaluate our approach on time series datasets from various domains and show that it not only outperforms existing methods in all cases, by up to 32%, but is also robust and incurs negligible computation overheads.
Defect-Tolerant TiO2-Coated and Discretized Photoanodes for >600 h of Stable Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Arrays of GaAs nanowires have been grown by selective-area metal–organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) onto photoactive planar Si substrates. This tandem, vertical-wire-array-on-planar absorber...
FOREIGN CURRENCY LENDING AND BANKING SYSTEM STABILITY : NEW EVIDENCE FROM TURKEY

This paper studies the drivers of foreign currency lending by Turkish banks along with its consequences for the banking system in particular and for the economy in general for the period between 2003 and 2009. Our sample ends in 2009 because foreign currency lending to households in Turkey is banned starting in the second quarter of 2009. We highlight possible risks to the Turkish banking system as a result of the system's heavy exposure to exchange rate and default risks. Our findings show that deposit dollarization seems to be the most important driver of loan dollarization in the case of Turkey. We also find evidence that larger banks in general tend to lend more in foreign currency. There is no evidence that bank cash holdings and their balances with the Central Bank affect bank lending behavior. We also evaluate whether the decision taken by the regulatory authorities in Turkey in 2009 to ban foreign currency lending to households had merits.
Accounting for the Cost of a Public Sector Worker in New Jersey

This study focuses on public sector benefits costs in the state of New Jersey. Along with several other states, New Jersey’s pension system is badly underfunded and health care and other benefits for public sector workers (known as Other Post Employment Benefits, or OPEB) are entirely unfunded. The purpose of this study of New Jersey state and local employee compensation costs is not to determine if public sector workers are paid too much or to establish criteria for governmental efficiency. The focus is solely on whether governments are accounting for personnel costs in a way that enables governments to make informed policy choices that ensure retirement security for public servants, and a service-tax mix that reflects the demands of voters. The policy implications of the increasing costs of public sector employees’ benefits are most keenly felt locally where vital services such as police and firefighters, safety services, road maintenance, and sanitation are delivered. By failing to fully account for and fund the cost of employee benefits, governments are increasingly faced with difficult budgetary choices.
Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine at Three Different Dosing Regimens for Treating Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

Study objective We aimed to assess and compare the analgesic efficacies and adverse effects of ketamine administered through a breath-actuated nebulizer at 3 different dosing regimens for emergency department patients presenting with acute and chronic painful conditions. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial comparing 3 doses of nebulized ketamine (0.75 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg, and 1.5 mg/kg) administered through breath-actuated nebulizer in adult emergency department patients aged 18 years and older with moderate to severe acute and chronic pain. The primary outcome included the difference in pain scores on an 11-point numeric rating scale between all 3 groups at 30 minutes. Secondary outcomes included the need for rescue analgesia (additional doses of nebulized ketamine or intravenous morphine) and adverse events in each group at 30 and 60 minutes. Results We enrolled 120 subjects (40 per group). The difference in mean pain scores at 30 minutes between the 0.75 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg groups was 0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 1.78); between the 1 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg groups was −0.225 (95% CI −1.76 to 1.31); and between the 0.75 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg groups was 0.025 (95% CI −1.51 to 1.56). No clinically concerning changes in vital signs occurred. No serious adverse events occurred in any of the groups. Conclusion We found no difference between all 3 doses of ketamine administered through breath-actuated nebulizer for short-term treatment of moderate to severe pain in the emergency department.
Interaction of (+)-Strebloside and Its Derivatives with Na +/K +-ATPase and Other Targets

Docking profiles for (+)-strebloside, a cytotoxic cardiac glycoside identified from Streblus asper, and some of its derivatives and Na+/K+-ATPase have been investigated. In addition, binding between (+)-strebloside and its aglycone, strophanthidin, and several of their other molecular targets, including FIH-1, HDAC, KEAP1 and MDM2 (negative regulators of Nrf2 and p53, respectively), NF-κB, and PI3K and Akt1, have been inspected and compared with those for digoxin and its aglycone, digoxigenin. The results showed that (+)-strebloside, digoxin, and their aglycones bind to KEAP1 and MDM2, while (+)-strebloside, strophanthidin, and digoxigenin dock to the active pocket of PI3K, and (+)-strebloside and digoxin interact with FIH-1. Thus, these cardiac glycosides could directly target HIF-1, Nrf2, and p53 protein-protein interactions, Na+/K+-ATPase, and PI3K to mediate their antitumor activity. Overall, (+)-strebloside seems more promising than digoxin for the development of potential anticancer agents.
Environmental Models for Screening Land-Use Plans

A framework is presented for screening the environmental impacts and environmental control costs associated with alternative land uses. The methodology is oriented toward providing rapid and inexpensive preliminary screening of alternative plans, given environmental constraints. It provides a variety of impact measures, calculated from the standpoint of different groups that might be affected by and/or influence the land-use decision-making process. The central element of the process is a linear program that determines whether environmental standards can be met under a given land-use scenario and selects appropriate control measures. The model considers multiple pollutants and intermedia transformations that occur in the course of treatment. Use of this approach is illustrated in an application to Onondaga County, N. Y., using a simplified representation of the county's environmental problem.
Biosec: a biometric based approach for securing communication in wireless networks of biosensors implanted in the human body

Advances in microelectronics, material science and wireless technology have led to the development of sensors that can be used for accurate monitoring of inaccessible environments. Health monitoring, telemedicine, military and environmental monitoring are some of the applications where sensors can be used. The sensors implanted inside the human body to monitor parts of the body are called biosensors. These biosensors form a network and collectively monitor the health condition of their carrier or host. Health monitoring involves collection of data about vital body parameters from different parts of the body and making decisions based on it. This information is of personal nature and is required to be secured. Insecurity may also lead to dangerous consequences. Due to the extreme constraints of energy, memory and computation securing the communication among the biosensors is not a trivial problem. Key distribution is central to any security mechanism. In this paper we propose an approach wherein, biometrics derived from the body are used for securing the keying material. This method obviates the need for expensive computation and avoids unnecessary communication making our approach novel compared to existing approaches.
Total synthesis of acetate from CO2. VII. Evidence with Clostridium thermoaceticum that the carboxyl of acetate is derived from the carboxyl of pyruvate by transcarboxylation and not by fixation of CO2.

Abstract The methyl group of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or methylcobalamin is converted to acetate in fermentations of pyruvate or α-ketobutyrate and has been studied using a cell free extract of Clostridium thermoaceticum. Evidence supporting the conclusion that the carboxyl of acetate is derived from the carboxyl of α-ketobutyrate (or pyruvate) by a mechanism involving transcarboxylation, and not from free CO2 as previously thought, is as follows: (a) carbon dioxide, a low potential reducing system (hydrogen, hydrogenase, and ferridoxin from Clostridium posteurianum (ATCC 6013)) and an adenosine triphosphate-generating system (acetyl-phosphate and adenosine diphosphate) do not replace the requirement for an α-keto acid in the conversion of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate to acetate; (b) attempts to demonstrate a dependence of the carboxylation upon CO2 were unsuccessful; the conversion was independent of CO2 at concentrations as low as 1 x 10-6 m; (c) kinetic tracer experiments conducted in the presence of either 14CO2 and a large pool of unlabeled α-ketobutyrate or α-[1-14C]ketobutyrate and a large pool of unlabeled CO2 demonstrated that the specific radioactivity of the acetate paralleled that of the carboxyl of α-ketobutyrate and not the CO2. The carboxyl of the α-keto acids exchanges rapidly with CO2; thus the acetate formed is labeled in both carbons from CO2 by C. thermoaceticum but not by a direct total synthesis from CO2 per se.