cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Highly symmetric 3-refinement Bi-frames for surface multiresolution processing

Abstract Multiresolution techniques for (mesh-based) surface processing have been developed and successfully used in surface progressive transmission, compression and other applications. A triangular mesh allows 3 , dyadic and 7 refinements. The 3 -refinement is the most appealing one for multiresolution data processing since it has the slowest progression through scale and provides more resolution levels within a limited capacity. The 3 refinement has been used for surface subdivision and for discrete global grid systems. Recently lifting scheme-based biorthogonal bivariate wavelets with high symmetry have been constructed for surface multiresolution processing. If biorthogonal wavelets (with either dyadic or 3 refinement) have certain smoothness, they will have big supports. In other words, the corresponding multiscale algorithms have large templates; and this is undesirable for surface processing. On the other hand, frames provide a flexibility for the construction of system generators (called framelets) with high symmetry and smaller supports. In this paper we study highly symmetric 3 -refinement wavelet bi-frames for surface processing. We design the frame algorithms based on the vanishing moments and smoothness of the framelets. The frame algorithms obtained in this paper are given by templates so that one can easily implement them. We also present interpolatory 3 subdivision-based frame algorithms. In addition, we provide frame ternary multiresolution algorithms for boundary vertices on an open surface.
Quantum Monte Carlo Calculations of Light Nuclei

Accurate quantum Monte Carlo calculations of ground and low-lying excited states of light p-shell nuclei have been made for realistic nuclear forces. These include two-nucleon potentials that reproduce nucleon-nucleon scattering data and meson-exchange three-nucleon potentials constrained to reproduce the binding energies of s-shell nuclei. At present, results for more than 40 different (J ϖ ; T) states in A < 10 nuclei, plus isobaric analogs, have been obtained, with an excellent reproduction of the experimental energy spectrum. These microscopic calculations show that nuclear structure, including both single-particle and clustering aspects, can be explained starting from elementary two- and three-nucleon interactions.
Worst Election Ever in Russia

Election forensics analysis shows extensive signs of extensive frauds in the Russian 2016 Duma election. The frequency and magnitude frauds are worse than in any Russian national election since 2000.
Polyetherimide Epoxy-Based Prepreg Systems with Variable Temperature Cure Capability

Publisher Summary The brittle nature of highly crosslinked epoxy resins has limited their use in many areas. To overcome this drawback, thermally stable thermoplastics have been blended with epoxy resins in an attempt to increase their fracture toughness. One such engineering thermoplastic is polyetherimide (PEI). In this investigation, solvent-free, PEI modified epoxy-based resins capable of variable temperature cure are developed and hot-melt impregnated into woven carbon fabric. The prepreg tack, porosity in vacuum cured parts, and interlaminar fracture toughness of prepreg-based laminates are investigated as a function of PEI content in the base epoxy matrix. In this chapter, solvent free PEI epoxy blend hot-melt prepreg systems are developed that are capable of being cured with both 121°C and 177°C cure cycles while achieving similar final properties. For a prepreg system to be considered variable temperature cure, a final conversion resulting in less than 10% difference is necessary when cured at either cure cycle. Therefore, a high conversion at low temperature cure is required. It is found that relatively “dry” prepreg resin systems resulted in the lowest void content in vacuum cured parts. It is found that the PEI contained in the model resin completely phase separated when cured and formed a discontinuous phase. Through this investigation the resin, prepreg, and laminate characteristics are identified that provide the basis of variable temperature cure prepreg system necessary for high-performance applications and repair purposes.
An Automated Multiparametric MRI Quantitative Imaging Prostate Habitat Risk Scoring System for Defining External Beam Radiation Therapy Boost Volumes.

Purpose To develop a prostate tumor habitat risk scoring (HRS) system based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) referenced to prostatectomy Gleason score (GS) for automatic delineation of gross tumor volumes. A workflow for integration of HRS into radiation therapy boost volume dose escalation was developed in the framework of a phase 2 randomized clinical trial (BLaStM). Methods and Materials An automated quantitative mpMRI–based 10-point pixel-by-pixel method was optimized to prostatectomy GSs and volumes using referenced dynamic contrast–enhanced and apparent diffusion coefficient sequences. The HRS contours were migrated to the planning computed tomography scan for boost volume generation. Results There were 51 regions of interest in 12 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (26 with GS ≥7 and 25 with GS 6). The resultant heat maps showed inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity. The HRS6 level was significantly associated with radical prostatectomy regions of interest (slope 1.09, r = 0.767; P Conclusions An automated quantitative mpMRI-based method was developed to objectively guide dose escalation to high-risk habitat volumes based on prostatectomy GS.
Conversion of atmospheric variations into electric power – Design and analysis of an electric power generator system

Abstract Given its abundant availability, ambient thermal energy harvesting has the potential to power standalone microelectronic systems. The challenge in efficiently harvesting temperature and pressure variations is the low thermal to electric conversion ability of current harvesters. Most thermal harvesters require high temperature gradients. This paper presents the design, analysis, and implementation of an energy harvesting system that effectively harnesses naturally occurring temperature variations using ethyl chloride filled mechanical bellows. A mechanical drivetrain scales the bellows displacement and a coil spring stores the potential energy. This energy is periodically released and converted into useable electric power by a DC generator. A series of mathematical models are developed and accompanying numerical analyses completed on the harvester system. For a low frequency sinusoidal temperature cycle of ±1 °C about 22 °C, 9.6 mW of electrical power was produced using a 1.5 V micro DC generator for a 24 h harvesting period. The power generation capacity of the proposed harvester is sufficient to indefinitely operate low power sensors and microelectronics in environments with small temperature gradients.
Of Teams and Ties: Examining the Relationship Between Formal and Informal Instructional Support Networks:

Purpose: This study examined an urban district’s capacity to diffuse instructional innovations. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine the relationship between “informal” teacher support...
Social Security: Retirement, Medicare, and Survivor Benefits

Until 1935, workers’ compensation was the only major social insurance program in the United States. Individual states had public assistance programs that provided income for some older persons, widowed mothers, and the blind, but the eligibility requirements were severe. The demand for federal assistance in these areas increased during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Work relief programs were established beginning in 1933, most notably the Civilian Conservation Corps (young men on conservation projects), and the Works Progress Administration. In 1935, the Social Security Act was passed which established: 1) the federal/state system of unemployment insurance benefits discussed in the last chapter, 2) need-based income assistance for families with dependent children, the aged and the blind, 3) federal grants for child and maternal health and child welfare services, and 4) oldage insurance. In 1939, survivor’s benefits were added, disability insurance benefits (discussed in chapter 10) were added in 1956, and hospital insurance (Plan A of Medicare) and supplementary medical insurance (Plan B of Medicare) were added in 1965.
Supporting pair programming with JavaGrinder

JavaGrinder is a web-based platform designed to support teaching Java in introductory Computer Science classes. JavaGrinder emphasizes small bite-sized problems that can range in complexity from a few lines to the construction of multiple classes. Since the entire environment is set online in a Web 2.0 styled interface, students do not have to install or setup any special software, which greatly reduces the associated learning curve. Stripped of the development tools and onerous minutia, students can concentrate on core concepts and problem solving skills therefore focusing learning on the important aspects of Computer Science. In this paper, we describe JavaGrinder's utilization of pair programming, a technique that pairs programmers together in complementary roles to improve each student's learning and understanding. JavaGrinder further enables students using pair programming by managing and organizing their application of this technique. JavaGrinder can also help identify when pair programming fails and inform instructors when there are poor pairings or when inequities exist in the programming roles. The development of this system aims to increase the retention of students in Computer Science I while enabling a greater understanding of basic Computer Science concepts.
Heat as a Ground-Water Tracer at the Russian River RBF Facility, Sonoma County, California

Temperature is routinely collected as a water quality parameter, but only recently utilized as an environmental tracer of stream exchanges with ground water (Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003). In this paper, water levels and seasonal temperatures were used to estimate streambed hydraulic conductivities and water fluxes. Temperatures and water levels were analyzed from 3 observation wells near the Russian River RBF facility, north of Forestville, Sonoma County, CA. In addition, 9 shallow piezometers were installed in 3 cross-sections across the stream near a pair of collector wells at the RBF facility. Hydraulic conductivities and fluxes were estimated by matching simulated ground-water temperatures to the observed ground-water temperatures with an inverse modeling approach. Using temperature measurements in the shallow piezometers from 0.1 to 1.0 m below the channel, estimates of infiltration indicated a distinct area of streambed clogging near one of the RBF collector wells. For the deeper observation wells, temperature probes were located at depths between 3.5 m to 7.1 m below the channel. Estimated conductivities varied over an order of magnitude, with anisotropies of 5 (horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity) generally providing the best fit to observed temperatures.
Climate of the weakly-forced yet high-impact convective storms throughout the Ohio River Valley and Mid-Atlantic United States

The 1-in-1000-year precipitation event in late June 2016 over West Virginia caused tremendous flooding damage. Like the 2012 mid-Atlantic derecho that blacked out much of the DC area, similar events can be traced to small, mid-tropospheric perturbations (MPs) embedded in the large-scale ridge pattern. Under this “weakly-forced” pattern, severe weather outbreaks commonly occur alongside eastward propagating MPs acting as a triggering mechanism for progressive mesoscale convective systems, which move across the central and eastern US. Forecasting of such weakly-forced yet severe weather events is difficult in both weather and climate timescales. The present diagnostic analysis of the MP climatology is the first step toward developing metrics that can identify and evaluate weakly-forced severe weather outbreaks in multi-model projections. We report a discernable, potentially pronounced subseasonal change in the MP climatology associated with the changing climate of North America. Both sea surface temperatures within the Gulf of Mexico and mid-level high pressure over the central US were found to exhibit strong correlations with MPs. Analysis of regional climate downscaling indicates a projected increase in MP frequency and the associated convective precipitation through the mid twenty-first century.
Multi-view Outlier Detection

Identifying different types of multi-view data outliers with abnormal behaviors is an interesting yet challenging unsupervised learning task, due to the complicated data distributions across different views. Conventional approaches achieve this by learning a new latent feature representation with the pairwise constraint on different view data. We argue that the existing methods are expensive in generalizing their models from two-view data to three-view (or more) data, in terms of the number of introduced variables and detection performance. In this chapter, we propose a novel multi-view outlier detection method with a consensus regularization on the latent representations.
What Do Descriptive Statistics Tell Us

Prior to analyzing any data set, it is important to first understand the data. Descriptive statistics presents data in a meaningful way for the purpose of understanding what if anything will need to be done to the data to prepare it for analysis. There are many statistical tests that can be utilized. This chapter focuses on a review of descriptive statistical analysis that is used to prepare and support predictive analytics. It reviews methods to ensure that the data is prepared for analysis as well as methods for combing or reducing variables to improve the results of predictive analytics.
Hospital design features related to patient experience

Noise can be problematic in hospitals due to concerns over impacts on patients and staff members. Noise in particular is problematic and consistently rated low on patient experience surveys nationwide. Furthermore, previous studies have linked hospital noise to negative reactions for patients including reduced sleep and increased incidence of re-hospitalization. These safety risks—coupled with reduced Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program reimbursements due to low patient experience ratings—result in strong incentives for healthcare providers to provide quieter, safer environments. In this talk, we will explore what is known about hospital design features and patient experience, including a particular focus on noise. Results from ongoing and previous studies reveal new insights into how various features of the built environment are related to patient experience and therefore should be considered in the design and renovation of healthcare facilities.
Identification and transcriptional regulation of the mir-218-1 alternative promoter

Background: miRNAs are small, endogenous non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length that account for approximately 1% of the genome and play key regulatory roles in multiple signaling pathways. mir-218-1 is an intronic miRNA located within intron 15 of the SLIT2 gene. Public datasets showed enrichment of H3K4me3 within intron 4 of the SLIT2 gene. Therefore, we sought to determine the genomic location and transcriptional regulatory elements of the mir-218-1 candidate alternative promoter in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Expression of mir-218 was evaluated in a panel of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines. The mir-218-1 candidate alternative promoter was characterized by chromatin immunoprecipitation, Sequenom, and luciferase assays. Transcriptional regulation of the mir-218-1 candidate alternative promoter was assessed using chromatin immunoprecipitation and an inhibitor to NF-kB. Results: We found that expression of mir-218-1 does not correlate with SLIT2 expression and that mir-218-1 has a novel transcriptional start site separate from the SLIT2 promoter. This novel transcriptional start site showed transcriptional activity and was regulated by NF-kB. Conclusions: mir-218-1 is transcribed from an independent and novel transcriptional start site located within intron 4 of the SLIT2 gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Additionally, mir-218-1 expression is regulated by Nf-kB at this alternative transcriptional start site in pancreatic cancer.
A mapping-based universal Kriging model for order-of-addition experiments in drug combination studies

Abstract In modern pharmaceutical studies, treatments may include several drugs added sequentially, and the drugs’ order-of-addition can have significant impacts on their efficacy. In practice, experiments enumerating all possible drug sequences are often not affordable, and appropriate statistical models which can accurately predict all cases using only a small number of experimental trials are required. A novel mapping-based universal Kriging (MUK) model and its simplified variant are proposed for analyzing such order-of-addition experiments with blocking. They can provide accurate predictions and have robust performances under various experimental designs. The MUK model can also incorporate available domain knowledge to enhance its interpretation. The superiority of the proposed methods is illustrated via a real five-drug experiment on lymphoma and two simulation examples.
Trypanosoma brucei PolIE suppresses telomere recombination

Telomeres are essential for genome integrity and stability. In T. brucei that causes human African trypanosomiasis, the telomere structure and telomere proteins also influence the virulence of the parasite, as its major surface antigen involved in the host immune evasion is expressed exclusively from loci immediately upstream of the telomere repeats. However, telomere maintenance mechanisms are still unclear except that telomerase-mediated telomere synthesis is a major player. We now identify PolIE as an intrinsic telomere complex component. We find that depletion of PolIE leads to an increased amount of telomere/subtelomere DNA damage, an elevated rate of antigenic variation, and an increased amount of telomere T-circles and C-circles, indicating that PolIE suppresses telomere recombination and helps maintain telomere integrity. In addition, we observe much longer telomere G-rich 3 prime overhangs in PolIE-depleted cells, which is not dependent on telomerase. Furthermore, the level of telomere DNA synthesis is slightly increased in PolIE-depleted cells, which is dependent on telomerase. Therefore, we identify PolIE as a major player for telomere maintenance in T. brucei.
Complete Genome Sequences of Two Gammaproteobacterial Methanotrophs Isolated from a Mercury-Contaminated Stream.

ABSTRACT The genomes of Methylomonas sp. strain EFPC1 and Methylococcus sp. strain EFPC2, isolated from a mercury-contaminated stream in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, were sequenced.
Variables influencing ESL teacher candidates’ language ideologies

This is a mixed-method research study of the language ideologies of 180 teacher candidates enrolled in the English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) teacher preparation program at a large public universit...
“The Bee Lecture: How Amerindian Perspectivism Psychoanalyzed the Western Symbolic Order And its Historicity And Set A Precedent for a New Kind of Politics.”

“The Bee Lecture” is an essay/performance that attempts to make a consistent representation or sketch of Viveiros de Castro’s anthropological description of Amerindian cosmology, which he calls perspectivism, through the persona of ‘the Bee.’ Perspectivism serves as a jumping board for an exploration of performance and some of the implications that perspectivism has for our historical moment of crisis vis-a-vis climate change, mass extinction, and the violent appropriation of nature in the capitalocene (Jason Moore). Walter Benjamin’s critique of modern historicity and Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic concept of the Real allow for a theoretical staging of the non-human gaze as a performative challenge to the Western symbolic order. I pinpoint an equivalence, between perspectivist equivocation and the experience of transference in psychoanalysis, to argue for the need and possibility of a cure from the Western denial of nature’s gaze. I begin by locating in the language driven culture/nature duality the sign of a repression. Following Benjamin, I suggest that the avoidance of nature’s gaze is tantamount to a delusional game, called progress and/or historicity, that is disconnected from species life and a redemptive History. The theoretical conflation of the non-human, the Real, and History allows me to compare Western and Amerindian metaphysics and contrast their approach to the (Lacanian) Real. I conclude that a perspectivist metaphysics of becoming with the Other as one approaches the Real, is a political alternative that can end the impasse of the Western political and historicist transcendence of nature.
Interactome analysis illustrates diverse gene regulatory processes associated with LIN28A in human iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells

A single protein can be multifaceted depending on the cellular contexts and interacting molecules. LIN28A is an RNA-binding protein that governs developmental timing, cellular proliferation, differentiation, stem cell pluripotency, and metabolism. In addition to its best-known roles in microRNA biogenesis, diverse molecular roles have been recognized. In the nervous system, LIN28A is known to play critical roles in proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). We profiled the endogenous LIN28A-interacting proteins in NPCs differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells using immunoprecipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We identified over 500 LIN28A-interacting proteins, including 156 RNA-independent interactors. Functions of these proteins span a wide range of gene regulatory processes. Prompted by the interactome data, we revealed that LIN28A may impact the subcellular distribution of its interactors and stress granule formation upon oxidative stress. Overall, our analysis opens multiple avenues for elaborating molecular roles and characteristics of LIN28A.
Emotion Regulatory Brain Function and SSRI Treatment in PTSD: Neural Correlates and Predictors of Change

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-a chronic, debilitating condition, broadly characterized by emotion dysregulation-is prevalent among US military personnel who have returned from Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a first-line treatment for PTSD, but treatment mechanisms are unknown and patient response varies. SSRIs may exert their effects by remediating emotion regulatory brain activity and individual differences in patient response might be explained, in part, by pre-treatment differences in neural systems supporting the downregulation of negative affect. Thirty-four OEF/OIF veterans, 17 with PTSD and 17 without PTSD underwent 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans 12 weeks apart. At each scan, they performed an emotion regulation task; in the interim, veterans with PTSD were treated with the SSRI, paroxetine. SSRI treatment increased activation in both the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and supplementary motor area (SMA) during emotion regulation, although only change in the SMA over time occurred in veterans with PTSD and not those without PTSD. Less activation of the right ventrolateral PFC/inferior frontal gyrus during pre-treatment emotion regulation was associated with greater reduction in PTSD symptoms with SSRI treatment, irrespective of pre-treatment severity. Patients with the least recruitment of prefrontal emotion regulatory brain regions may benefit most from treatment with SSRIs, which appear to augment activity in these regions.
A generalization of a result of Kazhdan and Lusztig

Kazhdan and Lusztig showed that every topologically nilpotent, regular semisimple orbit in the Lie algebra of a simple, split group over the field C((t)) is, in some sense, close to a regular nilpotent orbit. We generalize this result to a setting that includes most quasisplit p-adic groups.
Hypoparathyroidism in pregnancy, treated with dihydrotachysterol

Abstract A case is reported of chronic parathyroidism following a subtotal thyroidectomy, in which the blood calcium was maintained at normal levels by the use of anti-tetanic 10 (dihydrotachysterol) along with calcium and viosterol. The patient subsequently became pregnant. The pregnancy, delivery, and puerperium were uneventful. To our knowledge, this is the only pregnancy in which anti-tetanic 10 has been used.
Robotic Deburring of parts with Unknown Geometry

The work presented here is an approach in robotic deburring of two dimensional parts with unknown geometry. Two problems have been addressed in this paper: tracking the the part contour, and control of the metal removal process. The tracking mechanism is a roller bearing mounted on a force sensor at the robot endpoint. The tracking control employs the force measured by this force sensor to find the normal to the part surface, while the deburring algorithm uses another set of contact forces (cutting forces generated by the cutter) to develop a stable metal removal. A set of experimental results is given to verify the effectiveness of the approach.
Efficient privacy-preserving protocols for multi-unit auctions

The purpose of multi-unit auctions is to allocate identical units of a single type of good to multiple agents. Besides well-known applications like the selling of treasury bills, electrical power, or spectrum licenses, multi-unit auctions are also well-suited for allocating CPU time slots or network bandwidth in computational multiagent systems. A crucial problem in sealed-bid auctions is the lack of trust bidders might have in the auctioneer. For one, bidders might doubt the correctness of the auction outcome. Secondly, they are reluctant to reveal their private valuations to the auctioneer since these valuations are often based on sensitive information. We propose privacy-preserving protocols that allow bidders to jointly compute the auction outcome without the help of third parties. All three common types of multi-unit auctions (uniform-price, discriminatory, and generalized Vickrey auctions) are considered for the case of marginal decreasing valuation functions. Our protocols are based on distributed homomorphic encryption and can be executed in a small constant number of rounds in the random oracle model. Security merely relies on computational intractability (the decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption). In particular, no subset of (computationally bounded) colluding participants is capable of uncovering private information.
Morphology and variation in porpoise (Cetacea: Phocoenidae) cranial endocasts

Evolution of endocranial anatomy in cetaceans is important from the perspective of echolocation ability, intelligence, social structure, and alternate pathways for circulation to the brain. Apart from the importance of studying brain shape and asymmetries as they relate to aspects of behavior and intelligence, cranial endocasts can show a close correspondence to the hydrostatic shape of the brain in life, and canals and grooves can preserve features of the circulatory system. Multiple samples are rarely available for studies of individual variation, especially in fossils, thus a first step in quantifying variation and making comparisons with fossils is made possible with CT scans of osteological specimens. This study presents a series of high-resolution X-ray CT-derived cranial endocasts of six extant species of Phocoenidae, a clade including some of the smallest and one of the rarest cetaceans. Degree of gyrification varies interspecifically and intraspecifically, possibly resulting from variation in preservation of the ossified meninges. Computed tomographic data show that visually assessed asymmetry in the cranial endocasts is not correlated with volumetric measurements, but nonetheless may reflect torsion in the skull's shape such that the right cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres extend rostrally and laterally more than the left. Vasculature and canals are similar to other described cetacean species, but the hypophyseal casts are unusual. Similarities between brain shape and volume measurements in the different species can be attributed to paedomorphism and concomitant variation in ecological preferences. This may explain similarities Neophocaena phocaenoides and Phocoena sinus share with the juvenile Phocoena phocoena specimen studied.
Neuroimaging of anoxic injury: Implications for neurorehabilitation

Anoxic brain injury is common and occurs in a wide variety of disorders. The anoxic injury has characteristic pathologies in particular affecting the medial temporal lobe, basal ganglia and deep white matter. The neural injury is associated with significant and persistent cognitive impairments and poor functional outcomes, related in part to the severity of anoxia and assumed to relate to the degree of structural damage evidenced on neuroimaging during the chronic stage. To date neuroimaging following ABI has been used diagnostically with less research focused on guiding or predicting rehabilitation outcome. Because of the distribution of these lesions/abnormalities the degree of damage has practical implications for rehabilitation outcome. Research is needed to understand cognitive and functional outcomes following ABI as well as whether specific rehabilitation techniques or strategies will result in better outcomes.
Dumbbell-like Bifunctional Au−Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Dumbbell-like Au−Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized using decomposition of Fe(CO)5 on the surface of the Au nanoparticles followed by oxidation in 1-octadecene solvent. The size of the particles is tuned from 2 to 8 nm for Au and 4 nm to 20 nm for Fe3O4. The particles show the characteristic surface plasmon absorption of Au and the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 that are affected by the interactions between Au and Fe3O4. The dumbbell is formed through epitaxial growth of iron oxide on the Au seeds, and the growth can be affected by the polarity of the solvent, as the use of diphenyl ether results in flower-like Au−Fe3O4 nanoparticles.
Adjacent segment degeneration and disease following cervical arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Context Cervical arthroplasty is an increasingly popular alternative for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy. This technique preserves motion at the index and adjacent disc levels, avoiding the restraints of fusion and potentially minimizing adjacent segment pathology onset during the postoperative period. Purpose This study aimed to identify all prospective studies reporting adjacent segment pathology rates for cervical arthroplasty. Study Design/Setting Systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out. Patient Sample Studies reporting adjacent segment degeneration (ASDegeneration) and adjacent segment disease (ASDisease) rates in patients who underwent cervical arthroplasty comprised the patient sample. Outcome Measures Outcomes of interest included reported ASDegeneration and ASDisease events after cervical arthroplasty. Methods We conducted a MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science search for studies reporting ASDegeneration or ASDisease following cervical arthroplasty. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate effect summary values, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), Q values, and I 2 values. Forest plots were constructed for each analysis group. Results Of the 1,891 retrieved articles, 32 met inclusion criteria. The patient incidence of ASDegeneration and ASDisease was 8.3% (95% CI 3.8%–12.7%) and 0.9% (95% CI 0.1%–1.7%), respectively. The rate of ASDegeneration and ASDisease at individual levels was 10.5% (95% CI 6.1%–14.9%) and 0.2% (95% CI −0.1% to 0.5%), respectively. Studies following patients for 12–24 months reported a 5.1% (95% CI 2.1%–8.1%) incidence of ASDegeneration and 0.2% (95% CI 0.1%–0.2%) incidence of ASDisease. Conversely, studies following patients for greater than 24 months reported a 16.6% (5.8%–27.4%) incidence of ASDegeneration and 2.6% (95% CI 1.0%–4.2%) of ASDisease. This identified a statistically significant increase in ASDisease diagnosis with lengthier follow-up. Additionally, 1- and 2-level procedures resulted in a 7.4% (95% CI 3.3%–11.4%) and15.6% (95 CI−9.2% to 40.4%) incidence of ASDegeneration, respectively. Although there was an 8.2% increase in ASDegeneration following 2-level operations (relative to 1-level), it did not reach statistical significance. We were unable to analyze ASDisease incidence following 2-level arthroplasty (too few cases), but 1-level operations resulted in an ASDisease incidence of 0.8% (95% CI 0.1%–1.5%). Conclusions This review represents a comprehensive estimation of the actual incidence of ASDegeneration and ASDisease across a heterogeneous group of surgeons, patients, and arthroplasty techniques. Our investigation should serve as a framework for individual surgeons to understand the impact of various cervical arthroplasty techniques, follow-up duration, and surgical levels on the incidence of ASDegeneration and ASDisease during the postoperative period.
Rethinking the Response to Emerging Microbes: Vaccines and Therapeutics in the Ebola Era—a Conference at Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School convened a meeting of biomedical and clinical experts on 5 March 2015 on the topic of “Rethinking the Response to Emerging Microbes: Vaccines and Therapeutics in the Ebola Era,” with the goals of discussing the lessons from the recent Ebola outbreak and using those lessons as a case study to aid preparations for future emerging infections. The speakers and audience discussed the special challenges in combatting an infectious agent that causes sporadic outbreaks in resource-poor countries. The meeting led to a call for improved basic medical care for all and continued support of basic discovery research to provide the foundation for preparedness for future outbreaks in addition to the targeted emergency response to outbreaks and targeted research programs against Ebola virus and other specific emerging pathogens.
Isothermal oxidation behavior of cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coat: Homogeneity and growth rate of TGO

Abstract Isothermal oxidation behavior of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coats, in comparison with equivalent TBCs with conventional bond coats was investigated. The growth rate and homogeneity of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) were quantified and characterized through rigorous statistical evaluation. The initial TGO growth follows parabolic growth kinetics in both systems, but the cryomilled coatings exhibit improved homogeneity in TGO thickness, thinner TGO layers after long-term exposure, slower TGO growth rate, and uniformity in TGO composition consisting primarily of α-Al 2 O 3 with a limited presence of other oxides such as Ni(Cr, Al) 2 O 4 spinel. Results indicate that the distinct bond coat structure derived from cryomilling, i.e., the creation of a thermally stable, uniform distribution of ultrafine Al- or Y- rich oxide dispersoids within the bond coat layer, may affect the Al outward diffusion from the bond coat to the bond coat/top coat interface, which ultimately influences the TGO growth behavior. In addition, computational simulation is applied using the commercially available Thermo-calc® software to provide further insight into the chemical composition of the TGO layers.
Circadian rhythms in blood pressure and norepinephrine in genetically hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Circadian changes in systolic blood pressure (B.P.) were determined in genetically hypertensive (GH) and normotensive rats and correlated with changes in norepinephrine (NE) levels in various brain regions, the heart and the adrenal glands. 2. 2. In the hypothalamus of GH rats a relatively low level of NE was found when the B.P. reached a peak level during the late dark phase, and a relatively high level of this catecholamine was found when the B.P. was low in the light period. 3. 3. The most significant difference between hypertensive and control rats in NE concentration in the brainstem and heart was found in the early light hours, when the B.P. was relatively low.
Sensitivity of capsule implosion symmetry due to laser beam imbalance in a scale 0.2 hot hohlraum at Omega

Results are shown from recent experiments at the Omega laser facility, using 40 Omega beams driving the hohlraum with 3 cones from each side and up to 19.5 kJ of laser energy. Beam phasing is achieved by decreasing the energy separately in each of the three cones, by 3 kJ, for a total drive energy of 16.5 kJ. This results in a more asymmetric drive, which will vary the shape of the imploded symmetry capsule core from round to oblate or prolate in a systematic and controlled manner. These results show the sensitivity of capsule implosion symmetry for implosions in high temperature (275 eV) hohlraums at Omega. Dante measurements confirmed the predicted peak drive temperatures of 275 eV. Implosion core time dependent x-ray images were obtained from framing camera data which show the expected change in symmetry due to beam imbalance and which also agree well with post processed hydro code calculations.
Breeding objectives for Targhee sheep.

Breeding objectives were developed for Targhee sheep under rangeland production conditions. Traits considered were those for which EPD were available from the US National Sheep Improvement Program and included direct and maternal effects on 120-d weaning weight (WW and MM, respectively); yearling weight (YW); yearling fleece weight, fiber diameter, and staple length; and percent lamb crop (PLC), measured as the number of lambs born per 100 ewes lambing. A bioeconomic model was used to predict the effects of a change of 1 additive SD in EPD for each trait, holding all other traits constant at their mean, on animal performance, feed requirements, feed costs, and economic returns. Resulting economic weightings were then used to derive selection indexes. Indexes were derived separately for 3 prolificacy levels (1.41, 1.55, and 1.70 lambs/ ewe lambing), 2 triplet survival levels (50 and 67%), 2 lamb pricing policies (with or without discounting of prices for heavy feeder lambs), and 3 forage cost scenarios (renting pasture, purchasing hay, or reducing flock size to accommodate increased nutrient requirements for production). Increasing PLC generally had the largest impact on profitability, although an increase in WW was equally important, with low feed costs and no discounting of prices for heavy feeder lambs. Increases in PLC were recommended at all 3 prolificacy levels, but with low triplet survival the value of increasing PLC eventually declined as the mean litter size increased to approximately 2.15 lambs/ewe lambing and above. Increasing YW (independent of WW) increased ewe maintenance costs and reduced profitability. Predicted changes in breeding values for WW and YW under index selection varied with lamb pricing policy and feed costs. With low feed costs or no discounts for heavy lambs, YW increased at a modest rate in association with increasing WW, but with high feed costs or discounting of heavy lambs, genetic trends in WW were reduced by approximately 50% to constrain increases in YW. Changes in EPD for MM or fleece traits generally had smaller effects on profitability than changes in PLC, WW, and YW. Two indexes designed to address current rangeland production conditions (low forage costs and discounting of heavy feeder lambs) or more intensive and integrated production with retained ownership and value-based marketing of lambs (higher forage costs and no discounting of heavy lambs) were anticipated to meet the needs of most Targhee producers.
Transcapillary exchange of S35-labeled 1-methionine in the human forearm.

Summary and Conclusions1) In the forearm the maximum transcapillary loss of S35-labeled 1-methionine averaged 47.6 ± 7.3%. Methionine exhibited a pattern of transcapillary net exchange which is consistent with intracellular binding. A high rate of net loss was observed for a much longer period than with thiocyanate ion and the equilibrium time was delayed considerably. Net return to the circulation was small compared to thiocyanate during the period of observation. 2) On the basis of these and other observations it is suggested that 3 distinct classes of substances have characteristic patterns of trans-capillary net exchange which may be distinguished with the present technic. These substances are (a) primarily extracellular ions, (b) primarily intracellular diffusible substances, and (c) highly diffusible molecules which are distributed throughout both compartments (body water).
Efficient wavelength conversion via four-wave mixing in sub-micron silicon rib waveguides

We report a wavelength conversion efficiency of -5.5 dB via four-wave-mixing in a low-loss 2.5 cm long sub-micron silicon-on-insulator rib waveguide. The impact of non-linear absorption and waveguide dimensions on the conversion efficiency is studied.
Dislodgement of Heliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs from cotton due to rain and wind: a predictive model

Abstract This study provides mechanisms and means for estimating Heliothis zea egg mortality to rain and wind under field conditions. Building on laboratory studies with simulated weather factors, equations are presented to describe the dislodgement of Heliothis zea eggs from cotton plants by the action of rain and wind alone and in combination. These estimates can be used as correction factors in studies of Heliothis spp. egg predation and as an aid in making management decisions for this pest.
Zinc oxide nanowires

ZnO nanowires (NWs) have attracted much interest in the past decade because of their various remarkable physical properties and potential applications in a number of emerging areas such as low-voltage and short-wavelength optoelectronics, photonics, actuators, and solar cells. As a promising compound semiconductor, ZnO has a number of advantages over other materials such as low cost and efficient excitonic emission. Tremendous effort has been made in recent years, however, high quality ZnO NWs with well controlled structure and property, especially doping with p-type conductivity, is still unavailable for device fabrication. This paper reviews some of the fundamental aspects of ZnO NW research and showcases the importance of ZnO NWs with proper properties for future applications. It includes the synthesis and patterned growth, the challenge for p-type doping, basic properties of ZnO NWs, and their potential applications. It concludes with future prospects of this exciting material.
Boll openers in cotton: effectiveness and environmental influences.

Abstract The indeterminate growth of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) often results in a boll population at various stages of maturity when the crop is harvested. Boll opening compounds can be used to facilitate harvest by accelerating the opening of green bolls. Field trials were conducted at two locations in 1996 and 1997 to test the efficacy of four commercially available boll openers that stimulate ethylene production or desiccate the plant. Two of these boll openers are new to the marketplace: Finish™, ethephon+cyclanilide (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid+1-(2,4-dichlorophenylaminocarbonyl)-cyclopropane carboxylic acid), and CottonQuick™, ethephon+AMADS (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid+1-aminomethanamide dihydrogen tetraoxosulfate). Open bolls were hand harvested at 3–7 days intervals after application of the boll openers, and environmental conditions in conjunction with these harvests were recorded. The desiccant, paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride), was found to have erratic boll opening activity. Two products that contain ethephon plus the synergists cyclanilide or AMADS were found to have equal or higher rates of boll opening than ethephon alone. The rate of boll opening of all compounds was influenced more by the accumulation of heat units than by the amount of time following the application of boll openers. Although erratic, boll opening activity from paraquat application can be significant. Moreover, the reliability of ethephon based products, which are consistent boll openers, may be enhanced by formulations that contain a synergist. Heat unit accumulation may be used to predict and model the efficacy of boll opening with these harvest aides.
Solution of shallow-water carbonates: An insignificant buffer against rising atmospheric CO2

Model predictions suggest that the saturation state of surface ocean waters with respect to carbonate minerals will decline during the twenty-first century owing to increased invasion of atmospheric CO 2 . As a result, calcareous organisms may have difficulty calcifying, leading to production of weaker skeletons and greater vulnerability to erosion. Alternatively, it has been suggested that there will be no significant impact on coral reef ecosystems because any changes in saturation state and pH will be restored by dissolution of metastable carbonate minerals. To resolve this controversy, we employ a physical-biogeochemical box model representative of the shallow-water ocean environment. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the carbonate saturation state of surface waters could significantly decrease and hamper the biogenic production of CaCO 3 during the twenty-first century. Similarly, the average saturation state of marine pore waters could decline significantly, inducing dissolution of metastable carbonate phases within the pore-water-sediment system. Such dissolution could buffer the carbon chemistry of the pore waters, but overlying surface waters of reefs and other shallow-water carbonate environments will not accumulate sufficient alkalinity to buffer pH or carbonate saturation state changes owing to invasion of atmospheric CO 2 .
Surface scattering analysis of phonon transport in the quantum limit using an elastic model

We have investigated the effect on phonon energy transport in mesoscopic systems and the reduction in the thermal conductance in the quantum limit due to phonon scattering by surface roughness, using full three-dimensional elasticity theory for an elastic beam with a rectangular cross section. At low frequencies, we find power laws for the scattering coefficients that are strongly mode dependent, and different from the ω2 dependence, deriving from Rayleigh scattering of scalar waves, that is often assumed. The scattering gives contributions to the reduction in thermal conductance with the same power laws. At higher frequencies, the scattering coefficients becomes large at the onset frequency of each mode due to the flat dispersion here. We use our results to attempt a quantitative understanding of the suppression of the thermal conductance from the universal value observed in the experiment.
From wiener filtering to recent advances on complexity-based system identification and state estimation

Wiener filters laid a foundation for optimal signal estimation under stochastic noises and have influenced development of filtering technologies in signal processing, estimation, identification, and stochastic control of partially observed systems over 50 years. Recent advances in computer and communication technologies have ushered in a new era of identification and estimation in which complexity issues play a central role. This paper summarizes recent development on system identification and state estimation under quantized observations and irregular sampling, and presents new results on decision-based identification in which optimal resource allocation is sought. Adaptive resource allocation algorithms are introduced. The algorithms are shown to converge to the optimal resource allocation by employing the ODE approach in stochastic approximation methodologies. Convergence and convergence rates are established.