cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optically driven ultra-wideband phased array with a novel optical feed network

An optically driven phased array with a novel optical feed network and an ultra-wideband down-conversion module is presented. The proposed technique successfully alleviates phase drift of signal in fibers, therefore allowing for an accurate control of phase in order to achieve beam steering. We also analyzed the excessive noise in the feed network which will lead to spurious beam when beam steering is performed on a phased array. This problem can be mitigated by applying a polarization controller before a phase modulator. In the end, we demonstrate experimental results of a 1×2 Q-band horn antenna array.
Biomarkers and potential mechanisms of obesity-induced oxidant stress in humans

Oxidative stress may be the unifying mechanism underlying the development of comorbidities in obesity. Evidence suggests that a clustering of sources of oxidative stress exists in obesity: hyperglycemia, hyperleptinemia, increased tissue lipid levels, inadequate antioxidant defenses, increased rates of free radical formation, enzymatic sources within the endothelium, and chronic inflammation. This review provides a summary of the available evidence on systemic oxidative stress in humans and specific metabolic pathways by which obesity may elevate systemic oxidant stress. The authors suggest possible methods of reducing oxidative stress such as antioxidant supplementation, caloric restriction and/or physical activity and surgical intervention to combat free radicals and reduce adipose tissue. Obesity is associated with oxidative stress and can be reduced with weight loss (regardless of exercise or surgery induced weight loss), caloric restriction or antioxidant rich diets. Oxidative stress levels are elevated in human obesity, and these levels are modifiable with various lifestyle modifications and surgical interventions.
Pueblo: A Modern Pseudo-Boolean SAT Solver

The paper introduces a new SAT (satisfiability) solver that integrates logic-based reasoning and integer programming methods to systems of CNF and PB constraints. Its novel features include an efficient PB literal watching strategy and several PB learning methods that take advantage of the pruning power of PB constraints while minimizing their overhead.
Quality of life and BMI changes in youth participating in an integrated pediatric obesity treatment program.

Changes in Quality of Life (QOL) measures over time with treatment of obesity have not previously been described for youth. We describe the changes from baseline through two follow up visits in youth QOL (assessed by the Pediatric Quality Life Inventory, PedsQL4.0), teen depression (assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ9A), Body Mass Index (BMI) and BMI z-score. We also report caregiver proxy ratings of youth QOL. A sample of 267 pairs of youth and caregiver participants were recruited at their first visit to an outpatient weight-treatment clinic that provides care integrated between a physician, dietician, and mental health provider; of the 267, 113 attended a visit two (V2) follow-up appointment, and 48 attended visit three (V3). We investigated multiple factors longitudinally experienced by youth who are overweight and their caregivers across up to three different integrated care visits. We determined relationships at baseline in QOL, PHQ9A, and BMI z-score, as well as changes in variables over time using linear mixed models with time as a covariate. Overall across three visits the results indicate that youth had slight declines in relative BMI, significant increases in their QOL and improvements in depression. We encourage clinicians and researchers to track youth longitudinally throughout treatment to investigate not only youth’s BMI changes, but also psychosocial changes including QOL.
Narrative review of the in vivo mechanics of the cervical spine after anterior arthrodesis as revealed by dynamic biplane radiography

Arthrodesis is the standard of care for numerous pathologic conditions of the cervical spine and is performed over 150,000 times annually in the United States. The primary long-term concern after this surgery is adjacent segment disease (ASD), defined as new clinical symptoms adjacent to a previous fusion. The incidence of adjacent segment disease is approximately 3% per year, meaning that within 10 years of the initial surgery, approximately 25% of cervical arthrodesis patients require a second procedure to address symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration. Despite the high incidence of ASD, until recently, there was little data available to characterize in vivo adjacent segment mechanics during dynamic motion. This manuscript reviews recent advances in our knowledge of adjacent segment mechanics after cervical arthrodesis that have been facilitated by the use of dynamic biplane radiography. The primary observations from these studies are that current in vitro test paradigms often fail to replicate in vivo spine mechanics before and after arthrodesis, that intervertebral mechanics vary among cervical motion segments, and that joint arthrokinematics (i.e., the interactions between adjacent vertebrae) are superior to traditional kinematics measurements for identifying altered adjacent segment mechanics after arthrodesis. Future research challenges are identified, including improving the biofidelity of in vitro tests, determining the natural history of in vivo spine mechanics, conducting prospective longitudinal studies on adjacent segment kinematics and arthrokinematics after single and multiple-level arthrodesis, and creating subject-specific computational models to accurately estimate muscle forces and tissue loading in the spine during dynamic activities.
Online Stigma Resistance in the Pro-Ana Community

Media scholars often use concepts from Goffman's dramaturgical approach to study online communities of stigmatized individuals as "backstages," spaces where members take refuge from social disapproval. In this study, I extend this view through an examination of in-depth interviews with bloggers from the "pro-ana" community, an online community for people with eating disorders. To explore how this community uses an online environment that is both anonymous and public, I fuse Goffman's ideas about identity performance and stigma with more recent theories about boundary maintenance. In-depth interviews with "pro-ana" bloggers reveal that to protect this virtual group and resist stigmas associated both with their illness and with their online presence, they construct their own norms and rules in the online realm, and discipline and eject members deemed to be out-group.
Early mouse endoderm is patterned by soluble factors from adjacent germ layers.

Endoderm that forms the respiratory and digestive tracts is a sheet of approximately 500–1000 cells around the distal cup of an E7.5 mouse embryo. Within 2 days, endoderm folds into a primitive gut tube from which numerous organs will bud. To characterize the signals involved in the developmental specification of this early endoderm, we have employed an in vitro assay using germ layer explants and show that adjacent germ layers provide soluble, temporally specific signals that induce organ-specific gene expression in endoderm. Furthermore, we show that FGF4 expressed in primitive streak-mesoderm can induce the differentiation of endoderm in a concentration-dependent manner. We conclude that the differentiation of gastrulation-stage endoderm is directed by adjacent mesoderm and ectoderm, one of the earliest reported patterning events in formation of the vertebrate gut tube.
Advancing quantitative description of porosity in autogenous laser-welds of 304L stainless steel

Porosity in linear autogenous laser welds of 304L stainless steel has been investigated using micro-computed tomography to reveal defect content in fifty-four welds made with varying delivered power, travel speed and focal lens. Trends associated with porosity size and frequencies are shown and interfacial measures are employed to provide quantitative descriptors of pore shape, directionality, interspacing and solid linear fraction. Lastly, the coefficient of variation associated with equivalent pore radii is reported toward a discussion of microstructural variability and the influence of process-parameters on such variability.
Digital imaging and gridding of AIRS Visible/NIR data

To visualize satellite remote sensing data on a 2-dimensional plane, irregularly-spaced measurements must be registered onto a user-defined raster grid. There are several simple ways to do this, including the nearest-neighbor sampling and bilinear interpolation method. However, none of these methods make use of satellite scan geometry information nor do they take the footprint size into account. This paper summarizes the results of a study on the characteristics of AIRS viewing geometry, more specifically the growth of AIRS Vis/NIR (Visible/Near-infared) footprint size, as a function of viewing angles. It also demonstrates the fusion of these useful pieces of information in visualizing the AIRS data. Finally, broader application of this general resampling and gridding technique is briefly discussed
Quantitative analysis of internalization of glucagon by isolated hepatocytes.

Abstract Biochemical methods have been used to quantitate total, acid-stable and acid-labile association of (mono[ 125 I]iodoTyr 10 ) glucagon with rat hepatocytes in suspension to evaluate internalization of glucagon and its receptors. Internalization is inhibited by low temperature, phenylarsine oxide, and by blocking receptor binding, consistent with receptor-mediated endocytosis. Approximately 30% of the total cell-associated hormone is internalized at 30 min of incubation. The rate declines until 90 min when the internalization of glucagon ceases, although the cells remain competent to internalize asialofetuin. From 90 min to 4 h, 27% of the maximum label internalized at 30 min remains within cells. The number of cell surface receptors decreases but the affinity of those remaining is unchanged. However, 1.7 – 2.7 surface receptors are lost to binding for each molecule of radiolabeled glucagon internalized. Uptake occurs according to a rate constant of 0.183 min −1 ( t 1 2 = 3.8 min ). We conclude that (i) hepatocytes internalize a finite quantity of glucagon, implying the existence of undefined regulatory mechanisms; (ii) hormone is retained for >2 h within cells and may play a physiological role within cells; and (iii) both occupied and unoccupied receptors become inaccessible to extracellular hormone as internalization proceeds; rapid recycling of receptors does not occur.
Algorithm-system scalability of heterogeneous computing

Scalability is a key factor of the design of distributed systems and parallel algorithms and machines. However, conventional scalabilities are designed for homogeneous parallel processing. There is no suitable and commonly accepted definition of scalability metric for heterogeneous systems. Isospeed scalability is a well-defined metric for homogeneous computing. This study extends the isospeed scalability metric to general heterogeneous computing systems. The proposed isospeed-efficiency model is suitable for both homogeneous and heterogeneous computing. Through theoretical analyses, we derive methodologies of scalability measurement and prediction for heterogeneous systems. Experimental results have verified the analytical results and confirmed that the proposed isospeed-efficiency scalability works well in both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments.
Decentralized search on spheres using small-world Markov chains: expected hitting times and structural properties

We build a family of Markov chains on a sphere using distance-based long-range connection probabilities to model the decentralized message-passing problem that has recently gained significant attention in the small-world literature. Starting at an arbitrary source point on the sphere, the expected message delivery time to an arbitrary target on the sphere is characterized by a particular expected hitting time of our Markov chains. We prove that, within this family, there is a unique efficient Markov chain whose expected hitting time is polylogarithmic in the relative size of the sphere. For all other chains, this expected hitting time is at least polynomial. We conclude by defining two structural properties, called scale invariance and steady improvement, of the probability density function of long-range connections and prove that they are sufficient and necessary for efficient decentralized message delivery.
Souly Aligned: The Impact of Entrepreneurial Spirit on Workplace Spirituality

This study, in the form of a single-case study, focuses on the entrepreneurial spirit of Warren Buffett, CEO and Chairmen of the Board for Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., and his impact on the spirituality within Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The constructs of entrepreneurial leadership and integral leadership are defined through multiple lenses to include the behaviors and characteristics within both: (1) the entrepreneurial leader; and (2) the integral leader. An analysis of Mr. Buffett's leadership approach, organizational profile, global influence, and change management approach is synthesized as independent variables on workplace spirituality (a dependent variable). A final set of recommendations are presented for improvement on Mr. Buffett's leadership approach toward a more concrete succession plan and full attainment of the integral method of leadership, by souly aligning his entrepreneurial spirit, and personal spirituality with the needs of spirituality within the workplace.
Half-life, hemodynamic, renal, and hormonal effects of prorenin in cynomolgus monkeys

Prorenin is found in human plasma, kidneys, and reproductive organs. We investigated the physiological and pharmacokinetic properties of plasma prorenin, and its plasma conversion to active renin, by bolus infusions of human recombinant prorenin (0.5, 2, 20 micrograms; n = 4/dose) into anesthetized male cynomolgus monkeys. The infused prorenin had 3% intrinsic renin activity. Plasma prorenin rose from 61 +/- 6 to 101 +/- 11, 570 +/- 46, and 7,700 +/- 390 ng.ml-1.h-1, respectively, after 5 min. Plasma renin increased to 3% of total renin, angiotensin II increased less than twofold, and aldosterone did not change. Plasma testosterone fell slightly (P less than 0.01). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) fell slowly from 104 +/- 3 to 93 +/- 3 mmHg at 60 min (P less than 0.001). Heart rate, glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, and urinary sodium and potassium excretion were unchanged. For the 2- and 20-micrograms doses, respectively, effective half-life of plasma decay was 47 +/- 4.9 and 109 +/- 21 min (P less than 0.05), apparent volume of distribution was 145 +/- 11 and 166 +/- 35 ml/kg, and metabolic clearance rate was 2.30 +/- 0.44 and 1.08 +/- 0.14 ml.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.01). In conclusion, neither the hormonal nor the physiological response to infusion of pharmacologic levels of recombinant human prorenin into monkeys provide evidence for conversion of circulating prorenin to renin. MAP did not increase and actually fell without commensurate effects on renal function. The half-life of recombinant prorenin was similar to that of renin.
Elevated Testosterone Reduces Uterine Blood Flow, Spiral Artery Elongation, and Placental Oxygenation in Pregnant Rats

Elevated maternal testosterone levels are shown to cause fetal growth restriction, eventually culminating in sex-specific adult-onset hypertension that is more pronounced in males than in females. In this study, we tested whether uteroplacental and fetoplacental disturbances underlie fetal growth restriction and if these changes vary in male and female placentas. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with vehicle (n=16) or testosterone propionate (0.5 mg/kg per day from gestation day 15-19; n=16). On gestation day 20, we quantified uterine artery blood flow using microultrasound, visualized placental arterial network using x-ray microcomputed tomography, determined fetoplacental hypoxia using pimonidazole and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, and used Affymetrix array to determine changes in placental expression of genes involved in vascular development. Plasma testosterone levels increased 2-fold in testosterone-injected rats. Placental and fetal weights were lower in rats with elevated testosterone. Uterine artery blood flow was lower, and resistance index was higher in the testosterone group. Radial and spiral artery diameter and length, the number of fetoplacental arterial branches, and umbilical artery diameter were reduced in the testosterone group. In addition, markers of hypoxia in the placentas and fetuses were elevated in the testosterone group. The magnitude of changes in placental vasculature and hypoxia was greater in males than in females and was associated with sex-specific alteration of unique sets of genes involved in angiogenesis and blood vessel morphogenesis. The results demonstrate that elevated testosterone during gestation induces a decrease in uterine arterial blood flow and fetal sex-related uteroplacental vascular changes, which may set the stage for subsequent sex differences in adult-onset diseases.
Information Markets: Using Market Predictions to Make Administrative Decisions

Presidential betting markets predict election outcomes more accurately than polls because of their ability to effectively aggregate information. Empirical research and theory indicates that the result extends to other contexts. Betting markets, more formally called information markets, provide accurate predictions about future product sales, box office receipts, and other future events. Moreover, market predictions generally outperform other prediction mechanisms. This paper argues that empirical research and theory indicates that we should use information markets' predictive power to make administrative decisions. In addition, it presents a model information market designed to help policy makers evaluate policies prior to their implementation by providing policy makers information about the policies' effects in the form of market predictions. To design such a market, it is necessary to determine how the market should pay off bettors when the agency does not implement a policy because the market predicts it will have an adverse effect. The problem is that bets pay off based on the outcome of an event, but when the policy makers decide not to implement a policy, the policy has no effect and thus it is unclear how to compensate bettors. This paper shows that through clever market design it is possible to return the market price of a bet, prior to an agency's decision not to implement the policy on which the bet depends, without fear of market manipulation. Consequently, even in cases where using market predictions to make administrative decisions appears problematic, it is possible.
Endovascular Management of a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Using a Retroperitoneal Conduit

Problems related to vascular access for stent grafts occur in up to 28% of cases and are related to ilio-femoral occlusive disease, small vessel size, and excessive ilio-femoral tortuosity.1,2 Patients with calcified, tortuous, and small vessel size may not be candidates for endoluminal graft therapy due to sub-optimal vascular access, aortic arch angulation, and landing zone inadequacies. Retroperitoneal exposure with construction of a 10 mm ilio-femoral conduit is a technique that permits delivery of large sheaths in patients with tortuous, calcified and small iliac vessels or vessels with severe ilio-femoral vascular occlusive disease. Current endoluminal graft devices in the United States require delivery sheaths ranging from 20 to 25 Fr depending on the size of the graft required to treat the aorta (Table 32.1). Current recommendations for the Gore TAG device delivery through a Gore sheath is re-summarized in Table 32.2.
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF ST2 AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a serum marker of cardiac mechanical strain increasingly recognized as predictive of adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease. Its role after myocardial infarction (MI), however, remains incompletely defined and community data are lacking. Olmsted County, Minnesota residents
Understanding military families who have dependents with special health care and/or educational needs

Abstract Background Little is known about military families who have a dependent with special health care and/or educational needs. The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is designed to link these families to military/community support services through family support provider (FS providers). Objective The aim of this study was to understand FS providers' perspectives on the kinds of current challenges the families with whom they work face. This is the first study to ascertain the perspectives of professionals FS providers. Methods FS providers (N = 160) completed a survey either on the phone or via the web. The survey consisted of four areas regarding EFMP: (1) background information; (2) caseload and work composition; (3) perceptions of Military Family needs; and (4) adequacy of community support services. Results The most commonly encountered diagnoses in military families were Autism (94%) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (93%). Between 80% and 90% of FS providers reported working with families dealing with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Speech & Language Disorders, Asthma, Developmental Delays, and Mental Health Problems. FS providers noted that relocations are particularly challenging for military families in the EFMP. Conclusions Training and programming of social service professionals working with military families who have a dependent with special health care and/or educational needs should focus on commonly occurring challenges seen in this population. As much as possible, FS providers should be familiar with evidence-based programs and practices designed to address these pressing problems. The process and execution of relocations should be streamlined so as to enhance continuity of care.
Update on New Antifungal Therapy

Increases in rates as well as morbidity and mortality associated with fungal infections have necessitated the need for additional antifungal agents. Recent research has resulted in the introduction of 3 new antifungal agents: micafungin, anidulafungin, and posaconazole. Micafungin and anidulafungin, both potent inhibitor of 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase, are the second and third available agents in the echinocandins class that are available in clinical practice. Posaconazale, a potent inhibitor of ergosterol synthesis, is a new agent in the triazole class that has shown promising clinical efficacy in the treatment and prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections due to Candida as well as molds. This article reviews the clinical efficacy as well as the approved uses and dosages associated with the use of these new antifungal agents. Other considerations, such as precautions, administration techniques, potential drug interactions, and common adverse effects associated with the use of these agents, are also reviewed.
High harmonic generation in counter-propagating light

Weak counter-propagating light is shown to be an effective means of suppressing high harmonic generation in selected longitudinal zones of a laser focus. This represents a practical way to introduce quasi-phase matching.
Reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks Using Principal Component Analysis

Reconstructing complex networks of genetic interactions and identifying unknown relations among genes are very important for understanding the underlying mechanism of biological processes. Many inference methods have been proposed to reconstruct unknown gene regulatory networks (GRNs) using microarray data sets. A state space model (SSM) is a method that can be used to infer GRNs from a time series data set. To overcome these difficulties in SSM, we introduce a simplified linear model (SLM) which uses principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimension of the data set and the noise. The performance of SSM and SLM was evaluated in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and sensitivity to the time series data sets. Results show that SLM can be applied to a smaller data set and is more stable than SSM with different lengths of hidden variables. Additionally, the proposed SLM is simpler and more computationally efficient than SSM without sacrificing accuracy.
QUANTITATIVE GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS OF BOVINE SEMEN LIPIDS BY THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY.

The quantitative thin-layer chromatography technique described has the advantage inherent in TLC of speed plus great separating power. By increasing the thickness of the layer, lengthening the plate, and using two consecutive solvent systems on each plate, the procedure can successfully manage larger quantities of lipid, yet produce excellent separations. The technique affords advantages in preparative analysis.
Increased Medicaid payments on the way

With the new year around the corner, the federal government is gearing up for implementation of the increase in Medicaid payment rates for primary care services that will go into effect January 1 as part of the Affordable Care Act. The federal government will begin funding a two-year increase in
Heat Transfer with Boiling and Condensation

This chapter discusses heat transfer during boiling and condensation. Boiling and condensation most often occur together in real processes. The vapor from the boiler is compressed and passed through a condenser. This is usually constructed from a bank of finned tubes placed at the back of the refrigerator where heat is transferred to the surrounding air by free convection. On some models, the condenser is placed on the bottom of the refrigerator and a fan is necessary to provide a sufficient flow of cooling air. A simple distillation column is presented in the chapter, which is used to separate a feed stream into a low boiling point top product and a high boiling point bottom product. The vapor leaving the top of the column is condensed and some of it is returned to flow down the column. In this case, the boiling and condensation processes are intimately related, for in general what is boiled in one part of the process is condensed in another.
Surgical site infections in colorectal surgery: the nuances of surveillance.

Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common post-operative complication, particularly after colorectal surgery, ranging from 15to 30%.[1] In the United States, The Centres for Medicare and Medicaid...
Hormone receptors as regulators of hormone action.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hormone receptors as regulators of hormone action. A large number of polypeptide regulators, considered as hormones and an increasing number of substances called growth factors apparently share many common elements in their mechanism of action. Thus far, nerve growth factor is the only member of this class that has been shown to be structurally related to a classical hormone, that is, insulin. However, as the apparent functional roles of insulin become better appreciated, it seems that this classically regarded hormone may be the best example of a polypeptide regulator that spans the distinction between hormones and growth factors. All of these polypeptide regulators, hormones and growth factors, appear to interact with the cell by means of a specific recognitive macromolecule known as a receptor, which is situated in the plasma membrane. The binding of the hormone to this receptor generates a so-called second messenger, which is the primary mediator of intracellular metabolic regulation. Despite the emphasis placed on cell surface receptors as the sole mediators of the hormonal response, it is in no case absolutely certain that a hormone acts exclusively at the level of the cell surface.
AM-to-PM conversion in silicon p-i-n photodiodes

Under femtosecond pulse illumination the AM-to-PM conversion gain of a silicon p-i-n photodiode was measured to be as high as 7 dB below the AM and exhibits deep nulls at discrete photocurrents with bias dependence.
The Chaplin Files, 1952*

This essay examines Guy Debord's and Andre Bazin's opposing approaches to Charlie Chaplin—both the man and his cinematic image—in the early 1950s. Jennifer Wild focuses on the notorious “Chaplin affair” of 1952, which gave rise to the International Lettriste and its eponymous journal. Looking closely at Debord's nascent strategy of detournement that wielded the power of negation as a political weapon, Wild reevaluates Bazin's metaphysical, humanist analysis of the cinematic image and the image of death whose theoretical purchase, she argues, develops at the expense of both politics and modernism.
Molecular identification and characterization of partial COX1 gene from caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) in Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) from the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of Texas.

Abstract Aulonocephalus pennula is a nematode living in the caeca of the wild Northern bobwhite quail ( Colinus virginianus ) present throughout the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of Texas. The cytochrome oxidase 1 (COX 1) gene of the mitochondrial genome was used to screen A. pennula in wild quail. Through BLAST analysis, similarity of A. pennula to other nematode parasites was compared at the nucleotide level. Phylogenetic analysis of A. pennula COX1 indicated relationships to Subuluridae, Ascarididae, and Anisakidae. This study on molecular characterization of A. pennula provides new insight for the diagnosis of caecal worm infections of quail in the Rolling plains Ecoregion of Texas.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Circadian Regulation in the Unicellular Dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra

Although neural mechanisms are centrally involved in the generation and functioning of circadian rhythms in animals, notably the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the mammalian brain, robust circadian rhythms also occur in unicellular organisms, including prokaryotes (Golden, Ishiura, Johnson, & Kondo, 1997; Hastings, Boulos, & Rusak, 1991; Johnson, Golden, Ishiura, & Kondo, 1996; Kondoet al.1994; Sweeney, 1987). Such rhythms, for example in motility, represent good analogs of rhythms in higher organisms. Indeed, individual cells in the SCN also exhibit autonomous circadian oscillations (Liu, Weaver, Strogatz, & Reppert, 1997; Welsh, Logothetis, Meister, & Reppert, 1995).
Multimedia Presentation Techniques and Technology

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on multimedia presentation techniques and technology. Multimedia may be considered as the integration of the human senses into a computer environment for the purpose of improving communication between the computer and its user, and among the users. Computer based multimedia affects all three major components of a computer system: hardware, operating system, and software applications. The hardware must be able to store, move, and present video and audio information which imposes a heavy burden on the computer's processing power. The operating system must provide real time control over the video and audio data so as to synchronize their presentation. The software applications must be created to take advantage of video and audio. Computer files containing image and audio data appear similar to other files used in a computer. Multimedia files can be copied, listed, and transported over a network like a word processing file.
Numerical Simulations of Two-Layer Flow past Topography. Part I: The Leeside Hydraulic Jump

AbstractLaboratory observations of the leeside hydraulic jump indicate it consists of a statistically stationary turbulent motion in an overturning wave. From the point of view of the shallow-water equations (SWE), the hydraulic jump is a discontinuity in fluid-layer depth and velocity at which kinetic energy is dissipated. To provide a deeper understanding of the leeside hydraulic jump, three-dimensional numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations (NSE) are carried out alongside SWE solutions for nearly identical physical initial-value problems. Starting from a constant-height layer flowing over a two-dimensional obstacle at constant speed, it is demonstrated that the SWE solutions form a leeside discontinuity owing to the collision of upstream-moving characteristic curves launched from the obstacle. Consistent with the SWE solution, the NSE solution indicates the leeside hydraulic jump begins as a steepening of the initially horizontal density interface. Subsequently, the NSE solution indicates o...
Aging and n-Back Performance: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES To provide a systematic review of age-related differences in n-back performance. METHOD Meta-analytic data aggregation. RESULTS Access for items stored within the focus of attention (0-back and 1-back) was very fast and quasi-perfect; when items are held outside the focus (n > 1), an additional cost was accrued in both accuracy and response time. Age-related differences in accuracy conformed to this bifurcation. Longer lists led to larger costs when going from 1-back to 2-back in older adults. For 1-back accuracy, studies that used visual (as opposed to verbal) stimuli, were experimenter-paced, and used shorter list lengths led to larger age-related differences; for 2-back accuracy, a larger difference in chronological age, visual stimuli, and a higher target proportion led to larger age-related differences. For 1-back response times, age-related differences were larger for studies that had a larger chronological age difference, used experimenter pacing, did not contain lures, and used shorter list lengths; for 2-back response times, age-related differences were larger for studies with larger chronological age differences, visual presentation, experimenter pacing, and a higher target proportion. DISCUSSION The results suggest a specific age-related deficit associated with focus switching within working memory. Evidence for specific executive-control-related explanations, in contrast, is mixed.
A Practical Guide to Ethical Research Involving Humans

The popularity of empirical methods in software engineering research is on the rise. Surveys, experiments, metrics, case studies, and field studies are examples of empirical methods used to investigate both software engineering processes and products. The increased application of such methods has also brought about an increase in discussions about adapting these methods to the particularities of software engineering. In contrast, the ethical issues raised by empirical methods have received little attention in the software engineering literature. In this chapter, we introduce four ethics principles of primary importance for conducting ethical research. We additionally discuss and provide examples of applying these principles in the context of ethics review.
Species Distribution Modeling: A Biosocial Approach

AbstractSpecies distribution models (SDMs) are a method for predicting the spatial distribution of a target species. While previous literature highlights predominantly biophysical variables in deve...
Interrelationships Between American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7, ECG Silent Myocardial Infarction, and Cardiovascular Mortality.

Background We examined the interrelationships among cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) health metrics, silent myocardial infarction (SMI...
Contrasting the responses of extreme precipitation to changes in surface air and dew point temperatures

The Clausius–Clapeyron (C–C) relationship is a thermodynamic relationship between saturation vapor pressure and temperature. Based on the C–C relationship, the scaling of extreme precipitation with respect to surface air temperature (i.e., extreme precipitation scaling) has been widely believed to quantify the sensitivity of these extremes to global surface warming under climate change. However, the extreme precipitation scaling rate in the observations produces counter-intuitive results, particularly in the tropics (i.e., strong negative scaling in the tropical land) possibly associated with limitations in moisture availability under the high-temperature bands. The trends in extreme precipitation based on station data are mixed with decreases in most of the tropics and subtropics and increases in most of the USA, western Europe, Australia, and a large portion of Asia. To try to reconcile these results, we examine the extreme precipitation scaling using dew point temperature and extreme precipitation and compare these results with those obtained from surface air temperature and extreme precipitation using station-based data, reanalysis data, and climate model simulations. We find that this mix of increases and decreases in the trends of extreme precipitation across the planet is more similar to the changes in surface dew point temperature rather than the actual temperature across the station-based data, reanalysis data, and the historical experiments with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model, version 5 (CAM5). These findings suggest that dew point temperature is a better and more realistic metric for the responses of extreme precipitation to temperature increases. Therefore, the risk of having extreme precipitation is higher than what was obtained using surface air temperature, particularly in the tropics and subtropics (e.g., South Asia), areas of the world characterized by extremely high population density and severe poverty.
Peer-Collaborator Preferences of African American and White Sixth-Graders in Mathematics Classrooms

This study focused on academic and social correlates of collaborator preferences of African American and White sixth-graders in mathematics classrooms in fall and spring. Students’ appraisals of em...
Reinforcement and induction of operant variability.

The target paper by Barba (2012)raises issues that were the focus of myfirst two publications on operantvariability. I will describe the mainfindings in those papers and thendiscuss Barba’s specific arguments.Can Variability Be Reinforced?Neuringer (1986) trained studentsto respond in random-like fashion byproviding feedback based on 10statistical tests of randomness. Theresearch challenged conclusions frommore than 50 prior publications thatpeople did not have the ability torespond randomly (Brugger, 1997).However, reinforcement procedureshad never before been utilized. Rath-er, human participants had simplybeen asked to respond randomly(e.g., by calling out heads and tailsas would be expected from a coinflip). My procedure differed in thatthe students entered 100 responsesper trial on the 0 and 1 keys of acomputer, with feedback followingeach trial. At the beginning oftraining, responses differed signifi-cantly from a random model, butwithtraining,thesamestatisticaltestsindicated approximations to random-ness. Figure 1 shows the diversenature of the feedback provided attheendoftraining.Nosinglemeasuresuffices as a test of randomnessbecause randomness is a complex,multifaceted phenomenon. Indeed,statisticiansandmathematicianshavelong debated the very definition ofrandomness.Initially the participants saw onlythe first line, representing the per-centages of 0s emitted in each trial,with the goal being to generate thesame distribution of 0s and 1s asexpected from a random generator. Itisimportanttonotethat the students’task was not simply to produce thesame average number of 0s and 1s asthe random generator, or 50% onevery trial, but to distribute thepercentages across trials, as wouldbe expected for a random output, asindicated by the columns. The articlecan be consulted for details, but thestudents’ goal was to equalize thenumber of trials across the columns.When a student generated equalpercentages of 0s and 1s in a waythatwasstatisticallyindistinguishablefrom the random model, a secondstatisticonasecondlinewasaddedasfeedback,whichrepresentedthenum-ber of changes from 0 to 1 or 1 to 0 ineachtrial.Notethatchangesisexactlythe same as the switches discussed byBarba and below. When both 0s andchanges met the random criterion,a third, then a fourth, and so on,statistic was added. Four of thestatistics, namely RNG1, RNG2, C1,andC2, wereinformation-or entropy-based statistics related to U value, ameasure discussed in detail by Barba.At the end of training, all participantsmet the criterion of no statistical dif-ference between their responses andthe random-number model on all 10statistics. The feedback at the end ofeach trial was presumed to serve as aconditioned reinforcer, with a largereinforcer (paid time off) contingenton success in meeting the randomnesscriterion.Theresultsthereforesupportthe claim that random-like behaviorcan be reinforced.Is Variability an Operant Dimension?To experimentally analyze operantvariability, Page and Neuringer
Flipping the Script: Developing an Intertextual Dialogue for Dolphin Advocacy in The Cove

Dolphins and other cetaceans (marine mammals) have seen a surge of environmental advocacy in the decade since The Cove (2009) emerged. Drawing upon Western popular culture texts such as the popular...
Impact of depressive disorders on primary total shoulder arthroplasties: a matched control analysis of 113,648 Medicare patients:

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients with depressive disorders undergoing primary total shoulder arthroplasty have higher rates of (1) in-hospital lengths of st...
Chapter 2 – Bézier curves

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the antecedents of NonUniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) curves, specifically Bezier curves. A Bezier curve, which is a special case of a NURBS curve, is determined by a control polygon. The chapter also illustrates the shapes of the curve generated by a Bezier polygon. The curve exhibits the variation-diminishing property. This means that the curve does not oscillate about any straight line more often than the control polygon. Although it is not necessary to numerically specify the tangent vectors at the ends of an individual Bezier curve, maintaining slope and curvature continuity when joining Bezier curves, determining surface normals for lighting or numerical control tool path calculation, or local curvature for smoothness or fairness calculations requires a knowledge of both the first and second derivatives of a Bezier curve.
Reconstructing Fine-Grained Cognition from Brain Activity

We describe the Sketch-and-Stitch method for bringing together a cognitive model and EEG to reconstruct the cognition of a subject. The method was tested in the context of a video game where the actions are highly interdependent and variable: simply changing whether a key was pressed or not for a 30th of a second can lead to a very different outcome. The Sketch level identifies the critical events in the game and the Stitch level fills in the detailed actions between these events. The critical events tend to produce robust EEG signals and the cognitive model provides probabilities of various transitions between critical events and the distribution of intervals between these events. This information can be combined in a hidden semi-Markov model that identifies the most probable sequence of critical events and when they happened. The Stitch level selects detailed actions from an extensive library of model games to produce these critical events. The decision about which sequence of actions to select from the library is made on the basis of how well they would produce weaker aspects of the EEG signal. The resulting approach can produce quite compelling replays of actual games from the EEG of a subject.
Esports sponsorship : an empirical examination of esports consumers’ perceptions of non-endemic sponsors

Traditional sport organizations and their sponsors are beginning to embrace esports, but the effectiveness of non-endemic sponsorships in esports remains uncertain. Esports consumers are notoriousl...
The case for an Advisory Centre on International Investment Law

This brief blog outlines the need for an Advisory Centre on International Investment Law and the scope of its work. It furthermore suggests a way forward.
The influence of unpublished studies on results of recent meta-analyses: publication bias, the file drawer problem, and implications for the replication crisis

The replication crisis in the social and psychological sciences is said to be due in part to publication bias and the resulting file drawer problem. Meta-analysis is often advocated as a means of r...
Lexical Contextual Relations for the Unsupervised Discovery of Texts Features

This chapter studies the role of lexical contextual relations for the problem of systematically extracting the most relevant features characterizing texts in the narrative discourse form. Narrative texts have inherent structure dictated by language usage in generating them. We suggest that the relative distance between terms within a text gives sufficient information about its topic structure and its relevant content. We describe a model we developed for identifying major features in texts that were collected about some topics. Text features can be used, for example, to discover important events in psychiatric medical reports to direct the physician to certain recurrent and interesting aspects of some cases. The model utilizes the inherent structure of narrative discourse in the form of extracting context-dependent lexical relations. We propose and discuss possible measurements through experiments from applying the model to a database of psychiatric evaluation reports. We qualitatively demonstrate that a useful text structure and content can be systematically extracted by collocational lexical analysis without the need to encode any supplemental sources of knowledge.
A flare-induced cascade model of γ-ray bursts

Although there is no agreement concerning the model and mechanisms responsible for γ-ray bursts, it is generally agreed that they are produced by neutron stars1. With few exceptions2, it is thought that an intense magnetic field plays a key role. The favoured radiation mechanism is optically thin synchrotron radiation3, but it is difficult to find any way of maintaining the electron energy since the radiation cooling time is extremely short. As a resolution of this difficulty, I propose that the basic energy-release mechanism is a flare in the magnetosphere of a neutron star. This involves reconnection that leads to an electric field parallel to the magnetic field. This accelerates an electron along the magnetic field, producing high-energy γ rays (by curvature radiation) that promptly annihilate in the magnetic field, resulting in an electron-positron cascade as in radio pulsars4. This model offers an explanation of the continuum spectrum, of the 511-keV annihilation line, and possibly of the optical radiation that seems to accompany some γ-ray bursts.