cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimal area surfaces dual to Wilson loops and the Mathieu equation

The AdS/CFT correspondence relates Wilson loops in $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ SYM to minimal area surfaces in AdS 5 × S 5 space. Recently, a new approach to study minimal area surfaces in AdS 3 ⊂ AdS 5 was discussed based on a Schroedinger equation with a periodic potential determined by the Schwarzian derivative of the shape of the Wilson loop. Here we use the Mathieu equation, a standard example of a periodic potential, to obtain a class of Wilson loops such that the area of the dual minimal area surface can be computed analytically in terms of eigenvalues of such equation. As opposed to previous examples, these minimal surfaces have an umbilical point (where the principal curvatures are equal) and are invariant under λ-deformations. In various limits they reduce to the single and multiple wound circular Wilson loop and to the regular light-like polygons studied by Alday and Maldacena. In this last limit, the periodic potential becomes a series of deep wells each related to a light-like segment. Small corrections are described by a tight-binding approximation. In the circular limit they are well approximated by an expansion developed by A. Dekel. In the particular case of no umbilical points they reduce to a previous solution proposed by J. Toledo. The construction works both in Euclidean and Minkowski signature of AdS 3.
Head Injury: Early Results of Comparing CT and High-Field MR

The sensitivity and specificity of CT and high-field MR (1.5 T) were compared in an evaluation of 30 patients with head injuries (eight acute, 15 subacute, and seven chronic). By using T1- and T2-weighted images, it was possible to detect various stages of hemorrhages and their separation from edema. In the acute category, both CT and MR showed acute hemorrhagic lesions, but only MR demonstrated coexisting chronic hematomas or small hypothalamic or brainstem infarctions. MR was far superior to CT in the detection and characterization of subacute injuries, including shearing injuries, hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic contusions, and subdural hematomas. In chronic injury, atrophy was demonstrated by both techniques, but only MR showed parenchymal abnormalities and old hemorrhages. Its ease in monitoring patients and its greater speed make CT the procedure of choice for the evaluation of acute cases. CT also provides information that is useful in deciding between surgery and medical management. However, the more precise anatomic depiction of MR and its sensitivity to parenchymal abnormalities make MR the key to correct prognosis in patients with subacute or chronic injury.
USE OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN BONE MORPHOGENIC PROTEIN IN CHILDREN

Aim To study the results of using recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) to achieve bone union in children with complex orthopaedic problems including skeletal dysplasia, congenital limb deficiencies and complex trauma. Materials & Methods Between November 2006 to April 2010, rhBMP-2 was used to achieve bone healing in a total of 19 children. The indications were delayed union or non-union in 16 long bones where previous surgeries had failed and 4 posterior spinal fusions. All children had underlying complex orthopaedic problems predisposing them to delayed bone healing. The average age at the time of surgery was 13 years and 8 months (Range: From 4 years to 19 years and 4 months). There were 7 boys and 12 girls. Results Average follow-up period was 9.6 months (Range: From 3 months to 2 years and 2 months). Out of the 16 long bone non-unions treated with rhBMP-2, 13 united without further interventions but 3 required further intervention. The average time for clinical union was 10 weeks (Range: from 6 weeks to 18 weeks). The average time for radiological union was 15 weeks (Range: from 7 weeks to 27 weeks). Two children who underwent instrumented posterior spinal fusion and two children who underwent uninstrumented spinal fusion achieved radiologically evident spinal fusion at an average of 16 weeks. No local or systemic complications attributable to BMP were noted in any of the children. Conclusions rhBMP-2 can be used successfully to achieve bone healing in long bone nonunion and delayed union and posterior spinal fusion in children with complex orthopaedic problems including skeletal dysplasia, congenital limb deficiencies and complex trauma. Its use in children has shown no unwanted effects in the short term. Significance rhBMP-2 has been approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a bone graft substitute in adults. Its use in adults has been widely reported but there are only a few case reports of its use in children. This study shows that rhBMP-2 can be safely
An analytical film drainage model and breakup criterion for Taylor bubbles in slug flow in inclined round pipes

The velocity of Taylor bubbles in inclined pipes is reduced if a lubricating liquid film between the bubble and the pipe wall is not present. An analytical model predicting the gravity-driven drainage of the lubricating film is presented in this article. The model is then used to establish a criterion for film breakup: if t¯bubble=tbubble/τ<0.01 the thin film would not break up, where tbubble is the bubble’s passage time, and τ is the characteristic film drainage time based on the fluid properties, pipe geometry, and critical film thickness. The model is validated experimentally with Taylor bubbles in inclined pipes (5° to 90°, the latter being vertical) with stagnant liquids (ethanol, methanol, and mixtures of deionized water and methanol).
Performance Comparison of Three-Step and Six-Step PWM in Average-Current-Controlled Three-Phase Six-Switch Boost PFC Rectifier

In this paper, a three-step PWM method for the average-current-controlled three-phase six-switch boost PFC rectifier is proposed. It is shown that the three-step PWM compared to the conventional six-step PWM exhibits a lower total harmonic distortion of the input currents and higher power factor. However, the three-step PWM, unlike the six-step PWM, is adversely affected by the duty-cycle limitations and has unbalanced conduction losses of the upper and lower switches of the three-phase rectifier bridge. The average-current control of the three-step and six-step PWM is illustrated with MATLAB/Simulink simulation waveforms and experimentally verified on a 3 kW prototype.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy to probe interfacial issues in photolithography

We utilize near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXASFS) to provide detailed chemical insight into two interfacial problems facing sub-100 nm patterning. First, chemically amplified photo-resists are sensitive to surface phenomenon, which causes deviations in the pattern profile near the interface. Striking examples include T-topping, closure, footing, and undercutting. NEXAFS was used to examine surface segregation of a photo-acid generator at the resist/air interface and to illustrate that the surface extent of deprotection in a model resist film can be different than the bulk extent of deprotection. Second, line edge roughness becomes increasingly critical with shrinking patterns, and may be intimately related to the line edge deprotection profile. A NEXAFS technique to surface depth profile for compositional gradients is described with the potential to provide chemical information about the resist line edge.
An Empirical Study and Analysis of Generalized Zero-Shot Learning for Object Recognition in the Wild

We investigate the problem of generalized zero-shot learning (GZSL). GZSL relaxes the unrealistic assumption in conventional zero-shot learning (ZSL) that test data belong only to unseen novel classes. In GZSL, test data might also come from seen classes and the labeling space is the union of both types of classes. We show empirically that a straightforward application of classifiers provided by existing ZSL approaches does not perform well in the setting of GZSL. Motivated by this, we propose a surprisingly simple but effective method to adapt ZSL approaches for GZSL. The main idea is to introduce a calibration factor to calibrate the classifiers for both seen and unseen classes so as to balance two conflicting forces: recognizing data from seen classes and those from unseen ones. We develop a new performance metric called the Area Under Seen-Unseen accuracy Curve to characterize this trade-off. We demonstrate the utility of this metric by analyzing existing ZSL approaches applied to the generalized setting. Extensive empirical studies reveal strengths and weaknesses of those approaches on three well-studied benchmark datasets, including the large-scale ImageNet with more than 20,000 unseen categories. We complement our comparative studies in learning methods by further establishing an upper bound on the performance limit of GZSL. In particular, our idea is to use class-representative visual features as the idealized semantic embeddings. We show that there is a large gap between the performance of existing approaches and the performance limit, suggesting that improving the quality of class semantic embeddings is vital to improving ZSL.
A brief friendship.

We do not know ahead of time the impact of a particular encounter with a patient—for the patient or for ourselves. When I worked with families in hospice, I learned that sometimes my encounters began a meaningful conversation, which the patient then finished internally or with someone else. Sometimes I walked into the middle of a process begun by a colleague or someone else. And sometimes, I had the opportunity to be present for the end of the conversation— perhaps near the end of life or at the moment of death. I learned to not take encounters with patients for granted. Unfortunately, this lesson was also ignored or minimized when I felt the challenge to rush towards the next encounter demanding my attention. And so we are challenged to be attentive to where we enter the conversations with patients and challenged to be flexible in the course of our encounters with patients—a process of guiding and following the patients’ journey in their illness. The following story describes an encounter with a patient very early in my career as a hospice social worker. Afterwards, when I had self-doubt or wondered what to do next, I began to rely on respect, compassion and empathy along with my knowledge, skills and resources in the community. Later, one cancer survivor offered gratitude this way:
Edentulism and comorbid factors.

Introduction Complete edentulism is the terminal outcome of a multifactorial process involving biological factors and patient-related factors. It continues to represent a tremendous global health care burden, and will for the foreseeable future. The purpose of this review is to determine what comorbid factors exist for the completely edentulous patient. Methods This literature review evaluated articles obtained via the National Library of Medicine's PubMed website, using keywords of edentulism with various combinations of the terms comorbidity, incidence, health, nutrition, cancer, cardiovascular health, diabetes, osteoporosis, smoking, asthma, dementia, and rheumatoid arthritis. Abstracts were selected and screened, and selected full-text articles were reviewed. Articles were limited to those with adequate patient cohorts and a minimum of 2-year follow-up data. Results Edentulism was found to be a global issue, with estimates for an increasing demand for complete denture prostheses in the future. Completely edentulous patients were found to be at higher risk for poor nutrition, coronary artery plaque formation (odds ratio 2.32), to be smokers (odds ratio 2.42), to be asthmatic and edentulous in the maxillary arch (odds ratio 10.52), to being diabetic (odds ratio 1.82), to having rheumatoid arthritis (odds ratio 2.27), and to having certain cancers (odds ratios varying from 1.54 to 2.85, depending on the type of cancer). Chronic residual ridge resorption continues to be the primary intraoral complication of edentulation, and there appear to be few opportunities to reduce bone loss in the edentulous patient. Conclusions While the completely edentulous patient seems to be at risk for multiple systemic disorders, whether development of these disorders is causal or casual has not been determined. To minimize the loss of residual alveolar ridges, exemplary complete denture therapy, along with the establishment of routine recall systems, should be the ultimate goal of treatment of this patient cohort.
MeSH-informed enrichment analysis and MeSH-guided semantic similarity among functional terms and gene products in chicken

Biomedical vocabularies and ontologies aid in recapitulating biological knowledge. The annotation of gene products is mainly accelerated by Gene Ontology (GO), and more recently by Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Here, we report a suite of MeSH packages for chicken in Bioconductor, and illustrate some features of different MeSH-based analyses, including MeSH-informed enrichment analysis and MeSH-guided semantic similarity among terms and gene products, using two lists of chicken genes available in public repositories. The two published datasets that were employed represent (i) differentially expressed genes, and (ii) candidate genes under selective sweep or epistatic selection. The comparison of MeSH with GO overrepresentation analyses suggested not only that MeSH supports the findings obtained from GO analysis, but also that MeSH is able to further enrich the representation of biological knowledge and often provide more interpretable results. Based on the hierarchical structures of MeSH and GO, we computed semantic similarities among vocabularies, as well as semantic similarities among selected genes. These yielded the similarity levels between significant functional terms, and the annotation of each gene yielded the measures of gene similarity. Our findings show the benefits of using MeSH as an alternative choice of annotation in order to draw biological inferences from a list of genes of interest. We argue that the use of MeSH in conjunction with GO will be instrumental in facilitating the understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits.
Targeting microenvironment in cancer therapeutics

// Matthew Martin 1 , Han Wei 1 and Tao Lu 1,2,3 1 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA 3 Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA Correspondence to: Tao Lu, email: // Keywords : cancer, microenvironment, cytokine, transcription factor Received : March 13, 2016 Accepted : May 19, 2016 Published : June 05, 2016 Abstract During development of a novel treatment for cancer patients, the tumor microenvironment and its interaction with the tumor cells must be considered. Aspects such as the extracellular matrix (ECM), the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), secreted factors, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the host immune response, and tumor-associated microphages (TAM) are critical for cancer progression and metastasis. Additionally, signaling pathways such as the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) can promote further cytokine release in the tumor environment, and impact tumor progression greatly. Importantly, cytokine overexpression has been linked to drug resistance in cancers and is therefore an attractive target for combinational therapies. Specific inhibitors of cytokines involved in signaling between tumor cells and the microenvironment have not been studied in depth and have great potential for use in personalized medicines. Together, the interactions between the microenvironment and tumors are critical for tumor growth and promotion and should be taken into serious consideration for future novel therapeutic approaches.
Rapid diagnosis of viral infections.

Rapid tests for use in the virology laboratory have evolved because of the recognition of serious complications produced by viruses and the availability of antiviral therapy such as acyclovir and gancyclovir to influence the clinical course of the patient. Accordingly, many of these systemic viral infections occur as a result of impaired host immune defense mechanisms. Thus, the importance of the herpesviruses in particular, producing life-threatening disease in organ transplant recipients (kidney, bone marrow, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas) has been recognized for several years. The severe immunosuppression induced in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has amplified the importance of underlying infection with herpesviruses, and hence laboratory diagnosis of these infections in this population.
Modeling Electronic Polarizability Changes in the Course of a Magnesium Ion Water Ligand Exchange Process

This paper introduces explicit dependence of atomic polarizabilities on intermolecular interactions within the framework of a polarizable force field AMOEBA. Polarizable models used in biomolecular simulations often poorly describe molecular electrostatic induction in condensed phase, in part, due to neglect of a strong dependency of molecular electronic polarizability on intermolecular interactions at short distances. Our variable polarizability model parameters are derived from quantum chemical calculations of small clusters of atoms and molecules, and can be applied in simulations in condensed phase without additional scaling factors. The variable polarizability model is applied to simulate a ligand exchange reaction for a Mg2+ ion solvated in water. Explicit dependence of water polarizability on a distance between a water oxygen and Mg2+ is derived from in vacuum MP2 calculations of Mg2+–water dimer. The simulations yield a consistent description of the energetics of the Mg2+–water clusters of differe...
Computational Insights into the Central Role of Nonbonding Interactions in Modern Covalent Organocatalysis

ConspectusThe flexibility, complexity, and size of contemporary organocatalytic transformations pose interesting and powerful opportunities to computational and experimental chemists alike. In this Account, we disclose our recent computational investigations of three branches of organocatalysis in which nonbonding interactions, such as C–H···O/N interactions, play a crucial role in the organization of transition states, catalysis, and selectivity.We begin with two examples of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis, both collaborations with the Scheidt laboratory at Northwestern. In the first example, we discuss the discovery of an unusual diverging mechanism in a catalytic kinetic resolution of a dynamic racemate that depends on the stereochemistry of the product being formed. Specifically, the major product is formed through a concerted asynchronous [2 + 2] aldol-lactonization, while the minor products come from a stepwise spiro-lactonization pathway. Stereoselectivity and catalysis are the results of el...
Confidence models of incomplete preferences

Abstract This paper introduces a new class of representations for incomplete preferences called confidence models. Confidence models describe decision makers who behave as if they have probabilistic uncertainty over their true preferences, and are only willing to express a binary preference if it is sufficiently likely to hold. Confidence models provide a natural way to connect incomplete preferences with stochastic choice. This connection is characterized by a simple joint condition on an incomplete preference relation and a random choice rule.
Synthetic Applications of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer.

ConspectusRedox events in which an electron and proton are exchanged in a concerted elementary step are commonly referred to as proton-coupled electron transfers (PCETs). PCETs are known to operate in numerous important biological redox processes, as well as recent inorganic technologies for small molecule activation. These studies suggest that PCET catalysis might also function as a general mode of substrate activation in organic synthesis. Over the past three years, our group has worked to advance this hypothesis and to demonstrate the synthetic utility of PCET through the development of novel catalytic radical chemistries. The central aim of these efforts has been to demonstrate the ability of PCET to homolytically activate a wide variety of common organic functional groups that are energetically inaccessible using known molecular H atom transfer catalysts.To do so, we made use of a simple formalism first introduced by Mayer and co-workers that allowed us to predict the thermodynamic capacity of any ox...
High-speed directional comparison protection of transmission lines

Improvements of system stability and reduction in the effects of shunt type faults in transmission and bulk systems on sensitive industrial loads can be achieved through the development of protection relays with sub-cycle operating times for faults anywhere on the transmission line. State-of-the-art communications methods and advanced algorithms allow the implementation of such solutions. The paper discusses in detail a directional comparison protection system based on superimposed components directional detection. A new relay-to-relay communications protocol meets the requirements of different schemes and at the same time ensures fast operating times over different communications chanels.
Adaptive receiver algorithms for near-far resistant CDMA

Adaptive receiver algorithms are considered for the demodulation of code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signals. These algorithms include neural-network based algorithms and algorithms adapted from linear channel equalization techniques. Convergence issues are treated, and the performance of various algorithms is compared via computer simulations. >
Laser cooling of trapped three-level ions: designing two-level systems for sideband cooling

The ultimate goal of laser cooling is to prepare ions in the ground state of the trapping potential. This can be achieved by sideband cooling.1 3 For a two-level system moving in a harmonic oscillator, the condition for sideband cooling is v > Γ, where ν is the trap frequency and Г is the spontaneous-decay rate. In this strong-confinement limit the absorption spectrum of the ion exhibits well-resolved sidebands because of the harmonic motion of the ion. Tuning the laser to the lower motional sideband results in an optical pumping and efficient transfer into the vibrational ground state.
Supergravity Backgrounds for Four-Dimensional Maximally Supersymmetric Yang-Mills

In this note, we describe supersymmetric backgrounds for the four-dimensional maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. As an extension of the method of Festuccia and Seiberg to sixteen supercharges in four dimensions, we utilize the coupling of the gauge theory to maximally extended conformal supergravity. Included among the fields of the conformal supergravity multiplet is the complexified coupling parameter of the gauge theory; therefore, backgrounds with spacetime varying coupling — such as appear in F-theory and Janus configurations — are naturally included in this formalism. We demonstrate this with a few examples from past literature.
An Exponential Inequality for U-Statistics Under Mixing Conditions

The family of U-statistics plays a fundamental role in statistics. This paper proves a novel exponential inequality for U-statistics under the time series setting. Explicit mixing conditions are given for guaranteeing fast convergence, the bound proves to be analogous to the one under independence, and extension to non-stationary time series is straightforward. The proof relies on a novel decomposition of U-statistics via exploiting the temporal correlatedness structure. Such results are of interest in many fields where high-dimensional time series data are present. In particular, applications to high-dimensional time series inference are discussed.
CEMENTED FEMORAL FIXATION: ANY INDICATION IN 2016?

Introduction: Over the last 37 years I have performed more than 8000 primary and revision THRs. These include cemented, hybrid, and noncemented types of fixation. There are many preventable complications which include: infection, delayed wound healing, perforation or varus position of the implant, and suboptimal cement technique. Quality of function depends on restoring center of rotation, restoring offset, equal limb length, balancing soft tissue, and adequate pain control. Long-term success depends on durable fixation and reduced wear. Cement fixation into cortico-cancellous bone provides durable fixation. Discussion: We have a cohort at my practice of 370 total hip replacements. Fifty-three percent were cemented, 25% were hybrid, and 22% were noncemented. In another cohort of 253 cemented THR followed for a 10-year period, only two failures were found. One revision was for dislocation and the other was for loosening. I have found the Interlock system to have a very successful survivorship rate. I believe the reason for superior results is better polyethylene, better patient selection, and better surgical technique. I indicate cemented fixation for patients 60 years and older. I avoid if there is excessive bleeding and in a heavy, active patient.
A closed-form solution of the Black–Litterman model with conditional value at risk

Abstract We consider a portfolio optimization problem of the Black–Litterman type, in which we use the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) as the risk measure and we use the multi-variate elliptical distributions, instead of the multi-variate normal distribution, to model the financial asset returns. We propose an approximation algorithm and establish the convergence results. Based on the approximation algorithm, we derive a closed-form solution of the portfolio optimization problems of the Black–Litterman type with CVaR.
Bounds on large extra dimensions from the Generalized Uncertainty Principle

The Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) implies the existence of a physical minimum length scale lm. In this scenario, black holes must have a radius larger than lm. They are hotter and evaporate faster than in standard Hawking thermodynamics. We study the effects of the GUP on black hole production and decay at the LHC in models with large extra dimensions. Lower bounds on the fundamental Planck scale and the minimum black hole mass at formation are determined from black hole production cross-section limits by the CMS Collaboration. The existence of a minimum length generally decreases the lower bounds on the fundamental Planck scale obtained in the absence of a minimum length.
Selective suppression of the α isoform of p38 MAPK rescues late-stage tau pathology

Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. We previously demonstrated that the microglial activation induces tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the hTau mouse model of tauopathy that was deficient for microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1. We report an isoform-selective, brain-permeable, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of p38α MAPK (MW181) and its effects on tau phosphorylation in vitro and in hTau mice. First, pretreatment of mouse primary cortical neurons with MW181 completely blocked inflammation-induced p38α MAPK activation and AT8 (pS199/pS202) site tau phosphorylation, with the maximum effect peaking at 60–90 min after stimulation. Second, treatment of old (~20 months of age) hTau mice with MW181 (1 mg/kg body weight; 14 days via oral gavage) significantly reduced p38α MAPK activation compared with vehicle-administered hTau mice. This also resulted in a significant reduction in AT180 (pT231) site tau phosphorylation and Sarkosyl-insoluble tau aggregates. Third, MW181 treatment significantly increased synaptophysin protein expression and resulted in improved working memory. Fourth, MW181 administration reduced phosphorylated MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (pMK2) and phosphorylated activating transcription factor 2 (pATF2), which are known substrates of p38α MAPK. Finally, MW181 reduced the expression of interferon-γ and interleukin-1β. Taken together, these studies support p38α MAPK as a valid therapeutic target for the treatment of tauopathies.
A Massive MIMO Panel Array at Ka-Band with Flexible Patterns and Beam Steering Performance

In this paper, we are presenting a software defined based massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) panel array antenna with flexible radiation patterns and beam steering application. This design involves a Ka-band (31.7 GHz to 33.46 GHz) 4 × 4 microstrip patch planar array with dual linear polarizations and good isolation which is required for a massive MIMO antenna system. In this case, by controlling input excitations of the selected radiating elements in the array, we generate radiation patterns with variable beamwidths or directivity at the broadside angle. Further, by applying variable amplitude and phase excitations to the partial or full array, we generate beam steering radiation patterns. Additional analysis and measured performance results will be presented during the conference.
Towards linear algebra over normalized data

Providing machine learning (ML) over relational data is a mainstream requirement for data analytics systems. While almost all ML tools require the input data to be presented as a single table, many datasets are multi-table. This forces data scientists to join those tables first, which often leads to data redundancy and runtime waste. Recent works on "factorized" ML mitigate this issue for a few specific ML algorithms by pushing ML through joins. But their approaches require a manual rewrite of ML implementations. Such piecemeal methods create a massive development overhead when extending such ideas to other ML algorithms. In this paper, we show that it is possible to mitigate this overhead by leveraging a popular formal algebra to represent the computations of many ML algorithms: linear algebra. We introduce a new logical data type to represent normalized data and devise a framework of algebraic rewrite rules to convert a large set of linear algebra operations over denormalized data into operations over normalized data. We show how this enables us to automatically "factorize" several popular ML algorithms, thus unifying and generalizing several prior works. We prototype our framework in the popular ML environment R and an industrial R-over-RDBMS tool. Experiments with both synthetic and real normalized data show that our framework also yields significant speed-ups, up to 36x on real data.
The use of weight-bearing CT scan in the evaluation of hindfoot alignment

Background There have been multiple techniques described to determine hindfoot alignment radiographically. The 2-dimensional nature of radiographs fails to take into account the contribution of the remainder of the foot to overall alignment. A new radiographic technique has been published in which the hindfoot alignment is calculated using the Ground Reaction Force Calcanea Offset. This technique accounts for the individual forefoot contribution to alignment, but is still limited by it´s 2-dimensional nature. The purpose of this study was to compare the hindfoot moment arm (HMA) described by Saltzman and the hindfoot alignment angle (HAA) described by Williamson, with a technique determining the ground reaction force calcaneal offset (GRF-CT) using 3-dimensional weight bearing CT Scans. Methods The HMA, HAA, and GRF-CT 3-D weight bearing CT scans were measured by three different investigators. Each of these measurements were calculated twice on separate occasions by each investigator to determine the intra- and inter-observer reliability. Results 104 patients underwent weight bearing hindfoot alignment radiographs and 3-dimensional weight bearing CT scans including 33 patients with varus and 71 patients with valgus hindfoot deformities. There was excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability with all three measurement techniques (P Conclusions The GRF-CT technique is more reliable than traditional radiographic techniques for measuring the hindfoot alignment. While the intra- and inter-observer reliability is good for all three techniques, the GRF-CT technique resulted in the best intra- and inter-observer reliability with the lowest standard deviation. This technique provides the most accurate hindfoot alignment as it takes into account the effect of forefoot on overall alignment, preventing inaccuracies of projection and foot orientation in contrast to traditional radiographic techniques, which may be valuable in surgical decision making.
Active learning with statistical models

For many types of machine learning algorithms, one can compute the statistically "optimal" way to select training data. In this paper, we review how optimal data selection techniques have been used with feedforward neural networks. We then show how the same principles may be used to select data for two alternative, statistically-based learning architectures: mixtures of Gaussians and locally weighted regression. While the techniques for neural networks are computationally expensive and approximate, the techniques for mixtures of Gaussians and locally weighted regression are both efficient and accurate. Empirically, we observe that the optimality criterion sharply decreases the number of training examples the learner needs in order to achieve good performance.
Kinetics of actinide complexation reactions

Abstract We report herein a summary of what is known about actinide complexation kinetics. The systems include actinide ions in the four principal oxidation states (III, IV, V, and VI) and complex formation and dissociation rates with both simple and complex ligands. Complex formation reactions tend to be rapid, accessible only to rapid-scan and equilibrium perturbation techniques. Complex dissociation reactions exhibit a wider range of rates and are generally more accessible using standard analytical methods. Literature results are described and correlated with the known properties of the individual ions.
Thermodynamics with 2+1 and 3 flavors of improved staggered quarks

We present preliminary results from exploring the phase diagram of finite temperature QCD with three degenerate flavors and with two light flavors and the mass of the third held approximately at the strange quark mass. We use an order $\alpha_s^2 a^2, a^4$ Symanzik improved gauge action and an order $\alpha_s a^2, a^4$ improved staggered quark action. The improved staggered action leads to a dispersion relation with diminished lattice artifacts, and hence better thermodynamic properties. It decreases the flavor symmetry breaking of staggered quarks substantially, and we estimate that at the transition temperature for an $N_t=8$ to $N_t=10$ lattice {\em all} pions will be lighter than the lightest kaon. Preliminary results on lattices with $N_t=4$, 6 and 8 are presented.
Physician Encounters with Human Trafficking: Legal Consequences and Ethical Considerations

Physicians who encounter and wish to care for trafficking victims should be aware of criminal laws, mandatory reporting laws, and human rights law.
Design of FIR digital phase networks

The problem of the minimax design of FIR digital filters with prescribed phase characteristics and unit magnitude is a nonlinear optimization problem. In this paper it is approximated by a linear programming problem, and it is shown that the solution of this linear program is optimal to first order. That is, if δ 0 and e 0 are optimal deviations of magnitude and phase characteristics, then the actual deviations obtained from the linear program solution satisfy \delta \leq \delta_{0} + \epsilon\min{0}\max{2} and \epsilon \leq \epsilon_{0} (1 + \delta_{0})/(1 - \delta_{0}) . Numerical examples are given, including design results for full-band M-term chirp filters which (like linear phase filters) can be implemented with (M + 1)/2 multiplications per point.
PATIENT-SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION: ADDED COST AND UNPROVEN VALUE – AFFIRMS

A recent proposed modification in surgical technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been the introduction of patient specific instrumentation or custom cutting guides (CCGs). With CCGs, preoperative three-dimensional imaging is used to manufacture cutting blocks specific to a patient9s native anatomy, with proposed benefits including their ease of use; a decrease in operative times and instrument trays and improved cost-efficiency; the ability to preoperative plan component size, alignment, and position; and an improvement in postoperative alignment versus the use of standard instrumentation. However, to date the majority of reports have not confirmed these proposed benefits. Prior studies focusing on cost-efficiency have shown limited benefits in terms of operating and room turnover times, which fail to offset the additional cost of preoperative imaging and fabrication of the CCGs. Furthermore, a number of reports have noted the frequent need for surgeon-directed changes and alterations in alignment intraoperatively, along with errors in the predetermined implant size. The use of CCGs has also failed to improve overall mechanical and component alignment versus standard instrumentation in the majority of investigations. Perhaps most importantly, no investigation has demonstrated CCGs to improve clinical outcomes postoperatively. Therefore, in the absence of proven clinical or radiographic improvements, the continued implementation of CCGs must be questioned.
Estructura sintáctica de las construcciones con verbos parasintéticos de los tipos a-…-ar y en-…-ar

I postulate an unitary syntactic structure for constructions with a-…-ar and en-…-ar parasynthetic verbs through four hypothesis: both patterns have a common basic syntactic structure regarding vP and VP, whose heads are CAUSE and BECOME, respectively; the difference between the patterns lies on, within a scale of affectedness (Beavers 2011), the fact that a-…-ar assigns (compositionally) a result state to the theme, while this does not happen with en-…-ar. I claim that affectedness is a binary operator located higher than vP that quantizes the event determining the specificity of the result state for the object; and the morphological form of the operator is a- (if its value is positive) or en- (if its value is negative).
A Realistic Dataset for the Smart Home Device Scheduling Problem for DCOPs

The field of Distributed Constraint Optimization has gained momentum in recent years thanks to its ability to address various applications related to multi-agent cooperation. While techniques for solving Distributed Constraint Optimization Problems (DCOPs) are abundant and have matured substantially since the field’s inception, the number of DCOP realistic applications available to assess the performance of DCOP algorithms is lagging behind. To contrast this background we (i) introduce the Smart Home Device Scheduling (SHDS) problem, which describes the problem of coordinating smart devices schedules across multiple homes as a multi-agent system, (ii) detail the physical models adopted to simulate smart sensors, smart actuators, and homes’ environments, and (iii) introduce a realistic benchmark for SHDS problems.
EFFECT OF LOADING ON SEPARATION EFFICIENCY USING STERIC EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY.

Abstract Resolution and resolution-per-unit-time have been studied for columns from 4 to 21 mm i.d. The effects of sample size, particle diameter, and linear flow rate were determined. Greatest resolution was obtained for the largest diameter column, and it was attributed to a loading effect. In a related study, efficiency was examined as a function of column diameter for a constant amount of gel and a constant retention time. The narrower columns gave more plates, but their HETP values were also greater.
Note on Rationality

Rationality is a term that comes up often during investment conversations, and yet it has not been definitively defined. For example, economists and investors each use and define the term differently. The objective of this note is to profile three general definitions of rationality and demonstrate how one of these definitions is practically applicable to investment management. This is demonstrated first via historical profiles of two executive managers who publicly declared their intention to create shareholder value. Such declarations are often made, but not all executive managers follow through; for those who do, there is wide variation in the effectiveness of value creation, especially over time. Therefore, insight into when such declarations have a higher probability of being realized could help to practically inform investment analyses. Given the profile nature of this note, it is not our intention to thoroughly survey or examine the intricacies of either the concept of rationality or executive management in general. Rather, our intention is to introduce the concept of rationality from an investment perspective and to practically profile its usefulness. Toward this end, the article closes with suggestions on how to supplement traditional forms of investment analysis with rationality-based/inspired input.
In-Situ Imaging and Quantification of Tritium Surface Contamination via Coherent Fiber Bundle

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has developed a method of imaging tritium on in-situ surfaces for the purpose of real-time data collection. This method expands upon a previous tritium imaging concept, also developed at PPPL. 1 Enhancements include an objective lens coupled to the entry aperture of a coherent fiber optic (CFO) bundle, and a relay lens connecting the exit aperture of the fiber bundle to an intensifier tube and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. 2 The system has been specifically fabricated for use in determining tritium concentrations on first wall materials. One potential complication associated with the development of D-T fueled fusion reactors is the deposition of tritium (i.e. co-deposited layer) on the surface of the primary wall of the vacuum vessel. 3 It would be advantageous to implement a process to accurately determine tritium distribution on these inner surfaces. This fiber optic imaging device provides a highly practical method for determining the location, concentration, and activity of surface tritium deposition. In addition, it can be employed for detection of tritium hot-spots and hide-out regions present on the surfaces being imaged.
Satisfaction of Dental Students, Faculty, and Patients with Tooth Shade-Matching Using a Spectrophotometer

The aims of this study were to evaluate dental students' clinical shade-matching outcomes (from subjective use of shade guide) with an objective electronic shade-matching tool (spectrophotometer); to assess patients', students', and supervising faculty members' satisfaction with the clinical shade-matching outcomes; and to assess clinicians' support for use of the spectrophotometer to improve esthetic outcomes. A total of 103 volunteer groups, each consisting of patient, dental student, and supervising faculty member at the University of Louisville, were recruited to participate in the study in 2015. Using the spectrophotometer, clinical shade-matching outcome (ΔEclinical) and laboratory shade-matching outcome (ΔElaboratory) were calculated. Two five-point survey items were used to assess the groups' satisfaction with the clinical shade-matching outcome and support for an objective electronic shade-matching tool in the student clinic. The results showed that both ΔEclinical (6.5±2.4) and ΔElaboratory (4.3±2.0) were outside the clinical acceptability threshold ΔE values of 2.7, when visual shade-matching method (subjective usage of shade guide) was used to fabricate definitive restorations. Characteristics of the patients, dental students, supervising faculty members, and restorations had minimal to no effect on the ΔEclinical The patients, dental students, and supervising faculty members generally had positive opinions about the clinical shade-matching outcome, despite the increased ΔEclinical observed. Overall, clinical shade-matching outcomes in this school need further improvement, but the patients' positive opinions may indicate the need to revisit the acceptability threshold ΔE value of 2.7 in the academic setting.
PCAOB Inspection Reports and Shareholder Ratification of the Auditor

ABSTRACT: We examine the effect of unfavorable PCAOB inspection reports, which contain audit deficiencies related to GAAS and/or GAAP violations, on shareholder voting for the auditor ratification. We further investigate whether shareholders likely vote against ratification for the auditors receiving deficiency reports in a weak corporate governance environment. Overall, we do not find evidence that shareholders vote against auditor ratifications when their auditors receive unfavorable inspection reports. However, we find some evidence that shareholders cast their votes against the ratifications of auditors receiving unfavorable inspection reports when the corporate governance is weak, as proxied by CEO duality and a low level of board diligence. Our results suggest that shareholders seem not to incorporate inspection reports as a potential proxy for auditor quality in their vote decisions on auditor ratification. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the paper.
Shape tailoring to enhance and tune the properties of graphene nanomechanical resonators

The shape of a nanomechanical resonator profoundly affects its mechanical properties and determines its suitability for various applications, such as ultra-sensitive mass and force detection. Despite the promise of 2D nanomechanical systems in such applications, full control over the shape of suspended 2D materials, such as graphene, has not been achieved. We present an effective, single-step method to shape pre-suspended graphene into nanomechanical resonators with arbitrary geometries leading to enhanced properties in comparison to conventional drumheads. Our technique employs focused ion beam milling and achieves feature sizes ranging from a few tens of nanometers to several microns, while obtaining near perfect yield. We compare the mechanical properties of the shaped devices to unmodified drumheads, and find that low-tension, singly-clamped graphene cantilevers display a 20 fold increase in the mechanical quality factor (Q) with a factor 100 reduction in the mechanical damping. Importantly, we achieve these results while simultaneously removing mass, which enables state-of-the-art force sensitivity for a graphene mechanical resonator at room temperature. Our approach opens up a unique, currently inaccessible regime in graphene nanomechanics, one characterized by low strain, low frequency, small mass, and high Q, and facilitates tailoring of non-linearity and damping in mechanical structures composed of graphene and other 2D crystals.
Taking on the boss: Informative contests in prosecutor elections

The United States is unique in that most states select their prosecutors using popular election. An interesting feature of prosecutor elections is that the pool of potential challengers to an incumbent comes primarily from subordinates within the office. We develop a signaling model that analyzes whether entry into the political race by a subordinate provides voters with useful information. We challenge the commonly held presumption that the election mechanism is ineffective. Exploring the decision of an insider to challenge the boss, we demonstrate that a challenger can strategically convey information about the incumbent's quality by entering the race. Anticipating this, poor incumbents exit. Thus, the model matches empirical observations of rare contested elections and rather modest vacancy rates. Compared to the situation where outsiders challenge the incumbent, the election mechanism is effective.