cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Segmenting Biological Particles in Multispectral Microscopy Images

This paper presents a methodology and results for segmentation of biological particles in multispectral images by learning disparate models from each spectra for pixel classification coupled with contour evolution based on the use of level set theory. Traditional contour models have some limitations on the segmentation of complicated images whose sub-regions consist of multiple components. The segmentation of multispectral images is even a more difficult problem. Our proposed model overcomes these limitations and uses multiple classifiers, each of which solves the problem independently based on its input observations. Each classifier module is trained to detect distinct regions and a higher order decision integrator collects evidence from each of the modules to delineate a final region
Plasma enhanced ALD pore sealing for highly porous SiOCH films with k = 2.0

In order to implement highly porous PECVD SiOCH films with k = 2.0 in ILD integration, the UV-assisted restoration to remove plasma damages related with dry etch and pore sealing by plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD)-SiN formation to prevent the metal penetration into the film during subsequent metallization process was investigated. Sequential application of the restoration and pore sealing processes was proved to be the best solution enabling successful sealing capability with preserving pristine k-value of the porous SiOCH films.
Integrated models for scheduling flexible manufacturing systems

Centralised and distributed automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) models and the model for part processing are integrated into a single coherent model. This formulation can be used to collectively schedule and control the entire flexible manufacturing system (FMS). The two AGVS models are based on Petri nets and can be directly used in the scheduling method that uses Petri net formulation and heuristic search. >
Inorganic Calcite Morphology: Roles of Fluid Chemistry and Fluid Flow

ABSTRACT Evaluation of calcite crystal habits and fabric and their relation to precipitating fluids in spelean environments indicates that habit variations are controlled primarily by degree of supersaturation. At less than 6 times supersaturation, crystal habits are limited to those with shallow to steep rhombohedral forms (i.e., {1011}, {4041}). With increasing supersaturation, scalenohedrons, extremely steep rhombohedrons, pinacoids and hexagonal prisms are developed. Slight elongation due to differences in crystal dimensions of these forms may arise (i.e., scalenohedrons versus shallow rhombohedrons). At extreme supersaturation (> 12 times), curvature of crystal faces or curved surfaces appear. The development of fibrous versus equant fabrics is the result of changes or modification of reactant supply rates and the number of crystallites (nuclei) present. Under rapid flow conditions, growth rates are accelerated and greater numbers of nuclei are present; thus, compromise boundaries parallel to c-axis and perpendicular to flow (and substrate) are rapidly attained. In the absence of flow, fewer crystallites are present, and larger, well developed crystals or branching forms dictated by saturation conditions arise. In the absence of flow at low supersaturation, elongate composite crystals, and hence fibrous fabrics, may result from migration of the fluid-crystal interface as a result of changing or oscillating water levels. A flow control mechanism can be applied to numerous geological conditions in which transitions from fibrous to equant crystal morphologies are observed.
Renal stone associated with the ketogenic diet in a 5-year old girl with intractable epilepsy.

In this paper, we report on a 5-year-old girl who developed a renal stone while following the ketogenic diet to treat refractory seizure disorder. Three months after initiating the ketogenic diet, she developed severe abdominal pain and vomiting. The spot urine calcium-to-creatinine (Ca/Cr) ratio and 24-hour urine evaluation showed hypercalciuria. Computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed a stone in the right ureteropelvic junction, resulting in hydronephrosis of the right kidney. The renal stone disappeared 5 days after conservative treatment; the patien's microscopic hematuria resolved concurrently. In light of this case report, we recommend regularly monitoring the urine Ca/Cr ratio with ultrasonography for further development of renal stones in patients following the ketogenic diet. If these patients exhibit evidence of symptomatic hypercalciuria or cyristalluria, liberalization of fluid restriction and urine alkalization using oral potassium citrate should be considered.
Assessing visual search performance differences between Transportation Security Administration Officers and nonprofessional visual searchers

Some visual searches depend upon accuracy (e.g., radiology, airport security screening), and it is important for both theoretical and applied reasons to understand what factors best predict performance. The current study administered a visual search task to both professional (Transportation Security Administration Officers) and nonprofessional (members of Duke University) searchers to examine group differences in which factors predict accuracy. Search speed—time taken to terminate search—was the primary predictor for nonprofessional searchers (accounting for 59% of their accuracy variability) and for the least experienced professional searchers (37% of variability). In contrast, consistency—how similarly (in terms of search speed) an individual spent searching from trial to trial—was the primary predictor for the most experienced professional visual searchers (39% of variability). These results inform cognitive theory by illuminating factors that differentially affect search performance between participants, and real-world issues by identifying search behaviours (consistency in particular) important to experienced professional searchers.
Eliciting Affect via Immersive Virtual Reality: A Tool for Adolescent Risk Reduction

Objective A virtual reality environment (VRE) was designed to expose participants to substance use and sexual risk-taking cues to examine the utility of VR in eliciting adolescent physiological arousal. Methods 42 adolescents (55% male), with a mean age of 14.54 years (SD ¼1.13) participated. Physiological arousal was examined through heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and self-reported somatic arousal. A within-subject design (neutral VRE, VR party, and neutral VRE) was utilized to examine changes in arousal. Results The VR party demonstrated an increase in physiological arousal relative to a neutral VRE. Examination of individual segments of the party (e.g., orientation, substance use, and sexual risk) demonstrated that HR was significantly elevated across all segments, whereas only the orientation and sexual risk segments demonstrated significant impact on RSA. Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that VREs can be used to generate physiological arousal in response to substance use and sexual risk cues.
Isolation and partial characterization of a cell‐surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan from embryonic rat spinal cord

Cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are potential mediators of neuronal cell adhesion, spreading, and neurite outgrowth on various extra-cellular matrix molecules. One possible site of HSPG attachment is a heparin binding domain of fibronectin, which is present in the synthetic peptide FN-C/H II. In this study, HSPGs extracted from embryonic rat spinal cord by detergent were purified by ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography on an agarose column coupled with FN-C/H II conjugated to ovalbumin (OA). Heparitinase treatment of the iodinated HSPG fraction led to the appearance of a major protein core with a molecular size of 72 kDa, as determined by reducing SDS-PAGE. The intact proteoglycan has a molecular size of approximately 150-165 kDa, containing heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains of about 10-15 kDa. Anti-HSPG antibodies recognized the 72 kDa core protein by immunoblotting, and stained the surface of spinal cord neurons, oligodendrocytes, and a subset of astrocytes. These results identify a cell-surface HSPG that may mediate neuron-substratum or neuron-glia interactions in embryonic central nervous system.
SybilDefender: A Defense Mechanism for Sybil Attacks in Large Social Networks

Distributed systems without trusted identities are particularly vulnerable to sybil attacks, where an adversary creates multiple bogus identities to compromise the running of the system. This paper presents SybilDefender, a sybil defense mechanism that leverages the network topologies to defend against sybil attacks in social networks. Based on performing a limited number of random walks within the social graphs, SybilDefender is efficient and scalable to large social networks. Our experiments on two 3,000,000 node real-world social topologies show that SybilDefender outperforms the state of the art by more than 10 times in both accuracy and running time. SybilDefender can effectively identify the sybil nodes and detect the sybil community around a sybil node, even when the number of sybil nodes introduced by each attack edge is close to the theoretically detectable lower bound. Besides, we propose two approaches to limiting the number of attack edges in online social networks. The survey results of our Facebook application show that the assumption made by previous work that all the relationships in social networks are trusted does not apply to online social networks, and it is feasible to limit the number of attack edges in online social networks by relationship rating.
An optimal transmit-receive rate tradeoff in Gray-Wyner network and its relation to common information

This paper considers the problem of characterizing the optimal tradeoff between the total transmit versus receive rate in the Gray-Wyner network. This tradeoff plays a crucial role in many important practical applications including establishing fundamental limits in databases for correlated sources and in minimum cost routing for networks. We develop the insight into this tradeoff by defining two quantities C(X, Y; R ) and K{X,Y;R ), which quantify the shared rate as a function of the total transmit and receive rates respectively. Closely tied up with this tradeoff is the notion of common information of two dependent random variables. The two most influential definitions are due to Wyner [2] and Gacs-Korner [1]. Though it is well know that these definitions can be characterized as two extreme points in the Gray-Wyner region, no contour with operational significance is known which connects them. We will show that the tradeoff between transmit and receive rates leads to a contour of points on the boundary of Gray-Wyner region which passes through the operating points of Wyner and Gacs-Korner. We use these properties to derive alternate characterizations for the two definitions of common information under a broader unified framework.
Comment: The Trouble with Bill Cronon's Wilderness

Bill Cronon's "trouble with wilderness" is ostensibly an assessment of the role the wilderness idea plays for environmentalists in the United States. But his "trouble" is far less with that wilderness idea and more with his own. He is wrestling with a wilderness idea that is confined to a few writers rather than with wilderness devotees who actually do it. Hence his account is well off the mark. For this rejoinder, I draw on two sources of evidence, quite different from Cronon's. First is my own experience in the eastern wilderness movement running through the decade of the 1970s. I was one of a considerable number of easterners who thought that there was wilderness in the East. We studied USGS topographic maps; identified large, roadless sections; scouted them out; drew up proposals for their protection as wilderness areas; and presented the plans to our congressional delegations. Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Roderick Nash were never mentioned. We had no thought of preserving "virgin" forest, since almost all of it was cut-over. It was the Forest Service who argued that none of it was wilderness because it wasn't "pristine." We retorted that it wasn't how it came to be that was important but what it looked like now, and we quoted that provision of the 1964 act that spoke of wilderness as a place where "human intrusion is relatively unnoticeable." What's more, we thought of it all as part of our own "backyard," not as something far away and remote. At about the same time I decided to find out about the wilderness movement in the country as a whole, joined several dozen organizations (western as well as eastern) to obtain their newsletters and documents, and proceeded to build an archive of wilderness activity. I found out that it wasn't much different "out there." People became interested in large roadless areas they knew about; they wrote about their "backyard;" they didn't try to persuade others to read "major thinkers" to get their support but, just like we did, to expose them to it through slide shows and directly by taking them there. The dynamics of human engagement with wilderness was the same: people living in an urbanized society who felt that wilderness areas would enhance the quality of their life while enjoying modern material standards of urban living. As I observe it, the dynamics of Bureau of Land Management wilderness, today's political "hot spot," are much the same.
The open palm technique.

SUMMARY Dupuytren’s disease presents a difficult problem that should not be treated casually. It is a continuing, unpredictable condition in which surgery is the only treatment available when contracture occurs. Surgery itself may cause an acceleration of the disease. Patients should be made aware that this is a continuing problem, often unpredictable in its course, with and without treatment. It is a pervasive disease, and when surgery is unsuccessful, the hand that underwent surgery may worsen. The open palm technique is a useful technique for avoiding complications in the early postoperative period. It is particularly useful in those patients with significant metacarpophalangeal joint contractures at more than one finger. The open palm technique does not affect the long-term outcome in these patients.
Pinniped splenic volumes

Splenic volume was measured by computerized axial tomography in three harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and two California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Volumes ranged from 228 to 679 ml, representing 0.8-3.0% of calculated percentage body mass. Despite possible variation in the state of splenic contraction during the examination, these values are in the upper range of reported mammalian splenic volumes (as % of body mass). This reinforces the pinniped splenic erythrocyte storage concept.
Studies of Sweating: III. Experimental Factors Influencing the Function of the Sweat Ducts: (A Preliminary Report)

Sweat retention, i. e. faulty and reduced outpouring of elaborated sweat, may be the result of various and differing mechanisms. Some of these have been discussed in detail in previous communications. These include the studies of horny plugging as found in prickly heat and tropical anidrotic asthenia (1, 2, 3); the similar plugging seen on occasion in ichthyosiform itching eruptions and in dry forms of atopic dermatitis, etc. (4). Another mechanism leading to sweat retention is that described as a sequela in certain cases of lichenoid atabrine dermatitis. In the atabrine cases studied by our group, the process which leads to sweat retention appears to be a scarlike obliteration of the superficial portion of sweat ducts, rather than the mere plugging of their orifices. These and other mechanisms leading to retention of secreted sweat all have in common the fact that they follow certain clinical changes or insults to the skin (heat, humidity, dry eruptions, scarring atopic dermatitis, ichthyosiform dryness, other faults in keratinization, etc.). Another group of causes of reduced or inhibited outpouring of sweat can be classed together on the common basis that they are all the result of conditions produced experimentally or deliberately. To this class may be reckoned the reduced sweating after application of antiperspirants (5). Other experimental mechanisms whereby sweat-outpouring can be reduced and sweat retention can occur have recently been brought to light by the fundamental studies of O'Brien (6) with local application of fat-solvents, and by the important experiments of Shelley, Horvath, Weidman and Pillsbury (7). These latter authors observed that electrophoretic production of anidrosis was regularly successful only at the site of the anode, more or less regardless of what solutions
Hypoxia, Hydrocortisone, and Indomethacin Affect Intestinal Barrier Function, Cell Survivability in Caco-2 Cell Line

Concomitant use of hydrocortisone and indomethacin increases the risk for spontaneous intestinal perforation in extremely low birth weight infants. Hypoxia, inflammation, and hydrocortisone alter epithelial tight junction formation/maintenance independently. The concomitant effect of inflammation, hypoxia, indomethacin, …
Ambipolar phosphorene field effect transistor.

In this article, we demonstrate enhanced electron and hole transport in few-layer phosphorene field effect transistors (FETs) using titanium as the source/drain contact electrode and 20 nm SiO2 as the back gate dielectric. The field effect mobility values were extracted to be ∼38 cm2/Vs for electrons and ∼172 cm2/Vs for the holes. On the basis of our experimental data, we also comprehensively discuss how the contact resistances arising due to the Schottky barriers at the source and the drain end effect the different regime of the device characteristics and ultimately limit the ON state performance. We also propose and implement a novel technique for extracting the transport gap as well as the Schottky barrier height at the metal–phosphorene contact interface from the ambipolar transfer characteristics of the phosphorene FETs. This robust technique is applicable to any ultrathin body semiconductor which demonstrates symmetric ambipolar conduction. Finally, we demonstrate a high gain, high noise margin, che...
Social Enterprises as an Embodiment of a Neoliberal Welfare Logic

We explore the rise of social enterprises, particularly, work integration social enterprises (WISEs), their particular hybrid organizational form, and their impact on their clients. We propose that...
DANUBE: Data-Driven Meta-ANalysis Using UnBiased Empirical Distributions—Applied to Biological Pathway Analysis

Identifying the pathways and mechanisms that are significantly impacted in a given phenotype is challenging. Issues include patient heterogeneity and noise. Many experiments do not have a large enough sample size to achieve the statistical power necessary to identify significantly impacted pathways. Meta-analysis based on combining p-values from individual experiments has been used to improve power. However, all classical meta-analysis approaches work under the assumption that the p-values produced by experiment-level statistical tests follow a uniform distribution under the null hypothesis. Here, we show that this assumption does not hold for three mainstream pathway analysis methods, and significant bias is likely to affect many, if not all, such meta-analysis studies. We introduce DANUBE, a novel and unbiased approach to combine statistics computed from individual studies. Our framework uses control samples to construct empirical null distributions, from which empirical p-values of individual studies are calculated and combined using either a Central Limit Theorem approach or the additive method. We assess the performance of DANUBE using four different pathway analysis methods. DANUBE is compared to five meta-analysis approaches, as well as with a pathway analysis approach that employs multiple datasets (MetaPath). The 25 approaches have been tested on 16 different datasets related to two human diseases, Alzheimer's disease (7 datasets) and acute myeloid leukemia (9 datasets). We demonstrate that DANUBE overcomes bias in order to consistently identify relevant pathways. We also show how the framework improves results in more general cases, compared to classical meta-analysis performed with common experiment-level statistical tests such as Wilcoxon and t-test.
Evaluation of kit methods for measurement of total plasma cholesterol

The performance of 6 commercial kits for the measurement of total plasma cholesterol concentration, using enzymatic and chemical methods, was compared to the Lipid Research Clinics (LRC) method. Primary cholesterol standards, the purity of which was verified by spectrophotometry, thin-layer and gas chromatography by the Lipid Standardization Laboratory. Center for Disease Control, were used with the LRC method. All kits were used according to the manufacturers’ instructions and the standards recommended by each manufacturer were employed. Four frozen plasma pools (cholesterol range 1.8-9.0 mmol 1) were analysed in quadruplicate on 5 separate occasions. Accuracy and precision varied greatly amongst the kits. One enzymatic kit was consistently more accurate over the concentration range tested (reference value ± 3%). Overall, the enzymatic kits were more precise than the chemical kits (coefficient of variation 0.7-4.4%, vs 2.6-51%). Fresh plasma samples (n = 143-191; cholesterol range 4.9-12.5 mmol 1) obtained by venepuncture were analysed by each kit method and the LRC method. The mean difference in cholesterol concentration between each kit and the LRC method was within ± 0.5 mmol 1. Two enzymatic kits produced mean differences within ± 0.1 mmol 1 of LRC value. In 4 kits the difference varied with the cholesterol concentration (P Forty plasma pairs, obtained by venepuncture and fingerstick. were analysed by each kit method. Each enzymatic kit gave higher results for cholesterol in samples obtained by fingerstick as compared to those obtained by venepuncture (mean difference = 1.8%); the chemical kits gave no significant difference between plasma pairs.
Abstract 18463: A Novel Grading System for Post-implant Right Heart Failure Correlates With One-year Survival After Continuous-flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

Introduction: Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a common complication after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD) and carries an increased risk of mortality. There is a spectrum of early RVF and the optimal definition is controversial, hindering efforts to identify relevant risk factors. Correlating the severity of RVF with outcome after LVAD could inform clinical criteria for this important syndrome. Hypothesis: Increasing severity of RVF will be associated with worse one-year survival. Methods: We identified 196 patients undergoing isolated durable cf-LVAD since 2005 at our center. Post-implant RVF was graded as absent, mild (requiring inotropes for 14-20 days), moderate (requiring inotropes for ≥ 21 days), or severe (requiring unplanned RVAD at any time during the index hospitalization). One-year survival, censored at the time of heart transplant or VAD explant for recovery, was examined using Kaplan-Meier plots, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional-hazard modeling. Results: Seventy-three patients (37.2%) developed RVF: 35 (17.9%) mild, 24 (12.2%) moderate, and 14 (7.1%) severe. The median follow-up time was 266 days (IQR: 81-761), and 51 patients (26%) died within one year. Compared to patients without RVF, those with mild RVF had similar one-year survival (HR 0.69, 95%CI:0.26-1.80, p=0.45) while the risk of death was substantially increased in patients with moderate (HR 2.65, 95%CI:1.27-5.54, p=0.009) and severe RVF (HR 8.16, 95%CI:3.97-16.76, p Conclusions: A simple grading system for the severity of early RVF is strongly associated with one-year survival after cf-LVAD, supporting the notion that there is a spectrum of post-implant RVF. If confirmed in other cohorts, targeting risk-prediction and risk-mitigation strategies for moderate and severe RVF could improve post-LVAD survival.
Dynamics of Volatile Buffers in Brain Cells during Spreading Depression

Acid-base homeostasis is a well conserved physiologic phenomenon which enables tissues to maintain an environment conducive to vital cell processes. Accordingly, deterioration of pH homeostasis during disease states can be expected to reflect fundamental reactions of cells and tissues to pathologic stimuli. For example, volatile H+-buffers (i.e. HCO3 − and NH3), while involved in pH regulation, are also important variables in volume (HCO3 −) regulation and neurotransmitter and energy (NH3) metabolism. Thus during pH perturbations changes in these volatile buffers may provide insights to the dynamic behavior of volume regulatory and metabolic activities of brain cells.
Animal bite of genitalia in a child: A rare case of anterior urethral injury

Pediatric genital injuries are relatively uncommon. Urethral injuries occur in 3.4% of genitourinary injuries in children. The majority of urethral injuries in boys are to the anterior urethra. We review the diagnosis and management of anterior urethral injuries in the setting of a dog bite to the genitalia in child.
An integrated real-time structural damage detection method based on extended Kalman filter and dynamic statistical process control:

Real-time structural parameter identification and damage detection are of great significance for structural health monitoring systems. The extended Kalman filter has been implemented in many struct...
The Solution of the Equations of Motion

This chapter explains the solutions of the equations of motion. The primary reason for solving the equations of motion is to obtain a mathematical, and hence graphical, description of the time histories of all the motion variables in response to a control input, or atmospheric disturbance. It also enables an assessment of stability to be made. It is also important that the chosen method of solution should provide good insight into the way in which the physical properties of the airframe influence the nature of the responses. The process of solution requires that the equations of motion are assembled in the appropriate format, numerical values for the derivatives and other parameters are substituted, and then the whole model is input to a suitable computer program. The chapter is concerned with a discussion of the use of the Laplace transform for solving the small perturbation equations of motion to obtain the response transfer functions. This is followed by a description of the computational process involving matrix methods that is normally undertaken with the aid of a suitable computer software package. The chapter explores the state space model augmentation. It is a straightforward matter to augment the state description to include the additional dynamics of components such as engines and control surface actuators.
An examination of the cycling performance and failure mechanisms in mechanically alloyed composites containing antimony metal, iron oxide, and carbon black

Composite anode materials prepared using high energy mechanical milling have exhibited stable cycling in several previous works. One such material, a composite of antimony metal, carbon black, and iron oxide, shows particular promise as a higher voltage alternative to graphite and silicon. This material can enable safe operation in applications requiring high charging rates while providing a lower voltage and higher capacity alternative to lithium titanate. However, the stringent requirements for commercializing new materials for lithium ion batteries can be a serious impediment for new materials reaching into this existing market. The key requirements investigated here are the capacity, 1st cycle coulombic efficiency, hysteresis, and cycle lifetime. It is found that the combination of these materials with high energy milling can enhance the cycle lifetime of the individual constituent components, while the other properties behave as a simple superposition of the constituent components. This behavior is due to the intimate composite structure formed by the high energy milling. The failure of the electrochemical cell is primarily caused by the impedance growth of the material, which seems to be caused by instability of the SEI layer that forms on this volume changing material.
‘Focus on the bigger picture:’ an anti-deficit achievement examination of black male scholar athletes in science and engineering at a historically white university (HWU)

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of black male scholar athletes in science and engineering majors at a Division I research-intensive historically white university (HWU) and identify key influences that facilitated their academic achievement. Participants included three black male scholar athletes in science and/or engineering majors at a Division I research-intensive HWU. A single focus group, three in-depth individual interviews and an eight-item demographic questionnaire were employed to investigate the phenomenon of interest. The prove them wrong syndrome and an anti-deficit achievement framework were incorporated to explore the pre-college and college influences that contributed to the participants’ educational outcomes. Emergent themes highlighted the pivotal role of strong familial support, academic self-efficacy, strategic responsiveness to negative stereotypes and select benefits from athletic participation resulted in the participants’ academic achievement. Implica...
Network Analysis: What is it?

This technical note is used in Darden's first year "Business Communications" course. This technical note examines the organizational structure of the network and provides a brief introduction to network analysis: What is it? Why do it? What are the implications? How can companies best implement it to highlight the strengths and power of networks and minimize the flaws and fragilities? Excerpt UVA-BC-0247 Rev. Mar. 19, 2013 NETWORK ANALYSIS: WHAT IS IT? Defining Networks Versus Hierarchies: Why You Should Know the Difference Organizations have two kinds of structures, one a formal hierarchy, the other an informal network. The two coexist, are interconnected, and have a symbiotic relationship. Hierarchies are usually obvious and displayed through organizational charts and diagrams. They are a mechanism created to organize a system of problem solving and reporting. Hierarchies have a tight control on behavior and rarely change in design. The main purpose of hierarchies is to simplify complex problems and find solutions. Hierarchies are usually very rigid, with determined and strict chains of command. The hierarchical structure often is praised for the way it helps organizations resolve problems. It often receives criticism, however, for restricting employees and stifling their ability to find creative solutions to unexpected problems. Both the strength and the limitation of a hierarchy is its ability to transform complex problems into simple substitutes. In contrast, networks are informal organizational structures with few formal constraints on behavior. They are based on relationships, built on trust and the reciprocal exchange of information and communication. When forming a network, people often seek out others who are similar to them in both appearance and how they think and view the world. These similarities allow groups to form bonds of trust more quickly but can result in the creation of exclusionary groups. These networks are fragile because all the power is concentrated in one group—which also means all the vulnerability is focused in that group. For example, if a relationship within the network fails and a person leaves the organization, a wealth of knowledge goes with him or her. . . .
Malagasy cichlids differentially limit impacts of body shape evolution on oral jaw functional morphology.

Patterns of trait covariation, like integration and modularity, are vital factors that influence the evolution of vertebrate body plans. In functional systems, decoupling of morphological modules buffers functional change in one trait by reducing correlated variation with another. However, for complex morphologies with many-to-one mapping of form to function (MTOM), resistance to functional change may also be achieved by constraining morphological variation within a functionally stable region of morphospace. For this research, we used geometric morphometrics to evaluate the evolution of body shape and its relationship to jaw functional morphology in two independent radiations of endemic Malagasy cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Our results suggested that the two subfamilies used different strategies to mitigate impacts of body shape variation on a metric of jaw function, maxillary kinematic transmission (MKT): (1) modularity between cranial and postcranial morphologies, and (2) integration of body and jaw evolution, with jaw morphologies varying in a manner that limits change in MKT. This research shows that, unlike modularity, MTOM allows traits to retain strong evolutionary covariation while still reducing impacts on functionality. These results suggest that MTOM, and its influence on the evolution of correlated traits, is likely much more widespread than is currently understood. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
M&MFCM: Fuzzy C-means Clustering with Mahalanobis and Minkowski Distance Metrics

Abstract The proposed modification of conventional fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) algorithm aims to correct some of its shortcomings. We have focused on as missing flexibility in cluster number adaptation; limited cluster type grouping; less than optimal objective function for clusters of unequal size lying very close to each other; considerable computational time particularly in case of high dimensional data. With M&MFCM we propose to replace the usual Euclidean distance with Mahalanobis and Minkowski metrics in order to enhance the cluster detection capacity of FCM by allowing more accurate detection of arbitrary shapes of clusters for high dimensional datasets. Direct replacement of Euclidean distance in the objective function of FCM with Mahalanobis might cause numerical problems as the largest eigenvalues of the fuzzy covariance matrix could produce extremely long clusters thus contradicting the real data distribution. The improvement is achieved by fixing the ratio between the maximal and minimal eigenvalues of the covariance matrix. The parameterized Minkowski distance metric is adapted for implementation with FCM with various settings. We also propose an approach for improving the initial choice of cluster number and for visualization and analysis of cluster results for labeled and unlabeled datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed M&MFCM and test methodology significantly improve FCM clustering results.
Complex analytical solutions for flow in hydraulically fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs with and without natural fractures

Abstract Reservoir drainage towards producer wells in a hydraulically and naturally fractured reservoir is visualized by using an analytical streamline simulator that plots streamlines, time-of-flight contours and drainage contours based on complex potentials. A new analytical expression is derived to model the flow through natural fractures with enhanced hydraulic conductivity. Synthetic examples show that in an otherwise homogeneous reservoir even a small number of natural fractures may severely affect streamline patterns and distort the drainage contours. Multiple parallel natural fractures result in a drainage region that is narrower in the direction normal to the natural fractures while the drainage reach is larger in the natural fracture direction. Reservoirs with numerous natural fractures are shown to be characterized by more tortuous drainage patterns than reservoirs without natural fractures. Finally, the analytical flow model for naturally fractured reservoirs is applied to a natural analog of flow into hydraulic fractures. The tendency of the injected fluid to stay confined to the fracture network as opposed to matrix flow is entirely controlled by the hydraulic conductivity contrast between the fracture network and the matrix.
Geopolitical dimensions of US oil security

Abstract The United States appears less exposed to geopolitical risks affecting its oil supply than at any time since the relatively stable period preceding the widespread oil sector nationalizations of the 1970s. Energy prosperity in the US contrasts with a more fraught period for traditional energy exporting states where geopolitical challenges have been compounded by fiscal stress and rising domestic energy demand. America's relationship with energy-exporting countries will continue to evolve as the US grows more self-sufficient and as more non-OPEC resources become viable, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. Expanded geographic diversification of oil production portends a gradual diminution of the strategic importance of large crude oil exporters. One longer term potential effect of the US shale revolution may be, for example, an unwillingness in Washington to maintain the Carter Doctrine's promise of protection for its interests in the Persian Gulf, although this appears unlikely in the near term. Nevertheless, continued economic growth in developing Asia and the unlocking of new energy resources around the world means the geostrategic relationships that have protected energy supplies over the last 40 years are unlikely to endure over the long run.
RARE CORONARY STENT INFECTION COMPLICATED BY MYCOTIC ANEURYSM FORMATION AND LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY (LAD) PERFORATION

Coronary aneurysms associated with stent implantation are rare and may form due to hypersensitivity, edge dissection, or infection. A 77-year-old male was referred for coronary angiography (CA) due to high pre-operative pre-test probability and found to have a 95% mid- LAD lesion extending into the
A GENERAL PURPOSE DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

This paper discribes a general purpose data collection, data analysis and communication system. Its primary use being the collection and analysis of EMG data. Its versatility for data collection stems from the design of the general purpose intelligent A/D interface (ADI) system. Its analysis and communications capabilities derive from the host computer system, a Tektronix 4052. The ADI contains an MC6802 microprocessor which controls and monitors the ADI process, it in turn is controlled by the 4052. The ADI contains its own bootstrapping programs which are activated when it is powered up. Under 4052 control the user downloads the ADI operating program and sampling control parameters. The 4052 monitors all calibration procedures, and provides both force and EMG data displays. It also provides a communications link to Wayne's central computer for more powerful data analysis programs.
The Department of Energy Research Program in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

For the past four decades the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies, the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Atomic Energy Commission, have sustained a research program on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. In recent years the Department's research program has expanded in response to the promise of several new boron localizing agents and the development of improved epithermal neutron beam delivery capabilities. Our plans for future activities encompass a number of specific areas for research emphasis.
Peer Effects in Health Behaviors

Health economists have sought to link the health behaviors and outcomes of socially connected individuals for several decades, and there is now substantial evidence across a broad set of outcomes. Attempts to estimate peer effects in health decisions face several difficult econometric and measurement issues including how to define the social network of interest, the endogeneity of social ties, unobserved shared environments, and reciprocal effects. There has been growing interest and expansion of empirical techniques to estimate peer effects in health outcomes. This article reviews recent literature with a focus on current debates and findings including potentially useful future directions.
Cross-Functional Issues in Sales and Sales Management

In a recent article Wind and West (1991) argued for the reinvention of the corporation. The corporation of the future would be as follows: 1. integrated and cross-functional 2. flatter and empowered 3. vision-directed 4. global 5. networked 6. information technology based 7. customer-driven 8. stakeholder focused 9. value added quality oriented 10. time based 11. innovative and entrepreneurial 12. flexible and adaptive
A laboratory-scale model cocoa fermentation using dried, unfermented beans and artificial pulp can simulate the microbial and chemical changes of on-farm cocoa fermentation

Cocoa fermentation is an essential step for chocolate production whereby flavor potential is generated and bitterness and astringency are moderated. To facilitate fermentation research in laboratories geographically distant from cocoa-growing regions, and to simplify and control the fermentation system, a laboratory fermentation model system was developed. The model system consisted of dried unfermented beans, artificial pulp medium, and laboratory incubator to control temperature and aeration. The model system developed in this study showed a succession of key microorganisms including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Acetobacter pasteurianus, and Acetobacter tropicalis. The pH of cocoa beans decreased to an acceptable final pH (4.8). Sugars were well consumed and acetic acid and ethanol were produced during fermentation. Desirable volatile compounds including phenylethyl alcohol, acetoin, 2-phenylethyl acetate, and 3-methylbutyl acetate increased in the cocoa beans during fermentation. In addition, the concentration of polyphenols decreased with fermentation. These results lead to the conclusion that the model system developed in this study was able to simulate the microbial and chemical changes occurring in in situ cocoa fermentation. This laboratory-scale model system will enable systematic examination of the effects of process parameters on fermented bean quality.
Mcm10 has potent strand-annealing activity and limits translocase-mediated fork regression

The 11-subunit eukaryotic replicative helicase CMG (Cdc45, Mcm2-7, GINS) tightly binds Mcm10, an essential replication protein in all eukaryotes. Here we show that Mcm10 has a potent strand-annealing activity both alone and in complex with CMG. CMG-Mcm10 unwinds and then reanneals single strands soon after they have been unwound in vitro. Given the DNA damage and replisome instability associated with loss of Mcm10 function, we examined the effect of Mcm10 on fork regression. Fork regression requires the unwinding and pairing of newly synthesized strands, performed by a specialized class of ATP-dependent DNA translocases. We show here that Mcm10 inhibits fork regression by the well-known fork reversal enzyme SMARCAL1. We propose that Mcm10 inhibits the unwinding of nascent strands to prevent fork regression at normal unperturbed replication forks, either by binding the fork junction to form a block to SMARCAL1 or by reannealing unwound nascent strands to their parental template. Analysis of the CMG-Mcm10 complex by cross-linking mass spectrometry reveals Mcm10 interacts with six CMG subunits, with the DNA-binding region of Mcm10 on the N-face of CMG. This position on CMG places Mcm10 at the fork junction, consistent with a role in regulating fork regression.
Unsolicited Patient Complaints among Otolaryngologists.

ObjectivesTo analyze unsolicited patient complaints (UPCs) among otolaryngologists, identify risk factors for UPCs, and determine the impact of physician feedback on subsequent UPCs.MethodsThis ret...
A stabilized finite element method for enforcing stiff anisotropic cohesive laws using interface elements

Abstract We present a stabilized finite element method that generalizes Nitsche’s method for enforcing stiff anisotropic cohesive laws with different normal and tangential stiffness. For smaller values of cohesive stiffness, the stabilized method resembles the standard method, wherein the traction on the crack surface is enforced as a Neumann boundary condition. Conversely, for larger values of cohesive stiffness, the stabilized method resembles Nitsche’s method, wherein the cohesive law is enforced as a kinematic constraint. We present several numerical examples, in two-dimensions, to compare the performance of the stabilized and standard methods. Our results illustrate that the stabilized method enables accurate recovery of crack-face tractions for stiff isotropic and anisotropic cohesive laws; whereas, the standard method is less accurate due to spurious traction oscillations. Also, the stabilized method could mitigate spurious sensitivity of load–displacement results to displacement increment in mixed-mode fracture simulation, owing to its stability and accuracy.
Calcination pretreatment effects on acid leaching characteristics of rare earth elements from middlings and coarse refuse material associated with a bituminous coal source

Abstract The pretreatment of middlings and coarse refuse material collected from a Pocahontas No.3 coal source using calcination was investigated for the potential of improving the leaching recovery of rare earth elements. Calcination at 600 °C significantly and preferentially improved light REE (LREE) recovery to values in the range of 80–90% using 1.2 M HCl. The positive effect was due to the increased pore diameter and volume as well as thermal decomposition of the minerals associated with the LREEs. Heavy REE recovery was not increased after calcination at 600 °C due to the need for higher temperatures to achieve thermal decomposition of HREE minerals. Furthermore, some HREEs were also associated with sulfide minerals (e.g., pyrite) which were transformed into low-solubility oxides (e.g., hematite) after roasting at 600 °C. Based on the leaching characteristics of the major elements (Fe, Al, Ca and Mg) and REEs along with SEM-EDX data, it was concluded that REEs in the two samples mainly occurred as phosphate minerals. In the middlings, some of the minerals were completely encapsulated by kaolinite, which was less apparent in the coarse refuse. In addition, it was found that a portion of the REEs (10–25%) in the samples were associated with the organic matter and micro-dispersed minerals in the organic matrix, was released after calcination and easily recovered using 0.1 M (NH4)2SO4 solution at pH 5. Scandium primarily occurred in mineral forms with minimum amounts associated with ion-adsorbed clays and organic association.
Modernist Lives: Biography and Autobiography at Leonard and Virginia Woolf’s Hogarth Press

Scholars and critics of modernist life writing are probably acquainted with two foundational essays by Virginia Woolf: ‘The New Biography,’ written in 1927 as a review of Harold Nicolson’s Some Peo...
Improve Healthcare Safety Using Hash-Based Authentication Protocol for RFID Syste

Medication errors are now rapidly increasing that result in a serious impact on patients Safety. A lot of automated techniques have come up using the Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology that has now been successfully implemented in hospitals and healthcare institutions. The data that is being transmitted is highly sensitive and has to be authenticated between the server and the tag. Such a mutual authentication is highly necessary to enhance the safety protocols. An RFID authentication protocol using Elliptical Curve Cryptography could overcome security weaknesses and eventually lead to better performance. In order to achieve better security and quicker runtime, ECC must have smaller keys compared to non-ECC. In this paper, elliptic curves over a finite field are being structured that belongs to the category of public-key cryptography. This proposed protocol system not only increases the security to a greater extent but also enhances the performance by enabling large-scale implementations. As security is an instrumental aspect of cryptography, such a proposed system is effectual.