cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Typical Mathematics Model and Its Parameter Option for Excitation System

This paper introduces the mathematics model and its parameter option of major excitation systems used in China-self-shunt excitation and alternating exciter excitation. Dynamic performance for the different excitation parameters in selective scope is analyzed and compared, which can get the adaptable general parameters under different excitation systems and different excitation structure, and be as reference for commissioning of excitation system.
Who is who after spinal cord injury and repair? Can the brain stem descending motor pathways take control of skilled hand motor function?

Over the last years, anatomical, electrophysiological and genetic studies have carefully dissected the pathways connecting the brain and the spinal cord. Lawrence and Kuypers (1968) described the organization of the descending motor pathways in the non-human primate spinal cord. Although there are some differences between species regarding the precise anatomical location of each spinal pathway and the selective connectivity onto spinal interneurons and motoneurons, the pattern of organization described is conserved among the mammalian spinal cord (Courtine et al., 2007). Based on their description, the major descending motor pathways are grouped depending on their anatomical origin and their terminal distribution pattern in the spinal grey matter. The motor cortex projects corticospinal axons to the spinal cord, which mostly run in the contralateral cord and innervate the mid and dorsal grey matter neurons. On the other hand, the spinal pathways originating in the brain stem are subdivided in the lateral and ventromedial systems. The ventromedial system fibers originate in the reticular formation and the vestibular complex, and terminate in the ventral and medial parts of the ventral horn grey matter. In contrast, the lateral system fibers originate in the red nucleus and preferentially terminate in the dorsal and lateral parts of the dorsal and medial grey matter (Figure 1). Together with the corticospinal fibers, the lateral brain-stem system contacts interneurons related to motorneurons of distal muscles, whereas on the other hand, the ventromedial system pathways contact interneurons related to motoneurons of proximal muscles. Functionally, the corticospinal and lateral brain stem pathways are involved in the control of distal arm and hand muscles involved in skilled forelimb movements. The ventral brainstem pathways are mostly involved in the control of the proximal musculature of the trunk and limbs involved in posture and locomotion. Behavioral and electrophysiological studies mostly performed in cats and non-human primates corroborate these anatomical findings (Lemon, 2012). Furthermore, rodents with injuries in discrete areas of the spinal cord selectively impair specific motor functions, evidencing the functional specificity of each spinal pathway and the spinal networks that they innervate (Schucht et al., 2002; Anderson et al., 2007)
Computer Simulation of Sedimentation Processes

This paper is to report a newly developed project to study the sedimentation processes in the Mississippi Sound, in which the quantity of sediment movement is one of the world’s largest. The marine environment, water resources, pollution control, and industrial development in the region are greatly affected by these sedimentation processes. Similar phenomena have occured all over the world during the history of the earth. Tremendous efforts have been made by scientists of many different countries for many decades. A very brief survey on historical development of both analytical and experimental studies on sedimentation phenomena is to be presented first, followed by a more detailed review on computer simulation methodology. And, finally, the current state of the art as well as the finite element model developed are outlined.
Pseudoaneurysm of atrioventricular groove: A late complication of mitral valve replacement

This report describes an unusual late complication of mitral valve replacement in which a false aneurysm of the atrioventricular groove produced compression on the circumflex coronary artery and myocardial infarction. The cause of this condition is not well explained, but its potential is present whenever there is early separation of the mitral anulus from the fibrous skeleton of the heart. Early hematoma formation resulting in frank perforation and hemorrhage has been reported, but late pseudoaneurysm formation after initial mitral valve replacement appears to be a rare occurrence.
Speeding up online training of L1 Support Vector Machines

Paper proposes a novel experimental environment for solving a classic nonlinear Soft Margin L1 Support Vector Machine (SVM) problem using a Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) algorithm. Our implementation has a unique method of random sampling and alpha calculations. The developed code produces a competitive accuracy as well as very fast training of SVMs (small CPU time). The SGD model's performance is compared to the solutions of the L2 SVM obtained by software for Minimal Norm (MN-SVM) and Non-Negative Iterative Single Data Algorithm (NN-ISDA). The latter two algorithms have shown excellent performances on large datasets; which is why we chose to have our implementation of the SGD algorithm compete with them. All experiments have been done under strict double (nested) cross-validation, and the results are reported in terms of accuracy and CPU times used by the three methods.
Artifact removal for physiological signals via wavelets

In order to analyze brain activity signals, it is important to remove any artifact of the obtained data so that we can further provide diagnosis of possible symptoms. There are many different ways to do denoising of the given signals. In this paper, we test several biosignals and obtain an optimal ways to denoise the data and perform time frequency analysis of an EEG signal.
Towards recommending the right service in the right context

With the growing number of services made available, through next generation networks, it is important that end-users have easy access to the right services at the right time. This paper explores a way by which this may be achieved, namely, the recommendation of services to the end-user at an opportune time. Presented is an architecture for the recommendation of services. A possible deployment with a mobile operator and mobile is presented. Supporting artifacts for an implementation including the collection of context and delivery of recommendations are presented. The use of technologies for the semantic web for these artifacts is explored.
Version 5 A formal approach to the molecular fuzzy lock-and-key

The fuzzy lock-and-key (FLK) powers a vast array of sophisticated logic gates at inter- and intra-cellular levels. We invoke representations of groupoid tiling wreath products { analogous to the study of nonrigid molecules { or of the syntopy group and related fuzzy symmetry extensions, to build a Morse Function that can describe spontaneous symmetry breaking phase transitions driven by information catalysis. The Function can, however, also be used to construct an Onsager-like stochastic dynamics, linked to the phase transition approach by the rich stability criteria associated with stochastic dierential equations. The two methods provide complementary ways of looking at the FLK. A limit condition emerging from the stochastic dynamics gives insight into a cellular ‘generalized inammation’ requiring progressively higher commitment of metabolic free energy for maintenance of basic FLK processes. These results suggest that more systematic study may illuminate pathologies associated with the failure of the FLK, a centrally-important but enigmatic biological process.
Temporary boycotts as self-fulfilling disruptions of markets

Abstract This paper demonstrates how equilibrium involving anticipated boycotts and actual boycotts can occur, even though consumers are negligible and only care about the price they pay and the timing of purchase. The model is a two-period durable goods monopoly game with demand uncertainty. First, a “non-boycott” equilibrium is characterized. Under regularity assumptions ruling out multiplicative uncertainty, there are additional equilibria in which the firm sets a low price in period 0, based on the anticipation that consumers will boycott whenever the price exceeds a threshold. Also, the augmented game, with a publicly observed sunspot, has equilibria in which boycotts occur on the equilibrium path with positive probability.
Foundations of Qualitative Research: Interpretive and Critical Approaches, Jerry W. Willis. Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA (2007), 367 pages

Foundations of qualitative research is a book that explores the assumptions that underlie the major paradigms of qualitative research, with a special focus on interpretivist and critical approaches...
A Social Constructionist Approach to Diversity and Social Relations Among Muslim Americans

Social relations among Muslim elders in the U.S. were examined to investigate diversity within an ethnic group whose members share a common religious belief system. Data included a web-based survey (N = 264) and semi-structured interviews (N = 18). A social constructionist perspective was used recognizing that ethnicity is fluid, not static and culture was highlighted as a way of seeing as opposed to a way of being. Regression analysis was conducted using survey data to investigate diversity among Muslims elders concerning social contact and activities. Social contact was predominantly with older adults for both African American and European compared to South Asian Muslims. Concerning social activities, the U.S. born was less likely than immigrants to be satisfied with activities for elders. Grounded analysis of semi-structured data uncovered two themes: social connectedness and communication. Each theme provided in-depth understandings of how culture, as ways of seeing the world, shape social relations in diverse ways, leading to the proposition that though family may be necessary for well-being in old age, it is not sufficient. By focusing on one religious group that included both immigrants and those born in the U.S., with various ancestral origins, findings advance a systematic and critical approach to challenge essentialist assumptions in the study of ethnic aging.
Divergence of seafloor elevation and sea level rise in coral reef ecosystems

Abstract. Coral reefs serve as natural barriers that protect adjacent shorelines from coastal hazards such as storms, waves, and erosion. Projections indicate global degradation of coral reefs due to anthropogenic impacts and climate change will cause a transition to net erosion by mid-century. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the combined effect of all of the processes affecting seafloor accretion and erosion by measuring changes in seafloor elevation and volume for five coral reef ecosystems in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean over the last several decades. Regional-scale mean elevation and volume losses were observed at all five study sites and in 77 % of the 60 individual habitats that we examined across all study sites. Mean seafloor elevation losses for whole coral reef ecosystems in our study ranged from −0.09 to −0.8 m, corresponding to net volume losses ranging from 3.4 × 106 to 80.5 × 106 m3 for all study sites. Erosion of both coral-dominated substrate and non-coral substrate suggests that the current rate of carbonate production is no longer sufficient to support net accretion of coral reefs or adjacent habitats. We show that regional-scale loss of seafloor elevation and volume has accelerated the rate of relative sea level rise in these regions. Current water depths have increased to levels not predicted until near the year 2100, placing these ecosystems and nearby communities at elevated and accelerating risk to coastal hazards. Our results set a new baseline for projecting future impacts to coastal communities resulting from degradation of coral reef systems and associated losses of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Application of Structure-Based Design and Parallel Chemistry to Identify a Potent, Selective, and Brain Penetrant Phosphodiesterase 2A Inhibitor

Phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) inhibitors have been reported to demonstrate in vivo activity in preclinical models of cognition. To more fully explore the biology of PDE2A inhibition, we sought to identify potent PDE2A inhibitors with improved brain penetration as compared to current literature compounds. Applying estimated human dose calculations while simultaneously leveraging synthetically enabled chemistry and structure-based drug design has resulted in a highly potent, selective, brain penetrant compound 71 (PF-05085727) that effects in vivo biochemical changes commensurate with PDE2A inhibition along with behavioral and electrophysiological reversal of the effects of NMDA antagonists in rodents. This data supports the ability of PDE2A inhibitors to potentiate NMDA signaling and their further development for clinical cognition indications.
A new admissible heuristic for minimal-cost proofs

Finding best explanations is often formalized in AI in terms of minimal-cost proofs. Finding such proofs is naturally characterized as a best-first search of the proof-tree (actually a proof dag). Unfortunately, the only known search heuristic for this task is quite poor. In this paper we present a new heuristic, a proof that it is admissible (for certain successor functions), and some experimental results suggesting that it is a significant improvement over the currently used heuristic.
The role of nonverbal working memory in morphosyntactic processing by children with specific language impairment and autism spectrum disorders

Both children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and children with specific language impairment (SLI) have been shown to have difficulties with grammatical processing. A comparison of these two populations with neurodevelopmental disorders was undertaken to examine similarities and differences in the mechanisms that may underlie grammatical processing. Research has shown that working memory (WM) is recruited during grammatical processing. The goal of this study was to examine morphosyntactic processing on a grammatical judgment task in children who varied in clinical diagnosis and language abilities and to assess the extent to which performance is predicted by nonverbal working memory (WM). Two theoretical perspectives were evaluated relative to performance on the grammatical judgment task—the “working memory” account and the “wrap-up” account. These accounts make contrasting predictions about the detection of grammatical errors occurring early versus late in the sentence. Participants were 84 school-age children with SLI (n = 21), ASD (n = 27), and typical development (TD, n = 36). Performance was analyzed based on diagnostic group as well as language status (normal language, NL, n = 54, and language impairment, LI, n = 30). A grammatical judgment task was used in which the position of the error in the sentence (early versus late) was manipulated. A visual WM task (N-back) was administered and the ability of WM to predict morphosyntactic processing was assessed. Groups differed significantly in their sensitivity to grammatical errors (TD > SLI and NL > LI) but did not differ in nonverbal WM. Overall, children in all groups were more sensitive and quicker at detecting errors occurring late in the sentence than early in the sentence. Nonverbal WM predicted morphosyntactic processing across groups, but the specific profile of association between WM and early versus late error detection was reversed for children with and without language impairment. Findings primarily support a “wrap up” account whereby the accumulating sentence context for errors positioned late in the sentence (rather than early) appeared to facilitate morphosyntactic processing. Although none of the groups displayed deficits in visual WM, individual differences in these nonverbal WM resources predicted proficiency in morphosyntactic processing.
Isotope effects in Raman spectra of crystalline alkali-metal chlorates and bromates☆

Abstract Halogen and oxygen atom isotope effects have been observed in Raman spectra of single crystal NaClO 3 , KClO 3 , NaBrO 3 , and KBrO 3 . Orientational splitting of 35 Cl 16 O 2 18 O − and 37 Cl 16 O 2 18 O − ion vibrational modes was observed in KClO 3 . Splitting of the v 1 mode of 79 Br and 81 Br isotopes of singly substituted 17 O and 18 O bromate ions in NaBrO 3 and KBrO 3 is on the order of 1.5 cm −1 in agreement with a calculation of isotopic frequencies. However, the predicted splitting between v 1 of the major isotopes, 79 Br 16 O 3 − and 81 Br 16 O 3 − , was not observed, and the results of a band contour analysis suggest that a single k = 0 phonon is derived from the totally symmetric stretching mode of both species.
Programmable buildings: architecture as an interaction interface powered with programmable matter

Adaptive designs and intelligent spaces are in the forefront of the current architectural and product design discourse. They engage users in interactive dialogue, allow for public domain authoring, and are critical factors in sustainable designs where buildings monitor their own performance and respond to environmental factors or user needs (figure 1).
Nanogapped Au Antennas for Ultrasensitive Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy has outstanding potential in chemical detection as a complement to surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), yet it has historically lagged well behind SERS in detection sensitivity. Here we report a new ultrasensitive infrared antenna designed to bring SEIRA spectroscopy into the few-molecule detection range. Our antenna consists of a bowtie-shaped Au structure with a sub-3 nm gap, positioned to create a cavity above a reflective substrate. This three-dimensional geometry tightly confines incident mid-infrared radiation into its ultrasmall junction, yielding a hot spot with a theoretical SEIRA enhancement factor of more than 107, which can be designed to span the range of frequencies useful for SEIRA. We quantitatively evaluated the IR detection limit of this antenna design using mixed monolayers of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) and 4-methoxythiolphenol (4-MTP). The optimized antenna structure allows the detection of as few as ∼500 molecules of 4-NT...
Pinpointing IL-23-target cells in autoimmunity and inflammation using novel mouse models

Interleukin-23 is the first cytokine linked to proinflammatory Th17 cells. Although IL-23 is dispensable for the differentiation of Th17 cells in vitro, it is absolutely required for their late maturation and acquisition of pathogenicity in vivo. IL-23 signaling promotes and exacerbates autoimmunity in many disease settings. On the contrary, IL-23 protects mice from pathogen-induced infection. Key cellular mediators of IL-23 in various immune responses remain to be understood since the receptor of IL-23 (IL-23R) is expressed by multiple immune cells. To elucidate the major cellular mediators of IL-23 in both pathogenic and beneficiary immune responses, we developed IL-23R conditional knock-out and IL-23R conditional knock-in mice. These mice allow us to turn on/off IL-23R expression in desired cell types by crossing with lineage-specific Cre-recombinase mice. To understand the significance of Th17 cell-intrinsic and –extrinsic IL-23R signaling in vivo, we examined these mice in various diseases. Interestingly, we found that CD4-autonomous IL-23R signaling is necessary and sufficient for the development of EAE. In contrast, IL-23R mediated protection against Citrobacter rodentium, a mucosal pathogen, is not impaired in CD4 T cell-specific IL-23R deficient animals. Thus, our data suggests a contrasting requirement for the IL-23-Th17 axis in CNS vs. mucosal sites. These novel mice shall be valuable in studying IL-23 responses in other diseases.
Role of the Hippocampus in Classical Conditioning of Aversive and Appetitive Behaviors

In this chapter, we review several series of experiments that have investigated the relationship between hippocampal neuronal activity and classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane (NM) and jaw movement (CJM) responses. The rabbit NM and CJM preparations were developed by Gor-mezano in the 1960s (Gormezano et al, 1962; Smith et al., 1966) for analysis of the environmental determinants of behavior. The rabbit NM preparation was adapted by Thompson in the mid 1970s (Thompson et al., 1976) and the cjm preparation by Berry in the early 1980s (Berry and Oliver, 1982) for use with neurobiological techniques, and they represent examples of the increasing use of “model behavioral systems” in the study of the neural basis of learned behaviors.
Why Does North Korea Engage in Provocations

Given the increasing number and severity of North Korean provocations, this article quantitatively analyses the relationship between North Korean actions and different types of events and actions t...
The Structural Basis of Integrin—Ligand (RGD) Interaction

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a structural basis of integrin–ligand interaction. It presents schematically the domains within the integrin α and β subunits that could be involved in ligand binding and receptor activation. Most of the implicated regions lie near the amino terminus of the subunits. The regions of the α subunit implicated in ligand binding are all clustered around the four divalent cation-binding sites. In fact, a more restrictive perspective based on the available evidence would suggest that only the first three cation binding motifs are implicated in ligand contact. The regions of β subunit involved in ligand binding extend across a 150 residue region also in the amino terminus. Importantly though, this broad domain is linked to residues very near the membrane by the disulfide bond between residues 5 and 435. To completely understand how integrins bind their ligands, a three-dimensional structure is needed. It is unlikely that this will rapidly be obtained for integrins because of their size and the complications of crystalizing membrane proteins. However, it is evident that structural information can be obtained for integrin ligands.
The Role of Prostate-Specific Antigen Velocity in the Diagnosis and Management of Prostate Cancer

Interpretation of absolute PSA values can be confusing both when used for diagnosis and management. Clinicians are beginning to appreciate that PSA changes (kinetics) may provide important information beyond an absolute PSA value for assessing the risk of cancer presence, cancer significance, and risk of death from prostate cancer after curative intervention. Because PSAV correlates with the likelihood that life threatening disease is present, use of PSAV may help reduce the over diagnosis and over treatment of prostate cancer that has occurred with PSA screening. In addition, after curative intervention for prostate cancer, PSADT is a surrogate for survival and can be used to help identify those men with biochemical failure who are most likely to benefit from salvage treatments.
Deep in the Weeds: Faculty Participation in a Large Scale Deselection Project

In 2014, the Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton embarked on a project to simultaneously address an outdated collection and to provide more student oriented collaborative space...
ALPACA: Advanced Linguistic Pattern and Concept Analysis Framework for Software Engineering Corpora

Software engineering corpora often contain domain-specific topics and linguistic patterns. Popular text analysis tools are not specially designed to accommodate such topics and patterns. In this paper, we introduce ALPACA, a novel, customizable text analysis framework. The main function of ALPACA is to analyze topics and their trends in a text corpus. It allows users to define a topic with a few initial domain-specific keywords and expand it into a much larger set of similar topic words. This new set of words can be further expanded into a set of self-contained phrases to describe the topic more precisely. ALPACA extracts those phrases by matching input sentences with linguistic patterns, which are long sequences mixing both specific words and part-of-speech tags frequently appeared in the corpus. In this paper, we demonstrate using ALPACA to continue analyzing CVE security reports and detect a new topic of mobile device's vulnerability. Youtube link: https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=UTcMYb2o1pU
Ballistic performance of ceramic and ceramic-metal composite plates with JH1, JH2 and JHB material models

Abstract The ceramic and ceramic-metal composite plates upon high velocity impact by a kinetic energy rod may undergo spalling, fragmentation, interface debonding, perforation, bending, and stretching. A challenge in studying these problems is using a material model that realistically simulates the material response at high plastic strains, plastic strain rates and hydrostatic pressures. The choice of the material model and the computational framework influence predictions of deformations of the projectile-target system. Three constitutive relations generally employed to study deformations of a ceramic are due to Johnson and Holmquist, generally abbreviated as JH1, JH2 and JHB. We have implemented these in a computational algorithm using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) basis functions and a pseudo-spring technique to simulate the initiation and propagation of material failure. After ensuring that the computed results for two flyer plate impact experiments agree well with the test findings, we have studied penetration of monolithic ceramic and ceramic/aluminium targets by kinetic energy rods having blunt, hemispherical and conical nose shapes. It is shown that the present approach can successfully predict spalling, formation of conoid, fragmentation and crack branching in the ceramic, and bending/stretching of metal backing plates. Whereas results from the JH1 and the JHB material models are qualitatively similar, those using the JHB constitutive relation are closest to the test observations. This work suggests that one should use the JHB model for analyzing impact and penetration of a ceramic plate.
Unprofessional peer reviews disproportionately harm underrepresented groups in STEM.

Background Peer reviewed research is paramount to the advancement of science. Ideally, the peer review process is an unbiased, fair assessment of the scientific merit and credibility of a study; however, well-documented biases arise in all methods of peer review. Systemic biases have been shown to directly impact the outcomes of peer review, yet little is known about the downstream impacts of unprofessional reviewer comments that are shared with authors. Methods In an anonymous survey of international participants in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, we investigated the pervasiveness and author perceptions of long-term implications of receiving of unprofessional comments. Specifically, we assessed authors' perceptions of scientific aptitude, productivity, and career trajectory after receiving an unprofessional peer review. Results We show that survey respondents across four intersecting categories of gender and race/ethnicity received unprofessional peer review comments equally. However, traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM fields were most likely to perceive negative impacts on scientific aptitude, productivity, and career advancement after receiving an unprofessional peer review. Discussion Studies show that a negative perception of aptitude leads to lowered self-confidence, short-term disruptions in success and productivity and delays in career advancement. Therefore, our results indicate that unprofessional reviews likely have and will continue to perpetuate the gap in STEM fields for traditionally underrepresented groups in the sciences.
Effect of np Repulsive Core in Λ d Scattering

The $\ensuremath{\Lambda}d$ spin-$\frac{3}{2}$ elastic and total cross sections are calculated for incident $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ laboratory momentum ${p}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremath{\le}400 \frac{\mathrm{MeV}}{c}$ using a Faddeev three-body formalism. Only $^{3}S_{1} \ensuremath{\Lambda}N$ and $^{3}S_{1} \mathrm{np}$ interactions are used. The former is represented by a sum of two separable potentials, one attractive, the other a repulsive core. The $\mathrm{np}$ interaction is represented by two such potentials adjusted to both the low-energy data and the phase shift at 150 MeV in the c.m. system, or by a single separable potential adjusted to only the low-energy data. The presence of the $\mathrm{np}$ core potential changes the $S$-wave $\ensuremath{\Lambda}d$ cross sections by at most 15% (this at ${p}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}=400 \frac{\mathrm{MeV}}{c}$), while with all significant partial waves included the maximum change in the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}d$ cross sections is less than 2%.
Comparative tRNA sequencing and RNA mass spectrometry for surveying tRNA modifications.

Chemical modifications of the nucleosides that comprise transfer RNAs are diverse. However, the structure, location and extent of modifications have been systematically charted in very few organisms. Here, we describe an approach in which rapid prediction of modified sites through reverse transcription-derived signatures in high-throughput transfer RNA-sequencing (tRNA-seq) data is coupled with identification of tRNA modifications through RNA mass spectrometry. Comparative tRNA-seq enabled prediction of several Vibrio cholerae modifications that are absent from Escherichia coli and also revealed the effects of various environmental conditions on V. cholerae tRNA modification. Through RNA mass spectrometric analyses, we showed that two of the V. cholerae-specific reverse transcription signatures reflected the presence of a new modification (acetylated acp3U (acacp3U)), while the other results from C-to-Ψ RNA editing, a process not described before. These findings demonstrate the utility of this approach for rapid surveillance of tRNA modification profiles and environmental control of tRNA modification. A combination of tRNA sequencing and mass spectrometry was developed to profile tRNA modification enabling identification of a new modification acacp3U and the presence of cytosine-to-pseudouracil RNA editing in Vibrio cholerae.
Plasmonic color using titanium nitride for robust security devices

The subwavelength nature of the plasmonic resonances, observed in patterned thin metallic films, makes it an attractive choice for use in application such as security features, product branding and data storage and imaging. However, these have largely been limited by the practical issues of cost and robustness arising from the use of gold, silver or aluminum. Here we pattern TiN thin films, a well explored alternative plasmonic material, with sub wavelength apertures, arranged with hexagonal periodicity, which exhibit extraordinary transmission in the visible and near IR spectrum. These TiN structures are shown to withstand different levels of mechanical stresses, while gold doesn’t, making TiN an attractive platform for use as security features.
Efficacy of 75% alcohol in pretreatment of the Andersen sampler in trapping maximum airborne microbes

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the pretreatment methods and sampling time on the sampling of airborne bacteria in hospitals. Methods for the pretreatment of Andersen samplers, namely, non-sterilized, 75% ethanol and autoclaving sampled for 5 min, 10 min and 15 min in the general ward and class 1000 clean operating department, respectively, were studied. Statistical analysis was used to compare the differences in sampling results of airborne bacteria under different pretreatment methods, sampling time and environmental conditions. In the first test, the sampling results of the airborne bacteria obtained by pretreatment of the sampler with 75% ethanol and without pre-treatment were not very different, and the sampling results showed a certain declining trend with the extension of the sampling time. In the second test, the pretreatment effect of autoclaving was significantly better than that of 75% ethanol, and the sampling time had no effect on the sampling results. After removing the influencing factors of the environment, the results were consistent with the results of the second test. It was observed that the Andersen samplers should not be pretreated with 75% ethanol before airborne microbes sampling. The pretreatment should be carried out by autoclaving, and the sampling time has little effect on the sampling results.
Minimally-supervised classification using multiple observation sets

We discuss building complex classifiers from a single labeled example and vast number of unlabeled observation sets, each derived from observation of a single process or object. When data can be measured by observation, it is often plentiful and it is often possible to make more than one observation of the state of a process or object. We discuss how to exploit the variability across such sets of observations of the same object to estimate class labels for unlabeled examples given a minimal number of labeled examples. In contrast to similar semisupervised classification procedures that define the likelihood that two observations share a label as a function of the embedded distance between the two observations, this method uses the Naive Bayes estimate of how often the two observations did result from the same observed process. Exploiting this additional source of information in an iterative estimation procedure can generalize complex classification models from single labeled observations. Some examples involving classification of tracked objects in a low-dimensional feature space given thousands of unlabeled observation sets are used to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.
Pilot testing a tool to determine the costs and time associated with community pharmacy-based administration of injectable naltrexone.

Abstract Background Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including injectable naltrexone (IN), are part of evidence-based OUD treatments. MOUD access often is limited, especially in rural communities. When authorized to administer non-vaccination injections, pharmacists can increase IN accessibility. However, inadequate reimbursement for pharmacist-administered IN can hinder widespread adoption. Objectives To pilot test a process to obtain a preliminary estimate of the total costs and time associated with community-pharmacist administered IN. Methods A purposively-selected sample of key informants at community pharmacies administering IN were surveyed about time and cost for best practice IN activities. Respondents estimated the time to perform activities and average pharmacist/pharmacy technician hourly salary, which were used to calculate administration costs. Results The approach to estimate time and costs was feasible. Administrative costs (mean = $93, range: $48-$164) and time (mean = 123 min., range: 63–220 min.) to administer IN varied widely. Pharmacists'/pharmacy technicians’ roles varied by pharmacy. Conclusions Pharmacists allocate significant time and resources to administer IN. Insufficient reimbursement may disincentivize pharmacy-involved OUD treatment and ultimately slow needed expansion of MOUD services. Increasing IN services requires engaging pharmacies to expand their practice through educational campaigns, along with a commitment to reimburse the cost of medications and related administration activities.
Microsoft Infosec Team: Security Tools Roadmap

The Microsoft IT’s Information Security (InfoSec) group is responsible for information security risk management at Microsoft. We concentrate on the data protection of Microsoft assets, business and enterprise. Our mission is to enable secure and reliable business for Microsoft and its customers. We are an experienced group of IT professionals including architects, developers, program managers and managers.
Getting a grip on how DNA polymerases function

DNA polymerases play a central role in maintenance of genetic information, and the structures of polymerases in complex with DNA and dNTP provide valuable insights into mechanisms utilized by DNA polymerases to achieve high fidelity. Comparison of several high resolution complexes of DNA polymerases bound with relevant substrates indicates that the two major families of polymerases function by very similar mechanisms.
Response Functions and Density of States

The experimental input to the EPM is achieved through a comparison of measured and calculated spectra. Only a few pseudopotential form factors are required to determine accurate energy eigenvalues and wavefunctions. The method requires a calculation of a response function to compare with experimental data. Two major sources of measured spectra are optical reflectivity and photoemission data for the energy distribution curves (EDC) of the emitted electrons. The reflectivity spectra can be analyzed in terms of a frequency-dependent complex dielectric function, while the photoemission EDC can be compared with calculated density of states curves. The details and methods regarding the use of the measured spectra will be discussed elsewhere in this volume. Here we describe the theoretical calculations of the response functions.
Effects of Hypoglycaemia on Neurotransmitter and Hormone Receptor Gene Expression in Laser-Dissected Arcuate Neuropeptide Y/Agouti-Related Peptide Neurones

Arcuate neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related pepide (AgRP) neurones regulate energy homeostasis, and express the putative glucosensor, glucokinase (GCK). The present study performed multi-transcriptional profiling of these neurones to characterise NPY, AgRP and GCK gene expression during intermediate insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, and to determine whether these transcriptional responses acclimate to repeated insulin dosing. We also examined whether these neurones express insulin, glucocorticoid and oestrogen receptor gene transcripts, and whether the levels of these receptor mRNAs are modified by insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. Individual NPY-immunoreactive neurones were laser-microdissected from the caudal arcuate nucleus after single or serial dosing with neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin (NPH), and evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for the assessment of neurotransmitter and receptor gene expression. Mean NPY and AgRP mRNA in harvested NPY neurones was unchanged or augmented, respectively, by one NPH dose, although repeated NPH administration up-regulated NPY, whereas AgRP gene transcripts were down-regulated. NPH elicited divergent modifications in the ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA content of sampled neurones. ERalpha transcripts were amplified by both acute and chronic NPH-induced hypoglycaemia, whereas ERbeta gene expression was unaltered during a single bout, but suppressed during recurring hypoglycaemia. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA levels were increased by a single insulin dose, but unaffected by serial NPH dosing. Insulin receptor-beta chain (InsRb) gene transcripts were insensitive to acute NPH-induced hypoglycaemia, but repeated NPH inhibited this gene transcript. Neither acute nor recurring hypoglycaemia modified GCK mRNA levels in caudal hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) NPY/AgRP neurones, but baseline GCK transcription was suppressed by the latter. This evidence for the habituation of hypoglycaemic patterns of InsRb, GR and ERbeta gene transcription to serial NPH dosing implies that such treatment may alter reactivity of caudal ARH NPY/AgRP neurones to receptor ligands, and supports the need to determine whether adaptive changes in neuronal sensitivity to insulin, corticosterone and/or oestrogen cause up- versus down-regulation of NPY and AgRP neurotransmission, respectively, by this caudal ARH subpopulation during chronic hypoglycaemia.
Sea ice production and export from coastal polynyas in the Weddell and Ross Seas

[1] For 1992–2008, we use data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) to examine differences in ice production and export in the Weddell and Ross Seas. We find that the Ross production is three times that in the Weddell; the Ross export, twice that in the Weddell. In the Ross, the ice production has a statistically significant positive trend of about 21 km3 y−1 and approximately equals the export, while in the Weddell, the production trend is statistically flat and provides only about 60% of the export. For each sea, comparison of the ice production with the total winter sea ice volume shows that the Weddell polynyas produce 5–10% of the total; the Ross polynyas, 20–50%. The explanation for these differences is that in the Ross, the low-pressure system is better situated for generation of large polynyas than in the Weddell.
The client satisfaction questionnaire. Psychometric properties and correlations with service utilization and psychotherapy outcome.

An 18-item version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-18) was included in an experimental study of the effects of pretherapy orientation on psychotherapy outcome. The psychometric properties of the CSQ-18 in this study were compared with earlier findings. In addition, the correlations of the CSQ-18 with service utilization and psychotherapy outcome measures were examined. Results indicated that the CSQ-18 had high internal consistency (coefficient alpha = .91) and was substantially correlated with remainer-terminator status (rs = .61) and with number of therapy sessions attended in one month (r = .54). The CSQ-18 was also correlated with change in client-reported symptoms (r = -.35), indicating that greater satisfaction was associated with greater symptom reduction. Results also demonstrated that a subset of items from the scale (the CSQ-8) performed as well as the CSQ-18 and often better. The excellent performance of the CSQ-8, coupled with its brevity, suggests that it may be especially useful as a brief global measure of client satisfaction.
C–F sp2 bond functionalization mediated by niobium complexes

Insertion chemistry of isocyanide molecules was used to functionalize C–F sp2 bonds after their oxidative addition across the metal center in a β-diketiminate niobium(III) imido complex (BDI)Nb(NtBu)(C6H6). The complexes formed, 3a–b ([BDI]Nb(PhCN)(NtBu)(F) (R = 1,6-diisopropylphenyl, tert-butyl), were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. Further treatment with phenylsilane induced H/F exchange under mild conditions, which was followed by hydride transfer to the inserted isocyanide. Divergent reactivity was observed when the two analogous aryl and tert-butyl isocyanide insertion products were treated with phenylsilane.
On the properties of runge-kutta discrete adjoints

In this paper we analyze the consistency and stability properties of Runge-Kutta discrete adjoints. Discrete adjoints are very popular in optimization and control since they can be constructed automatically by reverse mode automatic differentiation. The consistency analysis uses the concept of elementary differentials and reveals that the discrete Runge-Kutta adjoint method has the same order of accuracy as the original, forward method. A singular perturbation analysis reveals that discrete adjoints of stiff Runge-Kutta methods are well suited for stiff problems.
Circum-annual changes in age, pelage characteristics and adipose itssue in the northen red-backed vole in interior Alaska

Badano okolo-roczne zmiany struktury wiekowej, wlaściwości uwlosienia i tkanki tluszczowej u Clethrionomys rutilus dawsoni (Meriam), w okresie od lipca 1963 do sierpnia 1964 roku. Badania przeprowadzono w oklicach College na Alasce (65° N 147° W).
Lobbying, the Composition of Government Expenditures, and the Politics of Fiscal Policy

This paper constructs a one sector growth model to examine the impact of political lobbying on the formation of fiscal policy. The model predicts that lobbying can induce endogenous regime switches, development traps, and a sub-optimal allocation of government expenditures between productive and unproductive ends, leading to long run income losses in the economy. A calibrated version of the model is used to generate estimates of the dynamic social costs of lobbying by estimating the optimal savings rates necessary to induce balanced growth in the economy. Finally, the model predicts that lobbying may influence the growth of government.
A Pilot Study of a Mindfulness Intervention for Individuals with Williams Syndrome: Physiological Outcomes

Mindfulness-based interventions have received little attention in the world of intellectual and developmental disabilities. No studies have assessed the role of mindfulness practice in relation to Williams syndrome (WS)—a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with high rates of anxiety, and attentional and social difficulties. Our aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of a mindfulness intervention for adults with Williams syndrome. We examined the physiological [salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA)] responses following a brief, 5-day mindfulness intervention in 24 individuals with WS. We also evaluated how their psychological (self-reported anxiety) and behavioral (parent/caregiver reports of somatic complaints and attention problems) states related to these physiological outcomes. As a group, cortisol levels decreased each day following mindfulness sessions. Both cortisol and self-rated anxiety levels followed the same pattern across mindfulness sessions, with ratings declining in response to each session. sAA levels during sessions 1 and 2 were significantly higher than during sessions 4 and 5. Greater somatic problems significantly predicted higher cortisol levels during the mindfulness intervention, while greater CBCL Attention Problems significantly predicted lower sAA levels during the intervention. Our findings underscore the utility of mindfulness practice as a tool to reduce stress-related symptoms in persons with WS.
The Effects of Liberalism on the Terrestrial Environment

In recent decades, many countries have adopted, to various degrees, the ideologies of commercial and republican liberalism. One salient aspect of the spread of commercial liberalism in the world has been the growth in international trade. The spread of republican liberalism has manifested itself by the rise in the level of democracy in countries over time. What are the implications of trade and democracy for the terrestrial environment? Two bodies of literature are relevant to this question: one studies the effect of trade on the environment, while a second body focuses on the effect of democracy on the environment. The effects of both forces on the environment are debated theoretically and empirically. The two bodies of literature have generally developed separately, and the effects of trade and democracy have not been evaluated in the same model. This paper discusses the theoretical effects of trade and democracy on the environment, and develops a statistical model to study these effects on the terrestr...