cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved procedure for computing residual stresses from neutron diffraction data and its application to multipass dissimilar welds

AbstractNeutron diffraction is an important tool for residual stress measurement in welded structures. The calculation of stresses from measured lattice spacings generally requires the stress free lattice spacing a priori. For dissimilar metal welds common to nuclear reactor pipeline systems, the stress free lattice spacing is a complex function of position due to the chemistry and microstructure inhomogeneity in the weld region, and its experimental determination can be both time consuming and unreliable. An improved approach is developed to calculate the residual stress field without the use of stress free lattice spacing. Its applicability is examined and justified in two multipass dissimilar metal welds made of 304L stainless steel plate and nickel alloy 82 filler metal using different heat inputs. The spatial variation in stress free lattice spacing is qualitatively discussed using the weld metal dilution mechanism. The improved approach is shown to be simple and practical for residual stress determi...
Using Information Processing Strategies for Early Identification of Mental Retardation

Traditional infant intelligence tests have been notoriously poor in being able to predict intellectual functioning in later childhood. Over the past 25 years, infant behavior researchers have developed or adapted behavioral techniques that measure information processing capacities of infants. These include conditioning procedures, visual attention paradigms, and methods for assessing infant exploratory behavior. Seven techniques for measuring information processing in infants are described and discussed. An outline for an assessment battery based on these techniques is presented and discussed.
Metal Storage and Transport Proteins Increase After Exposure of the Rat Lung to an Air Pollution Particle

With the single exception of mercury, all metals in the atmosphere rue associated with particles. The lungs are subsequently exposed to metals present in air pollution particles on a continuous basis. Because metal exposure can be associated with an oxidative stress, a mechanism that isolates the metal in a chemically less reactive form would be of benefit. We tested the hypothesis that the concentrations of both lactoferrin and ferritin in the rat lung increase after exposure to a metal-rich emission source air pollution particle. Using immunohistochemistry, we characterized changes in the concentrations of ferritin and lactoferrin after exposure of rats to an emission source air pollution particle. Lavage metal concentrations, measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, increased 4 hr after exposure to an oil fly ash. After exposure to this metal-rich emission source air pollution particle, femtin concentrations in the lower respiratory tract increased. Comparable to the iron-storage protein, concentrations of both lactoferrin and transferrin were elevated after exposure. The greatest concentrations of ferritin, lactoferrin, and transferrin occurred at approximately 24 hr after exposure to the air pollution particle. Levels then decreased, and by 96 hr after instillation of the oil fly ash. ferritin, lactoferrin, and transferrin were not elevated relative to those animals exposed to saline. We conclude that, in response to an emission source air pollution particle with high concentrations of metals, there is an increase in ferritin, lactoferrin, and transferrin concentrations in the lungs of the host. The function of these increases in iron-binding proteins may be to control the oxidative stress associated with the exposure to metals.
Offenders’ Perceptions of RiskFactors for Self and Others: Theoretical Importance and Some Empirical Data

Little research has examined offenders’ understanding of the factors that increase their likelihood of future criminal activity. Although social-psychological research has described many ways in wh...
Why teach radio drama

More than ten years after the beginning of the end for “big‐time” radio network drama, and months after the demise of the last radio soap operas, radio drama production methods are still being taught by the colleges and universities teaching professional broadcasting. Obviously, it is felt that teaching this subject is worthwhile. Some, if not all, of the reasons for this view are pointed out in the following article.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence of Proteinuric and Nonproteinuric Diabetic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVE To examine racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), with and without proteinuria, in an outpatient health care organization. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We examined electronic health records for 15,683 persons of non-Hispanic white (NHW), Asian (Asian Indian, Chinese, and Filipino), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic black (NHB) race/ethnicity with type 2 diabetes and no prior history of kidney disease from 2008 to 2010. We directly standardized age- and sex-adjusted prevalence rates of proteinuric DKD (proteinuria with or without low estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) or nonproteinuric DKD (low eGFR alone). We calculated sex-specific odds ratios of DKD in racial/ethnic minorities (relative to NHWs) after adjustment for traditional DKD risk factors. RESULTS Racial/ethnic minorities had higher rates of proteinuric DKD than NHWs (24.8–37.9 vs. 24.8%) and lower rates of nonproteinuric DKD (6.3–9.8 vs. 11.7%). On adjusted analyses, Chinese (odds ratio 1.39 for women and 1.56 for men), Filipinos (1.57 for women and 1.85 for men), Hispanics (1.46 for women and 1.34 for men), and NHBs (1.50 for women) exhibited significantly ( P CONCLUSIONS We found novel racial/ethnic differences in DKD among patients with type 2 diabetes. Racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to have proteinuric DKD and less likely to have nonproteinuric DKD. Future research should examine diverse DKD-related outcomes by race/ethnicity to inform targeted prevention and treatment efforts and to explore the etiology of these differences.
Evaluation of 400V DC distribution in telco and data centers to improve energy efficiency

In a typical data center, less than half the energy consumed is delivered to the compute load, with the rest lost in power conversion, distribution and cooling. Traditionally power distribution is at 400/480 V AC in data centers and at -48 V DC in telco facilities. Higher voltage DC has been proposed as an energy efficient distribution option for both types of facilities, and this paper presents an analytical evaluation of several data center power delivery architectures over a range of loads, showing that a 400 V facility-level DC distribution option is the most efficient. The equipment required to support such an architecture is discussed and results from a small scale demonstration are included.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss associated with herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a striking clinical entity often of unclear etiology. Viral infections have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this condition, especially acute or reactivated herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection.1,2⇓ We present a case of sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss associated with HSV-1-induced auditory nerve inflammation demonstrated by MRI and CSF examination. A previously healthy 61-year-old woman developed pyelonephritis. She was admitted to another hospital and experienced a myocardial infarction on her second inpatient day. Two days later, she developed herpes febrilis bilaterally around her lips, for which she was treated with acyclovir (400 mg five times per day by mouth and topically). Concurrently, she noticed sudden hearing loss that progressed to total deafness over the next 2 days. She had never had herpes febrilis before. Culture of a 3-mm punch biopsy of the labial lesions yielded HSV-1. Upon transfer to our institution 7 days after the onset of the deafness, she was totally deaf and had crusted bilateral perioral lesions. She …
Effect of patterned nanoscale interfacial roughness on interfacial toughness : A finite element analysis

A finite element analysis was used to determine how patterned, nanoscale interfacial roughness could potentially increase the apparent interfacial toughness of brittle, thin-film material systems. The pattern analyzed was composed of parallel channels with either a rectangular-toothed or a rippled cross-section. Results are presented for a thin, linear elastic, bimaterial strip loaded by displacing the top edge relative to the bottom edge. The finite element calculations indicate that the interface does not unzip in a steady, continuous manner. Instead, the crack tip stalls as it tries to kink in a direction that is offset from its original path. The apparent interfacial toughness is found to depend on the intrinsic interfacial toughness, the ratio of real-to-nominal interfacial area, the extent of ligament, tooth-tip damage that occurs before crack propagation, strain energy locked in by persistent contact, and the level of energy dissipation associated with dynamic fracture.
The interaction Between Science and Policy in the Control of Phragmites in Oligohaline Marshes of Delaware Bay

Author Posting. © Blackwell, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Blackwell for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Restoration Ecology 13 (2005):223-227, doi:10.1111/j.1526-100X.2005.00027.x
Familiarity with adults, but not relatedness, affects the growth of juvenile red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus

The relative roles of kinship and familiarity in affecting an individual’s growth and fitness are not easy to disentangle. Not only is an individual more likely to have prior behavioral interactions with conspecifics in close proximity, it may also be related (in terms of kinship) to those nearby conspecifics. While some studies have inferred that kin discrimination affects fitness correlates, other studies found that familiarity alone can reduce aggressive interactions, thus increasing fitness. These studies have all focused on intra-age class pairs or groups. However, many animals interact with conspecifics from different cohorts. In many populations, adults of Plethodon cinereus territorially defend rocks and logs that retain moisture and food resources. We investigated whether juveniles of P. cinereus grew more in the presence of adults that were relatives or familiar. We collected pairs of juveniles and adults found under the same cover objects in the forest (familiar) and pairs of juveniles and adults found under different cover objects, approximately 10 m apart (unfamiliar). We determined parentage and relatedness of the adult–juvenile pairs and then placed these pairs in semi-natural mesocosms for 17 days. We found that juveniles housed with familiar adults had significantly greater increases in mass and snout–vent length than juveniles housed with unfamiliar adults in 2006 but not in 2007. Relatedness had no effect on growth. In addition, juveniles cohabitating with adults were not more likely to be their offspring. At least under certain environmental conditions, familiarity with adults, independent of relatedness or parentage, increased the growth of juvenile salamanders.
Oxidative stress regulates collagen synthesis and matrix metalloproteinase activity in cardiac fibroblasts.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of myocardial failure. We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress can regulate extracellular matrix in cardiac fibroblasts. Neonatal ...
REMOVAL OF CHLORIDE FROM ACIDIC SOLUTIONS USING NO2

Chloride (Cl{sup -}) salt processing in strong acids is used to recycle plutonium (Pu) from pyrochemical residues. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is studying the potential application of nitrogen dioxide (NO{sub 2}) gas to effectively convert dissolved pyrochemical salt solutions to chloride-free solutions and improve recovery operations. An NO{sub 2} sparge has been shown to effectively remove Cl{sup -} from solutions containing 6-8 M acid (H{sup +}) and up to 5 M Cl{sup -}. Chloride removal occurs as a result of the competition of at least two reactions, one which is acid-dependent. Below 4 M H+, NO2 reacts with Cl- to produce nitrosyl chloride (ClNO). Between 6 M and 8 M H{sup +}, the reaction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with nitric acid (HNO{sub 3}), facilitated by the presence of NO{sub 2}, strongly affects the rate of Cl{sup -} removal. The effect of heating the acidic Cl{sup -} salt solution without pre-heating the NO{sub 2} gas has minimal effect on Cl{sup -} removal rates when the contact times between NO{sub 2} and the salt solution are on the order of seconds.
Review of Wesley J. Wildman, Science and Religious Anthropology: A Spiritually Evocative Naturalist Interpretation of Human Life

Only those unfamiliar withWesleyWildman’s workwill be surprised by how religiously exploratory, scientifically intelligent, philosophically grounded, and socially relevant this book is. In clear, often energetic prose, Wildman takes a determinedly interdisciplinary approach toward understanding what it means to be a human being. This tack works in Science and Religious Anthropology for at least four reasons. First, Wildman is one of those rare scholars who is more than conversant in a number of fields. His anthropology synthesizes insights from disciplines ranging from molecular biology to evolutionary theory, from sociology to cognitive neurology, and from theology to the scientific study of religion. To the extent that Wildman integrates these fields, he is able to critically engage the ‘modern secular interpretation of humanity (MSIH)’ and, in the process, even show how methods and insights of the MSIH can both ‘critique religion and affirm it, in different respects.’ Wildman’s multifaceted inquiry is organized around an anthropological presumption—the distillation of which does not unnecessarily foreshorten the scholarly concerns that undergird the MSIH —which states ‘that human beings are homo religiosus not only historically, culturally, or circumstantially, but ontologically, essentially, and inescapably’ (xvii). This argument is convincing because Wildman explores human religiosity as a religious naturalist. This is the second reason his approach is successful. Wildman’s religious naturalism gains anthropological depth because it strikes the appropriate balance between accountability to the biological constraints upon human beings set within complexly evolving natural environments on the one hand and a sensitivity to the apparently indeterminable aspects of life that many people call the ‘spiritual’ on the other. This balance is upheld throughout Wildman’s book and is sure to alienate both extremes of the theist/physicalist divide. But for the increasing numbers of us compelled by a more radical interdisciplinarity, Wildman’s approach provides extraordinary guidance. SOPHIA (2012) 51:411–413 DOI 10.1007/s11841-011-0296-7
Alkyne-Functionalized Ruthenium Nanoparticles: Ruthenium–Vinylidene Bonds at the Metal–Ligand Interface

Stable ruthenium nanoparticles were prepared by the self-assembly of 1-dodecyne onto the "bare" Ru colloid surface. The formation of a Ru-vinylidene (Ru═C═CH-R) interfacial bonding linkage was confirmed by the specific reactivity of the nanoparticles with imine derivatives to form a heterocyclic complex at the metal-ligand interface, as manifested in (1)H and (13)C NMR, photoluminescence, and electrochemical measurements in which a ferrocenyl imine was used as the labeling probe. Notably, the resulting nanoparticles could also undergo olefin metathesis reactions with vinyl-terminated molecules, as exemplified by the functionalization of the nanoparticles with 1-vinylpyrene. In sharp contrast, no reactvity was observed with 1-dodecynide-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles with either imine or vinyl derivatives, indicating that these (deprotonated) nanoparticles were stabilized instead by the formation of a Ru-C≡ dπ bond at the metal-ligand interface.
Metabolism Body Size and Age in Baby Chicks

SummaryFasting baby chicks from 5 to 20 days of age showed an increase in metabolic rate with increasing age. This increase was 0.2 to 1%† per day for the metabolic rate per unit body weight, 2% per day for the metabolic rate per kg3/4 and 3% for the metabolic rate per unit surface area. Baby chicks thus deviate systematically from the rule which is valid for the relation of body size and metabolism in mature homeotherms. This confirms an earlier deduction based on an observation on full fed baby chicks.
C-H stretch for probing kinetics of self-assembly into macromolecular chiral structures at interfaces by chiral sum frequency generation spectroscopy.

Self-assembly of molecules into chiral macromolecular and supramolecular structures at interfaces is important in various fields, such as biomedicine, polymer sciences, material sciences, and supramolecular chemistry. However, probing the kinetics at interfaces remains challenging because it requires a real-time method that has selectivity to both interface and chirality. Here, we introduce an in situ approach of using the C–H stretch as a vibrational probe detected by chiral sum frequency generation spectroscopy (cSFG). We showed that the C–H stretch cSFG signals of an amphiphilic peptide (LK7β) can reveal the kinetics of its self-assembly into chiral β-sheet structures at the air–water interface. The cSFG experiments in conjunction with measurements of surface pressure allow us to propose a mechanism of the self-assembly process, which involves an immediate adsorption of disordered structures followed by a lag phase before the self-assembly into chiral antiparallel β-sheet structures. Our method of usin...
When Do States Take the Bait? State Capacity and the Provocation Logic of Terrorism

A prominent theory holds that groups may use terrorism in order to provoke governments into undertaking repression that alienates the population. However, virtually no studies have addressed the central puzzle of this provocation logic: why states would actually fall into this trap, if doing so can backfire. This study seeks to address this puzzle by suggesting conditions under which states would respond to terrorism with repression. I argue that states with limited bureaucratic capacity are more prone to using repression after terrorist incidents, as their ability to selectively crack down is inhibited by their more limited capability for controlling, monitoring, and collecting revenue from their populations and for collecting intelligence on suspected terrorists. Using a cross-national analysis with data from 1981 to 2011, I find it is low-capacity states which are most likely to respond to terrorism with repression, while constraints on executive authority have no clear effect.
The Intelligent Test System of High-Efficient Motor and Energy Saving Device

The paper introduced the test system for high-efficient motor and energy saving device,the system can do energy-saving test for light-load energy-saving device and variable pressure governor;the system used IEEE 488 bus and PLC control as well,which can greatly improved its automation level.The practice shows that the system has such advantages as advanced structure、rational distribution、reliability、higher precision、simple operation and fast processing,etc.
Rapid evaluation of bridge carrying capability based on optical fiber sensing technology

In order to satisfy the demand of rapid evaluation of the safety of the bridge carrying army vehicles,analyzing the advantage and disadvantage of the existing evaluation methods on the carrying capability of old bridges were analyzed,and a new method was proposed based on the optical fiber sensing technology.The basic standard of real time evaluation of carrying capability was offered based on its characteristic in wartime.Operation flow and fundamental of the method were narrated.Feasibility of the method was validated through a model examination.As a result,the method accords with the demand of combining peacetime footing with wartime footing.It can exactly evaluate the carrying capability of the existing bridge,and is convenient for operation in wartime.
The Thought and Method of Syndromes Study about Rheumatoid Arhtritis

After consulted 360 literatures about the clinical study of Rheumatoid arthritis during 1989-2005,the author found out 210 pieces with criterion of diagnosis and effect,which mostly adopted western medical criterion,in which had only 9 pieces with TCM criterion unconfirmed,such as differetiation of no basis or self-making.It is obviously that there was not TCM differentiation criterion for RA.Therefore,the criterion of TCM differentiation should be confirmed as soon as possible,it is imperative under this situation.We are going to prepare to make the study literatures about the differentiation and treatment of RA including syndromes,amounts of respective syndromes and symptoms of respective syndromes,and the contents of differentiation,treatment in relevent books and the criterion constituted by nation or annual national conference,and the experience of the senior TCM doctors input the database.Then we calculate the frequence and deal with them by statistics,make certain the syndromes and respective symptoms,whereafter combining clinical investigation,carry out synthetical analysis,finally picking up relatively pure,typical,and recognized basic syndromes,reveal the basic laws of RA sydromes and confirm the criterion of RA differentiation.
Implement Problem and Measure of Outpatient Electronic Medical Records

As a part of the hospital information construction,implement of outpatient EMR is an important work of hospital information center.During the working we met some different problems unlike in—patient EMR.From the perspective of doctors,patients,analyzed the cause of the problem and characteristics,and explore the measure to solve the problem,ensure the operation of outpatient EMR system.
Improving Access to Medical Lactation Support and Counseling: Building the Case for Medicaid Reimbursement.

Objective While the Affordable Care Act improves access to lactation services for many women across the US, low-income mothers in states without Medicaid expansion lack coverage for lactation support. As these states consider individual Medicaid reimbursement policies, the availability, effectiveness, and cost-benefit of lactation services must be evaluated. We conducted such an analysis for low-income mothers in North Carolina (NC), providing a model for other states. Methods First, we analyzed the distribution of NC International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and county-level breastfeeding rates among low-income infants. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between IBCLC density and 6-week breastfeeding duration. Finally, state advocates collaborated on a cost-benefit analysis of Medicaid coverage of IBCLCs. Results Maps of the NC breastfeeding support landscape indicate that IBCLCs are available to provide services to low-income women across the state. Compared to counties with no IBCLCs, those with high IBCLC density were found to have a 6-week breastfeeding prevalence ratio of 1.20 (95 % CI 1.12, 1.28). Medicaid reimbursement of IBCLCs showed an estimated annual cost savings of $2.33 million. Conclusions for Practice In one state without Medicaid expansion, we found that breastfeeding support resources are available across the state, high density IBCLC support is associated with increased breastfeeding by low-income mothers, and services are cost-effective. Our model for Medicaid reimbursement in NC provides a framework for states to improve equity in access to optimal lactation support.
Single-Stage Bipedicle Local Tissue Transfer and Skin Graft for Achilles Tendon Surgery Wound Complications.

Introduction. Achilles tendon and posterior heel wound complications are difficult to treat. These typically require soft tissue coverage via microvascular free tissue transfer at a tertiary referral center. Here, we describe coverage of a series of posterior heel and Achilles wounds via simple, local tissue transfer, called a bipedicle fasciocutaneous flap. This flap can be performed by an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon, without resources of tertiary/specialized care or microvascular support. Methods. Three patients with separate pathologies were treated with a single-stage bipedicle fasciocutaneous local tissue transfer. Case 1 was a patient with insertional wound breakdown after Achilles debridement and repair to the calcaneus. Case 2 was a heel venous stasis ulcer with calcaneal exposure in a diabetic patient with vasculopathy. Case 3 was a patient with wound breakdown following midsubstance Achilles tendon repair. All three cases were treated with a single-stage bipedicle local tissue transfer fo...
MIMO radar target measurements

Widely-spaced Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar seeks to exploit an angular diversity of measurements in order to improve target detection performance. Such systems have been predicted to outperform equivalent phased-array configurations given a suitably low-noise environment. However, these predictions have been based on the use of a target model comprising a finite area filled with an infinite number of uncorrelated point-source scatterers, and the applicability of such models when applied to realistic MIMO radars and targets remains to be demonstrated. An extended target model is offered in which scattering amplitudes in the random target are correlated as a function of spatial proximity. This model is evaluated for its utility in describing the average radar profiles of two targets: a numerically-simulated helicopter and an experimentally measured unmanned aerial vehicle. Results demonstrate a limited applicability of the new target model but serve to verify several predictions concerning the target detection performance of MIMO radars when compared to phased arrays.
Can a Regional Anesthetic Affect the Development of Phantom Limb Pain

A 62-year-old man presents for urgent amputation of his right lower extremity distal to the knee for progressive gangrene and necrosis. The patient had several previous procedures related to complications of peripheral vascular disease including lower extremity angiograms, femoral stents, and a bi-aorto femoral bypass. The patient has significant preoperative ischemic pain, with a large neuropathic component, and he asks you if there is anything you can do to decrease his likelihood of developing chronic pain after the amputation. After an amputation, there is the possibility that the patient will develop stump pain, phantom limb pain, and even phantom limb sensations. These symptoms can develop soon after the surgery.
A Switched Systems Framework for Guaranteed Convergence of Image-Based Observers With Intermittent Measurements

Switched systems theory is used to analyze the stability of image-based observers for three-dimensional localization of objects in a scene in the presence of intermittent measurements due to occlusions, feature tracking losses, or a limited camera field of view, for example. Generally, observers or filters that are exponentially stable under persistent measurement availability may have unbounded error growth under intermittent measurement loss, even while providing seemingly accurate state estimates. By constructing a framework that utilizes a state predictor during periods when measurements are not available, a class of image-based observers is shown to be exponentially convergent in the presence of intermittent measurements if an average dwell time, and a total unmeasurability time, condition is satisfied. The conditions are developed in a general form, applicable to any observer that is exponentially convergent assuming persistent visibility, and utilizes object motion knowledge to reduce the amount of time measurements must be available to maintain convergence guarantees. Based on the stability results, simulations are provided to show improved performance compared to a zero-order hold approach, where state estimates are held constant when measurements are not available. Experimental results are also included to verify the theoretical results, to demonstrate applicability of the developed observer and predictor design, and to compare against a typical approach using an extended Kalman filter.
Exact Model Counting of Query Expressions: Limitations of Propositional Methods

We prove exponential lower bounds on the running time of the state-of-the-art exact model counting algorithms—algorithms for exactly computing the number of satisfying assignments, or the satisfying probability, of Boolean formulas. These algorithms can be seen, either directly or indirectly, as building Decision-Decomposable Negation Normal Form (decision-DNNF) representations of the input Boolean formulas. Decision-DNNFs are a special case of d-DNNFs where d stands for deterministic. We show that any knowledge compilation representations from a class (called DLDDs in this article) that contain decision-DNNFs can be converted into equivalent Free Binary Decision Diagrams (FBDDs), also known as Read-Once Branching Programs, with only a quasi-polynomial increase in representation size. Leveraging known exponential lower bounds for FBDDs, we then obtain similar exponential lower bounds for decision-DNNFs, which imply exponential lower bounds for model-counting algorithms. We also separate the power of decision-DNNFs from d-DNNFs and a generalization of decision-DNNFs known as AND-FBDDs.We then prove new lower bounds for FBDDs that yield exponential lower bounds on the running time of these exact model counters when applied to the problem of query evaluation in tuple-independent probabilistic databases—computing the probability of an answer to a query given independent probabilities of the individual tuples in a database instance. This approach to the query evaluation problem, in which one first obtains the lineage for the query and database instance as a Boolean formula and then performs weighted model counting on the lineage, is known as grounded inference. A second approach, known as lifted inference or extensional query evaluation, exploits the high-level structure of the query as a first-order formula. Although it has been widely believed that lifted inference is strictly more powerful than grounded inference on the lineage alone, no formal separation has previously been shown for query evaluation. In this article, we show such a formal separation for the first time. In particular, we exhibit a family of database queries for which polynomial-time extensional query evaluation techniques were previously known but for which query evaluation via grounded inference using the state-of-the-art exact model counters requires exponential time.
DataSynthesizer: Privacy-Preserving Synthetic Datasets

To facilitate collaboration over sensitive data, we present DataSynthesizer, a tool that takes a sensitive dataset as input and generates a structurally and statistically similar synthetic dataset with strong privacy guarantees. The data owners need not release their data, while potential collaborators can begin developing models and methods with some confidence that their results will work similarly on the real dataset. The distinguishing feature of DataSynthesizer is its usability --- the data owner does not have to specify any parameters to start generating and sharing data safely and effectively.DataSynthesizer consists of three high-level modules --- DataDescriber, DataGenerator and ModelInspector. The first, DataDescriber, investigates the data types, correlations and distributions of the attributes in the private dataset, and produces a data summary, adding noise to the distributions to preserve privacy. DataGenerator samples from the summary computed by DataDescriber and outputs synthetic data. ModelInspector shows an intuitive description of the data summary that was computed by DataDescriber, allowing the data owner to evaluate the accuracy of the summarization process and adjust any parameters, if desired.We describe DataSynthesizer and illustrate its use in an urban science context, where sharing sensitive, legally encumbered data between agencies and with outside collaborators is reported as the primary obstacle to data-driven governance.The code implementing all parts of this work is publicly available at https://github.com/DataResponsibly/DataSynthesizer.
Decreasing incidence of coronary disease in pediatric cardiac transplant recipients using increased immunosuppression

Background. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a limiting factor to long-term survival in cardiac transplant recipients, affecting from 30% to 50% of patients by 5 years after surgery. Can the incidence of CAD be lowered with augmentation of immunosuppression? Methods and Results. We compared the incidence of CAD in our pediatric transplant population with nine potential risk factors, including immunosuppressive regimen. The study group consisted of 55 patients who survived more than 1 year (or to first angiogram) or bad autopsies. Coronary angiograms were performed yearly and compared sequentially. The mean follow-up of 55 patients was 36 months. Mean age was 10.3±6 years (range, 4 months to 18 years)
The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names

Taxonomy, one of the lessons in the science curriculum long forgotten or deliberately abandoned by most humanities students after taking the unit quiz, is essential in scientific study (Kiser 2014)...
Preliminary Results that Assess Metformin Treatment in a Preclinical Model of Pancreatic Cancer Using Simultaneous [18F]FDG PET and acidoCEST MRI.

We sought to determine if the synergy between evaluations of glucose uptake in tumors and extracellular tumor acidosis measured with simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can improve longitudinal evaluations of the response to metformin treatment. A standard 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) PET protocol that evaluates glucose uptake in tumors, and a standard acidoCEST MRI protocol that measures extracellular pH (pHe) in tumors, were simultaneously performed to assess eight vehicle-treated (control) mice and eight metformin-treated mice 1 day before treatment, 1 day after initiating daily treatment with metformin, and 7 days after initiating treatment. Longitudinal changes in SUVmax and extracellular pH (pHe) were evaluated for each treatment group, and differences in SUVmax and pHe between metformin-treated and control groups were also evaluated. MRI acquisition protocols had little effect on the PET count rate, and the PET instrumentation had little effect on image contrast during acidoCEST MRI, verifying that [18F]FDG PET and acidoCEST MRI can be performed simultaneously. The average SUVmax of the tumor model had a significant decrease after 7 days of treatment with metformin, as expected. The average tumor pHe decreased after 7 days of metformin treatment, which reflected the inhibition of the consumption of cytosolic lactic acid caused by metformin. However, the average SUVmax of the tumor model was not significantly different between the metformin-treated and control groups after 7 days of treatment, and average pHe was also not significantly different between these groups. For comparison, the combination of average SUVmax and pHe measurements significantly differed between the treatment group and control group on Day 7. [18F]FDG PET and acidoCEST MRI studies can be performed simultaneously. The synergistic combination of assessing glucose uptake and tumor acidosis can improve differentiation of a drug-treated group from a control group during drug treatment of a tumor model.
Reduced skeletal muscle phosphocreatine concentration in type 2 diabetic patients: a quantitative image-based phosphorus-31 MR spectroscopy study.

Mitochondrial function has been examined in insulin-resistant (IR) states including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Previous studies using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) i...
Chapter 2: Contemporary Ethics

A title like this is a controversial starting point. It alludes to the belief that ethics are not timeless, that they do not exist independently of the particular circumstances of place and time, and, furthermore, that ethics are not innate in human beings, not part of their inalienable being, but rather that they emerge from external, and particularly, social pressures. In other words, the implication is that ethics do not emerge from the individual, but rather from the external environment.
Bioaccumulation/Storage/Detoxification

Bioavailability refers to the fraction of the total chemical in the environment that is available for absorption into biota. This depends on the chemical, the organism, and environmental conditions, such as temperature, DO, and pH. Uptake of contaminants generally is via the skin, respiratory system, or food, with food being a major route of uptake for species that are higher on the food web such as large carnivorous fishes or mammals. Hydrophobic compounds that have low water solubility (log octanol/water partition coefficient – log Kow >6) are absorbed primarily from food, while compounds with low hydrophobicity (log Kow <4) are more water-soluble, and are absorbed directly from the water, primarily by the gills. Hydrophobic chemicals including halogenated organics and metals that have low water solubility tend to be adsorbed to sediments, which are the main sink and source for uptake into biota (via pore water). They also partition onto particulates and small planktonic organisms. Once absorbed, only a portion of the chemical actually reaches the circulation for distribution around an animal’s body. This amount is affected by processes including absorption, transport, biotransformation, and excretion via gills or kidneys. Within cells, metals can become associated with metallothioneins or metal rich granules, which make them unavailable, while metals associated with enzymes can cause toxicity. The subcellular distribution also affects the degree of trophic transfer. Persistent organic chemicals tend to accumulate in fatty tissue and to biomagnify up food webs. Organic chemicals are metabolized with the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme system. Both metals and organic chemicals tend to accumulate in the liver or hepatopancreas; lipophilic chemicals accumulate in the blubber of large animals such as marine mammals.
Bacterial Leaf Nodule Symbiosis

Publisher Summary Leaf nodules represent the most visible aspect of a group of symbiotic relationships, which are arguably the most complex and certainly has the most intimate associations between bacteria and higher plants. This intimacy lies in the fact that the bacteria are constant and obligate companions of the host throughout the plant's entire life cycle and hence these relationships have come to be described as “cyclic symbioses.” Colonies of bacteria are maintained in a protein/carbohydrate based mucilage within every vegetative shoot tip of the host plant, acting as a source of inoculum for the infection of each new developing leaf. At the onset of flowering, the bacteria are transferred into the floral shoot tip and, during floral organogenesis, are placed within the embryo sac of the developing ovule. As the ovule develops into a seed, the bacteria are somehow positioned on the epicotyl of the embryo where, upon germination of the seed, they become enclosed in the shoot tip of the seedling where they infect the first leaves of the next host plant generation. In these relationships, the leaf nodules per se, although highly visible, are but a relatively small part of the story. A more complicated sequence of plant-microbe interactions occurs at a microscopic level within the host plant throughout its entire life cycle. This chapter describes the present state of understanding of the interactions that occur in these complex cyclic symbioses and describes, at the ultrastructural level the interesting, if somewhat bizarre, ecosystem to which these leaf nodule microsymbionts have become adapted.
The Role of Higher Education in Professional Preparation for Early Childhood Education

There is a discontinuity between the nonlinear ways that young children learn and the linear educational institutions where teachers and caregivers are trained, even though research shows that specialized training for the age group is essential. Programs for teacher preparation vary widely in content and strategy, and accreditation is not yet consistent or a consistent commitment. Presently, these are weaknesses, but the diversity of the field allows for alternative, dynamic approaches consistent with nonlinear learning.
A Brief Introduction to Unmanned Systems Autonomy Services (UxAS)

Future concepts for autonomy envisage teams of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) performing a variety of missions quickly, efficiently, and with minimal human oversight. However, developers of mission-level autonomy for UAV teams face many challenges. These include the need to support ad hoc inter-UAV communication, to provide a baseline set of autonomous capabilities, to support the ongoing incorporation of new autonomous capabilities, and to manage the inherent complexity of the software. To address these challenges, we developed the Unmanned Systems Autonomy Services (UxAS), an extensible software framework for mission-level autonomy for teams of unmanned systems, with a focus on UAVs. UxAS was borne out of over 15 years of research and 10 years of flight testing and is now publicly available and free to use.We start with a discussion of mission-level autonomy, followed by an overview of UxAS. Next, we provide a high-level comparison to other software frameworks and a more in-depth comparison to the Robot Operating System. Then, we provide details on UxAS services and configuration, discuss how a core set of services can be configured to work together to plan and execute a multi-UAV surveillance mission, describe utilization and flight testing of UxAS, and discuss areas of future work.
MODEL-DIRECTED LEARNING OF PRODUCTION RULES1

The Meta-DENDRAL program is described in general terms that are intended to clarify the similarities and differences to other learning programs. Its approach of model-directed heuristic search through a complex space of possible rules appears well suited to many induction tasks. The use of a strong model of the domain to direct the rule search has been demonstrated for rule formation in two areas of chemistry. The high performance of programs that use the generated rules attests to the success of this learning strategy.
Statistics and Health Care Fraud : How to Save Billions

Statistics and Health Care Fraud: How to Save Billions helps the public to become more informed citizens through discussions of real world health care examples and fraud assessment applications. The author presents statistical and analytical methods used in health care fraud audits without requiring any mathematical background. The public suffers from health care overpayments either directly as patients or indirectly as taxpayers, and fraud analytics provides ways to handle the large size and complexity of these claims. The book starts with a brief overview of global healthcare systems such as U.S. Medicare. This is followed by a discussion of medical overpayments and assessment initiatives using a variety of real world examples. The book covers subjects as: • Description and visualization of medical claims data • Prediction of fraudulent transactions • Detection of excessive billings • Revealing new fraud patterns • Challenges and opportunities with health care fraud analytics Dr. Tahir Ekin is the Brandon Dee Roberts Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods in McCoy College of Business, Texas State University. His previous work experience includes a working as a statistician on health care fraud detection. His scholarly work on health care fraud has been published in a variety of academic journals including International Statistical Review, The American Statistician, and Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry. He is a recipient of the Texas State University 2018 Presidential Distinction Award in Scholar Activities and the ASA/NISS y-Bis 2016 Best Paper Awards. He has developed and taught courses in the areas of business statistics, optimization, data mining and analytics. Dr. Ekin also serves as Vice President of the International Society for Business and Industrial Statistics.
MULTIMODALITY IMAGING OF ENDOMYOCARDIAL FIBROSIS ASSOCIATED WITH POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic inflammatory syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by proximal myalgia. It has been associated with cardiovascular events including myocarditis. Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a rare condition of unclear etiology, likely of some relation to
Insights from an individual based model of a fish population on a large regulated river

On regulated rivers, managers must understand how drivers they can influence interact with the system to affect the health of resident fish populations. One potential way to gain insight into how these drivers interact or act in insolation is with individual based models (IBM), which can take numerous environmental drivers as inputs and mechanistically simulate their effects on the individuals in the system. This paper uses inSALMO, a spatially explicit IBM for salmon freshwater life stages, to examine how eight different drivers affect nine response variables for winter run Chinook salmon on the Sacramento River, CA. This paper examines the effects spawner numbers, spawner timing, water temperature, flow rate, turbidity, habitat cover, gravel area, and food concentration on superimposition, temperature induced egg mortality, predation, stranding, poor condition mortality, age at out-migration, length at out-migration, number of out-migrants, and juvenile size distribution. Notable results included: flow’s lack of effect on juvenile stranding and small effect on final out-migrant count, the degree to which flow affects superimposition risk, temperature having the largest effect on final juvenile out-migrant count, the interaction between predation and temperature induced egg mortality which produces a constantly decreasing out-migration count with temperature, and the level at which gravel additions would not have added benefits for superimposition mortality. While this method uses simulations, and thus will not have perfectly fidelity to the system, it is a cost-effective and quick method for gaining a mechanistically derived understanding of the complex relationships between numerous drivers and response variables.
Large models for virtual environments: A review of work by the architectural walkthrough project at unc

Oth law of model dynamics: In a finite and usually very short amount of time, users of a graphics system will generate a model that shall bring said system to its knees. The purpose of this paper is to discuss our experiences with the impact of megamodels on interactive virtual environments. We consider a megamodel to be any model that causes the Oth law of model dynamics to come into effect. We will demonstrate how working with megamodels quickly reveals the limitations of the graphics hardware and software being used to support the virtual environment. We will give examples, based upon our experiences on the Architectural Walkthrough Project here at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UNC, of the kinds of extra effort required to overcome these limitations.