cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deconvolution of high rate flicker electroretinograms.

Flicker electroretinograms are steady-state electroretinograms (ERGs) generated by high rate flash stimuli that produce overlapping periodic responses. When a flash stimulus is delivered at low rates, a transient response named flash ERG (FERG) representing the activation of neural structures within the outer retina is obtained. Although FERGs and flicker ERGs are used in the diagnosis of many retinal diseases, their waveform relationships have not been investigated in detail. This study examines this relationship by extracting transient FERGs from specially generated quasi steady state, random ERGs at stimulation rates above 10 Hz and similarly generated conventional flicker ERGs. The ability to extract the transient FERG responses by deconvolving flicker responses to temporally jittered stimuli at high rates is investigated at varying rates. FERGs were obtained from seven normal subjects stimulated with LED-based displays, delivering steady state, low jittered quasi steady state and low jittered random responses at five stimulation rates of 10, 15, 32, 50, 68 Hz. The two deconvolution methods (CLAD and RAD) enabled a successful extraction of “per stimulus” unit transient ERG responses for all high stimulation rates. The deconvolved FERGs were used successfully to synthesize flicker ERGs obtained at the same high stimulation rates. The experimental results showed that, as the stimulation rate increased, the a-wave and b-wave amplitudes decreased significantly between the 10 and 15 Hz and 15 and 32 Hz. Furthermore, the implicit time of a-wave increased between 2 and 10 Hz and decreased between 15 and 32 Hz. Moreover, b-wave decreased significantly as the stimulation rate increased up to 32 Hz.
College students and HR professionals: conflicting views on information available on Facebook

Increasingly employers are using social media as a mechanism to screen potential job candidates. This study examined college students' perceptions of the amount and degree of information available to potential employers who use social media. The study employed a survey of college students to determine how much information they felt someone could learn about them through their Facebook page. Results indicated that participants did not perceive much information about key job categories could be derived from their pages and they planned very few changes even though many believed it highly likely an employer would review their page. A subgroup also had their pages reviewed by HR professionals. A comparison analysis revealed that in several key job-related areas, such as potential unethical behaviours and communication skills, HR personnel felt that they were able to learn significantly more about the participants than the participants believed themselves.
Effects of colonial morphology on zooplankton utilization of algal resources during blue-green algal (Microcystis aeruginosa) blooms1

Experiments were conducted to test the following proposed mechanisms whereby blooms of colonial blue-green algae (Microcystis aeruginosa) may more negatively affect large-bodied cladocerans than other zooplankton taxa: that colonial morphology most strongly interferes with the feeding of larger cladocerans, and that larger cladocerans more readily ingest toxic or nonnutritious colonial blue-greens. Experiments were conducted with both colonial and unicellular M. aeruginosa, in order to distinguish the effects of coloniality from chemical inhibitory factors associated with bluegreen algae. Experiments with colonial M. aeruginosa provided some support for both mechanisms, particularly with the cladoceran Diaphanosoma brachyurum. However, some small-bodied species associated with blue-green algal blooms did not conform to the proposed mechanisms, showing relatively strong reductions in clearance rates in the presence of colonial M. aeruginosa (Bosmina longirostris, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula) or relatively high consumption of colonial M. aeruginosa (Brachionus cafyciflorus, B. Iongirostris). Our results indicate that, contrary to earlier proposals, neither body size, taxonomic position, nor association with blue-green algal blooms are good predictors of the response to colonial M. aeruginosa.
Homeless battered women and their shelter network

Battered women have not been included in discussions of homeless persons, but they frequently become temporarily or permanently homeless when they leave the abusive relationship. Although not psychotic, many have serious motional problems requiring appropriate crisis and longer-term interuentions.
A Critique of Hall's Contexting Model: A Meta-Analysis of Literature on Intercultural Business and Technical Communication

Edward Hall's model of low-context and high-context cultures is one of the dominant theoretical frameworks for interpreting intercultural communication. This article reports a meta-analysis of 224 ...
Intrinsically low open probability of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can be overcome by positive allosteric modulation and serum factors leading to the generation of excitotoxic currents at physiological temperatures.

α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been a puzzle since their discovery in brain and non-neuronal tissues. Maximal transient probability of an α7 nAChR being open with rapid agonist applications is only 0.002. The concentration dependence of α7 responses measured from transfected cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes shows the same disparity in potency estimations for peak currents and net charge, despite being studied at 1000-fold different time scales. In both cases the EC50 was approximately 10-fold lower for net charge than for peak currents. The equivalence of the data obtained at such disparate time scales indicates that desensitization of α7 is nearly instantaneous. At high levels of agonist occupancy, the receptor is preferentially converted to a ligand-bound nonconducting state, which can be destabilized by the positive allosteric modulator N-(5-chloro-2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-N′-(5-methyl-3-isoxazolyl)-urea (PNU-120596). Such currents can be sufficiently large to be cytotoxic to the α7-expressing cells. Both the potentiating effect of PNU-120596 and the associated cytotoxicity have a high temperature dependence that can be compensated for by serum factors. Therefore, despite reduced potentiation at body temperatures, use of type II positive allosteric modulators may put cells that naturally express high levels of α7 nAChRs, such as neurons in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, at risk. With a low intrinsic open probability and high propensity toward the induction of nonconducting ligand-bound states, it is likely that the well documented regulation of signal transduction pathways by α7 nAChRs in cells such as those that regulate inflammation may be independent of ion channel activation and associated with the nonconducting conformational states.
BCI meeting 2005-workshop on signals and recording methods

This paper describes the highlights of presentations and discussions during the Third International BCI Meeting in a workshop that evaluated potential brain-computer interface (BCI) signals and currently available recording methods. It defined the main potential user populations and their needs, addressed the relative advantages and disadvantages of noninvasive and implanted (i.e., invasive) methodologies, considered ethical issues, and focused on the challenges involved in translating BCI systems from the laboratory to widespread clinical use. The workshop stressed the critical importance of developing useful applications that establish the practical value of BCI technology.
Alternative technique for implanting an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch during a tricuspid valve replacement for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Transvenous endocardial cardioverter defibrillator lead implantation is contraindicated in patients with prosthetic tricuspid valves (TVs). A 61-year-old male was hospitalized due to right heart failure, severe TV regurgitation, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), which required Sotalol. The patient received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) using an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch during a TV replacement (TVR) for VT and severe TV regurgitation because of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. There were no complications and the stimulation thresholds were stable. ICD implantation with the use of an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch serves as a safe, easy and effective therapy for patients undergoing TVR complicated with ventricular arrhythmia.
Visual correlation of network alerts

The VisAlert visual correlation tool facilitates situational awareness in complex network environments by providing a holistic view of network security to help detect malicious activities. Information visualization techniques and methods in many applications have effectively increased operators' situational awareness, letting them more effectively detect, diagnose, and treat anomalous conditions. Visualization elevates information comprehension by fostering rapid correlation and perceived associations. Our visualization technique integrates the information in log and alert files into an intuitive, flexible, extensible, and scalable visualization tool - VisAlert - that presents critical information concerning network activity in an integrated manner, increasing the user's situational awareness.
Increasing 'Blackamber' plum (Prunus salicina Lindell) consumer acceptance

‘Blackamber’ plum (Prunus salicina Lindell) consumer acceptance and market life were highly dependent on harvest date. For fruit within the most common industry ripe soluble solids concentration (RSSC) range (10.0–11.9%), ripe titratable acidity (RTA) played a significant role in consumer acceptance. Plums within this RSSC range combined with low RTA (≤0.60%) were disliked by 18% of consumers, while plums with RTA ≥1.00% were disliked by 60% of consumers. Plums with RSSC ≥12.0% had ∼ 75% consumer acceptance, regardless of RTA. Fruit harvested between 35.6 and 17.8 N had high consumer acceptance because of lower RTA and higher RSSC than earlier harvested fruit. Ripening plums before consumption decreased TA by approximately 30% from the TA measured at harvest. In some cases, this decrease in TA during ripening may increase the acceptability of plums that would otherwise be unacceptable. Development of chilling injury (CI) symptoms limited market life of fruit harvested early (44.5–35.6 N) and late (17.8–13.3 N). Late harvested fruit were more likely to develop flesh translucency (overripe or bladderiness) when stored at 5 ◦ C, whereas early harvested fruit had low consumer acceptance and were more prone to develop flesh bleeding/browning during storage at 0 or 5 ◦ C. Based on this work, ‘Blackamber’ plums are well adapted to late harvest but proper postharvest temperature management, including ripening, and marketing within its market life potential are necessary to avoid the onset of storage disorders and maintain flavor. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Expression and functional implications of CCR2 expression on murine alveolar epithelial cells.

Acute lung injury results in damage to the alveolar epithelium, leading to leak of proteins into the alveolar space and impaired gas exchange. Lung function can be restored only if the epithelial l...
High statistics search for ultrahigh energy γ-ray emission from Cygnus X-3 and Hercules X-1

We have carried out a high statistics $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ events) search for ultrahigh energy \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray emission from the x-ray binary sources Cygnus X-3 and Hercules X-1. Using data taken with the CASA-MIA detector over a five year period (1990--1995), we find no evidence for steady emission from either source. The derived 90 % C.L. upper limit to the steady integral flux of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays from Cygnus X-3 is $\ensuremath{\Phi}(Eg115$TeV)$l6.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ photons ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ sec${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and from Hercules X-1 it is $\ensuremath{\Phi}(Eg115\mathrm{TeV})l8.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ photons cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ sec${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. These limits are more than two orders of magnitude lower than earlier claimed detections and are better than recent experiments operating in the same energy range. We have also searched for transient emission on time periods of one day and $0.5$ h and find no evidence for such emission from either source. The typical daily limit on the integral $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray flux from Cygnus X-3 or Hercules X-1 is ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{daily}}(Eg115\mathrm{TeV})l2.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ photons cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ sec${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. For Cygnus X-3, we see no evidence for emission correlated with the $4.8$ h x-ray periodicity or with the occurrence of large radio flares. Unless one postulates that these sources were very active earlier and are now dormant, the limits presented here put into question the earlier results, and highlight the difficulties that possible future experiments will have in detecting $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray signals at ultrahigh energies.
Detector/CCD coupling for hybrid focal planes

Direct coupling of photovoltaic infra-red detectors to a signal processing CCD offers uniform, high performance for scanned imaging systems with Time Delay and Integration (TDI) to improve sensitivity. Under some conditions the background charge from the detector is too large to directly sum in the CCD shift register, whose size is limited by focal plane packing density requirements. A new buffer circuit is described which reduces the charge input into the CCD while maintaining the detector S/N. Experimental evaluation of the circuit performance has demonstrated that an overall noise figure of less than 1.25 is obtained with a CCD input charge reduced to less than 10% of that obtained from the detector.
Orbifolds of AdS5 × S5 and 4d conformal field theories

Abstract We study the relation between the large N limit of four-dimensional N = 2, 1, 0 conformal field theories and supergravity on orbifolds of AdS 5 × S 5 . We analyze the Kaluza-Klein states of the supergravity theory and relate them to the spectrum of (chiral) primary operators of the (super) conformal field theories.
Simultaneous multiple volume (SMV) acquisition algorithm for real-time navigator gating

Navigator gating techniques can effectively reduce motion effects in MRI by accepting data only when the object is in a small range of positions at the cost of significantly prolonging scan time. A simultaneous multiple volume (SMV) algorithm is reported here that can substantially increase the scan efficiency while maintaining the effectiveness of motion suppression. This is achieved by acquiring different image volumes at different motion states. Initial experiments demonstrate that SMV can significantly increase the scan efficiency of navigator MRI.
Factors That Differentiate Underachieving Gifted Students From High-Achieving Gifted Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether gifted achievers and gifted underachievers differ in their general academic self-perceptions, attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, motivation and self-regulation, and goal valuation. The sample consisted of 56 gifted underachievers and 122 gifted achievers from 28 high schools nationwide. Gifted achievers and gifted underachievers differed in their attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, motivation/self-regulation, and goal valuation, but not their academic self-perceptions. In addition, the logistic regression analysis correctly classified over 81% of the sample as either gifted achievers or gifted underachievers using their motivation/self-regulation and goal valuation self-ratings. This study represents an important step toward quantifying factors related to the underachieviement of gifted adolescents.
Budesonide Multi-matrix for the Treatment of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder in which patients cycle between active disease and remission. Budesonide multi-matrix (MMX) is an oral second-generation corticosteroid designed to deliver active drug throughout the colon. In pharmacokinetic studies, the mean relative absorption of budesonide in the region between the ascending colon and the descending/sigmoid colon was 95.9 %. In 2 identically designed, phase 3 studies (CORE I and II), budesonide MMX 9 mg once daily was efficacious and well tolerated for induction of remission of mild to moderate UC. Clinical and endoscopic remission rates were 17.9 % (CORE I) and 17.4 % (CORE II) for budesonide MMX 9 mg compared with 7.4 and 4.5 %, respectively, with placebo (p 1 year with budesonide MMX 6 mg versus 181 days (p = 0.02) with placebo; however, further studies are needed. In the CORE studies, budesonide MMX exhibited a favorable safety profile; the majority of adverse events were mild or moderate in intensity, and serious adverse events were uncommon. Furthermore, rates of potential glucocorticoid-related adverse events were comparable across treatment groups. The long-term (12-month) safety of budesonide MMX appears to be comparable with placebo. Data support budesonide MMX in the management algorithm of UC.
Probabilistic temporal logics via the modal mu-calculus

This paper presents a mu-calculus-based modal logic for describing properties of reactive probabilistic labeled transition systems (RPLTSs) and develops a model-checking algorithm for determining whether or not states in finite-state RPLTSs satisfy formulas in the logic. The logic is based on the distinction between (probabilistic) "systems" and (nonprobabilistic) "observations": using the modal mu-calculus, one may specify sets of observations, and the semantics of our logic then enable statements to be made about the measures of such sets at various system states. The logic may be used to encode a variety of probabilistic modal and temporal logics; in addition, the model-checking problem for it may be reduced to the calculation of solutions to systems of non-linear equations. Finally, the logic induces an equivalence on RPLTSs that coincides with accepted notions of probabilistic bisimulation in the literature.
Level 1 crackfree plastic packaging technology

Cracking of plastic packages during printed circuit board (PCB) mounting is a serious customer concern as VLSI plastic packages house ever-increasing die sizes and are made thinner. Evolutionary improvements in package materials cannot prevent package cracking in the short term, especially in thin packages. A novel design, termed the "window flag", employs a central hole punched in the die pad to minimize the metal-polymer interface and maximize the silicon-mold compound interface in the die pad region. This window flag design results in crackfree performance following Level 1 preconditioning in QFPs, TQFPs, and SOJs. This solution stems from the key discovery that the silicon-mold compound interface is intrinsically very strong under preconditioning stresses.
Deceit and Self-Deception

Deception is a universal feature of life, at all levels and in all relationships both within species and between species, inside individuals and outside, with strong effects on both deceiver and deceived. Being detected often results in a sharp reversal of fortune for the deceiver thereby intensifying selection to deceive successfully. In encounters between human strangers, nervousness, signs of control and of cognitive load can all serve as cues of deception but cognitive load appears to be the most important. Self-deception is defined as hiding true information from the conscious mind in the unconscious, and is illustrated by classical experimental work. Selection to deceive can favor self-deception, the better to hide the deception and separately to reduce its cognitive costs. Four examples are described. There is a general tendency toward self-inflation in humans, the better to give off a positive image. Conscious thought suppression, studied via fMRI, shows that one area of the brain has been coopted to suppress memory formation elsewhere in the brain. When people reach age 60, they fail to attend to negative social reality, and this old-age positivity may give immune benefits. Across primates there is a strong positive association between relative size of the neocortex and frequency of deceptive acts in nature. If the relationship holds within species, we may expect relatively intelligent humans to be prone to self-deception. There is such a thing as imposed self-deception, in which we act out the system of self-deception of another. Likewise, there is parasitized self-deception in which our system of self-deception makes us more vulnerable to deception by others. Con artists are given as an example. One could model the evolution of deceit and self-deception as a multiplayer game, which can then be analyzed mathematically, modeled via computer simulations or tested experimentally. One promising possibility is a variant of the Ultimatum Game, in which deception and detection of deception are permitted and given quantitative values.
Predicting performance parameters of analog and mixed-signal circuits using built-in and built-off self test

The widespread use of embedded mixed-signal cores in system-on-chip (SoC) or System-on-Package (SoP) design has been increasingly important in cost-effective manufacturing test for mixed-signal devices. A typical SoP encapsulates many of its internal functions, and its production test is performed by application of test signals to the SoP under control of external Automatic Test Equipment (ATE). However it is a problem that the external ATE does not have direct access to all the internal embedded functions of the SoP. Thus a classical test approach to SoP suffers from limited controllability and observability of its subsystems. Built-in Self-Test (BIST) and Built-Off Self-test (BOST) schemes have been suggested and developed to overcome the limitations of conventional test, such as limited test Input/Output (I/O) accessibility as well as high test cost. However most BIST/BOST approaches have limited test accuracy. The focus of the dissertation is to develop a cost-effective performance-based test methodology based on BIST/BOST, while maintaining the same accuracy as conventional test. This dissertation proposes one BIST approach and two BOST schemes. Our BIST methodology presents a methodology for efficient prediction of circuit specifications with optimized signatures. The proposed Optimized Signature-Based Alternate Test (OSBAT) methodology accurately predicts the specifications of a Device Under Test (DUT) using a strong correlation mapping function. The approach overcomes the limitation that analytical expressions cannot precisely describe the nonlinear relationships between signatures and specifications. Our first BOST approach presents a practical methodology for effective prediction of individual dynamic performance parameters of differential devices with a cascaded Radio-Frequency (RF) transformer in loopback mode. The RF transformer produces differently weighted loopback responses, which are used to characterize the DUT dynamic performance. The approach overcomes the imbalance problem of Design for Test (DfT) circuitry on differential signaling, thereby accurately measuring the dynamic performance of differential mixed-signal circuits. The second BOST scheme is an efficient methodology for accurate prediction of aperture jitter using cost-effective loopback methodology. Aperture jitter is precisely separated from input and clock jitter as well as additive noise present in the DUT, by using an efficient loopback scheme. Hardware measurements were performed for all our approaches, and good results were obtained. This fact verifies that all approaches can be practically used for production test in industry.
Half-Sandwich Scorpionates as Nitrene Transfer Catalysts

Scorpionate complexes of the middle to late 3d transition metals [(L)M(NCMe)3](BF4)n (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni: 1M, L = tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)methane, TpmMe,Me, n = 2; 2M, L = tris(3-phenylpyrazol-1-yl)methane, TpmPh, n = 2; 3M except 3Mn, L = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate, [TpMe,Me]−, n = 1; 4M, L = hydrotris(3-phenyl-5-methylpyrazol-1-yl)borate, [TpPh,Me]−, n = 1) were examined as catalysts for styrene aziridination and THF amination using phenyl-N-tosyliodinane as a nitrene donor. [(TpmMe,Me)Fe(NCMe)3](BF4)2 (1Fe) was identified as the most active catalyst, giving nearly quantitative nitrene transfer yields at 5 mol % loadings. The reactivity of 1Fe with a wider range of organic substrates was also explored, and a striking observation was strong selectivity for aromatic rather than benzylic amination for alkylaromatic substrates.
In Situ Formation of Nanoparticle Titanium Carbide/Nitride Shaped Ceramics from Meltable Precursor Composition

A new synthetic method has been developed for the in situ formation of TiC and TiN nanoparticles in a shaped solid from a meltable precursor composition. The reactants are titanium hydride (TiH2) and 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzene (TPEB), which interact above 600 °C to form TiC and TiN nanoparticles in the presence of argon and nitrogen, respectively. When the compacted powdered precursor composition is heated above 200 °C, the acetylenic units of TPEB react forming a networked polymer with the TiH2 homogeneously dispersed in the confines of the thermoset. During the carbonization process of 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzene, the carbon atom migrate into the interstitial space of the Ti lattice, resulting in stoichiometric TiC being formed. The novel reaction yields shaped solids of nanoparticle ceramics.
How Linearity and Structural Complexity Interact and Affect the Recognition of Italian Derived Words

The majority of words in most languages consist of derived poly-morphemic words but a cross-linguistic review of the literature (Amenta and Crepaldi in Front Psychol 3:232–243, 2012) shows a contradictory picture with respect to how such words are represented and processed. The current study examined the effects of linearity and structural complexity on the processing of Italian derived words. Participants performed a lexical decision task on three types of prefixed and suffixed words and nonwords differing in the complexity of their internal structure. The processing of these words was indeed found to vary according to the nature of the affixes, the order in which they appear, and the type of information the affix encodes. The results thus indicate that derived words are not a uniform class and the best account of these findings appears to be a constraint-based or probabilistic multi-route processing model (e.g., Kuperman et al. in Lang Cogn Process 23:1089–1132, 2008; J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 35:876–895, 2009; J Mem Lang 62:83–97, 2010).
Rock-physics relationships between inverted elastic reflectivities

Quantitative relationships between true elastic properties are not always applicable to inverted elastic properties. We use the important example of two-term AVO reflectivity inversion to demonstrate this. AVO literature includes many examples of two-term AVO equations, and we provide a general relationship to convert between inverted reflectivities obtained when using these various equations. Conversion between inverted reflectivities should be based on this equation, rather than standard elastic-property relationships. This is of immediate importance when applying the method of chi-angle projections to estimate elastic reflectivities.
A Dehn function for Sp(2n, ℤ)

Gromov conjectured that any irreducible lattice in a symmetric space of rank at least 3 should have at most polynomial Dehn function. We prove that the lattice Sp(2p; ℤ) has quadratic Dehn function when p ≥ 5. By results of Broaddus, Farb, and Putman, this implies that the Torelli group in large genus is at most exponentially distorted.
Effect of the Affordable Care Act on racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage.

Objectives. To document how health insurance coverage changed for White, Black, and Hispanic adults after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect.Methods. We used data from the American Community Survey from 2008 to 2014 to examine changes in the percentage of nonelderly adults who were uninsured, covered by Medicaid, or covered by private health insurance. In addition to presenting overall trends by race/ethnicity, we stratified the analysis by income group and state Medicaid expansion status.Results. In 2013, 40.5% of Hispanics and 25.8% of Blacks were uninsured, compared with 14.8% of Whites. We found a larger gap in private insurance, which was partially offset by higher rates of public coverage among Blacks and Hispanics. After the main ACA provisions went into effect in 2014, coverage disparities declined slightly as the percentage of adults who were uninsured decreased by 7.1 percentage points for Hispanics, 5.1 percentage points for Blacks, and 3 percentage points for Whites. Coverage gains...
Design of a low-cost, open-source, humanoid robot companion for large retail spaces

With continuing developments in automation, robots will begin to supplement tasks that ordinary humans find dull, dirty or dangerous. In situations where robots and humans are interacting or working together, humanoid robots can better navigate human environments and make humans more comfortable with their appearance. Until recently, most humanoid robots were custom-made and designed for one specific environment. The development of open-source, low-cost humanoid robotics platforms, such as Trossen's HR-OS1, provide skeleton platforms that can be developed for mass use in environments with extensive human-robot interaction, such as retail settings. With this future in mind, the base HR-OS1 platform was modified with additional hardware and a new software framework to give it the navigation and communication skills required to be a personal attendant. This design can serve as a model for a humanoid robot in other settings where human-robot interaction is advantageous.
Unsupervised Identification of Synonymous Query Intent

Among all web search queries there is an important subset of queries containing entity mentions. In these queries, it is observed that users are most interested in requesting some attribute of an entity, such as “Obama age” for the intent of age, which we refer to as the attribute intent. In this work we address the problem of identifying synonymous query intent templates for the attribute intent. For example, “how old is [Person]” and “[Person]’s age” are both synonymous templates for the age intent. Successful identification of the synonymous query intent templates not only can improve the performance of all existing query annotation approaches, but also could benefit applications such as instant answers and intent-based query suggestion. In this work we propose a clustering framework with multiple kernel functions to identify synonymous query intent templates for a set of canonical templates jointly. Furthermore, signals from multiple sources of information are integrated into a kernel function between templates, where the weights of these signals are tuned in an unsupervised manner. We have conducted extensive experiments across multiple domains in FreeBase, and results demonstrate the effectiveness of our clustering framework for finding synonymous query intent templates for attribute intents.
Legislative accountability: should Brazil break up its big electoral districts?

This paper proposes that Brazil could improve the political accountability by breaking up many of the statewide districts it uses to elect its deputies into smaller districts, each electing fewer deputies. The central argument is that districts that elect low-to-moderate numbers of legislators make it possible to optimize the well-known trade-off between inclusive representation and accountable government. I suggest there are three broad goals that we should seek in legislative representation; representativeness, collective accountability, and Individual accountability. I acknowledge that there are inevitable trade-offs among these goals, but I suggest that the trade-offs are not linear, and that electoral rules can be designed to maximize the quality of representation. I suggest that the most straightforward way to achieve such gains is by maintaining proportional representation systems of elections, but by limiting district magnitude (the number of representatives elected per district) to moderate levels, in the range from 4 to 8. Elections; Election Rules; Electoral Systems; Electoral Reform; Accountability; Representation.
Comparison of two auto-tuning predictive PI controllers

Two auto-tuning controllers, one based on correlation identification technique and the other on process reaction curve method, are proposed and compared. The underlying controller is a predictive PI controller, which is an enhanced PI controller. For correlation technique, an online algorithm is developed for identifying the impulse response and hence determining the open-loop step response. For process reaction curve method, an online procedure is used to obtain a first-order-with-time-delay approximation to multistaged higher-order systems. Based on the information obtained, the parameters of the controller are updated. Simulation studies compare the performance of each algorithm in the presence of noise and time-varying systems.
A shape matching algorithm for synthesizing humanlike enveloping grasps

Humanoid robots must be capable of interacting with the world using their hands. A variety of humanlike robot hands have been constructed, but it remains difficult to control these hands in a dexterous way. One challenge is grasp synthesis, where we wish to place the hand and control its shape to successfully grasp a given object. In this paper, we present a datadriven approach to grasp synthesis that treats grasping as a shape matching problem. We begin with a database of grasp examples. Given a model of a new object to be grasped (the query), shape features of the object are compared to shape features of hand poses in these examples in order to identify candidate grasps. For effective retrieval, we develop a novel shape matching algorithm that can accommodate the sparse shape information associated with hand pose and that considers relative placements of contact points and normals, which are important for grasp function. We illustrate our approach with examples using a model of the human hand
Effect of pressure on the Raman-active modes of zircon (ZrSiO 4 ): a first-principles study

Density-functional theory (DFT) was employed in a first-principles study of the effects of pressure on the Raman-active modes of zircon (ZrSiO4), using both the generalized gradient and local density approximations (GGA and LDA, respectively). Beginning with the equilibrium structure at zero pressure, we conducted a calibration of the effect of pressure in a manner procedurally similar to an experimental calibration. For pressures between 0 and 7 GPa, we find excellent qualitative agreement of frequency–pressure slopes $$\partial \omega /\partial P$$ calculated from GGA DFT with results of previous experimental studies. In addition, we were able to rationalize the ω vs. P behavior based on details of the vibrational modes and their atomic displacements. Most of the $$\partial \omega /\partial P$$ slopes are positive as expected, but the symmetry of the zircon lattice also results in two negative slopes for modes that involve slight shearing and rigid rotation of SiO4 tetrahedra. Overall, LDA yields absolute values of the frequencies of the Raman-active modes in good agreement with experimental values, while GGA reproduces the shift in frequency with pressure especially well.
Optimal radiotherapy target volumes in intracranial nongerminomatous germ cell tumors: Long-term institutional experience with chemotherapy, surgery, and dose- and field-adapted radiotherapy.

Purpose To evaluate patterns of failure after multimodality treatment of nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs). Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed records of 3,440 patients diagnosed with primary intracranial NGGCT between 1988 and 2014. Results Thirty-four patients received induction chemotherapy followed by radiation with or without surgery. Median follow-up was 11.1 years (0.8–23.3). Outcomes were significantly improved in these 34 patients (5-year overall survival [OS]: 88% versus 50%, P = 0.0092), so analysis is restricted to that subset. Disease-free survival (DFS) was 67, 60, and 54% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid–α-fetoprotein (CSF–AFP) at diagnosis was associated with poorer DFS (37 vs. 89% at 10 years; P = 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in OS, or DFS, or patterns of failure for limited radiotherapy volumes versus larger volumes; however, patients receiving initial local radiotherapy had 32% distant central nervous system (CNS) recurrence at 10 years compared to 0% for those receiving initial larger field irradiation (P = 0.09). Fifteen patients recurred. All four patients who relapsed in the spine had received local radiotherapy and had elevated serum and CSF-AFP at baseline. All three patients with ventricular relapse received local radiation therapy. Conclusions NGGCT patients continue to relapse beyond 5 years. Late ventricular relapse occurred even in patients without clear evidence of germinoma component. Elevated CSF-AFP at diagnosis is associated with poor DFS and risk for distant CNS relapse. Patients with residual radiographic disease after chemotherapy or residual malignant histologies after second-look surgery have inferior outcomes. Our data support consideration of treatment intensification for these patients.
Comparing distributions by multiple testing across quantiles or CDF values

Abstract We first show that one-sample and two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests may be interpreted as multiple testing procedures, nonparametrically testing equality at each point in the distribution with strong control of the finite-sample familywise error rate. Second, we provide an alternative procedure that distributes power across the distribution more evenly than the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, which suffers low sensitivity to tail deviations. Third, we provide a formula for near-instant one-sample computation. Fourth, we improve power with stepdown and pre-test procedures. Finally, we extend our results to conditional distributions and regression discontinuity designs. Simulations, empirical examples, and code are provided.
All-Atom Simulations Reveal Protein Charge Decoration in the Folded and Unfolded Ensemble Is Key in Thermophilic Adaptation.

Thermophilic proteins denature at much higher temperature compared to their mesophilic homologues, in spite of high structural and sequential similarity. Computational approaches to understand this puzzle face three major challenges: (i) unfolded ensembles are usually neglected, (ii) simulation studies of the folded states are often too short, and (iii) the majority of investigations focus on a few protein pairs, obscuring the prevalence of different strategies across multiple protein systems. We address these concerns by carrying out all-atom simulations to characterize physicochemical properties of both the folded and the disordered ensemble in multiple (12) thermophilic–mesophilic homologous protein pairs. We notice two clear trends in most pairs (10 out of 12). First, specific distribution of charges in the native basin—sampled from multimicrosecond long Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories—leads to more favorable electrostatic interaction energy in thermophiles compared to mesophiles. Next...
Influence of Optically Rectified Electric Fields on the Plasmonic Photocatalysis of 4-Nitrothiophenol and 4-Aminothiophenol to 4,4-Dimercaptoazobenzene

The excitation of plasmon resonances in nanostructured materials has been shown to drive catalytic processes. The ability to tune plasmon resonances across the solar spectrum has sparked interest in plasmonic catalysis for many applications. Results indicate that nanostructures with tight junctions can generate direct current (DC) electric fields, arising from optical rectification (OR). The impact of OR generated DC electric fields on plasmonic catalysis is not known. In this work, we use a mixed monolayer of p-mercaptobenzonitrile (MBN) and either 4-nitrothiophenol (NTP) or 4-aminothiophenol (ATP) to correlate the DC field with surface catalytic activity. The DC electric field strength is measured using a vibrational Stark reporter (MBN). The catalytic activity is assessed by monitoring the formation of 4,4-dimercaptoazobenzene and loss of NTP/ATP using changes in the observed surface-enhanced Raman spectrum. Our data shows that at relatively low laser powers, optical rectification modulates the plasmon...
Communities of Transformation: Creating Changes to Deeply Entrenched Issues

The purpose of this article is to describe a new variation of communities of practice: communities of transformation. We define communities of transformation as communities that create and foster i...
The Hidden Curriculum and Qualitative Inquiry as States of Mind

Although two recently fashionable items in educational discourse (the hidden curriculum and qualitative inquiry) have been strangely isolated from each other in the literature, qualitative inquiry ...
Clinical implications of new neuromuscular concepts and agents: so long, neostigmine! So long, sux!

Although antiquated and long targeted for obsolescence, neostigmine and succinylcholine still serve the anesthesia community, decades after their inferior pharmacological profiles have been recognized. The need to quickly establish a good intubation condition with a relaxant that will recover rapidly is fundamental to safe anesthesia practice. So is the need to restore muscle power safely and quickly at the end of surgery, by reversing a residual neuromuscular block. Recent data have shown that sugammadex can safely and rapidly reverse profound neuromuscular block established by rocuronium and vecuronium. This allows for use of rocuronium to establish a good intubation condition, and use of sugammadex to terminate the neuromuscular block at will. The present article assesses the clinical implications of such therapeutic regimen, and provides an educated guess on how the clinical neuromuscular practice might change, if and when sugammadex becomesclinically available.
Galaxy Evolution in the Northern HDF

The history of star formation in the Northern Hubble Deep Field is probed using a combination of optical and near infrared images taken with WFPC2 and NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope. These images cover more than a factor of five in wavelength. This broad wavelength coverage allows accurate photometric determinations of redshift, extinction and intrinsic spectral energy distribution for each galaxy. From these parameters the star formation rate for each galaxy is determined by relating the 1500 angstrom flux to the net star formation rate. We then correct the rates at high redshift for the effects of surface brightness dimming by using a standard form of the star formation intensity distribution. Our measurements show that the star formation rate in the Northern HDF is roughly constant from a redshift of 1 through 6.
Modelling of Backward Erosion Piping in Two- and Three- Dimensional Domains

Backward erosion piping is a highly three-dimensional process responsible for the failure of many embankment dams and levees. Unfortunately, the majority of numerical models developed for predicting piping are two-dimensional. This study presents finite element models for backward erosion piping computations in both two- and three-dimensional domains. Analyses results indicate that the degree of concentration of flow in three-dimensional models is much more severe than in two dimensions, resulting in higher estimates of the hydraulic gradient near the upstream end of the erosion channel.
The effects of fear-avoidance beliefs on anterior knee pain and physical therapy visit count for young individuals: A retrospective study

Abstract Objectives 1) Report levels of fear-avoidance beliefs in adolescents with anterior knee pain, 2) determine if fear-avoidance beliefs predict the number of therapy visits used to treat anterior knee pain, and 3) determine if initial fear-avoidance beliefs predict functional ability at discharge. Design A retrospective review. Setting Pediatric outpatient hospital. Participants Patients ages 10–21 years with a diagnosis of anterior knee pain between 2009 and 2016. Main outcome measures The predictor variable was initial fear avoidance beliefs physical activity subscale (FABQ-PA) score and the outcome variable was total physical therapy visit count. Functional ability was assessed using the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS). Results Adolescents with anterior knee pain reported moderate fear-avoidance beliefs with an average initial FABQ-PA score of 13.2 ± 5. The FABQ-PA score did not significantly contribute to the visit count (p = 0.22, R2= Conclusion Fear-avoidance beliefs in adolescents are similar to that seen in adults. FABQ-PA scores did not impact the number of visits used to treat anterior knee pain or functional ability at discharge.
Use of Supercritical Water for the Liquefaction of Polypropylene into Oil

About five billion tons of plastic waste have accumulated in landfills and the natural environment over the past 50 years. Polypropylene (PP) waste accounts for about 23% of the total plastic waste. Converting PP waste into useful products can reduce the accumulated waste and associated risks to the environment and human health. In this study, model PP was converted into oil using supercritical water at 380–500 °C and 23 MPa over a reaction time of 0.5–6 h. Up to 91 wt % of model PP was converted into oil at 425 °C with a 2–4 h reaction time or at 450 °C with a 0.5–1 h reaction time. Higher reaction temperatures (>450 °C) or longer reaction times (>4 h) led to more gas products. The oil products consisted of olefins, paraffins, cyclics, and aromatics. About 80–90 wt % of the oil components had the same boiling point range as naphtha (25–200 °C) and heating values of 48–49 MJ/kg. Reaction pathways for converting model PP into oil under the tested conditions were proposed. Preliminary analyses indicate that...