cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stable Feature Selection with Minimal Independent Dominating Sets

In this paper, we focus on stable selection of relevant features. The main contribution is a novel framework for selecting most informative features which can preserve the linear combination property of the original feature space. We propose a novel formulation of this problem as selection of a minimal independent dominating set (MIDS). MIDS of a feature graph is a smallest subset such that no two of its nodes are connected and all other nodes are connected to at least one node in it. In this way, the diversity and coverage of the original feature space can be preserved. Furthermore, the proposed MIDS framework complements standard feature selection algorithms like SVM-RFE, stability lasso and ensemble SVM RFE. When these algorithms are applied to feature subsets selected by MIDS as opposed to all the input features, they select more stable features and achieve better prediction accuracy, as our experimental results clearly demonstrate.
Quick transitions using multi-way blends

Many applications require character animation that is both natural-looking and controllable. These two requirements are often in opposition. For example, motion graphs (e.g., [Kovar et al. 2002]) are a popular technique that can create realistic-looking transitions between frames of motion. However, the technique is not very controllable because: (1) it may take a long time (proportional to the square of the number of frames for a dense graph using Djikstra’s algorithm) to find the shortest transition between the character’s current frame of motion and a desired frame; and (2) the shortest transition may be too long. This sketch describes an alternative transition mechanism that can generate a transition of user-specified length between any two frames of motion. A typical motion dataset may contain many versions of the same motion, so we first find a set of motion clips that represents the dataset well. We split the motions in the dataset into overlapping clips (with length equal to the user-specified transition length), then cluster them. We use the cluster medoids as the representative set. Now we wish to find a natural-looking transition from every member of the representative set to every other member. We propose transitions to a classifier which decides whether the motion is realistic-looking or not. A transition involves blending from one motion to another (two-way blends), or blending from one motion to another using intermediate motions (multi-way blends). We search over all combinations of two, three, and four way blends between the representatives. We classify motions using a weighted combination of perceptually important motion features. The features we use measure the footskate and zero moment point error. Our classifier outperforms other state-of-the-art classifiers (e.g., [Ren et al. 2005]) on our motion databases. We store the blending schedule (i.e., the frames of the source motions used at each tick) for the blend the classifier liked best. These blending schedules form a transition matrix which we can use to transition between any two frames in the time the user specified. At run-time, the application can demand a transition at any time from the character’s current frame to a desired frame. We find the representative that is closest to the clip of motion starting at the current frame (with user-specified duration), and the representative closest to the clip ending at the desired frame. We then look up the blending schedule for these representatives and employ it, using the current and desired clips in place of the representatives.
Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of precipitants. I

The kinetics of bulk and precipitation polymerization of vinyl chloride was studied over wide range of reaction temperature by using gamma -induced initiation. The autoacceleration effect, which has been observed by many investigators in the case of chemically initiated bulk polymerization of vinyl chloride above 40 deg C and has been the most controversial aspect of the bulk polymerization of vinyl chloride, was found to disappear in the bulk polymerization below 0 deg C. In the bulk polymerization at 40 deg C, the autoacceleration effect was observed up to 20%, in agreement with the results of previous investigators, and a pronounced effect of the size of polymer particles on the time-conversion curve was observed. The kinetics of precipitation polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of some nonsolvents was successfully described by a one-parameter equation. A kinetic scheme, which clearly explains the zero-order reaction behavior of bulk polymerization at low temperature and the kinetic behavior of precipitation polymerization described by the empirical equation, is proposed. The autoacceleration effect in the bulk polymerization at 40 deg C was considered to be essentially the same phenomenon as the small retardation period observed in the bulk polymerization at low temperature. (auth)
Constant switching frequency series resonant three-port bi-directional DC-DC converter

Multi-port converters have attracted special interest in applications such as self sustaining residential homes and buildings with multiple energy sources and energy storage. In this paper a constant switching frequency series resonant three-port bi-directional DC-DC converter is proposed. The converter uses a three-winding transformer with two of its windings connected to H-bridges through series resonant circuits. To control the output voltage and to share the power between the two sources, two control variables are proposed. One of them is the phase shift between the fundamental of the outputs of the H-bridges and the other between two legs in one of the bridges. Sinusoidal analysis is presented and equations for output voltage and input port power are derived as a function of the phase shifts. It is observed from the analysis that the power can be made bi-directional in either of the source ports by varying the phase shifts. Switching frequency is chosen such that the converter operates above resonant frequency and hence aid in zero voltage switching (ZVS). A design procedure to select converter parameters is explained. Simulation and experimental results of a prototype converter are presented.
An outer bound region for Interference Channels with Generalized Feedback

Interference Channels with Generalized Feedback (IFC-GF) are a model for wireless communication systems with source cooperation. GF enables to enlarge the achievable rate region with respect to the non-cooperative IFC without requiring an increase in system resources. This paper develops an outer bound region on the capacity of general IFC-GF and then tighten it further for a class of semi-deterministic IFC-GF that include the “high SNR approximation” of the Gaussian channel and the Gaussian channel as special cases.
A history of English: A sociolinguistic approach. By Barbara Fennell. Oxford and Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2001. Pp. xiii, 284. Paper. $29.95.

The task of writing a history of English that can serve as a textbook is not an enviable endeavor. For every point that an author chooses to include, a host of others may be omitted; for every detail an author chooses to address, a host of terminological and theoretical issues must often be explained in order to make the details comprehensible. Perhaps for these reasons, despite the numerous textbooks that have tackled this challenge, there is still room for scholars drawing on different methodologies and theoretical approaches and, therefore, raising different questions, to add their voice to the scholarly and pedagogical conversation. And perhaps, in the end, we must resign ourselves to the fact that not everyone will be satisfied with any one textbook. Barbara Fennell's explicitly sociolinguistic approach in her new textbook, A History of English, distinguishes her work from many of the textbooks that precede hers and means that she addresses a range of important and interesting research questions that do not typically appear in such texts. Perhaps the compromise is that this book may better serve as a supplemental text, with a focus on the significant sociolinguistic perspective that it adds on the relevant historical issues, rather than as a primary textbook for most introductory university courses on the history of the English language.
Virus retention and transport through Al-oxide coated sand columns: effects of ionic strength and composition.

Knowledge of the factors that influence the fate and transport of viruses in porous media is very important for accurately determining groundwater vulnerability and for developing protective regulations. In this study, six saturated sand column experiments were performed to examine the effects of a positively charged Al-oxide, which was coated on sand particles, on the retention and transport of viruses (phiX174 and MS-2) in background solutions of different ionic strength and composition. We found that the Al-oxide coating on sand significantly removed viruses during their transport in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Mass balance calculations showed that 34% of the input MS-2 was inactivated/irreversibly sorbed on the surface of Al-oxide coated sand whereas 100% of phiX174 was recovered. Results from this study also indicated that higher ionic strength facilitated the transport of both phiX174 and MS-2 through the Al-oxide coated sand. This was attributed to the effect of ion shielding, which at higher ionic strength decreased the electrostatic attraction between the viral particles and the sand surface and consequently decreased virus sorption. Strong effect of the ionic strength indicates that an outer-sphere complexation mechanism was responsible for the virus sorption on the Al-oxide coated sand. Ion composition of the background solutions was also found to be a significant factor in influencing virus retention and transport. Virus transport was enhanced in the presence of phosphate (HPO(4)(2-)) as compared to bicarbonate (HCO(3)(-)), and the effect of HPO(4)(2-) was more significant on MS-2 than on phiX174. The presence of bivalent cations (Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) increased virus transport because the cations partially screened the negative charges on the viruses therefore decreased the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged sand surface and the negatively charged viruses. Mass recovery data indicated that bivalent cations gave rise to a certain degree of inactivation/irreversibly sorption of phiX174 on the surface of Al-oxide coated sand. On the contrary, the bivalent cations appeared to have protected MS-2 from inactivation/irreversibly sorption. This study provides some insights into the mechanisms responsible for virus retention and transport in porous media.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of IL-1β

TCDD stimulated IL-1beta gene expression in differentiating human keratinocyte cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Increases in prointerleukin-1beta (pIL-1beta) protein and IL-1beta steady state mRNA levels were observed in both SCC-12F and HaCaT cells following TCDD treatment. When pretreated with alpha-naphthoflavone, an AhR antagonist, TCDD-mediated increases in IL-1beta gene expression were attenuated, demonstrating for the first time that the environmental toxin, TCDD, can stimulate cytokine (IL-1beta) gene expression in an AhR-dependent manner. Nuclear run-on experiments were performed in SCC-12 cells to determine if the AhR-dependent increases in IL-1beta expression were due to transcriptional activation of the IL-1beta gene. Results showed high constitutive levels of IL-1beta transcriptional activity, however, TCDD treatment, which stimulated IL-1beta steady state mRNA levels, failed to potentiate IL-1beta transcription. Taken together, these results demonstrate that AhR-mediated IL-1beta regulation is occurring posttranscriptionally.
Nonnegativity of exact and numerical solutions of some chemotactic models

We investigate nonnegativity of exact and numerical solutions to a generalized Keller-Segel model. This model includes the so-called ''minimal'' Keller-Segel model, but can cover more general chemistry. We use maximum principles and invariant sets to prove that all components of the solution of the generalized model are nonnegative. We then derive numerical methods, using finite element techniques, for the generalized Keller-Segel model. Adapting the ideas in our proof of nonnegativity of exact solutions to the discrete setting, we are able to show nonnegativity of discrete solutions from the numerical methods under certain standard assumptions. One of the numerical methods is then applied to the minimal Keller-Segel model. Recalling known results on the qualitative behavior of this model, we are able to choose parameters that yield convergence to a nonhomogeneous stationary solution. While proceeding to exhibit these stationary patterns, we also demonstrate how naive choices of numerical methods can give physically unrealistic solutions, thereby justifying the need to study positivity preserving methods.
‘THE TURBAN IS NOT A HAT’: QUEER DIASPORA AND PRACTICES OF PROFILING

This article examines two facets of post 9–11 South Asian organizing in the US – that of South Asian queer diasporics and of Sikh Americans. Ironically, South Asian queer diasporic subjects are under even greater duress to produce themselves as exceptional American subjects, not necessarily as heteronormative but as homonormative, even as the queernesses of these very bodies are simultaneously used to pathologize populations of terrorist look-a-like bodies. As contagions that trouble the exceptionalisms of queer South Asian diasporas, male turbaned Sikh bodies, often mistaken for Muslim terrorist bodies, are read as patriarchal by queer diasporic logics and placed within heteronormative victimology narratives by Sikh American advocacy groups focused on redressing the phenomenon of ‘mistaken identity’. Both the queer diasporic and Sikh American logics are indebted to visual representations of corporeality. Hence, I re-read these bodies as affectively troubling – generating affective confusion and indetermi...
Humoral Immunity Reflects Altered T Helper Cell Bias in Borrelia burgdorferi-Infected γδ T-Cell-Deficient Mice

In murine Lyme borreliosis, the absence of γδ T lymphocytes augments the T helper cell 2 type humoral response but does not alter disease susceptibility. Arthropod transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes results in similar antibody isotypes when γδ T cells are present, suggesting that vector effects can negate γδ T-cell functions in vivo.
Signal design for non-coherent UWB with PPM modulation in fading channels

We address the problem of signal design for non-coherent, binary pulse-position modulated (PPM) UWB communications in the presence of fading. By deriving the probability of error in closed form, it is shown that the optimal value for the time shift parameter, /spl delta/, used in pulse position modulation is fundamentally different from that of coherent reception. In particular, we show that the optimal choice of /spl delta/ is one that results in zero correlation between the two waveforms used for binary pulse position modulation. By examining the performance sensitivity around several possible optimal /spl delta/ solutions for a commonly used UWB mono-pulse, we also show that it is still possible to employ /spl delta/<T/sub w/, where T/sub w/ is the UWB mono-pulse width, yet achieve optimal and robust performance with non-coherent reception.
A killer adversary for quicksort

Quicksort can be made to go quadratic by constructing input on-the-fly in response to the sequence of items compared. The technique is illustrated by a specific adversary for the standard C qsort function. The general method works against any implementation of quicksort – even a randomizing one – that satisfies certain very mild and realistic assumptions. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conference Scene: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 57th Annual Meeting

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) held its 57th Annual Meeting in New York City, NY, USA, on 26–31 October 2010. With over 5000 attendees, it was the largest AACAP meeting ever held. An incredible amount of information was disseminated, with a broad range of topics designed to inform attendees from diverse backgrounds and interests. The following three lectures help give a perspective of the breadth of the information shared.
Yield improvement using statistical analysis of process dates

Rapid yield improvement is necessary in modern wafer fabrication facilities to ensure profitability of huge investments. Statistical analysis of data is a valuable method for improving yield. Usual methods like statistical process control (SPC), designs of experiments (DOE) and mapping analysis are necessary, but not sufficient because of process complexity. This paper presents a new statistical approach for solving yield issues when the root cause comes from a failure at a single process stage. The advantage of this approach is the only data required are the process dates of the lots at each process stage and the probe results. Three different methods have been tested to solve these issues. Only one of them is detailed in this paper. The efficiency of this method is demonstrated on two real yield issues where the defective stage is known.
Space-time variability of carbon standing stocks and fixation rates in the Gulf of Maine, along the GNATS transect between Portland, ME, USA, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series has been run since 1998 and is the longest transect time series in the Gulf of Maine (GoM), USA. Here we use this coastal time series to document the space-time variability of hydrography, nutrients, phytoplankton standing stocks and carbon fixation in the GoM, in response to several years of extreme river discharge. We hypothesize that, during wet years, fresh water input capped the surface euphotic layer, impeding the upward diffusion of nutrients, thus lowering the phytoplankton biomass and carbon fixation rates. Regional algorithms were derived to estimate particulate organic carbon and carbon fixation. The Howard-Yoder algorithm was implemented to predict integral primary production using satellite ocean color data. Calcification was significantly correlated to primary production, thus allowing regional, satellite-derived calcification estimates. Total GoM and Georges Bank phytoplankton photosynthesis was 38.12 Tg C year -1 and total calcification was 0.55 Tg C year -1 , yielding an overall ratio of calcification to photosynthesis of 1.44%. Carbon fixation in GoM coastal water ( 60 m) and Georges Bank waters (< 60 m) averaged 33, 56 and 11% of the total primary production of the combined GoM and Georges Bank study area, respectively, and 22, 67 and 11% of the total calcification of the study area, respectively.
Higher-Order Statistics in Co-Prime Sampling With Application to Channel Estimation

This paper studies higher-order statistics of non-Gaussian signal using temporal co-prime sampling. We extend co-prime sampling to pairwise co-prime sequence (PCS) in order to derive higher-order statistics (HOS). We also examine the computational complexity of PCS-HOS algorithm for both parametric and nonparametric methods. Compared to the existing HOS algorithms, the proposed approach vastly reduces the complexity by several orders in terms of the length of segmentation window. Besides, we apply PCS-HOS to estimate both the orders and coefficients of fading channels, which are modeled as autoregressive moving average (ARMA) processes. In particular, we analyze the variance of third-order cumulants as the output of the model, and use it to determine the orders of autoregressive and moving average processes. In simulations, the proposed algorithm decreases the computational complexity to 17% of the existing HOS algorithms with negligible performance loss in high noise-to-signal ratio (SNR) environment. In low SNR scenario, it is more sensitive to order mismatch in terms of the variances of expectations, which makes it a more reliable indicator to confirm the correct order. Furthermore, we also develop the overdetermined matrix representation for moving average (MA) system, and apply PCS-HOS algorithm to calculate its parameters only based on the outputs. The results of our simulations show that 3rd-order PCS-HOS achieves 80% performance gain versus the existing HOS with the same computational complexity, or it has 12% performance loss with 85% reduction in complexity compared to the counterpart processing the same length of signal.
The impact of molecular weight on nanoscale supramolecular structure of semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) on carbon nanotubes and photophysical properties

The present study is in sequel to the previous research (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16 (2014) p. 19122), where a solution-based nucleation and growth approach that involved direct epitaxial nucleation of nanofibres of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for potential use as next-generation building blocks for applications including field-effect transistors and photovoltaic devices, was described. Also presented was a theoretical analysis of epitaxial mechanism of nucleation and growth of semiconducting conjugated polymers notably, P3HT on CNTs. In the present study, we elucidate the impact of molecular weight of P3HT on structural morphology and photophysical properties. The change in average molecular weight of P3HT from ~14 to ~60 kDa resulted in several structural changes, even though the mechanism of nucleation and growth continued to be epitaxial process. In the case of high-molecular weight P3HT, the crystallized fibrils were ~200–400 nm in length and ~2–3-nm thick. In contrast, fo...
Eco-communal management, transition engagement, and connectedness A moderated mediation model for the performance of renewable energy projects in emerging economies

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast of 2014 indicates a 37% energy demand increase in the next 25 years primarily coming from emerging economies in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. To meet the forecasted energy demand increase and ameliorate the ecological stress associated with such increases, substantially increased deployments and effective operations of renewable energy projects is of paramount importance. This study sought to understand the factors impacting successful renewable energy projects and identifies integrative measures for the performance of these projects in the context of emerging economies. Our research suggests well-developed and deployed eco-communal management practices, a type of business model innovation, is the best way to translate the value proposition of RE projects into sustainable value. Our research further suggests level of managerial responsibility bifurcates the translation of strategic objectives of RE projects and the relatedness of the key decision makers into sustainable value through its eco-communal management practices. The impact of knowledge creation on sustainable value is primarily indirect through hastening and affecting transformational changes, hence deploying effective transitions engagements and instituting accurate methods to measure the efficacy of knowledge creation are imperative. Market creation's insignificant and negative relationships with sustainable value and meaningfulness is nuanced from extant literatures, and it may be attributed to a lag in the deployment of sustainable marketing orientation, shift to personal network marketing, and the difference between marketed and perceived benefits of RE projects. To our knowledge, this is the first research paper that combines the high impact applications of renewable energy projects in emerging markets with cognitive, and perceptual performance drivers to develop a systemic and integrative renewable energy project performance measures and the associated predictor variables. Overall, the predictor variables explain 57%, and 72% of the variance in the outcome variables sustainable value, and meaningfulness respectively.
The Mathematics of Spot It

Spot ItTM is a fun, fast paced game for people of all ages. The game appears to have a rich mathematical structure, which we investigated, using combinatorial analysis. We constructed some similar Spot It type games with a different number of cards, and displayed that some games are impossible to complete. In particular, the original Spot It game has eight objects on each card; however, it is impossible to construct a complete game (a game in which every object appears with every other object) in which every card has seven objects. We have investigated the mathematics behind the game.
Adiponectin predicts incident hypertension independent of body fat accumulation; observations from the dallas heart study

To study signs and symptoms by scale EHRA, type of paroxysm flow and structural-functional state of the myocardium in hypertensives with newonset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) depending on the presence of insulin resistance was aim. The study included 114 hypertensives (66 male, 48 female; age: 66 10 years) with NOAF. Depending on the endogenous insulin (EI) levels patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 consisted of 44 patients with normal plasma EI levels; group 2 consisted of 31 patients with reactive hyperinsulinemia (HI); group 3 consisted of 39 patients with spontaneousHI.Oral glucose-tolerant testwith a parallel determination of plasma glucose (oxidase method) and EI levels (ELISA), holter monitoring electrocardiogram, echocardiography were measured. Control group included 20 healthy individuals. Paroxysmal and persistent AF often recorded in those without insulin resistance, permanent mainly in the HI. The risk of thromboembolism byCHA2DS2-VASc is the highest in 79 (69.30%) cases,mainly in the patients withHI. The severity of AF by scale EHRA I-II classes is in 30 (68.18%) patients (group 1), III-IV classes is in 22 (70.97%) (group 2) and 30 (76.92%) (group 3). In 36 (31.58%) patients vagal type of atrial fibrillation (AF) in 30 (26.31%) cases adrenergic type AF and in 48 (42.11%) cases mixed type AF were diagnosed. Adrenergic type AF under the HI is characterized by a decrease in time heart rate variability (HRV), in particular, RMSSD from 22.87 1.36 msec (group 1) to 17.24 1.31 msec (group 2 and 3) and increasing SDANN from 137.22 msec (group 1) to 148.39 4.27 msec (group 2 and 3) parameters, which is accompanied by an increase in the diameter of the left atriumover 4.0 cm in 8 (18.18%) (group 1); 7 (22.58%) (group 2); 14 (35.89%) (group 3) and left ventricular mass over 1.5 times (group 1) and 1.8 times (group 2 and 3) comparedwith the patients with vagal and mixed types (p<0.05). There are preserved LV systolic function and clinical signs of heart failure I-II NYHA. Thus, in hypertensives with insulin resistance and reactive/spontaneous HI under NOAF permanent form of AF is formedmore often with an increased risk of thrombotic events and increasing complaints associatedwith arrhythmias by a scale EHRA and progression of chronic heart failure. The increase in the metric and volume left heart indexes is accompanied by an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic links autonomic nervous system, the formation of the adrenergic type of AF.
Explore and Analyse Environmental Customary Law

Environmental customary law comes forth under the need of human society.It is a kind of social standard system gradually forming during human's working and living.Generally speaking,environmental customary law has the complete rule system,including substantive rules,procedural rules.And environmental customary law has enforcement organization to ensure effective operation of environmental customary law.Environmental customary law has advantages,but it has deficiency too.Our country is in its key period of environmental law system construction and development,how to correctly understand ecological protection function of environmental customary law and reform it to promote environmental zoology protection,has been the mission of the times for Chinese scholars.
A Spectrum of Malignant Epithelial Tumors of the Prostate Gland

AbstractConceptually, the prostatic territory encompasses neoplasms whose origins are intraprostatic, paraprostatic or extraprostatic. Our objectives in this review are to 1) present a classification of the spectrum of malignant epithelial growths encountered in the prostatic territory, 2) show examples of these neoplasms and remark upon their histogenesis, enzyme production and endocrine sensitivity, and 3) suggest re-evaluation of some of our current routine therapeutic procedures.
Trapped: Three Dilemmas in the Law of Proportionality and Asymmetric Warfare

The efforts to regulate asymmetric warfare, a generic term used to describe military clashes between state and non-state armed actors, are an ongoing challenge. Asymmetric warfare aggravates the dangers threatening civilians in armed conflicts. It renders their homes and public areas part of the battlefield, and too often indigenous armed groups utilize their vulnerability as a strategic asset. By analyzing the principle of proportionality, a prominent Law of War precept aimed at limiting harm to civilians caught in the line of fire, this chapter explores a few of the substantial methodological errors that arise when IHL is applied to asymmetric war environments. This chapter diagnoses three interpretive “traps” that threaten to prevent the proper application of proportionality and provides recommendations geared at avoiding, or at least mitigating each “trap” and its effects. This chapter concludes that the complexities of asymmetric warfare require a conceptual shift to a structured model of proportionality in IHL.
Opportunism, governance structure and relational norms: An interactive perspective

Abstract Opportunism in inter-firm partnership has intrigued scholars and managers, and existing research has identified several governance structural dimensions as antecedents of opportunism. However, most have looked at these one by one. This study examines the effects of interactions between the dimensions of bureaucratic structure (formalization and participation) and relational norms (solidarity, role integrity, and mutuality) on opportunism among channel members. The results indicate that the interaction between formalization and solidarity enhances opportunism, while interaction between formalization and role integrity reduces opportunism. On the other hand, while the interaction between participation and solidarity reduces opportunism, participation's interaction with role integrity and mutuality seems to enhance opportunism. The implications of these findings are discussed in detail in the study.
Investigating the origin of Co(IV)’s high electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen evolution reaction at a NaxCoO2 interface

Abstract We present a study based on the layered oxide system Na x CoO 2 as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, where the formal oxidation state of Co can be continuously increased, above 3+, through Na-ion deintercalation. Accompanying this increase of formal Co oxidation state, the overpotential for the catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at 10 mA/cm 2 decreases from 470 mV to 415 mV, while all the Na x CoO 2 materials ( x = 0.75, 0.65, 0.52, 0.36) share a common Tafel slope of 41(±5) mV/decade, implying a common rate-limiting process for the whole series. Our use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on the de-intercalation-derived Na x CoO 2 catalysts, on the other hand, led to the unexpected observation that the percentage of surface Co(III) increases from 23% to 37% even as the Na deintercalation increases the formal Co oxidation state above 3+. These observations suggest that when the formal oxidation state of the central metal is pushed to an unusually high value, i.e. Co(IV) in this case, oxygen vacancies on the materials surface formed from the relaxation of the highly oxidized metal to a more stable oxidation state are the key to improving catalytic OER activity.
Eximbank: The Controversy, Its Mandate, and Its Programs

This chapter discusses the controversy, mandate and the programs of Eximbank. The Reagan administration reduced the Bank's lending authority from $5.5 billion in FY1981 to $4.4 billion in FY1982, with further reductions planned through 1985. In opposing the proposed reductions, Senator John Heinz emphasized in his March 19, 1981 letter to President Reagan the importance of exports and the need to respond to foreign-subsidized export financing. The exporting community also rallied to the defense of the Bank. In addition to the desire to promote U. S. exports, support for the Bank arises from the belief that even though government-subsidized financing of exports is undesirable, it is a necessary response to the export financing subsidization provided by other countries, a number of which provide considerably more financing support for their exports than does the United States. The chapter also discusses the need for government-supported export financing programs, the evaluation of the export financing programs of the Eximbank, the Bank's dual roles of financier and promoter of U. S. exports, and the appropriate response to international export financing competition. To determine the appropriate governmental role, if any, in export financing, it is necessary to determine not only whether government export financing can potentially provide welfare gains to the United States, but also if an organization, such as the Eximbank can reasonably be expected to provide export financing in an efficient manner.
Vocalizing during gaps in anthropogenic noise is an uncommon trait for enhancing communication in songbirds

Mounting evidence suggests that anthropogenic noise neg-atively impacts many wildlife species, including songbirds. One mechanism by which noise affects songbirds may be through acoustic obstruction to their systems of vocal communication. However, many species increase the amplitude or pitch of their vocalizations, which may partially mitigate the impact of high noise levels. When the amplitude of anthropogenic noise varies over time, such as near a moderate-use highway, short gaps between noise events may also provide an important oppor- tunity for communication. But, whether songbirds adjust vocalization rates rapidly to avoid overlap with noise is unknown for most species. We used acoustic playback to expose song- birds to simulated road noise during the dawn chorus in oth- erwise quiet habitats. We measured vocalization rates under ambient conditions and during quiet gaps embedded within playback of road noise to assess whether a community of songbirds, and nineteen individual species, vocalize more reg- ularly during noise gaps. There were no significant differences in community-wide acoustic output. Species-specific analysis revealed that only four species altered their vocal rates during quiet gaps in noise, but that the direction of the effect varied by species. Point count results revealed that birds generally remained on site for the duration of the experiment, suggesting that abandonment of noisy locations was unlikely to confound our results. In sum, increasing vocal output during short gaps in noise occurred in only a handful of species, perhaps con- tributing to the limited number of species that are found within noisy habitats.
Taming the instruction bandwidth of quantum computers via hardware-managed error correction

A quantum computer consists of quantum bits (qubits) and a control processor that acts as an interface between the programmer and the qubits. As qubits are very sensitive to noise, they rely on continuous error correction to maintain the correct state. Current proposals rely on software-managed error correction and require large instruction bandwidth, which must scale in proportion to the number of qubits. While such a design may be reasonable for small-scale quantum computers, we show that instruction bandwidth tends to become a critical bottleneck for scaling quantum computers. In this paper, we show that 99.999% of the instructions in the instruction stream of a typical quantum workload stem from error correction. Using this observation, we propose QuEST (Quantum Error-Correction Substrate), an architecture that delegates the task of quantum error correction to the hardware. QuEST uses a dedicated programmable micro-coded engine to continuously replay the instruction stream associated with error correction. The instruction bandwidth requirement of QuEST scales in proportion to the number of active qubits (typically < < 0.1%) rather than the total number of qubits. We analyze the effectiveness of QuEST with area and thermal constraints and propose a scalable microarchitecture using typical Quantum Error Correction Code (QECC) execution patterns. Our evaluations show that QuEST reduces instruction bandwidth demand of several key workloads by ftve orders of magnitude while ensuring deterministic instruction delivery. Apart from error correction, we also observe a large instruction bandwidth requirement for fault tolerant quantum instructions (magic state distillation). We extend QuEST to manage these instructions in hardware and provide additional reduction in bandwidth. With QuEST, we reduce the total instruction bandwidth by eight orders of magnitude. CCS CONCEPTS • Computer systems organization → Quantum computing;
Individual and Cumulative Risks for Child Abuse and Neglect

Objective The present study investigated whether risk factors vary by subtypes of child maltreatment investigations, with particular attention to the role of cumulative risks affecting child maltreatment. Background Building and expanding on prior work finding that the accumulation of risk factors puts children at risk for maltreatment, this work examines child physical abuse and neglect investigations separately. Method A sample of 1,181 low-income families was randomly selected from one state's public assistance caseload. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model risk factors associated with 3 subtypes of investigated child maltreatment reports. Results Risk factors for each type of child maltreatment were different. As the number of risk factors families experienced increased, the likelihood of child maltreatment increased across all subtypes of maltreatment. Specifically, families with 5 or more risk factors were at greater risk of maltreatment than families with 2 or fewer risk factors. Conclusion The threshold effect of cumulative risks demonstrates that families may be able to tolerate a moderate number of risk factors; however, beyond a certain number of risks, families may not be able to cope adequately with the stress, and the likelihood of maltreating their children dramatically increases. Implications To alleviate child maltreatment, prevention programs need to address diverse risks simultaneously, rather than focus on a particular risk factor.
Spontaneous hematoma of the thigh associated with antiproteinase-3 antibody in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab.

We report an unusual case of spontaneous intramuscular hematoma associated with antiproteinase 3 antibody in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma receiving nivolumab and the medical li...
Optimal Placement of Wind Power Plants for Delivery Loss Minimization

In this chapter we investigate how to minimize power delivery losses in the distribution system on Flores. We show that strategically placing and utilizing new wind power plants can lead to significant loss reduction, which results in considerable dollar savings and CO2 emissions reduction for the island.
Odor sensitivity impairment: A behavioral marker of psychological distress?

Objective Enhanced odor sensitivity, particularly toward threat-related cues, may be adaptive during periods of danger. Research also suggests that chronic psychological distress may lead to functional changes in the olfactory system that cause heightened sensitivity to odors. Yet, the association between self-reported odor sensitivity, objective odor detection, and affective psychopathology is currently unclear, and research suggests that persons with affective problems may only be sensitive to specific, threat-related odors. Methods The current study compared adults with self-reported odor sensitivity that was described as functionally impairing (OSI; n = 32) to those who reported odor sensitivity that was non-impairing (OS; n = 17) on affective variables as well as quantitative odor detection. Results Increased anxiety sensitivity, trait anxiety, depression, and life stress, even while controlling for comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders, was found for OSI compared to OS. While OSI, compared to OS, demonstrated only a trend increase in objective odor detection of a smoke-like, but not rose-like, odor, further analysis revealed that increased detection of that smoke-like odor was positively correlated with anxiety sensitivity. Conclusion These findings suggest that persons with various forms of psychological distress may find themselves significantly impaired by an intolerance of odors, but that self-reported odor sensitivity does not necessarily relate to enhanced odor detection ability. However, increased sensitivity to a smoke-like odor appears to be associated with sensitivity to aversive anxiogenic stimuli. Implications for the pathophysiology of fear- and anxiety-related disorders are discussed.
Morphological presentation of posttraumatic vasospasm.

Posttraumatic vasospasm is a well-recognized sequela of head injury. The risk factors associated with posttraumatic vasospasm have not been well defined. We studied 119 consecutive patients with head injury to determine the risk factors for posttraumatic vasospasm.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Household Loan Delinquency Rate

This study investigates the differences in household loan delinquency rates of racial/ethnic groups. The study examines the role of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of households, financial buffers, economic and financial triggers, high debt service ratio, and credit constraint in household delinquency. The study uses combined data from 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010 Surveys of Consumer Finances (SCF). Having combined data allowed the separation of African Americans from Hispanics in this study. We employed both logistic regression and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis. The use of combined data from four survey years ensures the robustness of statistical results and analysis. The findings show that events that constitute shocks or triggers to households have a more significant impact on delinquency rate. The study found that payday loan borrowers are 4.6 times more likely to be delinquent on their loans than non-payday loan borrowers between 2007 and 2010. Also, the study finds significant statistical difference of delinquency rates among the racial/ethnic groups. Our results show that high debt service ratio (DSR) and being credit constrained have significant impact on the delinquency rates for all races. The results obtained showed that 59.96 % of the difference in delinquency between Whites and African Americans is explained by endowments, while 40.04 % is unexplained. Similarly, 97.35 % of the difference in delinquency between Hispanics and whites is explained by endowments, while 2.65 % of the difference is unexplained or is attributable to discrimination.
Circulating Tumor Cell-Based Molecular Classifier for Predicting Resistance to Abiraterone and Enzalutamide in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Abstract While circulating tumor cell (CTC)–based detection of AR-V7 has been demonstrated to predict patient response to second-generation androgen receptor therapies, the rarity of AR-V7 expression in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) suggests that other drivers of resistance exist. We sought to use a multiplex gene expression platform to interrogate CTCs and identify potential markers of resistance to abiraterone and enzalutamide. 37 patients with mCRPC initiating treatment with enzalutamide (n = 16) or abiraterone (n = 21) were prospectively enrolled for CTC collection and gene expression analysis using a panel of 89 prostate cancer–related genes. Gene expression from CTCs was correlated with PSA response and radioclinical progression-free survival (PFS) using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Twenty patients (54%) had detectable CTCs. At a median follow-up of 11.3 months, increased expression of the following genes was significantly associated with shorter PSA PFS and radioclinical PFS: AR, AR-V7, PSA, PSCA, TSPAN8, NKX3.1, and WNT5B. Additionally, high SPINK1 expression was associated with increased PFS. A predictive model including all eight genes gave an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 for PSA PFS and 0.86 for radioclinical PFS. In comparison, the AR-V7 only model resulted in AUC values of 0.65 and 0.64.These data demonstrate that clinically relevant information regarding gene expression can be obtained from whole blood using a CTC-based approach. Multigene classifiers in this setting may allow for the development of noninvasive predictive biomarkers to guide clinical management.
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES AND PHASE DIAGRAMS OF Li-CaF_2,NaF-CaF_2 AND KF-CaF_2

The discrete complex anion modle was introduced to the molten salt solutions of LiF-CaF2,NaF-CaF2-and KF-CaF2,based upon the assumption of existence of the CaF3 complex ions contained in the melts.A set of parameters were evaluated from experimental data about enthalpies of mixing and phase diagrams of the above three systems.The thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams of the melts were calculated by using the model.The results obtained were in good agreement with experimental data