cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterotic standard model vacua

In this talk I will present a class of heterotic string theory compactifications which lead to four dimensional N = 1 supersymmetric vacua with standard model gauge group SU(3)C × SU(2)L × U(1)Y. I will compute their massless particle spectrum and show that it contains precisely three families of quarks and leptons and a certain number of SU(2) Higgs doublets.
Preparing for the computer age at an early age

In developing a secondary-school mathematics curriculum, it is important to consider the kinds of experiences children should have to help underpin the development of the more abstract notions they are likely to encounter in later years of schooling. Many sophisticated ideas from modern mathematics and computer science are accessible to children and adults with very little mathematical background. The ideas are made more accessible by experiential projects with links to such topics as finite state automata, fractals, graph theory and cryptography. Scientists and mathematicians can bring their knowledge to the schools though clubs and demonstrations which will eventually infiltrate the classroom.
Two forms of scene memory guide visual search: Memory for scene context and memory for the binding of target object to scene location

The role of scene memory in visual search was investigated in a preview-search task. Participants saw a preview of a real-world scene prior to searching through that scene for a target object. Compared with a no preview baseline, search was facilitated following a preview scene that did not contain the ultimate target object, indicating that memory for the general context and layout of a scene exemplar facilitates later search. In addition, search was more efficient when the preview scene contained the ultimate target object than when it did not, demonstrating that memory for the specific binding of objects to locations facilitates later search. Both forms of memory were explicitly available for participant report.
Optical band gap and the Burstein–Moss effect in iodine doped PbTe using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy

Optical absorption edge measurements are performed on I doped PbTe using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. The Burstein-Moss shift, an increase in the absorption edge (optical band gap) with increasing doping level, is explored. The optical gap increases on the order of 0.1eV for doping levels ranging from 3◊10 18 to 2◊10 20 cm 3 , relevant doping levels for good thermoelectric materials. Chemical potential is estimated from transport measurements—specifically, Hall effect and Seebeck coefficient—using a single band Kane model. In heavily doped semiconductors, it is well-known that the band gap shrinks with increasing doping level. This effect, known as band gap renormalization, is fit here using an n 1/3 scaling law which reflects an electron-electron exchange interaction. The renormalization effect in these samples is shown to be more than 0.1eV, on the same order of magnitude as the band gap itself. Existing models do not explain such large relative changes in band gap and are not entirely self-consistent. An improved theory for the renormalization in narrow gap semiconductors is required.
What Can We Learn from the Time Course of Untreated and Partially Treated Community-Onset Streptococcus pneumoniae Pneumonia? A Clinical Perspective on Superiority and Noninferiority Trial Designs for Mild Community-Acquired Pneumonia

There are no well-designed placebo-controlled clinical trials in the recent era that precisely define the magnitude of the drug effect of antimicrobial therapy for mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, there is evidence that ineffective therapies, selected on the basis of the ratio of 24-h area under the concentration curve to minimum inhibitory concentration, associated with a discordant (nonsusceptible in vitro) specific agent (or no therapy) for mild CAP due to Streptococcus pneumoniae are associated with increased risk of progression to serious CAP. The relatively high rate of clinical success associated with appropriate antimicrobial treatment of mild CAP renders a standard outcome measure of clinical success an unlikely way to differentiate new agents. However, there may be an advantage in composite outcome assessments for mild CAP. Composite-outcomes end points that include time to resolution of morbidity, the use of patient reported-outcomes instruments, and biomarkers are recommended for future studies. Because the composite rate of success in recent randomized clinical trials exceeds 90%, it would seem that a noninferiority margin of 10% is reasonable for trials for mild CAP.
Multi-Facet Representation of Arbitrary Surface Geometries

This paper discusses the extension of array redundancy minimization techniques to arbitrary contiguous surfaces. By constructing a surface from an assemblage of facets and assigning each facet a location and orientation in global space, storage, compute time, and matrix fill time can be reduced. Included are general geometric formulations necessary to construct an arbitrary surface from preexisting facets, and discussions with regard to mesh integrity and storage reduction. The application of this technique to open surface PEC structures using Moment Method is illustrated.
Mediating Effects of Cost to Audience and Audience Attractiveness on Responses to Counter-Attitudinal Role Taking

Summary The present study investigated the mediating effects of recipient's attractiveness and of perceived cost to recipient on the communicator's evaluation of her own role, using a counterattitudinal paradigm. It was predicted that the subject would indicate greater moral justification for, but less enjoyment of her role, the more attractive the recipient appeared and the greater the cost of the recipient's compliance. There were no significant main effects of attraction or cost, but a significant attraction x cost interaction effect on the moral aspects of the role. An explanation based on causal locus of recipient compliance is offered.
A heuristic simulation model of Lake Ontario circulation and mass balance transport

The redistribution of suspended organisms and materials by large-scale currents is part of natural ecological processes in large aquatic systems but can contribute to ecosystem disruption when exotic elements are introduced into the system. Toxic compounds and planktonic organisms spend various lengths of time in suspension before settling to the bottom or otherwise being removed. We constructed a simple physical simulation model, including the influence of major tributaries, to qualitatively examine circulation patterns in Lake Ontario. We used a simple mass balance approach to estimate the relative water input to and export from each of 10 depth regime-specific compartments (nearshore vs. offshore) comprising Lake Ontario. Despite its simplicity, our model produced circulation patterns similar to those reported by more complex studies in the literature. A three-gyre pattern, with the classic large counterclockwise central lake circulation, and a simpler two-gyre system were both observed. These qualitat...
Safety and Efficacy of Total Dose Iron Dextran Administration in Patients on Home Renal Replacement Therapies

ObjectiveTo determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous total dose iron (TDI) replacement in patients treated with home renal replacement therapy.DesignProspective open-label study on end poin...
Stock Buybacks: Good Or Bad For Investors?

A recent news flash announced that Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway would buy back $1.2 billion worth of its own Class A stock. In recent times, such stock buybacks are happening in rapid succession among companies all over the world. There are many advantages to investors of a company when the company buys back its own stock, generally known as treasury stock. Stock buybacks result in higher earnings per share (EPS), theoretically resulting in higher stock prices. Companies also resort to stock buybacks when they happen to have excessive cash balance. Cash rich companies are generally considered attractive targets for takeover possibilities. During times such as the present ones when returns on cash money market accounts do not yield attractive returns, companies usually implement stock buyback policies, thus earning better returns on excess cash while at the same time avoiding takeover possibilities. There are also some hidden advantages to senior management resulting from stock buybacks because of higher prices for their substantial stock options. There are also some disadvantages to investors resulting from stock buybacks. This paper presents some of the main reasons for stock buybacks, and the consequential advantages and disadvantages to investors and other stakeholders.
Emotion understanding in postinstitutionalized Eastern European children

To examine the effects of early emotional neglect on children’s affective development, we assessed children who had experienced institutionalized care prior to adoption into family environments. One task required children to identify photographs of facial expressions of emotion. A second task required children to match facial expressions to an emotional situation. Internationally adopted, postinstitutionalized children had difficulty identifying facial expressions of emotion. In addition, postinstitutionalized children had significant difficulty matching appropriate facial expressions to happy, sad, and fearful scenarios. However, postinstitutionalized children performed as well as comparison children when asked to identify and match angry facial expressions. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of emotional input early in life on later developmental organization.
Enemies or allies? The organ transplant medical community, the federal government, and the public in the United States, 1967-2000.

The transplant medical community in the United States has frequently been divided over the appropriate role of the federal government and of the public in matters related to organ transplantation. Using public statements in government hearings, newspapers, and press releases, this article traces the thinking of the transplant medical community in particular during three especially politicized periods: the heart transplant and brain death controversies in the late 1960s, consideration of the National Organ Transplant Act and other legislation during the mid-1980s, and the controversy over organ allocation regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in the late 1990s. Even while sometimes denouncing "politicization," over time surgeons, physicians, representatives of the United Network for Organ Sharing, and other leaders in the field became increasingly politically active and more accustomed to the notion that because of the unique nature of organ transplantation, both the public and the federal government have a legitimate and potentially beneficial oversight role. KEYWORDS: organ transplantation policy, organ transplant community, United Network for Organ Sharing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Organ Transplant Act.
Order Effects in Production and Comprehension of Prosodic Boundaries

Two experiments investigate the effect of sentence familiarity and constituent length on the production of prosodic boundaries in syntactically ambiguous sentences such as The brother N1 of the bridegroom N2 who swims RC was last seen on Friday night, where the person swimming can be either the brother (high attachment) or the bridegroom (low attachment). Participants read aloud sentences with short and long N1s and RCs either on the fly or after forced disambiguation. Productions were coded for prosodic boundary strength at N1 and N2 using the ToBI annotation system. The results suggest that when reading aloud unfamiliar sentences, local syntactic cues drive prosodic structure and this structure does not guide sentence interpretation after the sentence is fully parsed. When reading familiar sentences, readers make rhythmic adjustments and often produce prosodic phrasing that informs their interpretation of the sentence. These findings suggest that prosodic phrasing of read speech only informs the message if the sentence had previously been fully parsed.
Grammar Consciousness-raising: Research, Theory, And Application

This article reviews a number of studies that proved the efficacy of consciousness-raising (C-R), showing at the same time the inherent flaws that these studies suffer. It then proceeds to discuss the theoretical assumptions underpinning C-R, the application and the intended outcomes of C-R. In doing this, teachers can obtain a comprehensive picture of C-R, and in particular understand its typical characteristics that differentiate it from the traditional teaching method such as the Grammar Translation. Implications from C-R studies for language teaching are also discussed.
Evaluation of decentralized reactive swing-leg control on a powered robotic leg

Animals and robots balance dynamically by placing their feet into proper ground targets. While foot placement controls exist for both fully robotic systems and powered prostheses, none enable the dynamism and reactiveness of able-bodied humans. A control approach was recently developed for an ideal double pendulum dynamical system that places feet into ground targets for a wide range of initial conditions and in the presence of significant locomotion disturbances. While its performance in simulation make it an attractive candidate to control legged robotic systems, it is unclear if the approach can be used on real-world systems. In this paper we transfer and evaluate the approach on robotic hardware. Our results show that the controller can be transferred to robotic systems and allow them to achieve comparable foot placement accuracies to an ideal double pendulum simulation, both when motion is undisturbed, as well as when obstacles are encountered in early, mid, and late swing. These results suggest that the proposed approach is a potential alternative control method for legged robots and powered prostheses, enabling recovery from sudden swing-leg disturbances such as trips and unexpected obstacle encounters. The results also point out the need for additional considerations when tuning the controller in order to generate human-like swing trajectories and durations.
The Fate of Spacers in the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Background: Two-stage exchange arthroplasty remains the preferred method to treat periprosthetic joint infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical course of periprosthetic joint infection following resection arthroplasty and insertion of a spacer. Methods: Our institutional database was used to identify 504 cases of periprosthetic joint infection (326 knees and 178 hips) treated with resection arthroplasty and spacer insertion as part of a two-stage exchange arthroplasty. A review of the patient charts was performed to extract information relevant to the objectives of this study that included the details of the clinical course following resection arthroplasty. Results: The mean follow-up duration after initial spacer implantation was 56.2 months. Reimplantation occurred in the joints of 417 (82.7%) of 504 cases. Of these 417 cases, 329 (78.9%) had a minimum one-year follow-up, and 81.4% of these had successful treatment. The mean duration from resection arthroplasty to reimplantation was 4.2 months (range, 0.7 to 131.7 months). Sixty (11.9%) of the 504 joints required interim spacer exchange(s). Of the eighty-seven cases that did not undergo reimplantation, six (6.9%) required amputation, five (5.7%) underwent a Girdlestone procedure, four (4.6%) underwent arthrodesis, and seventy-two (82.8%) underwent spacer retention. Thirty-six patients died in the interstage period. Conclusions: The commonly held belief that two-stage exchange arthroplasty carries a high success rate for the eradication of periprosthetic joint infection may need to be reexamined. A considerable number of patients undergoing the first stage of a two-stage procedure do not undergo a subsequent reimplantation for a variety of reasons or require an additional spacer exchange in the interim. Reports on the success of two-stage exchange should account for the mortality of these patients and for patients who never undergo reimplantation. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
"You can't generalize, Professor, though I know NYU is a good school": Upstart vs. Legitimate Knowledges in Russell Leong's "Eclipse"

Russell Leong's short story "Eclipse" (2000), which stages a comical altercation between anthropology and grassroots knowledge, might serve as a manifesto for Amerasia Journal—a machine for generating interdisciplinary knowledge about Asian Americans, designed to avoid the ideological and methodological pitfalls of cultural anthropology. Under Leong's editorship, Amerasia has encouraged and showcased interdisciplinary research on an Asian America that has been growing more heterogeneous over time. To sound out that heterogeneity, Amerasia has been mixing and matching tools developed in a wide range of fields, including history, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, philosophy, art history, literary studies, critical race theory, women's studies, gender, and queer studies, as well as film and media studies. No less importantly, Amerasia has encouraged the production of knowledge from within minority communities through interviews and oral history, breaking with the tradition that privilege...
Estimating Marginal Tax Rates When Entering Foreign Markets (Part I)

U.S. companies entering the global arena for the first time as well as those expanding into new markets abroad face several major decisions. First, they must select a geographical region or country to use as a foreign base or entry point. Second, domestic companies must decide on the contractual arrangement or entity type for exploiting the foreign market. Third, if the other decisions require the transfer of U.S. personnel, the firm must arrange the transfer and adequate compensation of such employees. Fourth, the domestic enterprise must decide on the best means and time for remitting profits back to the United States. These four issues involve significant U.S. tax consequences. The decision to go global or expand into new foreign markets, though not usually driven by the tax consequences, nonetheless should not ignore them. One means tax professionals can use to quantify the tax impact involves calculating a marginal tax rate (MTR). The MTR related to any decision, such as investing abroad, equals the present value of incremental taxes incurred divided by incremental profits. The incremental taxes can include foreign income taxes (national and sub-national), foreign withholding taxes, and U.S. income taxes. This article provides guidance to the tax professional in computing the MTR from a decision to conduct business abroad. Examples illustrate the calculations, and tables provide MTR estimates from conducting business abroad in both low- and high-tax countries.
Dependence of KCC2 K-Cl cotransporter activity on a conserved carboxy terminus tyrosine residue

K-Cl cotransporters (KCC) play fundamental roles in ionic and osmotic homeostasis. To date, four mammalian KCC genes have been identified. KCC2 is expressed exclusively in neurons. Injection of Xenopus oocytes with KCC2 cRNA induced a 20-fold increase in Cl−-dependent, furosemide-sensitive K+ uptake. Oocyte swelling increased KCC2 activity 2–3 fold. A canonical tyrosine phosphorylation site is located in the carboxy termini of KCC2 (R1081–Y1087) and KCC4, but not in other KCC isoforms. Pharmacological studies, however, revealed no regulatory role for phosphorylation of KCC2 tyrosine residues. Replacement of Y1087 with aspartate or arginine dramatically reduced K+ uptake under isotonic and hypotonic conditions. Normal or near-normal cotransporter activity was observed when Y1087 was mutated to phenylalanine, alanine, or isoleucine. A tyrosine residue equivalent to Y1087 is conserved in all identified KCCs from nematodes to humans. Mutation of the Y1087 congener in KCC1 to aspartate also dramatically inhibited cotransporter activity. Taken together, these results suggest that replacement of Y1087 and its congeners with charged residues disrupts the conformational state of the carboxy terminus. We postulate that the carboxy terminus plays an essential role in maintaining the functional conformation of KCC cotransporters and/or is involved in essential regulatory protein-protein interactions.
Copper oxide surfaces modified by alkylphosphonic acids with terminal pyridyl-based ligands as a platform for supported catalysis

Abstract Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) films of phosphonates have been successfully formed via reaction of 11-hydroxyundecylphosphonic acid or 4,4′-di(methylenephosphonic acid)-2,2′-bipyridine with the oxide layer of copper via the Tethering by Aggregation and Growth (TBAG) deposition method. The hydroxyl-terminated SAM was further modified with isonicotinic acid or 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine through a Steglich esterification reaction. These three surfaces derivatized with pyridyl-based ligands are potential platforms for supported catalysis. As a proof of concept, [Ru(CO) 3 Cl 2 ] 2 was bound to the surfaces through the pyridyl-based ligands to yield tethered analogs of the known carbon dioxide reduction catalyst, [Ru(bpy)(CO) 2 Cl 2 ]. Surface modification reactions were confirmed through specular reflectance infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Characteristic core binding energies were observed in the XPS analyses for phosphorus (P 2p), nitrogen (N 1s), and ruthenium (Ru 3p and Ru 3d), verifying the presence of the various surface functionalizations. IR and XPS data indicate that the phosphonate binding to the copper surface is tridentate in nature.
Evolution of Gene Regulation in Humans

As a species, we possess unique biological features that distinguish us from other primates. Here, we review recent efforts to identify changes in gene regulation that drove the evolution of novel human phenotypes. We discuss genotype-directed comparisons of human and nonhuman primate genomes to identify human-specific genetic changes that may encode new regulatory functions. We also review phenotype-directed approaches, which use comparisons of gene expression or regulatory function in homologous human and nonhuman primate cells and tissues to identify changes in expression levels or regulatory activity that may be due to genetic changes in humans. Together, these studies are beginning to reveal the landscape of regulatory innovation in human evolution and point to specific regulatory changes for further study. Finally, we highlight two novel strategies to model human-specific regulatory functions in vivo: primate induced pluripotent stem cells and the generation of humanized mice by genome editing.
The Red Eye

A red eye is the most common ocular disorder that primary care physicians encounter. Most cases are relatively benign. Some, however, herald a vision-threatening or even life-threatening disorder. A detailed description of the full differential diagnosis of a red eye is available elsewhere.1 This overview does not assume that the examiner has access to a slit lamp or has been trained to use it. Subconjunctival Hemorrhage A subconjunctival hemorrhage (Figure 1) is often the cause of acute ocular redness. The diagnosis is based on simple observation of the characteristic features of such a hemorrhage: the redness, which is unilateral, is . . .
On the Nature of Insulin Convulsions

With the injection of doses of insulin just adequate to induce convulsions, the animal will usually exhibit only clonic convulsions, but if twice that dosage be given to this same animal, tetanic convulsions usually result. If the low sugar level be the sole cause of the convulsions, then why would their character change with the increased dose? With doses of insulin adequate to render an animal convulsive, or even sub-convulsive, animals, as well as man, exhibit evidence of a functionally modified nervous system long before the true blood sugar level has fallen to zero and before any convulsions appear. Some of the evidences of this functional modification are marked salivation, profuse sweating, pupillary changes (dilation just before the onset of the convulsions and hippus often accompanied by nystagmus during the seizure), marked restlessness and increased sensitivity to stimuli such as light or noise.The barbiturates are being employed both clinically as well as experimentally for the prevention of i...
Matched Case-Control Study of Economic Loss of Nosocomial Pneumonia Caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Objective To evaluate in-patients direct economic loss of nosocomial pneumonia caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa.Methods A total of 127 diagnosed in-patient cases with nosocomial pneumonia caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa in General Hospital of Zhongyuan Oil-field from January 2001 to December 2003 were taken as the case group.A matched case-control study was conducted to investigate the economic loss of expenses of different categories.Results The average hospitalization time of the case group exceeded that of control by 11.1 days showing a significant difference between two groups(P0.01).The average expenses in medical services in case group were higher compared with that of control,the increment was RMB $8 438.4,mainly in medicine and therapeutic charges.Conclusions Nosocomial pneumonia caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa would increase the hospitalization time and economic loss for the patients,cut down the turnover rate of hospital bed and decrease the hospital income.So put the cost-benefit analysis of nosocomial infection into the hospital management is important in preventing and controlling the nosocomial infection.
Cross-sectional investigation of primary and secondary school students' vision in Huangpu District of Guangzhou City

Objective To investigate the vision status of primary and secondary students in Huangpu District of Guangzhou City so as to provide a basis for formulating prevention and control measures.Methods A visual examination was carried out in 28,730 primary and middle school students.According to the standard of poor vision,the students surveyed were classified as normal,mild,moderate and severe groups.The data were statistically analyzed by calculating the detection rate of poor vision and the proportion of severe poor vision.Results The detection rate of poor vision was significantly higher in senior middle school students( 88.09%) than in pupils( 41.84%) and junior middle school students( 74.76%),with statistically significant differences( P 0.01).The proportion of severe poor vision was significantly higher in senior middle school students( 82.48%) than in junior middle school students( 55.80%) and pupils( 30.17%),and the differences among them were statistically significant( P 0.01).The detection rate of poor vision and the ratio of severe poor vision were significantly higher in the girls than in the boys( P 0.01).The detection rates of poor vision and the ratios of severe poor vision of the boys and the girls increased with their increasing age,but those of the girls were both higher than those of the boys based on each age group.The detection rate of poor vision and the ratio of severe poor vision of junior pupils both reached a certain level.Conclusions The problem of poor vision is severe among the primary and middle school students in Huangpu District; and hence,comprehensive countermeasures should be conducted from the junior pupils so as to prevent juvenile myopia.
Porcine heterograft valve replacement in children.

From 1973 to 1980, 49 patients under 18 years of age survived cardiac valve replacement with Hancock porcine heterografts. Complete follow-up has been obtained on 44 patients (90%) in whom 46 valves were placed. There were 30 boys and 14 girls with an age range of 2 to 18 years (mean 10.0 years). Severe prosthetic valvular dysfunction requiring valve replacement occurred in eight valves in seven patients at 15 to 60 months postoperatively (mean 34.1 months), yielding a calculated replacement rate of 7.1% per patient-year. All eight valves demonstrated severe calcification with stenosis, two valves had significant insufficiency secondary to leaflet disruption, and one valve had a large leaflet perforation. Thirty-one patients with valves in place at 7 to 90 months (mean 38.4 months) are alive, but six have clinical evidence of progressive valvular dysfunction. The mean age at the time of the original Hancock valve placement of the group of patients having undergone replacement of a failed prosthesis together with those with clinical evidence of prosthetic dysfunction was 8.0 years, which is significantly less than that of the remaining group of patients with normally functioning valves (mean 11.2 years, p = 0.043). Actuarial curves demonstrate a predicted replacement-free rate of 87.4% ± 5.9% at 3 years, 82.3% ± 7.5% at 4 years, and 58.5% ± 15.7% at 5 years. On the basis of these data and other reports of early failure in the literature, we have discontinued the routine use of Hancock porcine heterografts for cardiac valve replacement in children in favor of mechanical prostheses.
Photo-Control of Kinesin Dimerization and Motor Activity using Photochromic Molecules

Kinesin is an ATP driven dimeric motor protein carrying cellular cargoes along microtubules. The stalk region of kinesin is necessary for dimerization with coiled-coil interaction. The formation of dimer is essential for kinesin to perform processive movement along microtubules. The aim of this study is to control kinesin dimerization and its motor activity utilizing photochromic molecules. We synthesized three bifunctional azobenzene derivatives, azobenzene-dimaleimide (ABDM), water soluble azobenzene (WSA), and azobenzene-dinitoriro tri acetic acid (AB-NTA). All of the crosslinking spans are altered significantly by cis-trans photo-isomerization of azobenzene moiety upon ultraviolet and visible light irradiations reversibly. We have previously demonstrated that the two reactive cysteine residues SH1(707) and SH2(697) in α-helix of myosin, which region is believed to have a energy transducing role, were crosslinked by ABDM. And the cis-trans isomerization of the crosslinked ABDM induced disordered α-helix in the SH1-SH2 region resulting in global conformational change of myosin head. Therefore, it is expected that the two cysteine residues located in the coiled-coil stalk region of kinesin are also crosslinked. In this study, we prepared two kinesin mutants. One of them is the dimer kinesin having two reactive cysteine residues at its coiled-coil stalk region and the other is the monomer kinesin having a His-tag at its stalk region. ABDM and WSA crosslink two cysteine residues located on the surface of kinesin inter- or intra-molecularly. On the other hand, AB-NTA crosslinks inter-molecularly His-tagged kinesin. Photo-reversible alteration in the microtubule dependent ATPase activities and motor activity of cross-linked kinesins were examined.
The Role of Rituals in Warfare during the Neo‐Assyrian Period

In imperial Assyria during the first millennium BCE, ritual pervaded every aspect of life. As the link between the divine realm and the earthly one, the king's primary duty was to discover the gods' will and enact it. To this end, an array of ritual experts in the art of reading and reacting to divine signs aided the king. Due to the risk involved, warfare required particular attention from the experts during every phase of operations. Based on evidence from cuneiform sources (ritual texts, royal inscriptions, and letters) and monumental art (narrative sculptured reliefs), this article focuses on how ritual activity at each campaign stage affected different audiences, including the enemy, the king's officials, and the Assyrian army.
Cognitive risk factors explain the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety for males and females

AbstractThe hierarchical model of vulnerabilities to emotional distress contextualizes the relation between neuroticism and social anxiety as occurring indirectly through cognitive risk factors. In particular, inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty (IU; difficulty in uncertain circumstances), fear of negative evaluation (FNE; fear of being judged negatively), and anxiety sensitivity (AS) social concerns (fear of outwardly observable anxiety) are related to social anxiety. It is unclear whether these risk factors uniquely relate to social anxiety, and whether they account for the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety. The indirect relations between neuroticism and social anxiety through these and other risk factors were examined using structural equation modeling in a sample of 462 individuals (M age = 36.56, SD = 12.93; 64.3% female). Results indicated that the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety could be explained through inhibitory IU, FNE, and AS social concerns. No gender differ...
INFLUENCE OF FOOD ENVIRONMENTS ON GROWTH OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND PRODUCTION OF VARIOUS ENTEROTOXINS

Though Staphylococcus aureus can grow in foods within a broad range of environmental conditions, production of enterotoxins occurs within a much narrower range. In situations that permit growth of S. aureus, oxygen tension and associative growth of other microorganisms affect enterotoxin production more adversely than other factors such as temperature, pH, and water activity. Minimal amounts of enterotoxins or none may be produced in raw, semiprocessed, or fermented foods when there is competitive growth of other microorganisms unless such growth is retarded by bacteriophages, antibiotics, organic acids, and processing conditions such as curing and heating.
Large Image Collection Visualization Using Perception-Based Similarity with Color Features

This paper introduces the basic steps to build a similarity-based visualization tool for large image collections. We build the similarity metrics based on human perception. Psychophysical experiments have shown that human observers can recognize the gist of scenes within 100 milliseconds (ms) by comprehending the global properties of an image. Color also plays an important role in human rapid scene recognition. However, previous works often neglect color features. We propose new scene descriptors that preserve the information from coherent color regions, as well as the spatial layouts of scenes. Experiments show that our descriptors outperform existing state-of-the-art approaches. Given the similarity metrics, a hierarchical structure of an image collection can be built in a top-down manner. Representative images are chosen for image clusters and visualized using a force-directed graph.
Thyroid Lobectomy and Total Thyroidectomy

The incidence of thyroid cancer has almost quadrupled over the last quarter of a century. In 1975, we used to see 8000 new patients with thyroid cancer, whereas today we see approximately 66,000 new patients with thyroid cancer in the U.S. [1]. The majority of these cases are directly related to incidentalomas i.e., nonpalpable nodules, incidental findings of thyroid nodules on routine clinical examination, imaging studies such as ultrasound, carotid Doppler studies, and CT scans or MRIs performed for other cervical problems. Appropriate evaluation of the thyroid mass includes a dedicated ultrasound of the thyroid with recognition of the suspicious features, such as hypervascularity, irregular margins, and punctate calcification. After initial clinical evaluation and ultrasound examination, the patient is generally advised to have a fine needle aspiration biopsy. The results of the biopsy are used to determine whether the patient requires surgical intervention or close monitoring and follow-up. If the needle biopsy is suspicious for or proves to be cancer, the patient will require surgical intervention.
Guest editorial: Advancing a family-centered practice agenda in child welfare

Family-centered practice is a theoretical framework that informs practice with families involved with the child welfare system (Briar-Lawson, Lawson, Hennon, & Jones, 2001; Epley, Summers, & Turnbu...
Voices of Cherokee Women. By Carolyn Ross Johnston

Voices of Cherokee Women. By Carolyn Ross Johnston (ed.). Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 2013. 256 pages. Softbound, $12.95.In this edited book, Carolyn Ross Johnston tells Cherokee history usin...
Chelating Agents for Extraction of Heavy Metals from Soil

Chelating extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils is seen as a remediation technique. This work addresses important consideration in the application of chelating agents for soil remediation, namely the complexing power, selectivity, and recoverability of the chelators with respect to heavy metal contaminants. To address these issues, an assessment technique was developed to evaluate the chelators based on complexation equilibria of the chelators toward the target metals including Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Hg. Predictions in terms of complexing power and selectivity were made using this technique and were compared to experimental extraction results using several chelators including L-5-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine (GCG), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotris(methylene)triphosphonic acid (NTTA), and trimethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid (TMDTA). Experimental results showed an increasing complexing ability in the order of GCG < NTTA < TMDTA < EDTA, and an increasing selectivity toward the metal contaminants in the order of EDTA < TMDTA < GCG < NTTA. These results were largely consistent with equilibrium predictions. Enhanced recovery of metals from a very strong chelator EDTA was demonstrated with the use of metal-competing cationic precipitants (calcium hydroxide and ferric chloride) or anionic sulfide precipitant.
Successful resolution of hyperammonemia following hematopoietic cell transplantation with directed treatment of Ureaplasma parvum infection

Hyperammonemia following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been characterized as idiopathic and is associated with a very high mortality. A causal relationship between Ureaplasma infection and hyperammonemia in immunocompromised lung transplant recipients has recently been described. We document the first case of hyperammonemia following HCT associated with Ureaplasma parvum. The initiation of appropriate antibiotics resulted in rapid resolution of hyperammonemic encephalopathy and eradication of the implicating organism.
On the cybersecurity of m-Health IoT systems with LED bitslice implementation

The Internet of Things (IoT) will provide a large-scale infrastructure that can support a plethora of new networked services. One critical IoT application pertains to m-Health services which allow monitoring the health status of patients while providing the ability for a rapid response in emergency cases. Connecting healthcare services to the IoT brings forward new security threats and vulnerabilities that can jeopardize the patients' private data. In this paper, a novel security framework for m-Health IoT security is proposed using the concept of moving target defense (MTD). MTD allows the m-Health system to dynamically change its cryptographic keys to increase uncertainty on an attacker and secure the data. In the proposed scheme, the devices update their keys locally to eliminate the risk of revealing new keys while they are being shared with a gateway. A practical implementation is proposed based on bitslicing LED, a lightweight encryption cipher, to improve the performance of decrypting multiple packets at the same time. LED bitsliced implementation was tested on an ARM Cortex-A53 and was shown to consume half of the processor's instructions compared to the conventional implementation. The effect of applying MTD on the number of processor's instructions is evaluated and shown to be bounded.
Sporotrichoid Skin Infection Caused by Nocardia brasiliensis in a Kidney Transplant Patient

Prompt and accurate diagnosis of Nocardia skin infections is important in immunocompromised hosts, especially transplant patients. The sporotrichoid form, which is otherwise known as the lymphocutaneous form of Nocardia skin involvement, can mimic other conditions, including those caused by fungi, mycobacteria, spirochetes, parasites and other bacteria. Delayed or inaccurate diagnosis and treatment of Nocardia skin infections in transplant patients could lead to dissemination of disease and other poor outcomes. Nocardia brasiliensis is a rare cause of lymphocutaneous nocardiosis in solid organ transplant patients with only two other cases reported to our knowledge. This case describes a middle-aged man, who presented 16 years post kidney transplant. He developed a sporotrichoid lesion on his upper extremity one week after gardening. Ultrasound showed a 35-cm abscess tract on his forearm, which was subsequently drained. Nocardia brasiliensis was isolated from pus culture and he was treated successfully with amoxicillin/clavulanate for 6 months. A review of the relevant literature is included.
Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Perception

It is our pleasure to present the proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Perception (ACM SAP) held in Anaheim California and co-located with SIGGRAPH 2016. ACM SAP aims to advance and promote research that crosses the boundaries between perception and disciplines such as graphics, visualization, vision, haptics, and acoustics. The scope of the conference includes applications and algorithms in any area of research that incorporates elements of perception and computer science. In keeping with the multidisciplinary theme of the conference, we are excited to welcome Laurent Itti and Allison Okamura, outstanding researchers with expertise in computer science, neuroscience, and haptics, as the SAP 2016 keynote speakers.
Towards single-photon nonlinear nanophotonics with broad emitters (Conference Presentation)

Quantum optical nonlinearities have received growing interest for their key role in quantum information science, quantum simulations, and other quantum technologies. Unfortunately, most materials exhibit very weak optical nonlinearities, virtually non-existent at the single photon level. Nano-scale optical resonators can store light for a long period of time in cubic-wavelength scale volume, and thus present a unique opportunity to enhance the light-matter interaction. Additionally, breakthroughs in materials science allow us to engineer inherently strong nonlinear materials. In this talk, I will present our theoretical and experimental efforts in nonlinear nanophotonics, integrated with atomically thin 2D materials, specifically transition metal dichalcogenides and solution-processed quantum dots. By confining both light and matter in the wavelength scale, we aim to reach the nonlinear regime, where single photons start repelling each other. I will also elaborate on the possibility of scaling this platform to multiple single photon quantum nodes with the possibility of creating a correlated quantum fluid of light.
Unpacking the Relationship between Mobile Phone Usage Patterns, Network Size, and Civic Engagement

This study, based on a survey of 1,260 mobile phone users, investigates the relationships among patterns of mobile phone use, network size, and civic engagement. It finds that informational uses of mobile phones are positively associated with civic engagement – engagement in informal socializing and engagement in organized groups or clubs. On the other hand, relational and recreational uses have a neutral or negative association with civic engagement. Most important, the network size in mobile communication moderates the impact of relational and recreational uses on civic engagement while it mediates the impact of informational uses on civic engagement. This research indicates that the mobile phone, depending on its usage patterns and communication network size, can have different effects on civic engagement.
Approaching Undergraduate Methods Courses Through Skills-Based Learning: Integrating Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Effective Presentation into the Curriculum

Disagreements about the role of research methods instruction in an undergraduate political science major are ongoing, but two practices are common: 1) research methods are typically integrated into the political science major through a separate “methodology” course; and 2) these courses tend to focus on quantitative methods. This paper questions both of these practices, offering an alternative approach to the teaching of research methods in political science programs. This alternative approach integrates research methods across the major’s curriculum, and emphasizes the teaching of methodology as an opportunity to enhance essential skills like critical thinking, problem solving, information literacy, and effective presentation.
What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Anxiety?

Will Saudi Arabia get the bomb? Overwhelmingly, common wisdom suggests that acquiring a countervailing deterrent will be the Kingdom’s surest response if Iran crosses the nuclear threshold. Proponents of this argument marshal an array of evidence: the repeated statements of Saudi officials, the robust Pakistani-Saudi strategic relationship, Saudi Arabia’s ceaseless quest for regional prestige, and the apparent uncertainty of U.S. security guarantees. Added to this, they point to a number of highly suspicious technical indicators such as Riyadh’s purchase in the mid-1980s of CSS-2 missiles from China and its refusal to allow IAEA inspectors on to its soil.While these are no doubt compelling points, they disregard the broader question of the Saudi calculus on a nuclear Iran. Specifically, many arguments tend to treat Saudi acquisition as a foregone conclusion, without considering the many disincentives against getting a weapon. Chief among these is the enormous normative and legal damage Saudi Arabia would incur if it were to break its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), with related backlash from the United States, among others. Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s most likely supplier, Pakistan, may be loath to transfer nuclear weapons technology for fear of antagonizing the U.S. or embroiling itself in an Arab-Iranian cold war at a time when its attention remains squarely focused on the threat from India.In many ways the perception that Saudi Arabia might seek nuclear weapons serves the Kingdom’s interests, with less risk, than would the reality of actually acquiring nuclear weapons.The lessons of the Iraq WMD debacle should caution about inferring intent based on the outward indications of capability. Seemingly deceptive moves by the Kingdom could in fact be about projecting power and safeguarding sovereignty rather than concealing secret plans for weapons program. If the revelations of the Iraq Survey Group tell us anything it is that discerning the calculus behind the decision to pursue the bomb – or more importantly, behind the decision to appear to be pursuing a weapon – is a herculean task that is fraught with pitfalls and false leads.To avoid this trap, it is crucial to analyze Saudi Arabia’s nuclear anxieties in the context of its external threat perceptions, its domestic politics, and its sense of place in the region. The Saudi decision to go nuclear has probably not been taken, and the final decision will ultimately hinge on a complex balance sheet accounting of U.S. guarantees, Saudi domestic politics and public opinion, the current balance of power with Iran, and the state of the Kingdom’s bilateral relationship with Pakistan.