cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance evaluation of a traffic control mechanism for ATM networks

A traffic control mechanism capable of monitoring and controlling a rich family of incoming traffic behavior is introduced. The traffic control mechanism is capable of supporting a number of different cell time scale control and resource allocation schemes. For each of a variety of incoming cell sequence time behaviors and a given control and resource allocation scheme, the grade of service that can be provided by the traffic control mechanism is determined. Some possible roles for the traffic control mechanism in a traffic control infrastructure are presented along with the detailed performance analysis. Some new results on the stochastic behavior of a bursty source are included. >
Micropapillary urothelial carcinoma: Cytologic features in a retrospective series of urine specimens

Background : The micropapillary variant of urothelial carcinoma (uPC) is a rare variant of urothelial carcinoma that carries a poor prognosis. Definitive surgery may represent optimal management of low stage tumors. Urine cytology is indispensable in the screening and follow-up of urinary tract cancer. However, cytopathological criteria for diagnosis of uPC and its differentiation from conventional urothelial carcinoma (CUC) are not well-defined. Materials and Methods : Twenty-five cases of histologically confirmed micropapillary uPC from 21 patients were compared to 25 cases of histologically confirmed high-grade CUC. Results : In uPC cases, cell clusters were identified in 13 of 25 specimens from 10 patients. Six of the 13 specimens containing cell clusters corresponded to surgical pathology specimens in which micropapillary carcinoma accounted for at least 50% of total carcinoma. In contrast, only 1 of the 12 urine specimens devoid of cell clusters corresponded to surgical specimens in which micropapillary carcinoma accounted for at least 50% of total carcinoma. Cytomorphologic features of urinary specimens from patients with histologically confirmed micropapillary carcinoma were generally similar to those from patients with high-grade CUC, making it difficult to distinguish these entities in exfoliative urine specimens. Conclusions and Summary : Further investigation of the core cytopathological characteristics of uPC is warranted to refine its diagnostic criteria by exfoliative urine cytology.
Proximal tumors are associated with greater mortality in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND Colon cancer is the third leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. Recent studies report on increasing proportions of proximal cancers. The etiology behind this epidemiological trend is unclear, and its implication on survival outcomes is unknown. Further analysis of the impact of anatomic site of disease among a large multiethnic population will help facilitate research and education to improve colon cancer screening and treatment.
Gγ in Dictyostelium: Its Role in Localization of Gβγ to the Membrane Is Required for Chemotaxis in Shallow Gradients

G-protein–mediated signal transduction pathways play an essential role in the developmental program of the simple eukaryotic organism Dictyostelium discoideum. Database searches have yielded 11 Gα-subunits, a single Gβ-subunit, but no Gγ-subunits. We report here the purification, cDNA isolation, and functional analysis of a Gγ-subunit. Like Gβ, the Gγ appears to be unique and hybridization studies show that Gγ and Gβ are expressed in parallel during development. Species-wide sequence comparisons of Gγ-subunits and γ-like domains of RGS proteins reveal short stretches of highly conserved residues as well as the common CXXL motif at the COOH-terminal of Gγs that target Gβγs to plasma membrane. Overexpression of a CSVL-deleted Gγ (GγΔ) in wild-type cells shifts Gβγ to the cytosol and selectively impairs certain G-protein–mediated signal transduction pathways. These cells are able to respond to increments in the stimulus, but are unable to sense chemoattractant gradients. They neither move directionally nor recruit PH-domains to their leading edge. Thus, a full complement of membrane-tethered Gβγ is required for sensing shallow gradients, but is not essential for responses to increments in extracellular stimuli.
Data Model Design of Strategic Analysis Services for Specific Customer Oriented Industries

Facing fast changing and more diversified customers, specific customer oriented industries' executives should continuously make customer oriented strategic transformation decisions faster than competitors to obtain sustained growth. However, due to higher transformation cost per facility, increased frequency of transformation efforts, and greater complexity associated with rolling out quickly across large diverse facility networks, enterprises invest heavily yet often fail to deliver the required impacts. Executives in these industries are eager to have a quantitative method and tool to help them derive more scientific strategic transformation suggestions. In this paper, we describe a general analytics and optimization solution designed to provide strategic analysis services for those specific industries to adapt to the fast changing needs. The data model design is elaborated for efficient communication and quick solution development, and an implementation case study on intelligent facility network analytics and optimization services design in retailing industry is finally presented to illustrate how the proposed data model improves the flexibility of solutions across industries.
On the Design and Analysis of Irregular Algorithms on the Cell Processor: A Case Study of List Ranking

The Sony-Toshiba-IBM Cell Broadband Engine is a heterogeneous multicore architecture that consists of a traditional microprocessor (PPE), with eight SIMD coprocessing units (SPEs) integrated on-chip. We present a complexity model for designing algorithms on the Cell processor, along with a systematic procedure for algorithm analysis. To estimate the execution time of the algorithm, we consider the computational complexity, memory access patterns (DMA transfer sizes and latency), and the complexity of branching instructions. This model, coupled with the analysis procedure, simplifies algorithm design on the Cell and enables quick identification of potential implementation bottlenecks. Using the model, we design an efficient implementation of list ranking, a representative problem from the class of combinatorial and graph-theoretic applications. Due to its highly irregular memory patterns, list ranking is a particularly challenging problem to parallelize on current cache-based and distributed memory architectures. We describe a generic work-partitioning technique on the Cell to hide memory access latency, and apply this to efficiently implement list ranking. We run our algorithm on a 3.2 GHz Cell processor using an IBM QS20 Cell Blade and demonstrate a substantial speedup for list ranking on the Cell in comparison to traditional cache-based microprocessors. For a random linked list of 1 million nodes, we achieve an an overall speedup of 8.34 over a PPE-only implementation.
Pediatric Nurses’ Beliefs and Pain Management Practices: An Intervention Pilot

We evaluated feasibility of the Internet-based Relieve Children's Pain (RCP) protocol to improve nurses’ management of children's pain. RCP is an interactive, content-focused, and Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory-based intervention. Using a one-group, pre/posttest design, we evaluated feasibility of RCP and pre/post difference in scores for nurses’ beliefs, and simulated and actual pain management practices. Twenty-four RNs completed an Internet-based Pain Beliefs and Practices Questionnaire (PBPQ, alpha=.83) before and after they completed the RCP and an Acceptability Scale afterward. Mean total PBPQ scores significantly improved from pre-to-posttest as did simulated practice scores. After RCP in actual hospital practice, nurses administered significantly more ibuprofen and keterolac and children's pain intensity significantly decreased. Findings showed strong evidence for the feasibility of RCP and study procedures and significant improvement in nurses’ beliefs and pain management practices. The 2-hour RCP program is promising and warrants replication with an attention control group and a larger sample.
Polarization correction in dual-polarized phased arrays of flared notches

Though flared-notch radiators are capable of achieving very large bandwidths (10:1 or more) as radiating array elements, they are known to suffer from poor polarization purity when scanning in the diagonal plane (D-plane). This paper examines the polarization properties of dual-polarized arrays of flared notches as a function of frequency and the length/width ratio of the elements. Further, it is demonstrated through a combination of simulation and measurements that polarization degradation can largely be corrected for elements that have orthogonal feed ports. Though correctable, due to the nature of the polarization degradation that occurs in the D-plane, it is also shown that there is a limitation to the extent of correction that can be achieved.
Morphine stimulates cancer progression and mast cell activation and impairs survival in transgenic mice with breast cancer

Background Morphine stimulates angiogenesis and cancer progression in mice. We investigated whether morphine influences tumour onset, development, and animal model survival, and whether µ-opioid receptor (MOR), lymphangiogenesis, mast cell activation, and substance P (SP) are associated with the tumour-promoting effects of morphine. Methods Transgenic mice with a rat C3(1) simian virus 40 large tumour antigen fusion gene which demonstrate the developmental spectrum of human infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma were used. Mice were treated at different ages with clinically relevant doses of morphine or phosphate-buffered saline to determine the effect on tumour development and progression, and on mouse survival. Tumours were analysed for MOR, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, SP, and mast cell activation by immunofluorescent- or laser scanning confocal-microscopy. Cytokine and SP levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Morphine did not influence tumour development when given before the onset of tumour appearance, but significantly promoted progression of established tumours, and reduced survival. MOR-immunoreactivity (ir) was observed in larger but not in smaller tumours. Morphine treatment resulted in increased tumour angiogenesis, peri-tumoural lymphangiogenesis, mast cell activation, and higher levels of cytokines and SP in tumours. SP-ir co-localized with mast cells and elsewhere in the tumours. Conclusions Morphine does not affect the onset of tumour development, but it promotes growth of existing tumours, and reduces overall survival in mice. MOR may be associated with morphine-induced cancer progression, resulting in shorter survival. Mast cell activation by morphine may contribute to increased cytokine and SP levels, leading to cancer progression and refractory pain.
Study of Interfacial Reaction and Electromigration Reliability of Pb-Free Solders With Nickel Iron Barrier Layer

A study of NiFe alloy as under bump metallurgy (UBM) for Pb-free interconnect has been performed. Intermetallic growth rate of NiFe and SnAg solder is about 10x slower than that of Ni and SnAg solder. The thin and uniform intermetallic compound FeSn2 showed excellent thermal and electromigration stability. By slowing down or stopping the UBM dissolution, NiFe effectively eliminated the early EM fails that are common with Ni UBM. NiFe is an interesting candidate for the chip and substrate surface metallurgy of Pb-free interconnects for high power applications.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Suggestive evidence of a locus on chromosome 10p using the NIMH genetics initiative bipolar affective disorder pedigrees.

As part of a four-center NIMH Genetics Initiative on Bipolar Disorder, a genome screen using 365 markers was performed on 540 DNAs from 97 families, enriched for affected relative pairs. This is the largest uniformly ascertained and assessed linkage sample for this disease, and includes 232 subjects diagnosed with bipolar I (BPI), 32 with schizo-affective, bipolar type (SABP), 72 with bipolar II (BPII), and 88 with unipolar recurrent depression (UPR). A hierarchical set of definitions of affected status was examined. Under Model I, affected individuals were those with a diagnosis of BPI or SABP, Model II included as affected those fitting Model I plus BPII, and Model III included those fitting Model II plus UPR. This data set was previously analyzed using primarily affected sib pair methods. We report the results of nonparametric linkage analyses of the extended pedigree structure using the program Genehunter Plus. The strongest finding was a lod score of 2.5 obtained on chromosome 10 near the marker D10S1423 with diagnosis as defined under Model II. This region has been previously implicated in genome-wide studies of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Other chromosomal regions with lod scores over 1.50 for at least one Model Included chromosomes 8 (Model III), 16 (Model III), and 20 (Model I). Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:18-23, 2000
Feasibility of point-of-care colour Doppler ultrasound confirmation of intraosseous needle placement during resuscitation

Abstract Introduction Intraosseous needle insertion for vascular access is a standard procedure used in paediatric resuscitation. The introduction of newer automated intraosseous devices has recently expanded its role to include resuscitation in patients of all ages. Managing resuscitation can be challenging and a misplaced intraosseous needle may confound effective resuscitation. Colour Doppler ultrasound has been recently proposed as a method to confirm intraosseous needle placement. The ability to rapidly determine the correct position of an intraosseous needle during resuscitation would allow the delivery of medication or fluid infusion into the vascular space to be verified, thus optimizing resuscitation. Furthermore, complications from intraosseous infusion extravasating into soft tissues, such as compartment syndrome, or tissue necrosis can be avoided. Methods We describe the point-of-care sonographic technique and colour Doppler ultrasound findings of intraosseous needle confirmation in a case series of critically ill patients requiring resuscitation, highlighting the utility of this sonographic application. Results Colour Doppler ultrasound detected extraosseous flow in incorrectly positioned intraosseous needles, and intraosseous flow in correctly positioned intraosseous needles in six critically ill patients requiring resuscitation. Conclusions The use of point-of-care colour Doppler ultrasound to determine the location of both manually inserted or automated placement of intraosseous access during resuscitation is feasible, can be rapidly performed, may verify delivery of resuscitative medications or infusions, and avoid complications from extravasation.
Damia: data mashups for intranet applications

Increasingly large numbers of situational applications are being created by enterprise business users as a by-product of solving day-to-day problems. In efforts to address the demand for such applications, corporate IT is moving toward Web 2.0 architectures. In particular, the corporate intranet is evolving into a platform of readily accessible data and services where communities of business users can assemble and deploy situational applications. Damia is a web style data integration platform being developed to address the data problem presented by such applications, which often access and combine data from a variety of sources. Damia allows business users to quickly and easily create data mashups that combine data from desktop, web, and traditional IT sources into feeds that can be consumed by AJAX, and other types of web applications. This paper describes the key features and design of Damia's data integration engine, which has been packaged with Mashup Hub, an enterprise feed server currently available for download on IBM alphaWorks. Mashup Hub exposes Damia's data integration capabilities in the form of a service that allows users to create hosted data mashups.
Covering analytic sets by families of closed sets

We prove that for every family I of closed subsets of a Polish space each set can be covered by countably many members of I or else contains a nonempty set which cannot be covered by countably many members of I. We prove an analogous result for κ-Souslin sets and show that if A# exists for any A ⊂ ωω, then the above result is true for sets. A theorem of Martin is included stating that this result is also true for weakly homogeneously Souslin sets. As an application of our results we derive from them a general form of Hurewicz's theorem due to Kechris. Louveau, and Woodin and a theorem of Feng on the open covering axiom. Also some well-known theorems on finding “big” closed sets inside of “big” and are consequences of our results.
Alternative uses of electronic learning systems for enhancing team performance

Web‐based education and training programs are becoming widely offered at education institutions and companies today. The new electronic learning, or e‐learning, systems employed by these programs may also be used by work teams at organizations for facilitating creative energy in a virtual context to increase team performance. Various features such as discussion boards, virtual classrooms, digital drop boxes, task lists, calendars, and other features of the e‐learning systems can help teams work and communicate more efficiently. Explores potential features and strategies for team leaders and members to innovatively enhance team management and increase performance using e‐learning systems as a support tool.
Challenges for plasma diagnostics in a next step device (FIRE)

The physics program of any next step tokamak such as FIRE sets demands for plasma measurement which are at least as comprehensive as on present tokamaks, with the additional capabilities needed for control of the plasma and for understanding the effects of the alpha-particles. The diagnostic instrumentation must be able to provide the fine spatial and temporal resolution required for the advanced tokamak plasma scenarios. It must also be able to overcome the effects of neutron- and gamma-induced electrical noise in ceramic components or detectors, and fluorescence and absorption in optical components. There are practical engineering issues of minimizing radiation streaming while providing essential diagnostic access to the plasma. Many diagnostics will require components at or close to the first wall, e.g. ceramics and MI cable for magnetic diagnostics and mirrors for optical diagnostics; these components must be mounted to operate, and survive, in fluxes which require special material selection. A better set of diagnostics of alpha-particles than that available for TFTR is essential; it must be qualified well before moving into D-T experiments. A start has been made to assessing the potential implementation of key diagnostics for the FIRE device. The present status is described.
Performance of ARQ schemes for the TDMA component of high-speed LANs and MANs

The delay and throughput performance of automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) error-control schemes is investigated for station messages which use their allocated time-division multiple access (TDMA) slots when acknowledgments (ACKs) are received by each station during the same frame. Such ACKs are transmitted using the allocated TDMA slots or the secondary-access procedure, with the ACK message granted high priority. Both block and select-and-repeat schemes are analyzed. Results for the generating function of the station's queue-size distribution are derived, along with simple and tight upper and lower bounds on the station mean queue size and mean message delay. >
Experimental approaches to study the nutritional value of food ingredients for dogs and cats

This review covers methods that have been applied to study the nutrient value or quality of specific ingredients fed to dogs, cats and comparable species (i.e. foxes, minks, rats, etc.). Typically, the nutritional value or utilization of a specific ingredient is measured by total tract digestibility and has been expanded through the measurement of total nutrient balance (i.e. nitrogen or energy). However, to better understand digestion it is necessary to obtain a more accurate measurement of nutrients entering and leaving the small intestine. Accurate measurement of small intestinal digestion is crucial in dogs and cats because nutrient digestion and absorption occurs primarily in the small intestine. Measuring small intestinal digestibility requires access to digesta leaving the small intestine and can be obtained by placing a cannula at the terminal ileum. This approach also necessitates the use of markers (e.g. chromic oxide) to monitor flow of digesta. Specifically, this approach has been used for the direct measurement of intestinal digestion of carbohydrates and amino acids. It also permits a separate measurement of large intestinal digestion which is particularly useful for the study of fiber fermentation. Passage of foods through the gastrointestinal tract is also an important component of utilization and these methods are reviewed.
Design of modifiable-weight synapse CMOS analog cell

The design of a CMOS analog VLSI synapse circuit that learns according to supervised or unsupervised learning rules is introduced. The sign of the weight change is determined by using a weight-change sensor circuit, and then a definite weight-change value is added to the old weight using a weight-updating circuit. The resulting system provides a small weight change, positive and negative weight values, and a simple controlling weight-change mechanism. Simulation results based on the Analog Workbench software are described. >
Prophylactic Antiepileptic Drug Use and Outcome in the Ethnic/Racial Variations of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Study

Background and Purpose—The role of antiepileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains unclear. This analysis describes prevalence of prophylactic AED use, as directed by treating clinicians, in a prospective ICH cohort and tests the hypothesis that it is associated with poor outcome. Methods—Analysis included 744 patients with ICH enrolled in the Ethnic/Racial Variations of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ERICH) study before November 2012. Baseline clinical characteristics and AED use were recorded in standardized fashion. ICH location and volume were recorded from baseline neuroimaging. We analyzed differences in patient characteristics by AED prophylaxis, and we used logistic regression to test whether AED prophylaxis was associated with poor outcome. The primary outcome was 3-month modified Rankin Scale score, with 4 to 6 considered poor outcome. Results—AEDs were used for prophylaxis in 289 (39%) of the 744 subjects; of these, levetiracetam was used in 89%. Patients with lobar...
Human Genetic Adaptation

Although we use the same word “adaptation” for both physiological readjustment and genetic change, a sharp distinction must be made between the two processes, especially in view of the fact that they both involve reactions to environmental agents. A physiological adaptation refers to the regulatory mechanisms of an individual who, as a rule, does not undergo an immediate and corresponding change in his genetic makeup. A true genetic change, although it must originate in certain individuals, is more appropriately applied to future generations rather than to immediate individual responses to current environmental conditions. A physiological adaptation is temporary; a genetic change is more lasting. They are two different kinds (or levels) of reactions to environmental changes. This paper discusses exclusively the nature of genetic change, with special reference to human populations.
Building capacity for civic learning and engagement: An emerging infrastructure in the academic arts and humanities in the United States

American higher education has always articulated a civic mission as part of its purpose: colleges and universities educate students for life in a democratic society and provide that society with citizens who ensure that it thrives in turn. This essay maps the development of a national infrastructure for civic learning and engagement in American higher education, with a focus on the mid-1980s onward, when—after a period of relative eclipse—this work gained new coherence and momentum. Beginning with that moment of eclipse, when an intensified and professionalized research mission threatened to overshadow higher education’s civic commitments, we adumbrate briefly the countermovements that allowed the civic mission of colleges and universities to reassert itself. We then discuss the civic engagement networks that have emerged over the past three decades, and more recent partnerships and projects that have expanded understanding of higher education’s civic commitment in the 21st century.
Solution to a Class of Two-stage Stochastic Programs with Multivariate Normal Uncertainty

We provide results for an efficient analytical valuation of partial moments of the multivariate Gaussian distribution over convex polyhedrons to aid the solution, sensitivity analysis and structural analysis of a large number of two-stage resource acquisition and allocation problems. These results decompose a partial multivariate moment into a function of multivariate probabilities that can be easily determined using the existing efficient numerical routines. The results are most useful in practice when (i) the structure of the Stage 2 allocation problem is known a-priori, for example when a greedy allocation algorithm is known to be optimal as is commonly the case for many resource sharing problems, or (ii) when the performances of various a-priori policies need to be evaluated, or (iii) when the number of uncertainties is small. We illustrate the use and benefit of the results over traditional simulation based approaches using a multi-resource newsvendor problem of practical size.
Maximum Lifting Capacity in Single and Mixed Gender Three-Person Teams

Little information is available regarding isoinertial lifting ability in teams of two or more people. The relationship between the sum of individual lifts and the lifting capacity of a three person team was examined. Eleven men' and ten women were randomly combined into 18 teams for each of the following four combinations: three men (3M), three women (3W), two men with one woman (2M&1W), and one man with two women (1M&2W). While the absolute load lifted from floor to knuckle height decreased with a decrease in the number of males on the team, team lifting strength as a percentage of the sum of individual lifting strength was generally higher for single gender teams (91.0% for 3W and 85.0% for 3M) than for mixed gender teams (82.7% for 1M&2W and 74.4% for 2M&1W).
Stochastic Control With Uncertain Parameters via Chance Constrained Control

Chance constrained methods handle problem uncertainty by formulating the constraints probabilistically and only guaranteeing their satisfaction up to a given violation level. This paper extends existing chance constrained methods to handle both uncertainty in the system state as well as in the constraint parameters. Due to the imperfect knowledge of the system state caused by motion, sensor and environment uncertainty, the system constraints cannot be guaranteed to be satisfied and consequently must be considered probabilistically. Prior work has primarily only dealt with uncertainty in the system state or constraint parameters but not both simultaneously, however, in many motivating applications both frequently occur. To handle this case, previous approaches either approximate the distribution leading to a nonconvex optimization program, or use sampling alone to represent the uncertainty which requires a large number of samples to accurately represent the distribution. To address these limitations, a novel hybrid method is proposed that uses both analytical functions and sampling to represent the uncertainty. It is shown that under certain conditions, the resulting optimization program using this hybrid representation is convex. To check the convexity, an efficient a priori, sufficient condition is developed. Furthermore, by using this hybrid representation, this method drastically reduces the computational complexity over previous methods, which is demonstrated through two examples. Consequently, this method has the ability to enable real-time stochastic control for the motivating applications.
Study on Photosynthetic Characteristics of Pennisetum purpureum Schumach in Dry-hot Valley

The photosynthesis characteristics of Pennisetum purpureum Schumach,which was planted in the dry-hot valley by eco-agricultural models in Yuanmou,were analyzed. The results showed that the diurnal courses of Pn and Gs were bimodal pattern trend,and took place plant lunch break phenomenon by drought stress and light inhibiting effect,and the diurnal course of Tr was unimodal pattern trend in the dry season,and the diurnal course of Pn,Gs and Tr is unimodal pattern trend in the rainy season. Pennisetum purpureum Schumach is a heliophilous and shade-tolerant C4plant,which can fully use the light energy under the weak light environment and has strong CO2assimilation capacity. Generally,Pennisetum purpureum Schumach showed a relatively good adaptability and drought resistance in the dry-hot valley environment. To interplant Pennisetum purpureum Schumach timely in the forest can be helpful to the niche function and improve the productivity.
Historical Reasons and Influence of Shanxi Emigrants to Baoding in the Early Ming Dynasty

The article deals with heavy losses of Baoding region during natural disaters and "the Battle of Jingnan"in the later Yuan Dynasty and the historic significance and influence of Shanxi emigrants on agricultural recovery and handicraft development in Baoding,based on the survey of villages built by those emigrants in various counties of Baoding in the early Ming Dynasty.
The Relationship between Personality and Irrational Judgment in Civil Pilots

The construct validity of five “hazardous thought patterns” that are hypothesized to mediate pilot judgment was examined in a sample of 35 civil pilots using a self-assessment inventory developed in previous FAA research. A significant relationship was observed between three of the hazardous thought patterns and scores on both the 16PF integration/self-concept control scale and the Rotter locus of control scale. No relationship to 16PF impulsivity or superego strength was noted. The implications for pilot training and certification are discussed.
Caveat: addressing public justification as an empirical phenomenon

ABSTRACTInstead of a conclusion, this special issue ends with a discussion between Liah Greenfeld, on the one hand, and Uriel Abulof and Markus Kornprobst, on the other hand, about the merits of studying public justification and how best to do so. Greenfeld suggests that public justification is predicated on the autonomy of the political sphere, the importance ascribed to public views, and to the prevalence of justification. Seeing public justification as ultimately a cultural phenomenon, this caveat urges scholars to study it in only specific historical contexts, which are, for now, limited to predominantly ‘Western liberal democracies’.
Remote estimation of surface pCO2 on the West Florida Shelf

Abstract Surface pCO2 data from the West Florida Shelf (WFS) have been collected during 25 cruise surveys between 2003 and 2012. The data were scaled up using remote sensing measurements of surface water properties in order to provide a more nearly synoptic map of pCO2 spatial distributions and describe their temporal variations. This investigation involved extensive tests of various model forms through parsimony and Principal Component Analysis, which led to the development of a multi-variable empirical surface pCO2 model based on concurrent MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) estimates of surface chlorophyll a concentrations (CHL, mg m−3), diffuse light attenuation at 490 nm (Kd_Lee, m−1), and sea surface temperature (SST, °C). Validation using an independent dataset showed a pCO2 Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of
Enhanced Tattoo Image Quality Assessment Through Multispectral Sensing

The impact of using tattoo images in biometrics and forensics-related applications for human identification or in the case of ruling out suspects has been significantly increased in recent years. The NIST Tatt-C and Tatt-E biometric tattoo challenges have focused on pushing forward tattoo related research in terms of human identification, detection, localization, and sketch-matching. However, current tattoo research has been limited to the use of the visible wavelengths (380-750 nm) when imaging tattoo skin regions. Variations in skin pigments, ink colors, and ink types make the imaging of tattoos inherently challenging when operating in a conventional band only. For example, enhanced imaging techniques are needed to improve the contrast between skin and tattoo regions in individuals with darker skin pigment or in instances where the ink color is close to the skin pigment. In this article, we propose the use of various wavelengths within the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectrum that provide enhanced tattoo imaging and, as a result, an enhanced human identification capability. First, we performed a data collection process that resulted in the generation of a large scale database of visible and SWIR tattoo images for 133 subjects (Session 1) with 80 subjects coming back for a second round of data collection (Session 2). Furthermore, we conducted an empirical study using various skin pigments (determined via known ethnic group meta data) and when image quality varies within and across different SWIR wavelengths. Experimental results indicate that specific SWIR wavelengths, namely the range between 1100 nm and 1300 nm, show superior tattoo image quality in the majority of the ethnic groups studied, except one (i.e., Asian group). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to bring forward the benefits of tattoo imaging outside the visible band for the purpose of human identification.
Correction to: Development, validation, and evaluation of an assay for the detection of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in environmental DNA

In the original publication, a part of funding information was missed out in the acknowledgement section. The corrected acknowledgement is given below: Acknowledgements: Partial funding was kindly provided by the Alaska Herpetological Society, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Biology and Wildlife (Calvin J. Lensink Graduate Fellowship in Wildlife Biology), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology (IAB Summer Graduate Research Fellowship). We thank J. Ream and A. Wenninger for providing assistance in collecting eDNA samples from captive amphibians, G. Zedda for laboratory assistance, and A. Matter for guidance with eDNA techniques. The University of Alaska Museum of the North provided tissue and DNA samples. B. Barnes and K. Kielland assisted with field site selection and access. Two anonymous reviewers and the Springer editorial staff thoughtfully revised this manuscript. We thank the Director’s Office of the Institute of Arctic Biology, the office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the Resilience and Adaptation Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for generously funding publication costs.
Case study: Reducing preventable maternal mortality in Rwandan healthcare facilities through improvements in WASH protocols:

ProblemA lack of proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and poor hygiene practices reduce the preparedness and response of health care facilities (HCFs) in low-income countries...
An Optimal RPC Based Approach to Increase Fault in Wireless Ad-Hoc Network

In wireless network, fault tolerant topology control is an important and a challenging task. The wireless nodes and links could experience frequent failures since Wireless networks are usually deployed under extreme environments. Therefore, fault tolerance must be considered for many applications. In wireless network Topology control has been proved effective in saving node power. The main idea of topology control is that instead of using its maximal transmission power, each node sets its power to a certain level such that the global topology satisfies a certain constraint. To increase fault tolerance, nodes in the network will consume more power. Here we need to give the optimum distance between the nodes of the wireless network in order to reduce the consumption of the power of each node.
Applications of Group Enthalpies of Transfer

Group enthalpies of transfer are a recent development in studies of solvent — solute interactions (1–3). By this calori-metric technique qualitative and quantitative studies of subtle intermolecular interactions may he made, which would be, at best, more difficult and less quantitative by other means. We shall cite some systems about which useful information has already been obtained, and some areas where group enthalpies of transfer might be applied in the future.
Lyme Disease: Reservoir-Targeted Vaccines

In many parts of the world, microbial diseases have been controlled by a combination of improved hygiene practices, surveillance, diagnosis, treatments, effective vaccines, as well as greater public education and awareness of risk factors. Control strategies are especially challenging for diseases caused by pathogens that persist in a mammalian wildlife reservoir and use vectors such as insects to cycle through that species. In this group, the most relevant illnesses that pose a direct human health risk are rabies, sylvatic plague, and Lyme disease [1].
Abstract 1304: Whole-exome analysis of 1,135 melanomas reveals new significantly mutated cancer genes and copy number alterations

Introduction: Identifying driver mutations and significantly mutated genes (SMGs) is critical to characterize therapeutic targets and understand biological subtypes. Past studies in melanoma have identified ~20 SMGs and 4 genomic subtypes (BRAF, NRAS, and NF1, and triple wildtype). Critically, these studies have been powered to detect SMGs only at a frequency of >~10%. However, clinically targetable drivers can occur at much lower frequencies (e.g. ALK-rearrangmenet in lung cancer). Thus, we hypothesized that a uniform meta-analysis of all publicly available melanoma whole exome sequences would provide power to identify clinically SMGs not previously associated with melanoma. Methods: We assembled and uniformly analyzed a cohort of 1,135 tumor and matched germline primary and metastatic non-uveal melanoma whole exomes. All samples were realigned to hg19 using the Picard best practice realignment pipeline. These samples passed several QC metrics that included coverage (DepthOfCoverage, 50X tumor and 20X normal), cross sample contamination (ContEst, 20%), and tumor-in-normal (deTiN, Citation Format: Jake R. Conway, David Liu, Stephanie Wankowicz, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Felix Dietlein, Eliezer Van Allen. Whole-exome analysis of 1,135 melanomas reveals new significantly mutated cancer genes and copy number alterations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1304.
The history and impact of digitization and digital data mobilization on biodiversity research

The first two decades of the twenty-first century have seen a rapid rise in the mobilization of digital biodiversity data. This has thrust natural history museums into the forefront of biodiversity research, underscoring their central role in the modern scientific enterprise. The advent of mobilization initiatives such as the United States National Science Foundation's Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC), Australia's Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), Mexico's National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), Brazil's Centro de Referencia em Informacao (CRIA) and China's National Specimen Information Infrastructure (NSII) has led to a rapid rise in data aggregators and an exponential increase in digital data for scientific research and arguably provide the best evidence of where species live. The international Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) now serves about 131 million museum specimen records, and Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) in the USA has amassed more than 115 million. These resources expose collections to a wider audience of researchers, provide the best biodiversity data in the modern era outside of nature itself and ensure the primacy of specimen-based research. Here, we provide a brief history of worldwide data mobilization, their impact on biodiversity research, challenges for ensuring data quality, their contribution to scientific publications and evidence of the rising profiles of natural history collections.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
Identity and Play in Interactive Digital Media: Ergodic Ontogeny

Recent shifts in new literacy studies have expanded definitions of text, reading/viewing, and literacy itself. The inclusion of non-traditional media forms is essential, as texts beyond written words, images, or movement across a screen are becoming ever more prominent in media studies. Included in such non-print texts are interactive media forms like computer or video games that can be understood in similar, though distinct, terms as texts that are read by their users. This book examines how people are socially, culturally, and personally changing as a result of their reading of, or interaction with, these texts. This work explores the concept of ergodic ontogeny: the mental development resulting from interactive digital media play experiences causing change in personal identity.
Elliptic polarization of the X wave for transverse propagation

As illustrated in Figure 2.3, the D vector, the H vector and the direction of phase propagation for a characteristic wave in a magnetoplasma always constitute a right-handed mutually perpendicular system of directions. For transverse propagation of the X wave, these vectors are linearly polarized as described in Section 9.3. The H vector of the wave vibrates linearly back and forth parallel to the imposed magnetic field, and the D vector vibrates linearly back and forth along a line that is perpendicular both to the direction of propagation and to the imposed magnetic field.
MetSim v2.0.0: A flexible and extensible framework for the estimation and disaggregation of meteorological data

Abstract. MetSim is a freely available, open source Python based model for simulation and disaggregation of meteorological variables with applications in the environmental and Earth sciences. MetSim can be used to generate spatially distributed sub-daily timeseries of incoming shortwave radiation, outgoing longwave radiation, air pressure, specific humidity, relative humidity, vapor pressure, precipitation, and air temperature given daily timeseries of minimum temperature, maximum temperature, and precipitation. Based on previously developed algorithms, we demonstrate that MetSim is able to closely reproduce their results while providing a number of advantages and improvements. We implemented automated testing to decrease errors during development and to improve reproducibility, modularized the algorithms to allow for extensions and modifications, and implemented robust single and multi-node parallelism. We describe the overall architecture, algorithms, and capabilities of MetSim by describing its four major modules. These are split into a model driver, solar geometry module, meteorological simulation module, and temporal disaggregation module. We also describe the available options and parameters that MetSim exposes to its users and analyze MetSim's scalability for large datasets.
Anticoagulant Prescribing for Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation in the Veterans Health Administration.

Background Direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) theoretically could contribute to addressing underuse of anticoagulation in non‐valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Few studies have examined t...
The General Diagnostic Model

The general diagnostic model (GDM) allows modeling dichotomous and polytomous item responses under the assumption that respondents differ with respect to multiple latent skills or attributes, and that these may be distributed differently across populations. Item responses can be of mixed format, dichotomous and/or polytomous, and skills/attributes can be binary, polytomous ordinal, or continuous. Variables that define populations can be observed, latent as in discrete mixture models, or partially missing. Unobserved grouping variables can be predicted based on hierarchical extensions of the GDM. It was shown that through reparameterization, the GDM contains the DINA as well as the logistic G-DINA, which is the same as the log-linear cognitive diagnostic model (LCDM), as special cases, and hence can fit all models that can be specified in these frameworks. Taken together, the GDM includes a wide range of diagnostic models, as well as item response theory (IRT), multidimensional IRT (MIRT), latent class models, located latent class models, multiple group and mixture versions of these models, as well as multilevel, and longitudinal extensions of these. This chapter introduces the GDM by means of a formal description of basic model assumptions and their generalizations and describes how models can be estimated in the GDM framework using the mdltm software. The software is free for research purposes, can handle very large databases up to millions of respondents and thousands of items, and provides efficient estimation of models through utilization of massively parallel estimation algorithms. The software was used operationally for scaling the PISA 2015, 2018, and PIAAC 2012 main study databases, which include hundreds of populations, grouping variables, and weights, and hundreds of test forms collected over five assessment cycles with a combined size of over two million respondents.
Agrobiodiversity conservation with illegal-drug crops: An approach from the prisons in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract Drawing on political-ecological vulnerability theory, this paper analyzes the impact of illegal-drug cultivation and its related violence on smallholder agrobiodiversity in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Oaxaca is a global agrobiodiversity hotspot where cannabis and opium poppy have been widely cultivated for decades. The study is based on 76 structured/semi-structured interviews with imprisoned farmers, harvest gatherers, and former soldiers in four state prisons. Results show that illegal-drug crops and native-food crops complement each other until a threshold of violence is crossed, which leads to the abandonment of agriculture due to murder, imprisonment, and out-migration. The specialization of smallholder agriculture in illegal-drug crops tends to favor crossing the threshold of violence. In most municipalities in this study, however, rather a diversification process took place in which illegal-drug crops were incorporated to food production systems, reducing both the exposure and the sensitivity of smallholders to structural and direct violence. Other adaptation strategies involved local organization and militarization of smallholders for collective-risk management and territorial control. Ultimately, by comparing five vulnerability scenarios, this paper argues that the combination of peasant organization, militarization, and crop/livelihood diversification in Oaxaca mitigates the violent agrarian change associated with this illegal economy, while conserving agrobiodiversity.