cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-national interaction and cultural similarity: A relational analysis

The study examines the relationship between the structure of cross-national relations and the dyadic cultural similarity of 19 countries over 10 years, based on the assumption that patterns of interaction between state, private sector, and civil society actors influence national cultures. The relations analyzed include trade, military alliances, IGO memberships, phone calls, and military conflicts. The findings demonstrate that cross-national interactions, particularly trade and IGO memberships, are strong predictors of cultural similarity that complement the modernizing effects of economic development. In addition to explaining variation in cultural similarity between country dyads, the study challenges primordialist approaches to comparative cultural research that rely on civilizational country classifications. Instead, systematic measures of religious tradition, geographic region, linguistic heritage, and imperial history are used to identify factors that shape countries’ dyadic cultural similarities. ...
Privacy and confidentiality management for the microaggregation disclosure control method: disclosure risk and information loss measures

In this paper, we first introduce minimal, maximal and weighted disclosure risk measures for microaggregation disclosure control method. Our disclosure risk measures are more applicable to real-life situations, compute the overall disclosure risk, and are not linked to a target individual. After defining those disclosure risk measures, we then introduce an information loss measure for microaggregation. The minimal disclosure risk measure represents the percentage of records, which can be correctly identified by an intruder based on prior knowledge of key attribute values. The maximal disclosure risk measure considers the risk associated with probabilistic record linkage for records that are not unique in the masked microdata. The weighted disclosure risk measure allows the data owner to compute the risk of disclosure based on weights associated with different clusters of records. Information loss measure, introduced in this paper, extends the existing measure proposed by Domingo-Ferrer, and captures the loss of information at record level as well as from the statistical integrity point of view. Using simulated medical data in our experiments, we show that the proposed disclosure risk and information loss measures perform as expected in real-life situations.
Quantizing knots, groups and graphs

This paper formulates a generalization of our work on quantum knots to explain how to make quantum versions of algebraic and combinatorial structures. We include a description of work of the first author on the construction of Hilbert spaces from the states of the bracket polynomial with applications to algorithms for the Jones polynomial and relations with Khovanov homology. The purpose of this paper is to place such constructions in a general context of the quantization of combinatorial structures.
An Anomaly Detection and Diagnosis Method Based on Real-Time Health Monitoring for Progressive Stamping Processes

Progressive stamping processes have been applied to fabricate an extended range of products from centimeter-scale parts to meter-scale parts. The quality of stamped products may vary and be out of specification due to various anomalies during manufacturing process. Therefore, an effective online health monitoring and fault diagnosis technique is of great practical significance. This paper develops a two-stage systematic approach to enhance the fault detection and fault identification capability for the progressive stamping process with aggregated system-level tonnage signals. The first stage uses a combined Haar transform and power spectrum analysis to map features extracted from aggregated signals to individual operations. The second stage develops a two-step control chart strategy for anomaly detection and identification. The proposed method can improve the monitoring effectiveness and the quality assessment of individual operations based on an aggregated tonnage signal especially when single working range of different operations in the multi-station system are highly overlapped. The results show the method efficacy of quick and accurate anomaly detection and identification in real time.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Flow regulation of ecNOS and Cu/Zn SOD mRNA expression in porcine coronary arterioles

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that increased flow through coronary arterioles increases endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) mR...
Industry Effects and Strategic Convergence: A Study of the Strategies of Independent Pharmacists

The pharmacy industry is experiencing significant change. With the increasing presence of regional discounters, the appearance of mail service and internet pharmacies, the continuing ascendancy of managed care (including HMOs and PPOs), third party reimbursement plans, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the strategic options for independent pharmacies are dwindling. This exploratory study examines the relationships among generic business level strategies of independent pharmacies, industry effects -- in terms of consequences of third party reimbursement plans -- and performance outcomes. It seems that the impact of managed care reimbursements more than off sets the various strategic efforts by pharmacies. The evidence indicates that different generic strategy approaches are not producing significant differences in performance. The findings suggest that industry effects may he creating a situation of strategic convergence. The practical implications for the independent pharmacists and future research are addressed.
A Short, Psychiatric, Case-Finding Measure for HIV Seropositive Outpatients Performance Characteristics of the 5-Item Mental Health Subscale of the SF-20 in a Male, Seropositive Sample

Objectives.The author assesses performance characteristics of the 5-item mental health scale (MHI-5) of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey when used as a psychiatric case-finding measure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive outpatients.Methods.Ninety-five HIV seroposi
The effects of sun exposure on carotenoid accumulation and oxidative stress in the retina of the House Finch ( Haemorhous mexicanus )

Diet-derived carotenoid pigments are concentrated in the retinas of birds and serve a variety of functions, including photoprotection. In domesticated bird species (e.g., chickens and quail), retinal carotenoid pigmentation has been shown to respond to large manipulations in light exposure and provide protection against photodamage. However, it is not known if or how wild birds respond to ecologically relevant variation in sun exposure. We manipulated the duration of natural sunlight exposure and dietary carotenoid levels in wild-caught captive House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), then measured carotenoid accumulation and oxidative stress in the retina. We found no significant effects of sun exposure on retinal levels of carotenoids or lipid peroxidation, in replicate experiments, in winter (Jan–Mar) and spring/summer (May–June). Dietary carotenoid supplementation in the spring/summer experiment led to significantly higher retinal carotenoid levels, but did not affect lipid peroxidation. Carotenoid levels differed significantly between the winter and spring/summer experiments, with higher retinal and lower plasma carotenoid levels in birds from the later experiment. Our results suggest that variation in the duration of exposure to direct sunlight have limited influence on intraspecific variation in retinal carotenoid accumulation, but that accumulation may track other seasonal–environmental cues and physiological processes.
Influence of major emissions from pyrolysis conversion processes of coal on environment and health

Environment and health implications of major emissions from conversion processes of coal are discussed. Many of the compounds, such as CS 2, COS, H 2S, NH 3, HCN, and BTX might be emitted from pyrolysis conversions of coal, and an assessment of potential phytotoxicity of selected coal conversions effluents as well as a "blacklist" of priority pollutants in China are also listed. Cancer has been the primary health concern of workers in coal pyrolysis conversions. The most important potential carcinogens appear to be the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other organic compound groups, such as aromatic amines, and benezens etc., from coal conversion processes. The form, molecular structure and activity of these carcinogens are also discussed. As a sample of occupational hazards, a relationship between exposure to coal-tar pitch volatiles and excess cancer risk to exposed coke workers is presented.
Controllable and uncontrollable stress in humans: alterations in mood and neuroendocrine and psychophysiological function

The authors exposed 10 healthy human volunteers to the stress of loud (100 dB) noise under controllable and uncontrollable conditions on two separate days. Subjects reported higher self-ratings of helplessness, lack of control, tension, stress, unhappiness, anxiety, and depression; had greater hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function as measured by elevations in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone; and had higher levels of sympathetic nervous system and electrodermal activity after the uncontrollable stress condition than after exposure to controllable stress. Thus, lack of control over even a mildly aversive stimulus can produce alterations in mood as well as neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system changes in healthy subjects.
Glucocorticoids modulate mRNA levels for G-protein β-subunits

Adrenalectomy decreases, whereas glucocorticoid treatment increases, the steady-state levels of G-protein beta-subunits (G beta) in rat fat-cells. A DNA-excess solution-hybridization assay was established to define the steady-state mRNA levels for G beta [5.8 +/- 0.4 amol/micrograms of RNA (n = 5) in control fat-cells]. G beta mRNA levels decrease by 20% after adrenalectomy; dexamethasone treatment reverses the decline. Dexamethasone treatment itself increases G beta mRNA levels by 50%.
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1--modeling the pathogenesis of a polyglutamine neurodegenerative disorder in transgenic mice.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is one of a group of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by a mutant expansion of a polyglutamine-repeated sequence within the affected gene. One of the major cell types affected by the gene ( ataxin-1 ) mutation in SCA1 is the cerebellar Purkinje cell. Targeted expression of mutant ataxin-1 in Purkinje cells of transgenic mice produces an ataxic phenotype with pathological similarities to the human disease. Other transgenic experiments using altered forms of mutant ataxin-1 have shown that nuclear localization of the mutant protein is necessary for pathogenesis and that nuclear aggregates of ubiquitinated mutant protein, while a feature of SCA1 and other polyglutamine diseases, are not a requirement for pathogenesis in transgenic models of SCA1. Present and future generations of transgenic mouse models of SCA1 will be valuable tools to further address mechanisms of pathogenesis in polyglutamine-related disorders.
Learning‐based subject‐specific estimation of dynamic maps of cortical morphology at missing time points in longitudinal infant studies

Longitudinal neuroimaging analysis of the dynamic brain development in infants has received increasing attention recently. Many studies expect a complete longitudinal dataset in order to accurately chart the brain developmental trajectories. However, in practice, a large portion of subjects in longitudinal studies often have missing data at certain time points, due to various reasons such as the absence of scan or poor image quality. To make better use of these incomplete longitudinal data, in this paper, we propose a novel machine learning-based method to estimate the subject-specific, vertex-wise cortical morphological attributes at the missing time points in longitudinal infant studies. Specifically, we develop a customized regression forest, named dynamically assembled regression forest (DARF), as the core regression tool. DARF ensures the spatial smoothness of the estimated maps for vertex-wise cortical morphological attributes and also greatly reduces the computational cost. By employing a pairwise estimation followed by a joint refinement, our method is able to fully exploit the available information from both subjects with complete scans and subjects with missing scans for estimation of the missing cortical attribute maps. The proposed method has been applied to estimating the dynamic cortical thickness maps at missing time points in an incomplete longitudinal infant dataset, which includes 31 healthy infant subjects, each having up to five time points in the first postnatal year. The experimental results indicate that our proposed framework can accurately estimate the subject-specific vertex-wise cortical thickness maps at missing time points, with the average error less than 0.23 mm. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4129-4147, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
WE-AB-207B-02: A Bayesian Network Approach for Joint Prediction of Tumor Control and Radiation Pneumonitis (RP) in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Purpose: NSCLC radiotherapy treatment is a trade-off between controlling the tumor while limiting radiation-induced toxicities. Here we identify hierarchical biophysical relationships that could simultaneously influence both local control (LC) and RP by using an integrated Bayesian Networks (BN) approach. Methods: We studied 79 NSCLC patients treated on prospective protocol with 56 cases of LC and 21 events of RP. Beyond dosimetric information, each patient had 193 features including 12 clinical factors, 60 circulating blood cytokines before and during radiotherapy, 62 microRNAs, and 59 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The most relevant biophysical predictors for both LC and RP were identified using a Markov blanket local discovery algorithm and the corresponding BN was constructed using a score-learning algorithm. The area under the free-response receiver operating characteristics (AU-FROC) was used for performance evaluation. Cross-validation was employed to guard against overfitting pitfalls. Results: A BN revealing the biophysical interrelationships jointly in terms of LC and RP was developed and evaluated. The integrated BN included two SNPs, one microRNA, one clinical factor, three pre-treatment cytokines, relative changes of two cytokines between pre and during-treatment, and gEUDs of the GTV (a=-20) and lung (a=1). On cross-validation, the AUC prediction of independent LC was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75–0.95) and RP was 0.83 (0.73–0.92). The AU-FROC of the integrated BN to predict both LC/RP was 0.81 (0.71–0.90) based on 2000 stratified bootstrap, indicating minimal loss in joint prediction power. Conclusions: We developed a new approach for multiple outcome utility application in radiotherapy based on integrated BN techniques. The BN developed from large-scale retrospective data is able to simultaneously predict LC and RP in NSCLC treatments based on individual patient characteristics. The joint prediction is only slightly compromised compared to independent predictions. Our approach shows promise for use in clinical decision support system for personalized radiotherapy subject to multiple endpoints. These studies were supported by a grant from the NCI/NIH P01-CA59827.
Dental Utilization for Medicaid-­‐Enrolled Children with Cystic Fibrosis

OBJECTIVES Despite a multitude of risk factors, children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have lower reported dental caries prevalence. A potential explanation is preventive dental care use, but no studies to date have examined dental use for children with CF. METHODOLOGY Iowa Medicaid data were analyzed for children age 3 to 17 years (N = 156,268). Poisson regression models were used to compare utilization rates for any dental care and also for specific categories of dental care, by CF status. RESULTS Children with CF were significantly less likely to use any dental care than children without CF (incident rate ratio: 0.819, 95% CI: 0.80 to 0.84, p < .001). There were no significant differences in use across specific categories of dental care. CONCLUSIONS Medicaid-enrolled children with CF are less likely to use dental care than children without CF. These findings suggest that use of dental care use is an unlikely explanation for lower purported caries rates among children with CF.
The Financial and Professional Impact of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in National Football League Athletes.

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can have negative consequences on the careers of National Football League (NFL) players, however no study has ever analyzed the financial impact of these injuries in this population.Purpose:To quantify the impact of ACL injuries on salary and career length in NFL athletes.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Any player in the NFL suffering an ACL injury from 2010 to 2013 was identified using a comprehensive online search. A database of NFL player salaries was used to conduct a matched cohort analysis comparing ACL-injured players with the rest of the NFL. The main outcomes were the percentage of players remaining in the NFL and mean salary at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after injury. Cohorts were subdivided based on initial salary: group A, $2,000,000. Mean cumulative earnings were calculated by multiplying the percentage of players remaining in the league by their mean salaries and ...
Symptomatic Lumbar Facet Synovial Cysts: Clinical Outcomes Following Percutaneous CT-Guided Cyst Rupture with Intra-articular Steroid Injection.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate clinical outcomes following percutaneous rupture of symptomatic lumbar facet synovial cysts (LFSCs) with intra-articular steroid injection. Materials and Methods In this retrospective review, 44 consecutive patients with symptomatic LFSCs received primary treatment with CT–guided synovial cyst rupture with intra-articular steroid injection. Outcomes questionnaires were obtained before and 1, 4, 26, and 52 weeks after LFSC rupture. Assessment included pain medication use and numeric rating scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and 12-item short form health survey (SF-12) physical and mental composite scores (PCS and MCS). Clinical endpoint was 52-week survey response or surgery. Results LFSC rupture was technically successful in 84% (37/44) of cases. Clinical endpoint was reached in 68% (30/44) of patients with 82% overall 1-year follow-up. Lumbar spine surgery was performed in 25% (11/44) of patients within 1 year after procedure. Mean NRS, ODI, and SF-12 PCS demonstrated significant improvement at all follow-up time points ( P P P = .006), and SF-12 PCS improved from 31 to 42 ( P P = .012). History of prior lumbar intervention was associated with poorer LFSC rupture success ( P = .025) and ODI ( P = .047). Conclusions NRS, ODI, and SF-12 PCS indices improved and pain medication use decreased significantly at all time points over 1-year follow-up after percutaneous rupture of symptomatic LFSCs with intra-articular steroid injection.
Exploring Methods for Developing Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales for Evaluating Structured Interview Performance

Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) are an essential component of structured interviews. Use of BARS to evaluate interviewees' performance is associated with greater predictive validity and reliability and less bias. BARS are time-consuming and expensive to construct, however. This report explores the feasibility of gathering participants' responses to structured interview questions through an online crowdsourcing platform and using those responses to develop BARS. We describe the development of 12 structured interview questions to assess four applied social skills, elicitation of responses to these questions in the form of critical incidents from 68 respondents, and the creation of BARS from these critical incidents. Results indicate online participants are able to produce responses of sufficient quality to generate BARS for evaluating structured interview performance. We conclude by discussing limitations to this approach and future directions for research and practice.
“A few bad apples” or “rotten to the core”: Perceptions of corporate culture drive brand engagement after corporate scandal

Following unethical corporate behavior, consumers face decisions on how to engage with brands in the future. Consumers' beliefs about the underlying causes of a corporate scandal may influence future patronage intentions, for example, by influencing perceived likelihood of future wrongdoing. We investigated how beliefs about corporate culture and consumer proximity to the recent Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal influence expectations of future ethical action by Volkswagen Group (VW), feelings of anger, and future brand engagement. Results indicate that beliefs about corporate culture and proximity each independently influence future brand engagement. Specifically, owners who believed “a few bad apples” (rather than a “rotten” corporate culture) caused the scandal reported higher expectations of future ethical action by VW, less anger, and more positive intentions to engage with VW in the future. Those more proximately affected by the scandal, that is, turbocharged direct injection owners, were more likely to be angry and less likely to engage with VW. Expectation of future ethical action and anger mediated the effects of corporate culture on engagement, whereas only anger mediated the effects of proximity. This small set of factors accounted for over half of the observed variance in future brand engagement intentions, highlighting the importance of understanding consumer responses to corporate scandal.
Hereditary spondylolisthesis and spina bifida. Report of a family in which the lesion is transmitted as an autosomal dominant through three generations.

A family study is presented in which spondylolisthesis and spina bifida of the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacrum were found in five of six surviving members of three generations. Although a high family incidence is common in this disorder, most prior reports have suggested a recessive mode of transmission. In the family described in this report the lesion was clearly transmitted as an autosomal dominant.
Might-beliefs and asymmetric disagreement

What we can call asymmetric disagreement occurs when one agent is in disagreement with another, but not vice-versa. In this paper, I give an example of and develop a framework for understanding this phenomenon. One pivotal feature of my example is that one of the agents in the scenario has a belief about what might be the case—a might-belief. I show that a traditional account of might-beliefs and disagreement cannot explain the initially surprising phenomenon of asymmetric disagreement. In order to provide an explanation, I develop a dynamic account of might-beliefs and a corresponding account of disagreement. I close by exploring a choice point for our account—showing that the simple dynamic account has some controversial (though, perhaps, true) consequences. I explore how revisionary notions of validity, inconsistency, and disagreement can allow us to avoid these consequences if we wish.
High-density linkage mapping of vitamin E content in maize grain

Vitamin E refers to eight distinct compounds collectively known as tocochromanols and can be further divided into two classes, tocotrienols and tocopherols. Tocochromanols are the major lipid-soluble antioxidants in maize (Zea mays L.) grain. Enhancing vitamin E content of maize through plant breeding has important implications for human and animal nutrition. Four inbred lines exhibiting unique variation for tocochromanol compounds were chosen from the Goodman maize diversity panel to construct two biparental mapping populations (N6xNC296 and E2558xCo125). The N6xNC296 population was developed to analyze segregation for α-tocopherol and α-tocotrienol content. The E2558WxCo125 population was developed to analyze segregation for the ratio of total tocotrienols to tocopherols. The tocochromanol variation in two replicates of each population was quantified using liquid chromatography-diode array detection. Using high-density linkage mapping, novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) in the N6xNC296 population were mapped using tocopherol ratio traits. These QTL contain the candidate gene homogentisate phytyltransferase (ZmVTE2) within the respective support intervals. This locus was not mapped in a previous genome-wide association study that analyzed tocochromanols in the Goodman diversity panel. Transgressive segregation was observed for γ- and α-tocochromanols in these populations, which facilitated QTL identification. These QTL and transgressive segregant families can be used in selection programs for vitamin E enhancement in maize. This work illustrates the complementary nature of biparental mapping populations and genome-wide association studies to further characterize genetic variation of tocochromanol content in maize grain.
Degradation in the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of natural fiber filled polymer composites due to recycling

Abstract To manage the plastic waste, recycling is recognized as the most environment-friendly and non-destructive method. The aim of this research is to investigate the recyclability of oak wood flour (WF) filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. Two different composite formulations (30 and 50 wt% filler) were considered, each with 3 wt% coupling agent maleic anhydride (MA). Both composites were individually reprocessed six times by extrusion. Test samples were injection molded, to measure mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties. Fiber length measurement and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were performed respectively to examine the change on fiber length and molecular weight of polymer. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) were also carried out to better understand the impact of recycling on composite properties. After reprocessing six times, WF-HDPE composites showed relative decrease in strength and stiffness properties and slight increase in strain properties as compared to corresponding virgin composite. The strain properties saw an increase in their value with recycling. The crystallinity of HDPE decreased but thermal stability of the composite increased with reprocessing.
Impact of Brain Death on Abdominal Organs and Allograft Preservation Strategies

In the vast majority of cases, clinical solid organ transplantation utilizes organs from brain-dead donors. Brain death imposes hemodynamic, neuroendocrine, and inflammatory stresses upon end organs, which may jeopardize the functional and structural integrity of allografts. Furthermore, these injuries are compounded by cold ischemia associated with organ preservation. As the success of transplantation relies on optimal condition of the grafts, beneficial interventions are necessary at every stage of the donation and recovery process, starting from medical management of potential donors, to static cold storage, and “reconditioning” of the organs by hypothermic machine perfusion. As opposed to static cold storage, hypothermic machine perfusion has many advantages, including reductions in graft primary nonfunction, early allograft dysfunction, and postsurgical complications. In addition, increased graft viability in marginal organs which might otherwise be deemed unusable by some clinicians has the potential to expand the donor pool. Further work in dynamic preservation techniques is necessary to more efficiently ameliorate the injuries associated with brain death and cold ischemia.
Solubility-based gas separation with oligomer-modified inorganic membranes: Part III. Effects of synthesis conditions

As in previous papers in this series, we created membranes for solubility-based gas separations by reacting the surfaces of microporous alumina substrates with alkylchlorosilanes. In this paper, we explored our ability to rationally modify the permselectivity properties of these membranes through the control of several synthesis variables. In particular, we studied three different hydration states of the alumina surface (dehydrated, normal, and superhydrated), two different degrees of chlorosilane functionality (mono and tri), and two different sizes of alkyl group (methyl and octadecyl). We measured the permeability of the hybrid membranes to propane and nitrogen gases to characterize their separation properties; we also carried out X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments to characterize the amount and nature of organic surface coverage. Our results showed significant correlations of permeation properties with all of the synthesis variables. Dehydration of the alumina surface before trichlorosilane treatment resulted in a lower organic surface coverage and a lower propane/nitrogen selectivity; superhydration resulted in the formation of a dense organic surface layer with a large number of macroscopic defects that virtually eliminated selectivity. Under normal hydration conditions, the octadecyltrichlorosilane yielded a far more selective membrane than the methyltrichlorosilane. Finally, the monochlorosilane reagents produced no significant organic surface coverage, based on both XPS and gas permeation analyses. We discuss our results in the context of previous work on (1) self-assembled monolayers on nonporous substrates and (2) the design of solubility-selective membranes.
Dynamic response of electromagnetic spatial displacement trackers

Overall system latency-the elapsed time from input human motion until the immediate consequences of that input are available in the display-is one of the most frequently cited shortcoming of current virtual environment VE technology. Given that spatial displacement trackers are employed to monitor head and hand position and orientation in many VE applications, the dynamic response intrinsic to these devices is an unavoidable contributor to overall system latency. In this paper, we describe a testbed and method for measurement of tracker dynamic response that use a motorized rotary swing arm to sinusoidally displace the VE sensor at a number of frequencies spanning the bandwidth of volitional human movement. During the tests, actual swing arm angle and VE sensor reports are collected and time stamped. By calibrating the time stamping technique, the tracker's internal transduction and processing time are separated from data transfer and host computer software execution latencies. We have used this test-bed to examine several VE sensors-most recently to compare latency, gain, and noise characteristics of two commercially available electromagnetic trackers: Ascension Technology Corp.'s Flock of BirdsTM and Polhemus Inc.'s FastrakTM.
Matrices and Determinants

Consider a family with parents named P 1 and P 2 who have very imaginatively named their two children C 1 and C 2. Let us say each month the children get an allowance, also denoted by the symbols C 1 and C 2 which are related to the parents’ income (likewise denoted by P 1 and P 2 as follows:
Material properties for modeling traumatic aortic rupture

Traumatic aortic rupture is a significant cause of fatalities in frontal automobile crashes. However, these ruptures are very difficult to reproduce experimentally in cadaveric surrogates as well as to observe dynamic aortic response. This study is an investigation of the physical parameters and mechanisms of human aortic rupture. The study includes both experimental study of local and global visoelastic properties and failure properties of aortas using aortic tissue samples cadaver thoraxes. This study is the first phase in a program to develop a finite element computer model of aorta injury to examine the mechanisms of aorta injury in automobile crashes.
Defect States Control Effective Band Gap and Photochemistry of Graphene Quantum Dots.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have emerged as a new group of quantum-confined semiconductors in recent years, with possible applications as light absorbers, luminescent labels, electrocatalysts, and photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, their semiconductor characteristics, such as the effective band gap, majority carrier type, and photochemistry, are obscured by defects in this material. Herein, we use surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) in combination with photoelectrochemical measurements to determine the parameters that are essential to the use of GQDs as next-generation semiconductor devices and photocatalysts. Our results show that ordered GQDs (1–6 nm) behave as p-type semiconductors, based on the positive photovoltage in the SPS measurements on Al, Au, and fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates, and generate mobile charge carriers under excitation of defect states at 1.80 eV and under band gap excitation at 2.62 eV. Chemical reduction with hydrazine removes some defects...
A conceptual framework for the analysis of civil-military relations and intelligence

The article argues that current conceptual approaches in civil-military relations are deeply flawed resulting in its irrelevance in analyzing major issues including war and the collapse of democrac...
Author Correction: Organizing principles of pulvino-cortical functional coupling in humans.

The original version of this Article contained an error in the author affiliations. Affiliation 3 incorrectly read ‘Department of Biological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA’.
Electron-deficient dienes. 5. An inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder approach to 2-substituted 4-methoxyxanthones and 3,4-dimethoxyxanthones.

Several 4-methoxyxanthones and 3,4-dimethoxyxanthones were synthesized in good yield via inverse-electron-demand Diels−Alder (IEDDA) driven domino reactions between a series of electron-deficient chromone-fused dienes with 1-(2,2-dimethoxyvinyl)pyrrolidine or tetramethoxyethene, respectively.
Bodies of Knowledge Ole Worm & Collecting in Late Rennaissance Scandinavia

The first great collector in Scandinavia and a phenomenal figure in North European intellectual history, Ole Worm (1588-1654) has been claimed as a local founding father for several modern disciplines, including archeology, museology, philology, ethnology, and folklore. A professor of medicine at the University of Copenhagen, he set up a famous museum that came to form the basis for Denmark’s National Museum, he engineered pioneering ethnological questionnaire surveys of the Danish kingdom, he wrote a monumental work on runes, and collected and published medieval folklore and literature. This article analyzes the life and work of Ole Worm in order to clarify the emergence of the scholar as a third power in Europe, alongside the clergy and the nobility, and to shed light on notions of virtue and virtuosity in the late Renaissance.
Regulator of Gene Silencing-Calmodulin associates with mRNA granules and the autophagy protein ATG8

Abstract Regulator-of-gene-silencing calmodulins (rgsCaM) represent a phylogenetic subfamily of calmodulin-like calcium sensors that are targets of viral induced suppression of posttranscriptional gene silencing by secondary siRNAs. The present work shows that a stress (hypoxia) that induces mRNP granule formation also induces the relocalization of rgsCaM to cytosolic granule-like foci that interact with the surface of stress granule and processing body structures. Co-expression of rgsCaM and its binding protein Suppressor of Gene Silencing 3 causes re-localization and integration of rgsCaM into stress granule structures. RgsCaMs contain a conserved topology that consists for four EF hand like domains (three functional and one divergent) that are separated into two calcium binding lobes with an extended amino terminal region. RgsCaM also contains an “ATG8 family interacting motif” (AIM) within its amino-terminal domain that is characteristic of selective autophagy cargo receptors. Co-localization experiments and ratiometric BiFC analyses in Nicotiana benthamiana support the hypothesis that rgsCaM binds directly to ATG8e through this conserved AIM domain, and the two proteins co-localize with mRNP granule markers. Previous reports show that rgsCaM mediates the suppression of gene silencing, at least in part, via turnover of SGS3 via autophagy. A model is proposed for rgsCaM-like proteins as potential mediators of selective autophagy of RNA granules in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Reducing instability in dispersed powder photocatalysis derived from variable dispersion, metallic co-catalyst morphology, and light fluctuations

Abstract The need for sustainable chemicals has increased the numbers of published studies about photocatalytic hydrogen production via photoreforming and water-splitting. However, comparison of results, already complicated by non-standardized reaction setups and instrumentation, can be further hampered by variation in degree of powdered catalyst dispersion and temporal instability related to co-catalyst morphology and the reaction setup. Building on guidelines already in the literature, we demonstrate the degree to which these sources of variation can impact apparent photocatalytic rates: in the worst cases, variable dispersion caused up to ~400% variation in activity for the same powdered photocatalyst, photodeposition of a Pt co-catalyst contributed to a lengthy activation period lasting up to two hours, and lamp instability increased quantum yield measurement error by a factor of four. To reduce impacts from these instabilities, we recommend mechanically and chemically tuning the particle sizes in dispersion to increase dispersion stability, avoiding comparisons across samples during the initial activation period, and ensuring lamp output stability on the timescale of the reaction. It is also informative to report particle size distributions, zeta potentials, and time-resolved catalytic activity.
Characterization of patient head motion in otologic surgery: Implications for TEES

Abstract Purpose Middle ear disease is increasingly being managed via transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES). A limitation of TEES is that it restricts the surgeon to single-handed dissection. One solution to this would be an endoscope holder to facilitate two-handed dissection. Current endoscope holders are stationary, and can cause potential damage from endoscope contact with the ossicles or ear canal if unintended head motion occurs from inadequate anesthetic. A dynamic device that could detect and react to patient motion would mitigate these concerns, but currently there is little formal characterization of the frequency, velocity and acceleration of unintended patient head motion during otologic procedures performed under general anesthesia. The present study aims to characterize intraoperative patient head motion kinematics during cases utilizing TEES. Materials and methods This is a prospective study of adults undergoing otologic procedures performed with general anesthesia and without paralysis. Head motion was characterized using a nine-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), (LPMS-B2, Life Performance Research) mounted to each patient's forehead for the procedure duration. Results Data was collected across 10 cases; 50% of patients were female and mean age was 50 ± 14 years. There was observed patient head motion in 40% of cases with maximum linear acceleration of 0.75 m/s2 and angular velocity of 12.50 degrees/s. Conclusions Patient movement during otologic procedures was commonly observed, demonstrating the need for a dynamic holder to allow two-handed TEES. Results from this study are the first objective characterization of patient head motion kinematics during otologic procedures performed under general anesthesia.
Control of substrate strain transfer to thin film photovoltaics via interface design

Abstract Brittle thin film photovoltaics (PV) that are integrated with load-bearing structures can be subjected to large strains that lead to fragmentation and performance degradation. Such adverse effects can be mitigated, or altogether eliminated, by mechanically isolating a thin PV module from the underlying load-bearing structure. We developed an effective and efficient strain attenuation strategy to eliminate strain transfer from a stiff unidirectional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminate to an integrated thin amorphous Si PV module. An analytical model of the three-layer material system (CFRP laminate, interface layer and PV module) was employed to create strain attenuation maps that depend on the length of the PV module and capture the coupled effects of the shear modulus and the thickness of the interface layer (G2, t2), and the Young’s modulus and the thickness of the PV module (E3, t3) through the terms G2/t2 and E3t3, respectively. Based on these strain attenuation maps, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was identified as an effective and versatile interface material, which provided up to 100% strain attenuation between the CFRP laminate and the PV module. After accounting for confinement effects on the effective modulus of the PDMS interface layer, a very good agreement was achieved between the measured and the predicted strain attenuation. Importantly, the PDMS interfacial layer preserved the initial fill factor of the PV module until CFRP laminate failure at 1.7% strain, while in the absence of the PDMS interface the fill factor decreased when the CFRP laminate strain exceeded 0.80%.
LERC power system autonomy program 1990 demonstration

The NASA Lewis Research Center has undertaken a program for the development of space systems automation, with a view to increased reliability, safety, payload capability, and decreased operational costs. The NASA Space Station is a primary area of application for the techniques thus developed. Attention is presently given to the activities associated with the Power Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project, which has a projected demonstration date in 1990 and will integrate knowledge-based systems into a real-time environment. Two coordinated systems under expert system control will be demonstrated.
Ethical Reflections on Genetic Enhancement with the Aim of Enlarging Altruism

When it comes to caring about and helping those in need, our imaginations tend to be weak and our motivation tends to be parochial. This is a major moral problem in view of how much unmet need there is in the world and how much material capacity there is to address that need. With this problem in mind, the present paper will focus on genetic means to the enhancement of a moral capacity-a disposition to altruism-and of a cognitive capacity that facilitates use of the moral capacity: the ability to grasp vividly the needs of individuals who are unknown and not present. I will address two questions, with more extensive attention to the first question. First, assuming we had excellent reason to believe that the enhancements were safe, effective, and available to all who desired them, would seeking these enhancements be inherently morally acceptable-that is, free of inherent wrongness? Second, would it be wise for a society to pursue these enhancements? I will defend an affirmative answer to the first question while leaving the second question open.
Boundary Behavior of Poisson Integrals

The principal result of the present chapter is Koranyi’s Theorem 5.4.5—the fact that certain maximal functions associated to invariant Poisson integrals are of weak type (1, 1). The existence of what we call “K-limits” at almost all points of S follows easily from this.
Raising household energy prices in Poland : who gains? who loses?

The authors examine the welfare effects of increasing household energy prices in Poland. Their main finding is that the policy of subsidizing household energy prices, common in the transition economies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, is regressive. Such programs do help the poor by providing them with lower-cost energy, but they are more useful to the rich, who consume more energy. What is surprising is the extent to which Poland's nonpoor have benefited from lower energy prices. Non only do the wealthy consume more energy in absolute terms than the poor, but they also spend a larger portion of their income on energy. Their analysis allowed the authors to rule out the oft-used social welfare argument for delaying increases in household energy prices, but they do not try to recommend a dynamically efficient pricing path. The first-best response would be to raise energy prices while targeting cash relief to the poor through a social assistance program. This is far more efficient than the present go-slow price adjustment policies, which imply energy subsidies that provide across-the-board relief to all consumers. But if governments want to provide some relief for consumers to ease the adjustment, several options are available: in-kind transfers to the poor, vouchers, cash transfers, and lifeline pricing for a small block of electricity combined with significant price increases. Simulations show that if raising prices to efficient levels for all consumers is not now politically feasible, it may be socially better to use lifeline pricing and a large price increase rather than an overall (but smaller) price increase. Lifeline pricing for electricity in combination with an 80 percent price increase has better distributional effects than a 50 percent across-the-board price increase. Ideally, the public utility would be compensated from the budgtet for any reduced-price sales, rather than having to finance them through internal cross-subsidies. In-kind transfers to poor households are also effective in terms of efficiency, but may be harder to administer in some countries than lifeline pricing.
Sparse Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep neural networks have achieved remarkable performance in both image classification and object detection problems, at the cost of a large number of parameters and computational complexity. In this work, we show how to reduce the redundancy in these parameters using a sparse decomposition. Maximum sparsity is obtained by exploiting both inter-channel and intra-channel redundancy, with a fine-tuning step that minimize the recognition loss caused by maximizing sparsity. This procedure zeros out more than 90% of parameters, with a drop of accuracy that is less than 1% on the ILSVRC2012 dataset. We also propose an efficient sparse matrix multiplication algorithm on CPU for Sparse Convolutional Neural Networks (SCNN) models. Our CPU implementation demonstrates much higher efficiency than the off-the-shelf sparse matrix libraries, with a significant speedup realized over the original dense network. In addition, we apply the SCNN model to the object detection problem, in conjunction with a cascade model and sparse fully connected layers, to achieve significant speedups.
Can infopipes facilitate reuse in a traffic application

Infopipes are building blocks for creating data streaming applications, and it is claimed that Infopipes facilitate code reuse. To evaluate this claim, we have built a significant traffic application in Smalltalk using Infopipes. In this paper and accompanying poster, we present a short introduction to Infopipes, a traffic problem and algorithmic solution, and the types of reuse Infopipes facilitate in our implementation of said traffic algorithm.
a Note on Denitrification in SEAWATER1

The mechanism of denitrification was studied in raw seawater collected from the oxygen minimum layer of the northeast tropical Pacific Ocean. Two separate and not simultaneous stages in the denitrification process were evident. During the first stage, nitrate was reduced to nitrite. Thereafter, an additional reaction occurred in which nitrite was further reduced. The rates of reduction appear to be independent of nitrate concentration. Ammonia and nitrous oxide were not significant products of nitrate reduction.