cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping Boolean functions with neural networks having binary weights and zero thresholds

In this paper, the ability of a binary neural-network comprising only neurons with zero thresholds and binary weights to map given samples of a Boolean function is studied. A mathematical model describing a network with such restrictions is developed. It is shown that this model is quite amenable to algebraic manipulation. A key feature of the model is that it replaces the two input and output variables with a single "normalized" variable. The model is then used to provide a priori criteria, stated in terms of the new variable, that a given Boolean function must satisfy in order to be mapped by a network having one or two layers. These criteria provide necessary, and in the case of a one-layer network, sufficient conditions for samples of a Boolean function to be mapped by a binary neural network with zero thresholds. It is shown that the necessary conditions imposed by the two-layer network are, in some sense, minimal.
Influence of dietary lipid and meal pattern on body composition and lipogenesis in adult rats.

An experimental model in which previously semistarved adult rats underwent rapid rates of lipogenesis served to 1 ) determine the influence of varied dietary and feeding regimens on body composition, 2) compare total fat deposition in a 10 day refceding period with rates of lipogenesis, and 3) justify the use of amount of epididymal fat as an indi cator of total body fat. Rats were depleted by feeding a diet devoid of protein and fat. They were refed for 10 days with diets differing in amount (0% to 20% by weight) and degree of saturation of fat (safflower oil or beef tallow) as well as in protein concentration (4% or 17% of calories). Vitamin supplements furnished essential fatty acids. Subgroups had either unlimited access to food (ad libitum) or were fed 8 out of 24 hours daily (meal-fed). High-fat versus high-carbohydrate diets increased efficiency of utilization of food energy. Rats fed the higher compared with the lower protein diet had the same energy consumption, but used energy more efficiently for growth. Meal-fed rats consumed 80% to 90% of food of ad libitum control, but food efficiency was increased with meal feeding after the first three days of the refeeding regimen. High- compared with low-fat regimens increased body fat deposition only, whereas increased dietary protein resulted in weight increases from water and fat-free solids only. The low-fat, high-carbohydrate regimen elevated rates of lipogenesis as assessed by incorporation of 3H-acetate into epididymal and hepatic lipids. Deposition of epididymal lipids was highly correlated with increased total carcass lipid after refeeding. J. Nutr. 108: 1162-1169, 1978.
Depression in the elderly.

La depression est un des troubles du comportement les plus courants au cours de la derniere partie de la vie. Meme s'il est difficile de reconnaitre la depression a cette etape de la vie et si le traitement de cette affection chez les personnes âgees demeure complexe, un traitement efficace peut ameliorer de facon radicale la qualite de la vie. Suivent une breve description de quelques problemes inherents au diagnostic de la depression, un rappel de l'epidemiologie de la depression chez les personnes agees et un apercu des approches au traitement une fois le diagnostic etabli
Sturge-Weber Syndrome: Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Neuropathology Findings

Abstract Background We describe the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities and neuropathologic findings of patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome and medically refractory epilepsy. Methods We reviewed the clinical features, preoperative MRI studies, and pathologic findings of all patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome who underwent excisional surgery for intractable epilepsy at Boston Children's Hospital between 1993 and 2011. Results Eleven patients (male/female = 4/7) with Sturge-Weber syndrome were identified who underwent surgery for intractable epilepsy (mean age 13 ± 6.2 months), including hemispherectomy (n = 10) and focal cortical resection (n = 1). Mean age at seizure onset was 15 ± 11 weeks. Fifty-five percent (n = 6) of patients exhibited two different types of seizures, and 18% (n = 2) had three types of seizures. Focal clonic seizures were the most common type, occurring in nine patients; apnea was the second most common, occurring in four patients. Brain MRIs were reviewed in five patients. Histopathologic examination revealed varied degrees of cortical morphologic anomaly in seven of 11 patients. Overall, there were no abnormalities in the MRIs that corresponded directly with the pathologic findings except in one patient with polymicrogyria. Conclusions In spite of pathologic findings of cortical anomalies in varied degrees, these findings could not be readily detected on brain MRIs. The failure to detect focal cortical dysplasia on MRIs may be attributable to the subtle microscopic nature of the abnormalities; in some of the older individuals, the imaging studies available for review were done during an advanced stage of the disease.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at Katrina: Human and Civil Rights Left Behind Again

Katrina unveiled countless civil and human rights abuses and showed the nation the faces of those left behind when the disaster struck. Thirteen examples illustrate what is yet not done on the agenda to make liberty and justice for all a reality. This civil and human rights perspective on Katrina indicates that the people left behind when Katrina hit are being left behind again now. The recovery, such as it is, prioritizes property owners, privatizes public service, and is allowing the institutions needed for the common good to deteriorate through demolition by neglect. Unless there is massive change, the families left behind will never return.
Comparative Effects of Diet-Induced Lipid Lowering Versus Lipid Lowering Along With Apo A-I Milano Gene Therapy on Regression of Atherosclerosis:

Apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A-I) Milano, a naturally occurring Arg173to Cys mutant of Apo A-1, has been shown to reduce atherosclerosis in animal models and in a small phase 2 human trial. We have shown the superior atheroprotective effects of Apo A-I Milano (Apo A-IM) gene compared to wild-type Apo A-I gene using transplantation of retrovirally transduced bone marrow in Apo A-I/Apo E null mice. In this study, we compared the effect of dietary lipid lowering versus lipid lowering plus Apo A-IM gene transfer using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) 8 as vectors on atherosclerosis regression in Apo A-I/Apo E null mice. All mice were fed a high-cholesterol diet from age of 6 weeks until week 20, and at 20 weeks, 10 mice were euthanized to determine the extent of atherosclerosis. After 20 weeks, an additional 20 mice were placed on either a low-cholesterol diet plus empty rAAV (n = 10) to serve as controls or low-cholesterol diet plus 1 single intravenous injection of 1.2 × 10(12)vector genomes of adeno-associated virus (AAV) 8 vectors expressing Apo A-IM (n = 10). At the 40 week time point, intravenous AAV8 Apo A-IM recipients showed a significant regression of atherosclerosis in the whole aorta (P< .01), aortic sinuses (P< .05), and brachiocephalic arteries (P< .05) compared to 20-week-old mice, whereas low-cholesterol diet plus empty vector control group showed no significant regression in lesion size. Immunostaining showed that compared to the 20-week-old mice, there was a significantly reduced macrophage content in the brachiocephalic (P< .05) and aortic sinus plaques (P< .05) of AAV8 Apo A-IM recipients. These data show that although dietary-mediated cholesterol lowering halts progression of atherosclerosis, it does not induce regression, whereas combination of low-cholesterol diet and AAV8 mediated Apo A-I Milano gene therapy induces rapid and significant regression of atherosclerosis in mice. These data provide support for the potential feasibility of this approach for atherosclerosis regression.
Robust-Optimal Design Using Multifidelity Models

Applications in engineering analysis and design have benefited from the use of numerical models to supplement or replace the costly design-build-test paradigm. Previous work has acknowledged that design optimization should not only consider the performance of the model, but also be as insensitive as possible, or robust, to sources of uncertainty that are used to define the simulation. Clearly, evaluating robustness to sources of uncertainty can be computationally expensive, due to the number of iterations required at every step of the optimization. Multifidelity techniques have been introduced to mitigate this computational expense by taking advantage of fast-running lower-fidelity models or emulators. Herein, to achieve robust design, we argue that it is more effective to reduce the total range of variation in model performance rather than to reduce the standard deviation of model performances due to uncertainty in calibration variables of the model. We utilize a multifidelity approach to apply this paradigm to a sub-problem of the NASA Uncertainty Quantification Challenge problem, which is a high-dimensional and nonlinear MATLAB-based code used to simulate dynamics of remotely operated aircraft developed at NASA Langley. This method demonstrates an alternative and computationally efficient approach to robust design.
The Last Plantagenet Consorts: Gender, Genre, and Historiography, 1440–1627

Kavita Mudan Finn's exhaustive study of the varied representations of five queen consorts—Margaret of Anjou, Cecily Neville, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Neville and Elizabeth York—in numerous genres ...
Subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy: report of a case with etiopathogenetic considerations.

A case of rapidly-fatal, necrotizing encephalomyelopathy in a 13-month-old baby boy is reported. From the morphologic point of view the process was characterized by bilateral necrotizing foci in the brachia ponds, in the dorsal columns of the spinal cord, in the facial nerve nuclei, and in one supraoptic nucleus. A review of the literature shows that a large percentage of cases have a familial incidence. The disease is believed to be due to a genetically transmitted metabolic disturbance that prevents the normal utilization of thiamine.
Executive Functioning Profiles and Test Anxiety in College Students

The current study attempted to answer whether a specific executive functioning profile for individuals with test anxiety exists and whether deficits in working memory are associated with an earlier onset of test anxiety. Two hundred eighty-four undergraduate students completed a survey on test anxiety and self-report measures of test anxiety and executive functioning. Executive functioning profiles were compared between test anxiety groups (below average, average, and above average) for differences in severity and pattern. Onset of test anxiety was analyzed in relation to working memory. Executive functioning profiles were found to significantly vary in severity and pattern based on level of test anxiety. Working memory varied significantly based on onset of test anxiety. These results suggest that deficits across multiple areas of executive functioning may provide a more robust etiology for test anxiety. In addition, working memory deficits may be an early indicator for the development of test anxiety.
Folliculocentric Herpes: A Clinicopathological Study of 28 Patients.

Background The cutaneous manifestations of herpes infection are primarily in the context of active infection and of the post-herpetic zosteriform eruption. The former manifests cytopathic alterations diagnostic of herpes. The latter includes lichen planus-like and granuloma annulare-like eruptions and lymphocytoma cutis. Methods We encountered skin biopsies from 28 patients whose acute or chronic herpetic or post-herpetic zosteriform lesions manifested folliculocentricity. The clinical appearance of the lesions was correlated with the histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of paraffin-embedded skin biopsies to determine the specific viral etiology. A history of underlying medical disease was noted if present. Results There were 16 men and 12 women with a folliculocentric eruption occurring after a known herpetic eruption or manifesting cytopathic changes and/or immunohistochemical findings compatible with herpes virus in lesional skin biopsies. Underlying immune dysregulatory states were present in most cases, namely, malignancy, anticonvulsant or antidepressant therapy, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, Crohn disease, and other conditions. All biopsies demonstrated dense lymphohistiocytic infiltrates in or around hair follicles with variable necrosis, while active infections also showed cytopathic and/or immunohistochemical evidence of herpetic alterations, most commonly varicella zoster. Other features included interfollicular interface dermatitis, lymphocytic eccrine hidradenitis, neuritis, and folliculocentric vasculitis. Conclusions Cutaneous herpetic eruptions can evoke a predominantly folliculocentric mononuclear cell reaction and vasculitis; there is an association with underlying endogenous and/or iatrogenic immune dysregulation. Most cases are secondary to reactivation of varicella zoster. The histomorphology suggests a role for cell-mediated immunity. Antigenic homology of an endogenous 72-kd heat shock protein in follicles with that of a herpetic heat shock protein, in concert with an intrafollicular proliferative response of γ-δ T lymphocytes, may explain the follicular localization and composition of the infiltrate.
The Cholera Etiology Characteristic Analysis in Anhui Province in 2010

Objective To test the prevalent strains of cholera epidemic in Anhui province in 2010 So as to analyze etiology characteristic of this year's cholera epidemic.Methods Use normal bacteriological method to test the basic characteristics of the 46 vibrio cholera strains;PCR was used to detect cholera virulence genes,PFGE techniques for molecular typing of strains of cholera.Results 44 Ogawa strains of 46-O1 strains,O139 group 2,the experimental strains showed 15 different levels of antibiotic resistance;all strains carrying the toxin(CT) and Toxin Coregulated Pilus(TCP) virulence Gene;PFGE pattern cluster can be grouped into five types,93.2% of the O1 group strains(41/44) has the same molecular typing.Conclusion The O1 serotype Ogawa was the major group of pathogens in 2010 cholera epidemic in Anhui Province,bacterial type of change was popular,6 outbreaks occurred in the city seized the O1 isolates were 93.2% with the same molecular typing,showing the high pathogenic homology.
Tetrahydropapaveroline Inhibits Dopamine Uptake in Rat Brain Synaptosomes

THP, which can be formed by the condensation of dopamine with dopaldehyde, has been proposed to be involved in mediating some of the effects of ethanol on the central nervous system. We have observed that THP induces small granular vesicles (SGVs), visible with the electron microscope, in central dopamine fibers (Koda et al., 1978). In order to investigate the mechanism of SGV induction by THP, we examined dopamine and THP uptake into synaptosomes. [3H]THP (1.25 Ci/mmole), prepared by catalytic exchange labeling, exhibited no active uptake into synaptosomes (kinetics consistent with simple diffusion). THP did exhibit competitive inhibition (Ki=4.2 x 10−5M) of [3H] dopamine uptake (Km=2.6 x 10−7M; Vmax=8.5 nmoles/min/g pellet) in these preparations. It is unlikely that endogenous THP would accumulate to concentrations sufficiently high to inhibit dopamine uptake under physiological conditions.
Electron Partitioning in Anoxic Phototrophic Bacteria

Photosynthetic cells make major contributions to many important processes on this planet, including solar energy capture, nitrogen or carbon dioxide sequestration and production of useful biocommodities. The sheer number of photosynthetic cells also makes them significant contributors to global nutrient cycling, especially in aquatic ecosystems. For each of these activities, photosynthetic cells need efficient systems for production and distribution of reducing power among the myriad of cellular pathways that depend on reductant. This chapter focuses on the partitioning of reductant in purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacteria. It summarizes known membrane and cytoplasmic enzymes and pathways that need the reductant produced via photochemical activity (quinol in these organisms). These observations illustrate that quinol is used to provide reducing power to a variety of crucial processes (cellular biosynthesis, maintenance of a proton motive force) and key assimilatory pathways (carbon dioxide and nitrogen fixation), depending on the availability of nutrients. We also summarize data illustrating that cells use a variety of pathways to recycle excess reductant. Finally, we illustrate how the recent use of genomic and computational approaches to the analysis of these and other photosynthetic organisms has provided testable predictions and considerable new insight into the partitioning of reductant that is produced from solar energy capture.
Sexual response in women with spinal cord injury: neurologic pathways and recommendations for the use of electrical stimulation

AbstractBackground: Determination of the exact level and degree of a woman’s spinal cord injury (SCI) has allowed researchers to document the aspects of sexual response that are altered with specific patterns of SCI. Based on these findings, recommendations can be made regarding the development and testing of electrical stimulation systems designed to facilitate sexual responses in women with SCI.Design: Literature reviewFindings: Studies of the arousal stages of response indicate that psychogenic vaginal lubrication is maintained with pinprick sensation in T11 -T12 dermatomes, and that reflex lubrication occurs in women with upper motor neuron injuries affecting the sacral segments. Studies of the orgasmic stage support the hypothesis that orgasm is a reflex response of the autonomic nervous system that appears to depend on an intact sacral arc.Conclusions: Laboratory studies of arousal and orgasm among women with different types of SCI, and comparisons with ablebodied controls, provide valuable informat...
Aortic Regurgitation Generates a Kinematic Obstruction Which Hinders Left Ventricular Filling.

An incompetent aortic valve (AV) results in aortic regurgitation (AR), where retrograde flow of blood into the left ventricle (LV) is observed. In this work, we parametrically characterized the detailed changes in intra-ventricular flow during diastole as a result of AR in a physiological in vitro left-heart simulator (LHS). The loss of energy within the LV as the level of AR increased was also assessed. The validated LHS consisted of an optically-clear, flexible wall LV and a modular AV holder. Two-component, planar, digital particle image velocimetry was used to visualize and quantify intra-ventricular flow. A large coherent vortical structure which engulfed the whole LV was observed under control conditions. In the cases with AR, the regurgitant jet was observed to generate a “kinematic obstruction” between the mitral valve and the LV apex, preventing the trans-mitral jet from generating a coherent vortical structure. The regurgitant jet was also observed to impinge on the inferolateral wall of the LV. Energy dissipation rate (EDR) for no, trace, mild, and moderate AR were found to be 1.15, 2.26, 3.56, and 5.99 W/m3, respectively. This study has, for the first time, performed an in vitro characterization of intra-ventricular flow in the presence of AR. Mechanistically, the formation of a “kinematic obstruction” appears to be the cause of the increased EDR (a metric quantifiable in vivo) during AR. EDR increases non-linearly with AR fraction and could potentially be used as a metric to grade severity of AR and develop clinical interventional timing strategies for patients.
Effect of service recovery on customers’ perceived justice, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intentions on online shopping websites

Abstract As consumers become better informed and more demanding about their purchase of services, service provider's failure to satisfy all consumers during delivery of service is unavoidable. Consequently, to alleviate consumer dissatisfaction that results from service failure has become important. However, empirical consensus has been lacking on the effects of various service recovery activities. Thus, this study examines the impact of different types of service recovery on customers’ perceptions of justice, post-recovery satisfaction, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. The results indicated that consumers’ perceptions of distributive and interactional justice differ by the types of service recovery and supported significant relationships among perceptions of justice, satisfaction, and WOM intentions. The results implied that consumers respond differently to different types of service recovery and that consumers particularly favor apology among types of service recovery.
The Permeability of a Representative Carbonate Volume with a Large Vug

There are fundamental challenges in characterizing transport properties of a porous medium with large cavities, or vugs, when the characteristic size of the cavity is larger than or equal to 1 cm. Neither existing flow models nor common laboratory measurements are well suited to deal with such challenges. The present study determines the effective permeability of a representative carbonate volume with an arbitrary connected-through large vug. It also determines the minimum matrix permeability that impacts the flow in vuggy carbonates. The Stokes and Darcy models are used to capture the flows in the vug and in the matrix, respectively. At the interface, the flow models interact through slippage based on the Beavers–Joseph–Saffman model. The developed model is tested with analytical solutions available in the literature and using independent laboratory measurements. The results have major implications for characterizing the effective transport properties of carbonates, which constitute more than half of the world’s hydrocarbon reserves.
Increased Physical Activity Associated with Less Weight Regain Six Years After “The Biggest Loser” Competition

Objective The aim of this study was to explore how physical activity (PA) and energy intake (EI) changes were related to weight loss and regain following “The Biggest Loser” competition. Methods At baseline, week 6 and week 30 of the competition, and 6 years after the competition, body composition was measured via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, resting energy expenditure was measured by using indirect calorimetry, and EI and PA were measured by using doubly labeled water. Results Six years after the competition, median weight loss in 14 of “The Biggest Loser” participants was 13%, with those maintaining a greater weight loss (mean ± SE) of 24.9% ± 3.8% having increased PA by 160% ± 23%, compared with a PA increase of 34% ± 25% (P = 0.0033) in the weight regainers who were 1.1% ± 4.0% heavier than the precompetition baseline. EI changes were similar between weight loss maintainers and regainers (−8.7% ± 5.6% vs. −7.4% ± 2.7%, respectively; P = 0.83). Weight regain was inversely associated with absolute changes in PA (r = −0.82; P = 0.0003) but not with changes in EI (r = −0.15; P = 0.61). EI and PA changes explained 93% of the individual weight loss variability at 6 years. Conclusions Consistent with previous reports, large and persistent increases in PA may be required for long-term maintenance of lost weight.
Veganism as a Virtue: How compassion and fairness show us what is virtuous about veganism

With millions of animals brought into existence and raised for food every year, their negative impact upon the environment and the staggering growth in the number of chronic diseases caused by meat and dairy diets make a global move toward ethical veganism imperative. Typically, utilitarians and deontologists have led this discussion. The purpose of this paper is to propose a virtuous approach to ethical veganism. Virtue ethics can be used to construct a defense of ethical veganism by relying on the virtues of compassion and fairness. Exercising these values in our relations with animals involves acknowledging their moral value, thus seeing that they are not our property or our food. It is important to emphasize that this argument applies only to well-developed societies that need not rely upon animals as sources of food, clothing, and various by-products. Key words: Veganism, Virtue Ethics, Compassion, Fairness Data of the article First received : 20 June 2017 | Last revision received : 07 September 2017 Accepted : 8 September 2017 | Published online : 16 October 2017 URN: nbn:de:hebis: 34-2017072653143
Visual deficits and mobility : Evaluation and management

The prevalence of severe visual impairment increases with age. Additionally, visually impaired elders are much more likely to have mobility restrictions than their normal-sighted peers. Specifically, individuals with visual impairment between 65 and 74 years of age are three to four times more likely to have difficulty walking, going outside, and getting in and out of bed. This article reviews the eye and vision problems associated with aging and discusses management options.
DRAMATIC ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS FROM ACUTE WERNICKE'S ENCEPHALOPATHY

Wernicke's encephalopathy is a thiamine deficiency disorder characterized by ocular issues, ataxia, and encephalopathy. We present a case of dramatic electrocardiographic changes from Wernicke's and postulate a mechanism for this. A 49 year-old female was admitted for encephalopathy and found to be
A Typology of Interactional Patterns Between Youth and Their Stepfathers: Associations with Family Relationship Quality and Youth Well-Being.

Stepfamilies are an increasingly common family form, many of which are headed by a resident mother and stepfather. Stepfather-child relationships exert notable influence on stepfamily stability and individual well-being. Although various stepfather roles have been observed, more research is warranted by which stepfather-child interactions are explored holistically and across a variety of life domains (e.g., recreational, personal, academic, and disciplinary). Thus, the primary purpose of the current study is to explore varying interactional patterns between youth and their stepfathers. A latent class analysis is conducted using a representative sample of 1,183 youth (53% female; mean age = 15.64 years, SD = 1.70 years; 62% non-Hispanic White) residing in mother-stepfather families from Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Latent-class enumeration processes support a four-class solution, with latent classes representing inactive, academically oriented, casually connected, and versatile and involved patterns of youth-stepparent interaction. Notable differences and similarities are evident across patterns with respect to family relationship quality, youth well-being, and socio-demographic characteristics. Differences are most stark between the inactive and versatile and involved patterns. Ultimately, the results showcase notable variation in youth-stepparent interactional patterns, and one size does not necessarily fit all stepfamilies. Family practitioners should be mindful of variation in youth-stepparent interactional patterns and assist stepfamilies in seeking out stepparent-child dynamics that are most compatible with the needs and dynamics of the larger family system.
Neurobehavioral Effects in Human and Animal Offspring following Prenatal Exposure to Methadone

Descriptions in the medical literature of human neonates undergoing withdrawal following maternal opiate abuse during pregnancy date to the latter part of the nineteenth century (Goodfriend, Shey, & Klein, 1956). Because of an extremely high mortality rate among infants showing severe symptoms, the major concern through the 1960s was with diagnosis, treatment, and management of the passively addicted newborn. In the United States, the opiate most commonly abused—then, as now—is heroin.
Creating Functional Materials by Chemical and Physical Functionalization of Silicone Elastomer Networks

We provide an overview of fabricating functional surfaces by surface modification of parent silicone elastomer networks (SENs). Specifically, we demonstrate that polydimethylsiloxane and polyvinylmethylsiloxane represent convenient platforms for generating materials with tuned surface chemistry, topography, and mechanical characteristics. We discuss strategies that facilitate the manufacture of chemically-tailored flat supports as well as those that exhibit tailored topographical corrugations. We provide several examples of technological applications utilizing such structures. We also use SENs as supports enabling tailored assembly of molecules and macromolecules and outline techniques providing generation of substrates with position-dependent properties. We discuss new opportunities in using SENs as a platform for creating substrates that alter their properties swiftly in response to external stimuli. Finally, we offer a brief account of coating methodologies leading to the generation of bilayered sandwiched structures with tailorable chemistry and modulus.
Neurochemical Roles of Copper as Antioxidant or Prooxidant

The biological reactivity of copper is the basis for both its essentiality and toxicity. Prior to the advent of modern medicine, drug design, and therapeutics, there is a long historical documentation of the use of copper salts in ointments for over 2000 years. The biological activity of copper was unknown at the time but was used for a wide variety of maladies including diseases of the skin, various infections, and recoveries from neurological disorders (Deuschle and Weser, 1985). Toxic properties of copper were also recognized as copper sulfate was used as a murder weapon and a suicidal agent.
Basics of Diffusion Measurements by MRI

Diffusion occurs as a result of the constant movement of water molecules. Water makes up 60–80% of our body weight. The heat associated with our body temperature energizes the water molecules, causing them to “jerk” around randomly. This phenomenon is called “ Brownian motion” after the scientist who first described it [1, 2]. It can be demonstrated by adding a few drops of ink to a still bucket of water. Initially, the ink will be concentrated in a very small volume, but it will quickly spread out (diffuse) and mix with the rest of the water. The speed of this process of diffusion gives physicists a measure of the property of water. Similarly, if we could put some “magic ink” into the brain tissue and follow its progress, we would gain knowledge about the brain tissue itself, as well as the kind of changes that may occur in the brain when it is affected by various disease processes.
Diversity, Social Categorization and the Elaboration of Task-Relevant Information in Global Teams

This paper examines the impact that diversity in age, gender, educational, tenure, and nationality has on software cost and quality in global software development teams through the processes of col...
Configurable cameras with MMS architecture

Monocentric multiscale (MMS) lens architecture provides a versatile, compact, high information efficiency and low-cost way of building panoramic imagers which can be easily tailored to various application scenarios. MMS lens consists of two parts, one concentric spherical objective lens with large aperture in front and an array of small aperture microcameras in rear. This front objective collects incoming light and forms a curved focal surface which is then being segmented and relayed by the secondary array optics. Since the front objective is a spherically symmetric element, the configuration of the secondary array optics determines the overall imaging space. Each microcamera can be used as a building block and offers the flexibility of compositing myriad of FoV coverage and easy re-configuration. Another merit of this modular design is that the design of the secondary optics can be varied from channel to channel. In this way, we can construct an imaging system with multi-focal lengths, multi-aperture sizes and other multi-specifications. This varied channel property allows for sub-region adaptive imaging ability. Finally, if multiple MMS lenses are co-designed and used jointly, some combinational functions can be accomplished. To verify these virtues of MMS architecture, we present several design examples in this paper. A rectangular and a 360-degree ring configuration are demonstrated and show different packing choices. Then we illustrate a multi-focal design which shows secondary optics of different channels are modified for a relatively uniform sampling rate of targeted area.
A Risk-Based Approach to the Regulation of Genetically Engineered Plants

This article presents a regulatory model that would regulate agricultural biotechnology on the basis of the product created and, then, on a tiered risk-based analysis. The article presents this model because United States regulatory agencies are currently reviewing their agricultural biotechnology regulations. This article joins that review conversation by proposing a risk-based model as the appropriate regulatory approach.
Enhanced Tunability of Gold Nanoparticle Size, Spacing, and Shape for Large-Scale Plasmonic Arrays

Gold nanoparticles are important constituents in plasmonic arrays, lending themselves to electronic, optical, biomedical, sensing, and catalytic applications, among numerous others. Process variabl...
Tracing minor gesture in Maya Krishna Rao’s kathakali-influenced performance

New Delhi-based performer, Maya Krishna Rao’s experimental performances incorporate a variety of forms including kathakali, cabaret, comedy, drag, live music, and video, and draw attention to the p...
Prognosis of Heart Failure with Stable Mid-Range Ejection Fraction in Comparison to Heart Failure with Stable Reduced Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure with Stable Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) of 40-49% is an under-recognized class of CHF. Prognosis of HFmrEF in comparison to HFrEF and HFpEF with stable EF of 1 year is unclear. Objectives We hypothesized that HFmrEF patients with stable EF of 1 year have different mortality and morbidity prognosis compared to HFrEF and HFpEF patients with stable EF of 1 year. Methods We screened 2593 baseline echo studies and evaluated their subsequent studies to identify patients with HFmrEF, HFrEF, and HFpEF and stable EF of 1 year. One-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were used to assess baseline differences. Kaplan Meier survival analysis was conducted and Log-rank p values were calculated to assess the association of every group with all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and HF hospitalizations. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was adjusted for age, gender, HF etiology, HTN, DM, DLP, CAD, MI, a-fib, and malignancy, and NYHA class. Results A total of 516 patients were included. Table 1 summarizes characteristics of patients. Follow up period was 62.3 ± 30.9 months. HFmrEF patients had lower HF hospitalization rate compared to HFrEF patients and higher rate compared to HFpEF patients (figure 1), p-value=0.0001. In adjusted model, the rate remained significantly lower in HFmrEF patients compared to HFrEF patients (HR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.35-0.7, p-value = 0.0001). However, the difference between HFmrEF and HFpEF patients became insignificant. No significant differences were observed in all-cause or cardiac mortality between the 3 groups, p-value = 0.2 and p-value = 0.26 respectively. Conclusion We found that HFmrEF patients with stable EF had lower HF hospitalization rate compared to HFrEF patients. All-cause and cardiac mortality rates were similar between HFmrEF, HFrEF, and HFpEF patients with stable EF.
Political Discourse Approach Applied the Current Study Issue Occurred

The research was to aim at approaching a political discourse as an effort to solve the issues. News reporting assigns meaning to issues by providing a continuous record of public events and visibility to the claims of actors. The public sphere is an important field where social problems are constructed and political alternatives become defined. When one considers these functions, it is hardly surprising that news has become an important source of data for a group of researchers who are interested in studying the nature of political challenges that are mobilized in the public domain. However, there sometimes appears to be a tendency within the social movements field to let theoretical development outrun a discussion on the methods with which we are equipped to address our research questions. In this contribution, our focus will be self-consciously directed to methods, and more precisely we make specific proposals regarding how the important methodological developments that have been made in the field in recent times, might be profitably extended.n
Aguaruna speculative clause: Evidentiality meets focus

The speculative clause in Aguaruna presents us with two distinctive and interacting semantic phenomena – evidentiality and focus – both of which have been objects of recent interest cross-linguistically. Following the alternative semantics theory of focus developed by Rooth (1992), I analyze Aguaruna's alternating speculative focus enclitics, and incorporate the evidentiality-focus complex into a compositional semantics for Aguaruna. By formally modeling the interplay of evidentiality and focus, this analysis hopes to glean a more precise understanding of each phenomenon individually, and to contribute to a more complete typology of both.
Effect of Soak and Smear on [14C]-Hydrocortisone In Vitro Human Skin Percutaneous Penetration

“Soak and smear” method, water soaking to induce skin hydration followed by topical corticoids application suggests effectiveness in clinical dermatological practice. We investigate one possible me...
Flow and Permeability Evolution during Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Inhibition in Fractured Rocks

Subsurface biological processes, such as biofilm development, modify flow and permeability in fractured rocks, greatly impacting energy production or treatment efficiencies. This study aims to understand biological–hydrological interactions at a bench scale during the progression and treatment of souring (microbially mediated sulfide production). Few bench-scale studies investigate the role of a biofilm on the flow and permeability evolution, sulfidogensis, and nitrate treatment efficacy in fractured rocks. Our experiment consisted of three sandstone columns that represent differing fracture characteristics due to the mode of fracture initiation: one column with no fracture (as a control), one column with a sawcut fracture, and a third column with a fracture induced by Brazilian loading (tensile). We seek to understand the effects of the biofilm-permeability feedback on flow and nutrient transport characteristics of fractured rocks; specifically, we (1) demonstrate how fracture geometries impact the development of the biomass-permeability feedback within the rock fractures and (2) observe the souring trajectory and effects of nitrate treatment. Observed permeability trends demonstrated that bioclogging modified the flow properties of fractured columns such that they became hydrologically similar to those of the control column. While fractures were initially the main sites of sulfate reduction, when fractures were clogged, the flow in the fractured columns transitioned from a fracture-dominated flow to a matrix-dominated flow, impacting the delivery of an electron acceptor/donor to the microbial population, reducing sulfate reduction rates. Experimental data also demonstrated two distinct stages in the biofilm-permeability development. During the initial biofilm development stage, the growing microbial population had increased reaction rates but decreased permeability, i.e., a negative correlation between reaction rates and permeability. In the later stage, when the biofilm had clogged the columns, a series of biofilm shedding and regrowth directly led to reopening and clogging of the flow channels, affecting microbial accessibility to limiting nutrients. As such, a positive correlation between reaction rates and permeability was observed in this later stage. Post experimental measurements of surface elevations of the fractured surfaces revealed that surface elevations in the sawcut column were lower and more evenly distributed than the surface elevations in the tensile column where the more unevenly fractured surfaces potentially better supported the microbial establishment.
A Cautionary Note on Predicting Social Judgments from Faces with Deep Neural Networks

People spontaneously infer other people’s psychology from faces, encompassing inferences of their affective states, cognitive states, and stable traits such as personality. These judgments are known to be often invalid, but nonetheless bias many social decisions. Their importance and ubiquity have made them popular targets for automated prediction using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs). Here, we investigated the applicability of this approach: how well does it generalize, and what biases does it introduce? We compared three distinct sets of features (from a face identification DCNN, an object recognition DCNN, and using facial geometry), and tested their prediction across multiple out-of-sample datasets. Across judgments and datasets, features from both pre-trained DCNNs provided better predictions than did facial geometry. However, predictions using object recognition DCNN features were not robust to superficial cues (e.g., color and hair style). Importantly, predictions using face identification DCNN features were not specific: models trained to predict one social judgment (e.g., trustworthiness) also significantly predicted other social judgments (e.g., femininity and criminal), and at an even higher accuracy in some cases than predicting the judgment of interest (e.g., trustworthiness). Models trained to predict affective states (e.g., happy) also significantly predicted judgments of stable traits (e.g., sociable), and vice versa. Our analysis pipeline not only provides a flexible and efficient framework for predicting affective and social judgments from faces but also highlights the dangers of such automated predictions: correlated but unintended judgments can drive the predictions of the intended judgments.
Psychological resiliency explains the relationship between emotional distress and quality of life in neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatoses (NF; NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis) are incurable tumor suppressor syndromes with heterogeneous symptoms. Emotional distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress) is common in NF and impairs quality of life (QoL). Several modifiable dimensions of resiliency can contribute to enhanced QoL in medical populations but have been overlooked as treatment mechanisms for NF. Our goal was to determine, using data from an ongoing efficacy RCT testing a mind–body program for NF, if resiliency explains the relationship between emotional distress and QoL. We performed structural equation modeling mediation analysis on baseline measures of QoL (physical health, psychological, social relationships, environmental), emotional distress (depression, anxiety, stress), and resiliency (gratitude, optimism, coping, mindfulness, empathy) completed by adults with NF (N = 228). We controlled for variables known to impact psychosocial functioning in NF (age, diagnosis, learning disability, and education). After adjusting for covariates, resiliency had a significant and large indirect effect on the negative relationship between emotional distress and QoL (CSIE = − 0.31, 95% CI = − 0.59 to − 0.19, p = .001). The direct effect of emotional distress on QoL was smaller but remained significant (β = − 0.23, 95% CI = − 0.44 to − 0.03, p = .03), suggesting partial mediation through resiliency. Resiliency may buffer the high rates of emotional distress in NF. Mind–body interventions targeting multiple modifiable resiliency factors may be a promising path toward promoting QoL in adults with NF. Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT03406208.
Aptima Assay for Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium Infection.

The Aptima M. genitalium assay is highly sensitive and specific. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of NAAT testing for M. genitalium infection in men with recurrent nongonococcal urethritis, in women with recurrent cervicitis, and possibly in women with pelvic inflammatory disease.
Thin Light-Gage Bolted Connections Without Washers

The behavior of bolted connections without washers in thin light-gage steel sheets is investigated by testing. Influence of pertinent parameters such as bolt diameter, edge distance, and so on, on the strength of the bolted connections are explored. Thickness of the steel sheets tested are 22, 24, and 26 gages. Empirical formulas are presented and compared against similar connections for thicker sheets.
Trail: a distance sensitive WSN service for distributed object tracking

Distributed observation and control of mobile objects via static wireless sensors demands timely information in a distance sensitive manner: information about closer objects is required more often and more quickly than that of farther objects. In this paper, we present a wireless sensor network protocol, Trail, that supports distance sensitive tracking of mobile object by in-network subscribers upon demand. Trail achieves a find time that is linear in the distance from the subscriber to the object, via a distributed data structure that is updated only locally when objects move. Trail seeks to minimize the size of the data structure. Moreover, Trail is reliable, fault-tolerant and energy-efficient, despite the network dynamics that are typical of wireless sensor networks. We evaluate the performance of Trail by simulations in a 90-by-90 sensor network and report on 105 node experiments in the context of a pursuer-evader control application.
FPGA time-bounded unclonable authentication

This paper introduces a novel technique for extracting the unique timing signatures of the FPGA configurable logic blocks in a digital form over the space of possible challenges. A new class of physical unclonable functions that enables inputs challenges such as timing, digital, and placement challenges can be built upon the delay signatures. We introduce a suite of new authentication protocols that take into account non-triviality of bitstream reverse-engineering in addition to the FPGA's unprecedented speed in responding to challenges. Our technique is secure against various attacks and robust to fluctuations in operational conditions. Proof of concept implementation of the signature extraction and evaluations of the proposed methods are demonstrated on Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGAs. Experimental results demonstrate practicality of the proposed techniques.
Elementary Particles and the Causet Approach to Discrete Quantum Gravity

In a previous paper, the author introduced a covariant causet ($c$-causet) approach to discrete quantum gravity. A $c$-causet is a finite partially ordered set that is invariant under labeling. The invariant labeling of a $c$-causet $x$ enables us to uniquely specify $x$ by a sequence $\brac{s_j(x)}$, $j=0,1,2,\ldots$, of positive integers called a shell sequence of $x$. A $c$-causet $x$ describes the microscopic structure of a possible universe at a particular time step. In general, $x$ represents one of many universes in a multiverse and $x$ grows by a single element at each time step. Since early stages of a universe were probably composed of elementary particles, we propose that elementary particles can be described by simple $c$-causets. Although we do not have a rigorous theory for such a description, we present our guess as to how it might appear. The shell sequence can be applied to find theoretical masses of particles and these seem to approximately agree with known masses. We point out that the causal order provides a unification of the strong and weak forces for elementary particles and also determines the geometry of $c$-causets which describes gravity. Moreover, it appears that some particles correspond to dark matter-energy.