cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Context: One Necessary Dimension of Technological Cognition

The context of technology contains rich content,such as space-time factors and social,political,economic and cultural factors,and it also includes the cognition,emotion,motivation and attitudes of individuals. Therefore, context is the external relevant domain lying in technology. Technological context is physical rather than abstract,so context is objective reality. As for philosophy of technology,context has opened up a new perspective for bridging the gap between the engineering tradition and the humanist tradition.
The role of carbon dioxide in the development of pulmonary insufficiency.

The effects of carbon dioxide (P co 2 = 40 versus P co 2 = 20) on pulmonary function changes during 2 hours of hemorrhagic hypotension followed by resuscitation are evaluated in 21 dogs. Pulmonary hemodynamics, mechanics, gas exchange, functional residual capacity, and morphology are studied. In the preshock period, hypocapnia is associated with a decreased cardiac output, increased dead space, and increased alveolar-arterial ( a -a) gradiant (room air). During the period of hypotension, all parameters in both groups changed similarly. After resuscitation, the a -a gradients in the two groups further widened. Following the return to control levels of normocapnia in all animals, the group which had been hypocapnic during the hypotensive episode continued to show increased shunting (20 versus 13 percent, p
A test of personal and social utility values and the appeal of a career in teaching

An effective education system depends upon attracting college students into the teaching profession, but most of the research on what motivates individuals to pursue teaching merely surveys individuals who have already entered a teacher education program. This study employs an experimental design to test the effects of exposure to randomly assigned lists of reasons to teach reflecting personal utility values or social utility values on the appeal of the career to a sample of college students. Results indicate that both personal and social utility values are relevant to the appeal of a career in teaching and to a similar degree. Gender differences in this relationship were negligible.
Visual correlation of network traffic and host processes for computer security

Much computer communications activity is invisible to the user, happening without explicit permission. When system administrators investigate network communications activities, they have difficulty tracing them back to the processes that cause them. The strictly layered TCP/IP networking model that underlies all widely used, general-purpose operating systems makes it impossible to trace a packet seen on the network back to the processes that are responsible for generating and receiving it. The TCP/IP model separates the concerns of network routing and process ownership so that the layers cannot share the information needed to correlate packets to processes. But knowing what processes are responsible for communications activities can be a great help in determining whether that activity is benign or malicious. My solution combines a visualization tool, a kernel-level correlation engine, and middleware that ties the two together. My research enables security personnel to visually correlate packets to the processes they belong to helping users determine whether communications are benign or malicious. I present my discoveries about the system administrator community and relate how I created a new correlation technology. I conducted a series of initial interviews with system administrators to clarify the problem, researched available solutions in the literature, identified what was missing, and worked with users to build it. The users were my co-designers as I built a series of prototypes of increasing fidelity and conducted usability evaluations on them. I hope that my work will demonstrate how well the participatory design[10] approach works. My work has implications for the kernel structure of all operating system kernels with a TCP/IP protocol stack and network model. In light of my research, I hope security personnel will more clearly see sets of communicating processes on a network as basic computational units rather than the individual host computers. If kernel designers incorporate my findings into their work, it will enable much better security monitoring than is possible today making the Internet safer for all.
Regional organizations and the transition to democracy: evidence from cases

The following two chapters provide six illustrative case studies that examine the causal relationship between regional organizations and democratization. The statistical evidence presented in Chapter 4 provides substantial confirmation of the hypothesis that regional IOs are associated statistically with democratic transitions. Yet, the macro-oriented nature of those tests makes it difficult to identify the particular causal processes behind the correlations in the data. These case studies will help to tease out the exact nature of the link between regional IOs and democratic transitions. Turning to the cases in this chapter, Hungary and Peru are categorized as a success and partial success as a result of their respective status democracies. Both provide evidence that regional institutions can play a role in both the initial movement to democracy (liberalization in Peru) and the completion of democratic transitions (Hungary). The third case study in this chapter, Turkey, illustrates the effectiveness of several European organizations at encouraging redemocratization, but also points to the failure of those organizations in assisting in the consolidation of democracy. Chapter 7 presents studies of how regional organizations have enhanced the prospects for democracy's survival in Greece, Paraguay, and Guatemala. Again, Turkey is a key case providing evidence against these propositions concerning consolidation, although I place Turkey with the transition studies. Case selection Before moving into the case studies, I discuss the criteria used to select cases.
Re-Imagining the Political

This final chapter investigates the relationship between concepts of political community and political agency from the perspectives of post-foundationalism and non-sovereignty. By doing so, it highlights the political relevance of formulations of the non-sovereign self and concepts of relational ethics. While ‘weak’ philosophical anthropologies seek to ground political and moral thought, they also maintain their own contingency and situatedness. Even though there is therefore no necessary connection between ‘weak ontological’ notions of selfhood and any particular form of political organisation, the acknowledgement of the contingency of the self enables a fuller appreciation of democracy as a contingent form of political organisation. In other words, while the assertion of contingent ontological grounds does not imply any specific ethical or political position, democracy itself is inherently postfoundational. The symbolic arrangement of democracy is founded on the institutional recognition of the impossibility of finding a final justification or ground for the way a society is organised politically. While no societies and no political regimes are actually built upon firm foundations (at least if we dismiss doctrines of divine rights or the necessity of history), only democracy inherently accepts and recognises this condition.
How game design thinking becomes engagement design

This paper is the product of 12 months of intensive study applying game design to the challenges of journalism and news community management. After conducting interviews and site visits with a wide variety of leaders in major print, web, television and news organizations, primary observations were made. The goal was to understand how the increasingly challenged news media industry could benefit from the knowledge that has sustained the success of the game industry. Our findings indicate that the formal practice of game design offers three key foci that may likely prove useful to industries and practices concerned with improving their audience engagement strategies. These three foci are experience, agency and play. We suggest that these three elements are the key to engagement in non-game contexts and are a likely path to improving the struggles facing not only the news industry, but other domains like activism, social impact, and civic participation.
Insights into Electrochemical Oxidation of NaO2 in Na–O2 Batteries via Rotating Ring Disk and Spectroscopic Measurements

O2 reduction in aprotic Na–O2 batteries results in the formation of NaO2, which can be oxidized at small overpotentials (<200 mV) on charge. In this study, we investigated the NaO2 oxidation mechanism using rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) measurements of Na−O2 reaction products and by tracking the morphological evolution of the NaO2 discharge product at different states of charge using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that negligible soluble species are formed during NaO2 oxidation, and that the oxidation occurs predominantly via charge transfer at the interface between NaO2 and carbon electrode fibers rather than uniformly from all NaO2 surfaces. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that the band gap of NaO2 is smaller than that of Li2O2 formed in Li–O2 batteries, in which charging overpotentials are much higher (∼1000 mV). These results emphasize the importance of discharge product electronic structure for rati...
Steroid Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is among the most common forms of kidney disease seen in children. Steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is only responsible for ~20 % of all cases of NS in children; however the SRNS variant is the most common glomerular cause of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children. SRNS is characterized by different pathologic changes on kidney biopsy, in children the most common histologic variants are FSGS and minimal change disease. The pathogenesis of FSGS has not been completely delineated; however there is growing evidence to suggest that it is a primary defect of the podocyte. Candidate circulating factors such as cardiotrophin like cytokine-1 (CLC-1) and the soluble form of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (sUPAR) have also been implicated in disease pathogenesis. The treatment of SRNS is challenging, as only about 30 % of all cases will respond to currently available therapies, yet response to therapy is the most important determinant of future progression to ESKD. The risk of recurrence of FSGS in kidney transplant is estimated at 30 %, with a lower risk (8 %) in patients with genetic FSGS. Further studies of familial and non- familial forms of SRNS are needed in order to elucidate disease mechanisms and identify potential future therapeutic targets.
Business 20/20: Ohio University’s Integrated Business Core

In its “Standards for Business Accreditation,” The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business expresses its expectation that “The curriculum should integrate the core areas and apply cross-functional approaches to organizational issues” (AACSB, C.1.3.e, 1993).
How to derive the highest mobility from 2D FETs — A first-principle study

In this work, we present the first comprehensive mobility model for 2D semiconductor FETs that includes the effect of carrier scattering from both impurities and phonons. We also determine how the mobility changes with variation in device geometry, dielectric surrounding the device, the number of layers of the 2D semiconductor, the vertical electric field, the grain size, and the channel material. The model considers the mobile charge concentration and the defect concentration across grain boundaries, which is important in practical device design. Based on the developed model, we discuss and identify the relative contributions of each of these factors affecting mobility, and provide guidelines to process and device engineers to assist in fabricating 2D FETs with maximized mobility.
Working memory capacity influences performance and brain networks: Evidence from effective connectivity analysis

The main goal of the present study was to investigate how individual differences in working-memory capacity influence the participants' performance and brain networks in a dual-task paradigm. An important function of working memory is to integrate incoming information into an appropriate cognitive model by using two executive functions — updating and inhibition. We hypothesized that individual variability in working-memory function (estimated using operation-span measure) may affect to differential reactivity to both performance and brain connectivity. EEG signals and reaction times were recorded during a dual task that combined n-back and flanker tasks. In these tasks, participants with high working-memory span scores showed a better performance than those with low span scores. This finding suggests that a group with high working memory capacity is more affected by the cognitive control network than a low capacity group, possibly because people with high span utilize more efficient brain network during dual or multitasking situations. These findings contribute to perceiving cognitive control network as an individual trait, which can reflect neural efficiency to allow augmented human cognition, as well as a significant predictor of brain-computer interface performance.
Electrodeposition of rhenium with suppressed hydrogen evolution from water-in-salt electrolyte

Abstract The electrodeposition of rhenium was studied using a “water-in-salt” type of electrolyte with a superhigh concentration of lithium chloride to suppress the proton activity. Cyclic voltammetry and DC plating were carried out on rotating disc electrodes to characterize the electrolyte and to prepare thin films. Electrolytes without metal cations were also studied, where the cathodic reduction of proton was significantly suppressed when the concentration of supporting salt approached the solubility limit. Film cracks were eliminated for rhenium films deposited from this superhigh ionic strength electrolyte.
Observation of time-dependent inhibited spontaneous emission

When an excited atom is placed in a small reflecting cavity, it is allowed to radiate only into the discrete set of electromagnetic modes that satisfy the boundary conditions in the cavity. If none of these modes are compatible with the spontaneous emission modes of the atom, it will not emit radiation. This phenomenon, known as “inhibited spontaneous emission,‘ has been observed for atoms, for trapped electrons, and for parametric downconverters (PDC), in which incident “pump‘ photons spontaneously decay into pairs of lower-energy “signal‘ and “idler‘ photons [1].
An Infra-Red Spectrophotometer for Industrial Research

An infra-red spectrophotometer has been designed for the wide variety of problems which arise in an industrial research laboratory. The source of radiation is a Nernst glower, the dispersing unit a 10 × 15 cm sodium chloride prism, and the detector is a compensated thermopile. The output of the thermopile is amplified with a contact modulated amplifier. The installation is comparatively insensitive to mechanical vibration and fast temperature changes. The instrument is enclosed in a vacuum tank to prevent interference from absorption by extraneous gases. Driving motors for prism rotation and slit adjustments are outside the vacuum. Rotary motion is transmitted through the walls of the vacuum tank by means of magnetic drives; this avoids the use of any form of packing gland. Ink-line records of the spectral range from 3 to 15μ can be made automatically in 30 minutes. The instrument is operated semiautomatically for “spot work” in making quantitative analyses after spectral positions and proper calibrations have been made.
A Disjunctive Model for Scheduling in a Manufacturing and Packing Facility with Intermediate Storage

The problem considered in this paper deals with the short term scheduling of a two stage continuous process with intermediate storage tanks. The major scheduling decisions in this problem are: a) the assignment of orders to various storage tanks; b) the sequence of orders in each unit; c) the timing of various operations in different stages. The problem is highly combinatorial in nature. The major challenge is to develop strong integer programming formulations and to devise efficient solution techniques. An initial model is presented in the form of a disjunctive program which is later transformed to a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. A number of example problems are solved which highlight the limitations of this model as the number of orders increases. A heuristic based on partial preordering is considered which solves industrial sized problems very quickly. The objective function values for the heuristic solutions are within 7% of the optimal values.
Asthma diagnosis and treatment – 1018. Effect of inhaled corticosteroids with long-acting beta2 agonists vs. inhaled corticosteroids alone on asthma control in children: results from national ashtma survey

Methods Data from the National Asthma Survey were analyzed to compare asthma control in children (5 to 11 yrs) using ICS/LABA vs. ICS alone. Both short term (symptoms within last 2 weeks, day and night symptoms in last 30 days and use of systemic glucocorticoids in last 3 months) and long term (asthma attack, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and activity limitations in the prior year) outcomes were compared. Demographics, availability of health insurance, indoor allergen exposure and asthma education were compared between the two groups. Asthma control in an adult population (18 to 44 years) was also assessed for the same parameters.
Web plumb influence on skewed I-girder, steel bridges during construction

At different stages during the construction of steel, I-girder bridges having severely skewed abutments and differential deflections between adjacent and interconnected girders cause rotations and deflections out of plane. These deformations are more pronounced during deck placement when appreciable additional dead load is added to the bridge and the girders are non-composite. As a result, girder webs can end up out of plumb at the completion of construction, especially at the supports. Although it is commonly desired by bridge designers and contractors to alleviate this out of plumbness via different erection and detailing strategies, out of plumbness effects on skewed bridge response at the completion of construction are not completely understood. The present research employs finite element analysis to study effects that different detailing methods have on girder stresses, vertical and lateral deformations, and cross-frame forces for single-span bridges with varying skew angles.
Scattering of low frequency sound by fluid and solid cylinders

Abstract Wave scattering by objects is typically studied for plane incident waves. However, full Green's functions are necessary for problems where the separation of the scatterer from interfaces, sources, or other scatterers is comparable to the dimensions of the scatterer itself. In this paper, the two-dimensional problem of scattering of monochromatic cylindrical waves by an infinite cylinder embedded in a homogeneous fluid is considered. Fluid and solid cylinders are studied, and soft and hard cylinders are revisited. The exact solutions for the Green's functions are expressed as an infinite series of cylindrical functions with complex amplitudes determined by the acoustic boundary conditions at the surface of the cylinder. Here, we derive closed-form asymptotics for the scattered field in the Rayleigh scattering regime where radius of the cylinder is small compared to the wavelength. The scattered wave approximation is valid for arbitrary source and observation point positions outside the scatterer and is expressed as a sum of fields due to three linear image sources. When the source or receiver is located sufficiently far from the cylinder, the new uniform asymptotic solutions reduce to well-known results for plane-wave scattering. Image source solutions were anticipated due to classically studied electrostatic analog problems involving dielectric cylinders. Image source representation offers physical insights into the scattering physics and suggests simple analytic solutions for scattering by objects near interfaces and within waveguides.
Collaborative Creation and Implementation of a Michigan Sustainability Case on Urban Farming in Detroit

The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) seeks to transform sustainability learning through new curricular tools that incorporate multimedia sources, build both scientific and professional skills, and nurture partnerships with practitioners for extended engaged learning beyond the classroom. The Michigan Sustainability Cases (MSCs) bring case-based teaching to the sustainability field and redefine cases by making them more immersive and multimodal, for traction with diverse kinds of learners. MSCs are hosted on an open access, interactive platform called Gala that makes case studies accessible both for individual use and to enhance face-to-face experiential learning. This article analyzes one MSC case about urban farming in Detroit, Michigan, as it embodies principles of cocreation, integration into multiple curricula, and digital innovation for enhanced experiential learning. Specifically, we describe how it was collaboratively produced, deployed and iteratively improved in successive SEAS classrooms, incorporated field learning in Detroit for strong user experiences from students, but also for faculty and practitioners. We further note its impact on the lead author’s development projects within Detroit’s landscape, suggesting cases as catalysts for more ethical, efficient, and inclusive sustainability science and policy in practice.
Anti-Candida albicans IgG Antibodies in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

The gut microbiota are known to have a profound influence on both mucosal and systemic immunity and are important for gastrointestinal (GI) function. In addition, new evidence shows that the microbiota significantly influence neurodevelopment and behavior. Immune dysfunction and GI distress are extremely common in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A growing body of evidence suggests that individuals with ASD have significant aberrations in the composition of their gut microbiota, known as dysbiosis. However, these studies have focused on the bacterial components of the microbiota, leaving the fungal microbiota in ASD poorly studied. Increases in fungal species such as Candida albicans are associated with inflammatory bowel disorders, and have recently been implicated in several neurological disorders including schizophrenia. We aimed to determine if children with ASD exhibit elevations in antibodies that target C. albicans, indicating current or previous overgrowth of this fungal species. We measured anti-C. albicans immunoglobulin (IgG) in plasma from 80 children enrolled in the UC Davis MIND Institute CHARGE study. Measurements were acquired using a commercial ELISA kit. Plasma anti-C. albicans antibody positivity was found in 36.5% (19/52) of children with ASD. Anti-C. albicans antibodies in typically developing controls was (14.3%; 4/28). Overall, ASD children had a higher rate of high-positive values compared to typically developed children with an unadjusted odds ratio of 3.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.0409 to 11.4650; p = 0.041, two-tailed). GI dysfunction was found in about half of the ASD children who were positive for anti-Candida IgG. This study provides evidence of a new microbial risk factor for ASD.
Ecological Drivers of Species Distributions and Niche Overlap for Three Subterranean Termite Species in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

In both managed and unmanaged forests, termites are functionally important members of the dead-wood-associated (saproxylic) insect community. However, little is known about regional-scale environmental drivers of geographic distributions of termite species, and how these environmental factors impact co-occurrence among congeneric species. Here we focus on the southern Appalachian Mountains—a well-known center of endemism for forest biota—and use Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) to examine the distributions of three species of Reticulitermes termites (i.e., R. flavipes, R. virginicus, and R. malletei). To overcome deficiencies in public databases, ENMs were underpinned by field-collected high-resolution occurrence records coupled with molecular taxonomic species identification. Spatial overlap among areas of predicted occurrence of each species was mapped, and aspects of niche similarity were quantified. We also identified environmental factors that most strongly contribute to among-species differences in occupancy. Overall, we found that R. flavipes and R. virginicus showed significant niche divergence, which was primarily driven by dry-season precipitation. Also, all three species were most likely to co-occur in the mid-latitudes of the study area (i.e., northern Alabama and Georgia, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina), which is an area of considerable topographic complexity. This work provides important baseline information for follow-up studies of local-scale drivers of these species’ distributions. It also identifies specific geographic areas where future assessments of the frequency of true syntopy vs. micro-allopatry, and associated interspecific competitive interactions, should be focused.
Isolating the effect of induction length on detonation structure: Hydrogen–oxygen detonation promoted by ozone

Abstract The effect of ignition promoters on H2 O2 detonation structure was evaluated with one-dimensional ZND calculations and experimental detonation cell measurements. Test conditions include a sweep of ozone concentration (up to 3000 PPM by mole), initial pressure (10 to 30 kPa), equivalence ratio (0.4–1.5), Ar and N2 dilution (up to 50%), and CF3I concentration (up to 3000 PPM). The ZND calculations demonstrate that ozone addition reduces induction length without affecting heat release length or thermodynamic properties such as CJ speed, allowing for a unique evaluation of the effect of ignition delay on detonation structure. Experimentally and within the conditions tested, ozone addition acts to reduce detonation cell size by up to 70%. In addition, measured cell width is found to better correlate with induction length than with total reaction length, defined as induction length plus exothermic length. The results confirm that the detonation structure is controlled largely by chemical length scales. Also studied is the addition of CF3I, which is traditionally used as a fire suppressant. Although at high concentrations CF3I displays a radical scavenging function, at the concentrations considered in the current work, CF3I also acts as an ignition promotor due to the production of the I atom, which promotes chain branching during ignition. Finally, the ozone and CF3I additives were found to have, at most, a minor effect on cell regularity.
Five Decisive States: Examining How and Why Donald Trump Won the 2016 Election

The election of Donald Trump to the U.S. Presidency in 2016 is attributable to voting shifts in a small number of states between the 2008 and 2012 elections and the 2016 election. There were six st...
Bone defect-induced alteration in glenoid articular surface geometry and restoration with coracoid transfer procedures: a cadaveric study.

Background This study analyzed the alteration in glenoid articular geometry with increasing anterior bone loss, as well as its subsequent correction with 2 modifications of the Latarjet procedure. Methods Anterior defects were simulated by creating glenoid osteotomies (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%), and defects were reconstructed using 2 Latarjet modifications (classic and congruent arc). A total of 108 computed tomography scans were performed (1) on intact scapulae (n = 12), (2) after each bone defect (n = 48), and (3) after each reconstruction (n = 48). Glenoid parameters (width, area, arc length, and version) were analyzed on computed tomography scans. Statistical analysis was used to determine significant differences between intact, deficient, and reconstructed glenoids. Results All parameters were reduced with every 10% defect increment (mean change in width, 2.5 mm; area, 64 mm2; version, 2.2°; and arc length, 2.2 mm). Width correction with the classic Latarjet procedure was not statistically significant in 30% and 40% defects. Area correction in 30% defects was not significant with the classic Latarjet procedure and was significantly undercorrected in 40% defects. Version correction was not significant after the classic Latarjet procedure in 20%, 30%, and 40% defects. Arc-length correction was not significant in 20% and 30% defects with the classic Latarjet procedure and was significantly undercorrected in 40% defects. The congruent-arc Latarjet procedure overcorrected glenoid parameters in all defects; however, area and arc length were not significantly different from intact glenoids in 40% defects (P Conclusion Glenoid articular geometry is progressively altered with a sequential increase in anterior bone defects from 0% to 40%. The classic Latarjet procedure provided significant correction in bone defects of 10% and 20%. The congruent-arc Latarjet procedure restored and overcorrected most parameters even in 40% glenoid defects.
A Parameter Optimization for Mode Shapes Estimation Using Kriging Interpolation

A parametric study of Kriging interpolation for Optimal Sensor Placement (OSP) is presented in this paper. A Kriging model uses geostatistical information to interpolate and extrapolate the values for unobserved locations with a weighted sum of known neighbors. The accuracy of mode shape estimates is evaluated by Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC), compared to the target mode shapes. The performance of OSP is enhanced by the Kriging results. For the quality estimation of mode shape, a parametric study is conducted in this paper. The Kriging model is composed of linear regression model with random error which is assumed as a realization of a stochastic process. A Gaussian function is used to characterize the covariance function between two random errors in terms of their relative distance. Three parameters are involved to define covariance function: regression model order and two amplification parameters. The parameter optimization approach aims at OSP solution with the minimum number of sensors. The effect of parameters is evaluated using numerically simulated harmonic modes, and modes from Northampton Street Bridge (NSB). Modified Variance (MV) is used to rank the signal strength at candidate sensing locations. The results show that the accuracy of estimated mode shapes is dependent on the eigenvalue of covariance matrix and the number of sensors can be minimized when the Kriging model is optimally designed.
Chapter 17 – ALTERNATING DIRECTION IMPLICIT METHODS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a class of methods known as alternating direction implicit methods (ADI methods) for solving the system Au = b, where A is nonsingular. It also presents a situation where A is split into the sum of three matrices A = H0 +V0 + Σ, where Σ is a nonnegative diagonal matrix. The stationary Peaceman–Rachford (PR) method is described, where ρ and ρ' are independent of n. The chapter discusses the convergence of the method and the choice of ρ and ρ', which maximizes the rate of convergence. For the Helmholtz equation in the rectangle, the commutative case holds and the optimum parameters can be explicitly determined. For the stationary PR method for a system derived from a class of elliptic equations, the rate of convergence is a monotone-decreasing function of the size of the region.
Marriage, aging, and women’s pursuit of commercial sex in Japan:

A number of scholarly works have observed Western and Japanese women travelers who seek romance and adventure with local “beach boys” in the Global South. Despite the important criticism of geopoli...
Efficient Data Collection in IoT Networks using Trajectory Encoded with Geometric Shapes

The Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) mitigates the bandwidth limitation between the edge server and the remote cloud by directly processing the large amount of data locally generated by the network of the internet of things (IoT) at the edge. To reduce redundant data transmission, this paper proposes a data collection scheme that only gathers the necessary data from IoT devices along a trajectory. Instead of using and transmitting location information (to preserve location anonymity), a virtual coordinate system called "distance vector of hops to anchors" (DV-Hop) is used. The proposed trajectory encoding algorithm uses ellipse and hyperbola constraints to encode the position of interest (POI) and the trajectory route to the POI. Sensors make routing decisions only based on the geometric constraints and the DV-Hop information, both of which are stored in their memory. The proposed DV-Hop updating algorithm enables the users to collect data in an IoT network with mobile nodes. The experiments show that in heterogeneous IoT networks, the proposed data collection scheme outperforms two other state-of-the-art topology-based routing protocols, called ring routing, and nested ring. The results also show that the proposed scheme has better latency, reliability, coverage, energy usage, and provide location privacy compared to state-of-the-art-schemes.
Alternative Benchmarks for Evaluating Mutual Fund Performance

∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ While real estate investment trusts (REITs) have experienced very high growth rates over the past 15 years, the growth in mutual funds that invest in REITs has been even more dramatic. REIT mutual fund returns are typically presented relative to the return on a simple value-weighted REIT index. We ask whether including additional factors when benchmarking funds’ returns can improve the explanatory power of the models and offer more precise estimates of alpha. We investigate three sets of REIT-based benchmarks, plus an index of returns derived from non-REIT real estate firms, namely homebuilders and real estate operating companies. The REIT-based factors are a set of characteristic factors, a set of property-type factors and a set of statistical factors. Using traditional single-index benchmarks, we find that about 6% of the REIT funds exhibit significant positive performance using traditional significance levels, which is more than twice what random chance would predict. However, with the multiple-index benchmarks that we prefer, this falls considerably to only 0.7%. In addition, we find that these sets of factors and the non-REIT indices better explain the month-to-month returns of the REIT mutual funds. This suggests that investors or researchers evaluating REIT mutual fund performance may benefit from a multiple-benchmark approach.
What More Can We Do? A Scalar Approach to Examining Critical Digital Literacies in Teacher Education

In this manuscript, we explore sites of struggle in the inclusion of critical digital literacies (CDL) in teacher preparation programs. Our worked examples explore two authors’ teacher-preparation ...
Ionizable Cyclofructan 6-Based Stationary Phases for Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Using Superficially Porous Particles

One of the challenges of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) is the development of hydrolytically stable stationary phases. In this work, reproducible synthesis, characterization, and application of two new stable cyclofructan-6 (CF6) based stationary phases for HILIC, and mixed-mode chromatography are described. Herein, CF6 was covalently bonded to benzoic acid (BCF-6) and propyl sulfonic acid (SCF-6) groups, respectively. In past reports, sulfonating cyclofructan and bonding it to silica was challenging in terms of reproducibility. The derivatized cyclofructan was then bonded to 2.7 µm superficially porous particles (SPPs), producing a hydrolytically stable phase. The selectivity of the new SPP silica stationary phases was compared to a commercial native cyclofructan-based HILIC column. All the columns in this study were tested for their efficiency, hydrophilicity, and electrostatic character to assess their unique selectivity among 33 commercial columns. All three cyclofructan-6 based stationary phases were subjected to stability tests under a constant flow rate of HILIC mobile phases using acidic, neutral, and basic probe molecules. No significant shift in retention time was observed over one week of continuous operation. The BCF-6 stationary phase showed a significant change in retention of acidic, neutral, and basic as a function of pH in the range 5.5 to 3.5 as compared to FructoShell-N and SCF-6. The two new columns were evaluated using 49 different analytes, including a wide range of structural moieties. Most of the test probes are of biological and pharmaceutical interest.
Component-based machine learning paradigm for discovering rate-dependent and pressure-sensitive level-set plasticity models

Conventionally, neural network constitutive laws for path-dependent elasto-plastic solids are trained via supervised learning performed on recurrent neural network, with the time history of strain as input and the stress as input. However, training neural network to replicate path-dependent constitutive responses require significant more amount of data due to the path dependence. This demand on diverse and abundance of accurate data, as well as the lack of interpretability to guide the data generation process, could become major roadblocks for engineering applications. In this work, we attempt to simplify these training processes and improve the interpretability of the trained models by breaking down the training of material models into multiple supervised machine learning programs for elasticity, initial yielding and hardening laws that can be conducted sequentially. To predict pressure-sensitivity and rate dependence of the plastic responses, we reformulate the Hamliton-Jacobi equation such that the yield function is parametrized in the product space spanned by the principle stress, the accumulated plastic strain and time. To test the versatility of the neural network meta-modeling framework, we conduct multiple numerical experiments where neural networks are trained and validated against (1) data generated from known benchmark models, (2) data obtained from physical experiments and (3) data inferred from homogenizing sub-scale direct numerical simulations of microstructures. The neural network model is also incorporated into an offline FFT-FEM model to improve the efficiency of the multiscale calculations.
Epidemiology of Adolescent Gun Violence: The Parallel Tragedies of Rural Suicide and Urban Homicide

Gun violence is a public health crisis plaguing the United States, deeply affecting individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole—a crisis that is garnering increasing attention in public and political discourse. In order to better understand and thus mitigate the effects of gun violence, it is vital to understand where it is happening and why. The United States suffers from uniquely high rates of gun violence compared to other developed nations, and adolescents shoulder a disproportionately large share of morbidity and mortality. The adolescent gun violence epidemic is characterized by two parallel tragedies: gun homicide deaths among boys in urban areas and gun suicide deaths among teen boys in rural areas. By understanding the epidemiology of gun violence and the most vulnerable populations it affects, the United States can move toward thoughtful policies and solutions to decrease the devastation it brings to the children and families of the United States.
Irreversible Inhibitors of Bovine Aortic Lysyl Oxidase

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is a copper-containing amine oxidase with a unique lysyl tyrosyl quinone (LTQ) cofactor formed by post-translational modification of Tyr-187 followed by a cross-linking reaction...
Air-Sea Interface and Marine Boundary-Layer Anemometers

Abstract : The long-terms goal is to further the understanding of air-sea interactions processes including momentum, heat, water vapor and trace gas exchange under various meteorological and oceanographic conditions.
Preferential accumulation of GABAA receptor γ2L, not γ2S, cytoplasmic loops at rat spinal cord inhibitory synapses

Alternative splicing generates two variants of the GABAAR γ2-subunit, γ2S and γ2L, which differ by insertion of the amino acid sequence LLRMFSFK into the large cytoplasmic loop between transmembrane domains 3 and 4. This additional sequence within the GABAAR γ2L-subunit contains the potential protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation site serine 343 (Ser343). In the present study we intended to determine the capacity of these two splice variants to accumulate at inhibitory synaptic terminals and to colocalize with gephyrin, and to find out whether phosphorylation of Ser343 has any effect on GABAAR distribution. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged large cytoplasmic loops of GABAAR γ2S and γ2L (GFP::γ2S/L) were used as surrogates for full-length receptors to study the function of the individual γ2S and γ2L peptides in transfected spinal cord neurones (SCNs) and COS-7 cells. It was found that GFP::γ2L displayed a significantly higher capacity to accumulate at inhibitory synapses than GFP::γ2S. GABAAR GFP::γ2S accumulation at inhibitory postsynaptic sites was suppressed to the extent that GFP::γ2S assumed a diffuse cytosolic distribution. PKC activation facilitated the postsynaptic clustering of GFP::γ2L but not of GFP::γ2S. This required the Ser343 residue, since substituting Ala343 for Ser343 produced a diffuse cytosolic localization pattern, like that of GFP::γ2S. Furthermore, upon PKC activation Discosoma Red2-tagged GABAAR γ2L (DsRed 2::γ2L) colocalized with gephyrin in transfected COS-7 cells. These results support the idea that alternative splicing regulates the access of GABAARs to inhibitory postsynaptic sites in a Ser343 phosphorylation-regulated way.
A population‐based description of glioblastoma multiforme in Los Angeles County, 1974–1999

BACKGROUND There have been reports that the incidence rates of brain tumors have increased over the past few decades, but most have considered all brain tumors together. The authors analyzed the pattern of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) occurrence in Los Angeles County, California to shed light on the incidence and descriptive epidemiology of this type of brain tumor. METHODS Data were obtained from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program. Incidence rates were analyzed by gender, race, age at diagnosis, period of diagnosis (1974–1981, 1982–1988, or 1989–1999), and socioeconomic status (SES). In addition, data were stratified according to anatomic subsite. A multivariate model describing changes in rates by each of these variables was constructed. RESULTS Age-specific incidence rates (ASIR) rose sharply after age 30 years. The peak ASIR was at age 70–74 years in males and at age 75–79 years in females. The age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of GBM increased from 1974 to 1999 by an estimated 2.4% per year among males and 2.8% per year among females. Overall, males had a 60% increased risk of brain tumors compared with females. Males had a higher incidence of GBM compared with females at each anatomic subsite except the posterior fossa. The largest male:female ratio occurred in the occipital lobes. Non-Latino whites had the highest incidence rates (2.5 per 100,000) followed by Latino whites (1.8 per 100,000), and blacks (1.5 per 100,000). After 1989, compared with the period before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was available, there was an increase in GBM incidence rates among those with of higher SES that was most pronounced in females. The incidence of GBM was highest for frontal lobe tumors and for tumors that involved two or more lobes (overlapping tumors), followed by tumors in the temporal and parietal lobes. In the multivariate analysis, year of diagnosis, SES, gender, race (Latino but not black), site, and age at diagnosis all were important predictors of incidence rate. CONCLUSIONS GBM incidence increased in Los Angeles County over the last 30 years and especially after 1989, suggesting that the introduction of MRI may have contributed to the increase. Individuals older than age 65 years experienced the greatest increase in incidence over time. Older age, male gender, higher SES, and non-Latino white race increased the risk of GBM. Previously unreported incidence rates for GBM among Latino whites were significantly lower than among non-Latino whites but were intermediate between non-Latino whites and blacks. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Identification of the vibriobactin receptor of Vibrio cholerae.

Abstract Vibrio cholerae produces the novel phenolate siderophore vibriobactin and several outer membrane proteins in response to iron starvation. To determine whether any of these iron-regulated outer membrane proteins serves as the receptor for vibriobactin, the classical V. cholerae strain 0395 was mutagenized by using TnphoA, and iron-regulated fusions were analyzed for vibriobactin transport. One mutant, MBG14, was unable to bind or utilize exogenous vibriobactin and did not grow in low-iron medium. However, synthesis of the siderophore and transport of other iron complexes, including ferrichrome, hemin, and ferric citrate, were unaffected in MBG14. Analysis of membrane proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated the loss from the mutant of a 74-kDa iron-regulated outer membrane protein present in the parental strain when grown in iron-limiting conditions. This protein partitioned into the detergent phase during Triton X-114 extraction, suggesting that it is a hydrophobic membrane protein. DNA sequences encoding the gene into which TnphoA had inserted, designated viuA (vibriobactin uptake), restored the wild-type phenotype to the mutant; the complemented mutant expressed the 74-kDa outer membrane protein under iron-limiting conditions and possessed normal vibriobactin binding and uptake. These data indicate that the 74-kDa outer membrane protein of V. cholerae serves as the vibriobactin receptor.
Hygrothermal effects of epoxy resin. Part II : Variations of glass transition temperature

Abstract Three epoxy systems (DGEBA+mPDA, TGDDM+DDS, and Fiberite 934TM) were used to investigate glass transition temperature (Tg) variation of epoxy under hygrothermal environment exposure. Materials were immersed in distilled water at constant temperatures of 45oC, 60oC, 75oC, and 90oC for water absorption and then desorbed at different temperatures. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to determine Tg changes at different hygrothermal stages. The investigations revealed the following results: i) the change of Tg does not depend solely on the water content absorbed in epoxy resins, ii) Tg depends on the hygrothermal history of the materials, iii) for a given epoxy system, higher values of Tg resulted for longer immersion time and higher exposure temperature, and iv) the water/resin interaction characteristics (Type I and Type II bound water) have quite different influence on Tg variation. A sorption model and collateral evidence introduced in Part I of the series were used to interpret and explain Tg variation in epoxy resin systems. Both Type I and Type II bound water influence Tg variations, albeit in different ways. Type I bound water disrupts the initial interchain Van der Waals force and hydrogen bonds resulting in increased chain segment mobility. So Type I bound water acts as a plasticizer and decreases Tg. In contrast, Type II bound water contributes, comparatively, to an increase in Tg in water saturated epoxy resin by forming a secondary crosslink network. The experimental Tg values encompass the combined effect of the two water-resin interaction mechanisms described briefly in the preceding text and in detail in Part I of this paper series. The often-cited polymer-diluent model used to predict Tg variation of polymers exposed diluent media is lacking when a dual sorption mechanism is involved during hygrothermal exposure process.