cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It's a mad, mad, mad, ad world: A feminist critique of Mad Men

Synopsis The television drama Mad Men was an immediate critical hit when it premiered in July of 2007 on AMC. The multiple Emmy Award-winning program received a large amount of mainstream press for its depiction of 1960s Madison Avenue, complete with rampant sexism. This study utilizes feminist criticism to examine not only the explicit forms of sexism depicted on Mad Men, but also the implicit and more subtle ways the dominant ideology of patriarchy is normalized. While the program is a drama, Mad Men uses sexism for humor. This type of depiction of gender stereotypes and overt sexism encourages viewers to accept patriarchy as ideal and natural, finds humor in independent women attempting to break free of the dominant ideology, and trivializes gender bias as a laughing matter.
The Protein Phosphatase AtPP2CA Negatively Regulates Abscisic Acid Signal Transduction in Arabidopsis, and Effects of abh1 on AtPP2CA mRNA

To identify new loci in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, we screened a library of 35S∷cDNA Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana)-expressing lines for ABA-insensitive mutants in seed germination assays. One of the identified mutants germinated on 2.5 μm ABA, a concentration that completely inhibits wild-type seed germination. Backcrosses and F2 analyses indicated that the mutant exhibits a dominant phenotype and that the ABA insensitivity was linked to a single T-DNA insertion containing a 35S∷cDNA fusion. The inserted cDNA corresponds to a full-length cDNA of the AtPP2CA gene, encoding a protein phosphatase type 2C (PP2C). Northern-blot analyses demonstrated that the AtPP2CA transcript is indeed overexpressed in the mutant (named PP2CAox). Two independent homozygous T-DNA insertion lines, pp2ca-1 and pp2ca-2, were recovered from the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center and shown to lack full-length AtPP2CA expression. A detailed characterization of PP2CAox and the T-DNA disruption mutants demonstrated that, whereas ectopic expression of a 35S∷AtPP2CA fusion caused ABA insensitivity in seed germination and ABA-induced stomatal closure responses, disruption mutants displayed the opposite phenotype, namely, strong ABA hypersensitivity. Thus our data demonstrate that the PP2CA protein phosphatase is a strong negative regulator of ABA signal transduction. Furthermore, it has been previously shown that the AtPP2CA transcript is down-regulated in the ABA-hypersensitive nuclear mRNA cap-binding protein mutant abh1. We show here that down-regulation of AtPP2CA in abh1 is not due to impaired RNA splicing of AtPP2CA pre-mRNA. Moreover, expression of a 35S∷AtPP2CA cDNA fusion in abh1 partially suppresses abh1 hypersensitivity, and the data further suggest that additional mechanisms contribute to ABA hypersensitivity of abh1.
A method to eliminate solution trapping in applying progressive optimality principle to short-term hydrothermal scheduling

A method is described to eliminate solution trapping for the POP (progressive-optimality-principle) based short-term hydrothermal scheduling algorithm. In a POP-based scheduling algorithm, the trapping phenomenon can severely hinder solution optimality and thus limits the algorithm's applicability. In order to ensure path continuity, the proposed method identifies and bypasses the potential weak links, so that global optimality can be achieved progressively by successively solving a sequence of two-hour subproblems. Examples are given to illustrate the trapping phenomenon and the proposed method. >
Trade Patterns in the Pacific Rim: Outlook for the Next Decade: Discussion

I appreciate the opportunity to be here and am honored to be included with such a distinguished group of scholars. I was invited to comment on these papers, not for my academic credentials, which are very much in the shadow of the authors, but as a "broad-gauged individual" who might be a potential user of the quantitative projections in the two papers and one who might raise some additional questions about the future of trade in the region. First of all, I want to commend Tom Hertel for his GTAP program which is attracting a lot of interest and financial support. His GTAP workshop last week was booked well in advance by participants from distant corners of the world.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Transonic Wake Propagation in the Presence of an Adverse Pressure Gradient and Streamline Curvature

ow and turbulent structure of the wake. The ability to understand how pressure gradients and streamline curvature aects the structure of the wake is essential to predicting how the wake will aect the performance of the application in which it is found. The transonic ow regime is becoming of more interest as gas speeds in turbomachinery increase. A direct numerical simulation of transonic wake ow being shed by a cambered airfoil in the presence of adverse pressure gradients and streamline curvature is presented here. It was observed that the turbulence characteristics arising from the cambered airfoil that generated the wake dominate the evolution of the wake for dierent distances downstream depending on the component of the Reynolds stresses that is being considered. These characteristics dissipated the most quickly in the shear stresses and endured the longest in the tangential normal stresses. Curvature was observed to have limited inuence on the evolution of the streamwise normal stresses and an extensive impact on the tangential normal stresses. The transport equation of the shear stresses indicated that the large asymmetry observed in those shear stresses was largely contributed to by the diusion term in collaboration with the production term.
The Laparoscopic Diagnosis of Transverse Testicular Ectopia

ABSTRACTTransverse testicular ectopia is a rare but well documented abnormality in which both testes descend through 1 inguinal canal. We report on a 14-month-old boy in whom laparoscopy was diagnostic for this abnormality. Laparoscopic examination of the pelvis is imperative to rule out the presence of mullerian remnants that commonly occur in patients with transverse testicular ectopia. Our case further supports the use of laparoscopy in patients with nonpalpable undescended testes.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes on Silicon Substrates

In recent years, the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique has been viewed as an attractive method for depositing carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films at room temperature, mostly on metal substrates. In this study, EPD has been performed to obtain deposits of CNTs on silicon substrates with various surface coatings. The process resulted in CNT film thicknesses up to ∼15 μm on metal-coated silicon samples. The nanotubes exhibited preferential deposition and adhesion exclusively on the metal surfaces even when the direct-current (DC) voltage was supplied only to the silicon substrate, which was electrically isolated from the metal layer. The effects of electric field, deposition time, and underlying films on the thickness and surface roughness of the CNT film were studied. The adhesion strength of the CNT film was studied as well. The results obtained demonstrate the great potential of EPD of CNT thin films for a wide range of applications.
Industrial robot that moves around unexpected obstacles with a minimum distance

Maneuvering an industrial robot to avoid a collision with obstacles in real time involves not only the fast obstacle detection and description, but also fast decision making. The problem is complicated since no a-priori knowledge about obstacles is assumed. In addition, they may appear in the robot's path unexpectedly. In this paper, the detection and description are achieved by the use of stereo cameras. Through the top view of the workspace, the cameras furnish the silhouette as well as heights of obstacles. To speed up the image processing, pixel array is grouped into patches and the maximum height of each patch is determined. To simplify the obstacle description in the computer, "pillar" model of the bounding polyhedra is constructed. Fast decision making is accomplished by structuring a finite number of possible collision avoidance paths. Path feasibility is determined at the "module aisle" level while optimization is performed at the subpath level so that the order of the problem is reduced from 63 to 3 × 6.
Sociocultural and Behavioral Contexts of Condom Use in Heterosexual Married Couples in India: Challenges to the HIV Prevention Program

This article examines sociocultural expectations of sexual behavior and the reasons why not using condoms may be logical to married heterosexual couples in India. Married women who report monogamous sexual relationships with their husbands are a high-risk group for HIV infection in India. Based on the public health model and a population-based perspective on HIV infection prevention, this article illustrates the underlying mechanisms that link the role of women in society, holistic health beliefs, and cultural beliefs about the transmission of HIV with the precursors to nonuse of condoms. The author concludes that promoting condom use requires an emphasis on family health, not only as contraceptives. Challenges for reducing the social stigma and developing a comprehensive policy on HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and care are discussed.
Psychosocial assessment of organ transplant candidates and the Americans with disabilities act

The use of psychosocial criteria to assess candidates for organ transplantation may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability or on the basis of eligibility criteria that disproportionately affect persons with disabilities. When organ programs deny access to a person because of schizophrenia, they are denying an organ on the basis of disability. When organ programs deny access to a noncompliant person, they are denying an organ on the basis of an eligibility criterion that is more common in persons with coexisting disabilities like mental illness. Accordingly, both of these denials may violate the ADA. However, the ADA recognizes that it often is appropriate to take a person's disability into account when allocating organs for transplantation. There is a legitimate social interest in allocating organs in a way that maximizes medical benefit, and a person's disability may compromise the benefit that the person will receive from a transplant. It is likely that courts will interpret the ADA to permit denials of organs or lower waiting list priorities for persons with disabilities as long as predictions of diminished benefit are based on scientifically valid criteria, the assessment of candidates is individualized and not based entirely on generalized predictors, and the transplant program undertakes reasonable steps like psychological counseling to compensate for an organ candidate's coexisting disability.
Using service-learning to teach mental health and research skills.

ABSTRACTThis paper describes how an occupational therapy program used service-learning to integrate the learning objectives for mental health and research curriculum content. The service-learning program assisted participants diagnosed with mental illness to achieve success in higher education and/or related goals and served as a clinical program within a research curriculum for entry-level graduate occupational therapy students. The occupational therapy students served as mentors for the participants. The purpose of the program for the occupational therapy students was to teach research skills, clinical skills, and increase comfort in working with the mental health population. Seventy-eight occupational therapy students participated in the program over four academic years. A case example of a student/participant mentoring relationship is provided. Results indicated that the occupational therapy students gained comfort with the population and competence in their clinical and research skills.
Female drug use: some observations.

This paper, based on a review of recent social science drug research, summarizes the main findings on female drug use and speculates on its future direction. The findings include the following: women are usually initiated into illicit drug use by men; rates of illicit drug use are lower among females than males (which may reflect the greater personal freedom traditionally granted to males), although the difference narrows among younger persons and among those who subscribe to more liberal values and lifestyles; women are more likely than men to use psychotherapeutic drugs (which may reflect strains resulting from their unequal status vis-a-vis men); and female opiate addicts, although they tend to hold conventional values, are often involved in such deviant activity as prostitution. To the extent that women gain social equality with men and subscribe to greater personal lifestyle freedom, they may be expected to show a higher rate of illicit drug use, particularly of a recreational kind. On the other hand...
Cell-Mediated Immunity to Toxoplasma gondii Develops Primarily by Local Th1 Host Immune Responses in the Absence of Parasite Replication

A single inoculation of mice with the live, attenuated Toxoplasma gondii uracil auxotroph strain cps1 - 1 induces long-lasting immunity against lethal challenge with hypervirulent strain RH. The mechanism for this robust immunity in the absence of parasite replication has not been addressed. The mechanism of long-lasting immunity, the importance of route of immunization, cellular recruitment to the site of infection, and local and systemic inflammation were evaluated. Our results show that infection with cps1 - 1 elicits long-lasting CD8 + T cell- mediated immunity. We show that immunization with cps1 - 1 -infected dendritic cells elicits long-lasting immunity. Intraperitoneal infection with cps1 - 1 induced a rapid influx of GR1 + neutrophils and two stages of GR1 + CD68 + inflammatory monocyte infiltration into the site of inoculation. CD19 + B cells and CD3 + T cells steadily increase for 8 days after infection. CD8 + T cells were rapidly recruited to the site of infection and increased faster than CD4 + T cells. Surprisingly, cps1 - 1 infection induced high systemic levels of bioactive IL-12p70 and a very low level and transient systemic IFN-γ. Furthermore, we show significant levels of these inflammatory cytokines were locally produced at the site of cps1 - 1 inoculation. These findings offer new insight into immunological mechanisms and local host responses to a non-replicating type I parasite infection associated with development of long-lasting immunity to Toxoplasma gondii .
Some stochastic properties of memoryless individual sequences

An individual sequence of real numbers is memoryless if no continuous Markov prediction scheme of finite order can outperform the best constant predictor under the squared loss. It is established that memoryless sequences satisfy an elementary law of large numbers, and sliding-block versions of Hoeffding's inequality and the central limit theorem. It is further established that memoryless binary sequences have convergent sample averages of every order, and that their limiting distributions are Bernoulli. Several examples and sources of memoryless sequences are given, and it is shown how memoryless binary sequences may be constructed from aggregating methods for sequential prediction.
Optimization of a Combined Human Parechovirus-Enterovirus Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay and Evaluation of a New Parechovirus 3-Specific Assay for Cerebrospinal Fluid Specimen Testing

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs), particularly type 3 (HPeV3), are known central nervous system (CNS) pathogens, causing serious infections in infants similar to those caused by enteroviruses (EVs). The primary aim of this study was to combine and validate HPeV and EV real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) detection assays with the best available RT-PCR reagents and conditions for parallel detection of HPeV and EV on a single platform. The secondary aim was to develop and validate a newly developed HPeV3-specific real-time RT-PCR assay. Five commercially available RT-PCR kits were evaluated with the pan-HPeV and EV assays in one-step and two-step RT-PCRs. Two-step RT-PCR with the AgPath ID RT-PCR (AGP) kit performed best for both pan-HPeV and EV assays. The pan-HPeV-specific assay performed best with the AGP kit in a one-step RT-PCR. Frozen aliquots of 145 (for HPeV, n = 70; for EV, n = 75) previously characterized cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were tested by EV-, pan-HPeV-, and HPeV3-specific (HPeV specimens only) assays. The pan-HPeV and EV assays demonstrated 100% analytical sensitivity and specificity compared to historic results, while the HPeV3-specific assay demonstrated 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity. We propose a real-time pan-HPeV, EV two-step RT-PCR algorithm for simultaneous detection of HPeV and EV from CSF specimens on a single platform. The HPeV3-specific one-step RT-PCR assay can be used as a rapid and cost-effective assay to detect and identify HPeV3 in pan-HPeV RT-PCR assay-positive CSF specimens.
Augmented cognition: allocation of attention

We describe a novel, model-based approach to augmented cognition. We first discuss a subset of cognitive limitations that are likely to impair performance. We then note traditional approaches to the enhancement of cognitive abilities and their shortcomings, and compare the augmented approach to that of the traditional human-computer interface design. We discuss an example of our approach involving augmenting human ability to allocate attention in tasks such as search and monitoring. The model of attentional processes is then used to develop a framework for an optimal attention allocation process. Finally, we describe a pilot experiment in which observers' eye gaze is monitored and used to help them allocate attention.
Noise analysis of the quantum flux parametron

An analysis of the limitations imposed by thermal noise on the application of the quantum flux parametrons (QFPs) as current comparators and timing discriminators is presented. At low operational frequencies, a thermal activation approach is used, while at high frequencies a circuit simulation method is required. At frequencies greater than the Josephson junction plasma frequency, an approximate expression for the noise is given. The calculations are in good agreement with the approximations and the experimental results. >
vrille, Pdp1, and dClock form a second feedback loop in the Drosophila circadian clock

The Drosophila circadian clock consists of two interlocked transcriptional feedback loops. In one loop, dCLOCK/CYCLE activates period expression, and PERIOD protein then inhibits dCLOCK/CYCLE activity. dClock is also rhythmically transcribed, but its regulators are unknown. vrille (vri) and Par Domain Protein 1 (Pdp1) encode related transcription factors whose expression is directly activated by dCLOCK/CYCLE. We show here that VRI and PDP1 proteins feed back and directly regulate dClock expression. Repression of dClock by VRI is separated from activation by PDP1 since VRI levels peak 3-6 hours before PDP1. Rhythmic vri transcription is required for molecular rhythms, and here we show that the clock stops in a Pdp1 null mutant, identifying Pdp1 as an essential clock gene. Thus, VRI and PDP1, together with dClock itself, comprise a second feedback loop in the Drosophila clock that gives rhythmic expression of dClock, and probably of other genes, to generate accurate circadian rhythms.
THE NASA/USRA UNIVERSITY ADVANCED DESIGN PROGRAM: A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

This paper describes the NASA/USRA University Advanced Design Program (ADP) and the role it plays in providing a systems engineering experience for senior engineering students in “capstone” design courses. Experience with the program has resulted in conclusions about the factors that contribute to a positive experience in the course, with parallels drawn to the “real world.” The paper also presents on-going ADP activities designed to expand the impact of the program to a wider community.
Identification of nonlinear passive devices for haptic simulations

This paper describes a method for identifying models of a class of nonlinear passive devices, such as switches, knobs, and buttons. A general nonlinear impedance model is presented, which accounts for dynamics that change with both position and direction. Exponentially-weighted least-squares is used to fit the nonlinear model to experimental data from a specially designed physical 1-DOF test device with inherent nonlinearities. The data are obtained using an instrumented linear probe.
Phenological Changes in Alpine Plants in Response to Increased Snowpack, Temperature, and Nitrogen

Abstract Modified environmental conditions are driving phenological changes in ecosystems around the world. Many plants have already responded to warmer temperatures by flowering earlier and sustaining longer periods of growth. Changes in other environmental factors, like precipitation and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, may also influence phenology but have been less studied. Alpine plants may be good predictors of phenological response patterns because environmental changes are amplified in mountain ecosystems and extreme conditions may make alpine plants particularly sensitive to changes in limiting factors like precipitation, temperature, and N. We tested the effects of increased snowpack, temperature, and N on alpine tundra plant phenology, using snow fence, open-top warming chamber, and N fertilization treatments at the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site. Flowering phenology of three abundant species was recorded during two growing seasons. Treatment responses varied among sp...
Combining a POMDP Abstraction with Replanning to Solve Complex, Position-Dependent Sensing Tasks

The Partially-Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) is a general framework to determine reward-maximizing action policies under noisy action and sensing conditions. However, determining an optimal policy for POMDPs is often intractable for robotic tasks due to the PSPACE-complete nature of the computation required. Several recent solvers have been introduced that expand the size of problems that can be considered. Although these POMDP solvers can respect complex motion constraints in theory, we show that the computational cost does not provide a benefit in the eventual online execution, compared to our alternative approach that relies on a policy that ignores some of the motion constraints. We advocate using the POMDP framework where it is critical ‐ to find a policy that provides the optimal action given all past noisy sensor observations, while abstracting some of the motion constraints to reduce solution time. However, the actions of an abstract robot are generally not executable under its true motion constraints. The problem is addressed offline with a less-constrained POMDP, and navigation under the full system constraints is handled online with replanning. We empirically demonstrate that the policy generated using this abstracted motion model is faster to compute and achieves similar or higher reward than addressing the motion constraints for a car-like robot as used in our experiments directly in the POMDP.
Investigating Glioblastoma Angiogenesis Using A 3D in Vitro GelMA Microwell Platform

Angiogenesis is an indispensable mechanism in physiological and pathological development of tumors that requires an adequate blood supply. Therefore, understanding the angiogenesis mechanism of tumors has become an important research area to develop reliable and effective therapies for the treatment of tumors. Although several in vivo and in vitro models were developed and used to study the underlying mechanism of angiogenesis, they showed limited success. Therefore, there is an urgent need to build a stable and cost-effective three-dimensional (3D) in vitro angiogenesis model to investigate the tumor formation. In this study, we designed a 3D in vitro angiogenesis model based on gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel microwells to mimic an in vivo-like microenvironment for co-cultured glioblastoma and endothelial cells. Our results confirmed the in vitro formation of microtubules during the angiogenic process. We believe that our cost-effective platform can be used for the high-throughput screening of anti-angiogenesis drugs and even for the development of better treatment strategies.
Civic Literacy and Ethical Public Service: An Underappreciated Nexus

A copious literature on ethical public service addresses various topics, such as the teaching of ethics, the effect of contracting out, the consequences of marketization, and the diminishing concern for the public good. Less attention has been paid to the nexus between ethical behavior and American constitutional values. This commentary explores the research connecting constitutional competence to ethical public service, and concludes that ethically appropriate behavior is inextricably bound up with fidelity to constitutional norms.
Ferrous iron and the growth of twenty isolates of Phytophthora infestans in synthetic media.

Twenty isolates of Phytophthora infestans grew well in a D-glucoseL-asparagine medium containing 1.0 ppm of ferric iron provided that 200 mg/liter of L-ascorbic acid were added. Under these conditions ferric iron was reduced to the ferrous state. Most of the isolates reduced ferric iron after variable periods of incubation. Growth in media not containing L-ascorbic acid was associated with the reduction of ferric iron.
Governance without Government: An Overview

This chapter examines the outer limits of extra-territoriality, of governance beyond the state. It suggests the contours of the projection of governance power from outside the territory of states, the possibility of governance without government, and the more radical notion that government itself can exist without state, projecting its governance into states. The chapter provides an overview of the extent of contemporary reticence to embrace any "governance without government" framework that strays too far from the all-encompassing embrace of the state system and public power, that is, of the possibility that communities can come together and share a governance structure without prior requirement of a state or of the government that serves as the incarnation of the state. The governance framework is grounded in those characteristics that are essential to government - autonomy, self-constitution, a defined scope of regulatory authority and a power to discipline members within regulatory framework created. Keywords:autonomy; extra-territoriality; governance; government; regulatory authority
The Distinctive Significance of Systemic Risk

This paper suggests that “systemic risk” (e.g., of financial market collapse, or of ecological calamity) has a distinctive kind of moral significance. Two intuitive data points need to be explained. The first is that the systematic imposition of risk can be wrongful or unjust in and of itself, even if harm never ensues. The second is that, even so, there may be no one in particular to blame. We can explain both ideas in terms of what I call responsibilities of “Collective Due Care.” Collective Due Care arguably precludes purely aggregative cost-benefit decision-making and requires one kind of “precautionary” attitude in public choice.
Stability and Stabilization of Enzyme Biosensors: The Key to Successful Application and Commercialization

Fifty-five years have passed and more than 100,000 articles have been published since the first report of an electrochemical enzyme biosensor. However, very few biosensors have reached practical application and commercialization. The bulk of the research effort has been on increasing sensitivity and selectivity. In contrast, the number of publications dealing with stability or stabilization of enzyme biosensors is very small. Here, we critically review enzyme stabilization strategies as well as the progress that has been done in the past 20 years with respect to enzyme biosensor stabilization. Glucose oxidase, lactate oxidase, alcohol oxidase, and xanthine oxidase are the focus of this review because of their potential applications in food. The inconsistency in reporting biosensor stability was identified as a critical hurdle to research progress in this area. Fundamental questions that remain unanswered are outlined.
Accelerated Life Testing With Semiparametric Modeling of Stress Effects

Accelerated life testing has been widely applied to obtain the reliability information of an asset (component) at use conditions when the component is highly reliable. In accelerated life testing, tested components are exposed to stress levels more severe than usual so that more component failures can be observed in a short period of time. Most existing statistical models assume a known parametric relationship between the lifetime (or lifetime characteristic) and accelerating stresses. In this paper, we propose semiparametric modeling for the relationship between the lifetime characteristic and accelerating stresses. The proposed model is suitable for both single and multiple accelerating stress cases. A maximum penalized likelihood estimation method is developed to estimate the model parameters. A simulation study is implemented to illustrate the performance of the proposed model, and a real-world case study is conducted to demonstrate the proposed model.
Histogram-based automatic thresholding for bruise detection of apples by structured-illumination reflectance imaging

Thresholding is an important step in the segmentation of image features, and the existing methods are not all effective when the image histogram exhibits a unimodal pattern, which is common in defect detection of fruit. This study was aimed at developing a general automatic thresholding methodology for fast and effective segmentation of bruises from the images acquired by structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI). SIRI images, under sinusoidal patterns of illumination at a spatial frequency of 100 cycles m −1 , were acquired from 120 apple samples of four varieties with artificially created bruises and from another 40 apples with naturally occurred bruises. Subsequently, three sets of images, i.e., amplitude component (AC), direct component (DC) and ratio (i.e., dividing AC by DC), were derived from the original SIRI images. A unimodal thresholding method, called UNIMODE, was first applied to DC images for background removal, and then nine automatic thresholding techniques, including one unimodal and eight bimodal, were applied to the ratio images for bruise segmentation. It was found that severe over-segmentation occurred when using the bimodal thresholding methods, and this problem was mitigated by confining threshold selection to the lower part of the histogram that contained bruise information. Three bimodal thresholding techniques, i.e., INTERMODE (histogram valley emphasized), RIDLER (iterative thresholding), OTSU (clustering based) achieved the best bruise detection results with the overall accuracies of more than 90%. The overall detection results were further improved by integrating these techniques with the unimodal thresholding, due to reductions in the false positive error. The three bimodal thresholding techniques resulted in overall detection accuracies of 77–85% for naturally occurred bruises. This study has showed that the proposed automatic thresholding methodology provides a simple and effective tool for bruise detection of apples.
Autocracy: Naked and Veiled

This paper establishes an analytical framework for understanding the structure of autocratic institutions. It distinguishes between two ideal types of autocratic state structures: naked and veiled. In one incarnation, the institutional structure of the state makes no pretense of the autocrat’s omnipotence. In the other, the state is structured so as to give the appearance of a division of powers. Assessed from the standpoint of rational choice institutionalism, each is understood to emerge as a product of the constraints which autocrats face at the moment of state formation. Using the examples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the relative costs, benefits, and risks to autocrats of each model as well as differences in subsequent fiscal behavior are considered.
A Review: Methods To Fabricate Vertically Oriented Metal Nanowire Arrays

Nanowires can be described as one-dimensional-like structures: elongated solids with two dimensions thinner than about a micrometer. They allow the study of novel physical phenomena and have many technological applications, including capture and storage of energy, thermal transport, and sensing. These applications often use arrays of nanowires on flat surfaces, and sometimes specifically require the nanowires to be vertically oriented rather than randomly oriented, arranged in lithographically ordered arrays rather than randomly distributed, or both. In addition, the nanowires’ height, diameter, cross-sectional shape, and the array pitch often must be controlled. Methods exist to exercise much of this control over insulating and semiconducting nanowires, but less control has been demonstrated for metal nanowire fabrication. Here, we review methods published for the fabrication of metal nanowires, and highlight areas in need of further development. Microwire fabrication is discussed in the context of metho...
Controlling a Lesson with Classroom for iPad

In this chapter, you’ll learn to use Apple’s Classroom app to manage your students’ iPads directly from your own iPad. Classroom is a great tool for running iPad-based lessons, giving you the power to do everything from launching the app the students will use for the class to monitoring what each student is viewing—or doing—on screen at any moment.
Space Encoding Based Compressive Tracking with Wireless Fiber-Optic Sensors

This paper presents a distributed, compressive multiple target localization and tracking system based on wireless fiber-optic sensors. This research aims to develop a novel, efficient, low data-throughput multiple target tracking platform. The platform is developed based on three main technologies: (1) multiplex sensing, (2) space encoding and (3) compressive localization. Multiplex sensing is adopted to enhance sensing efficiency. Space encoding can convert the location information of multi-target into a set of codes. Compressive localization further reduces the number of sensors and data-throughput. In this work, a graphical model is employed to model the variables and parameters of this tracking system, and tracking is implemented through an Expectation-Maximization (EM) procedure. The results demonstrated that the proposed system is efficient in multi-target tracking.
A method of alternating characteristics with application to advection-dominated environmental systems

We present a numerical method for solving a class of systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) that arises in modeling environmental processes undergoing advection and biogeochemical reactions. The salient feature of these PDEs is that all partial derivatives appear in linear expressions. As a result, the system can be viewed as a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), albeit each one along a different characteristic. The method then consists of alternating between equations and integrating each one step-wise along its own characteristic, thus creating a customized grid on which solutions are computed. Since the solutions of such PDEs are generally smoother along their characteristics, the method offers the potential of using larger time steps while maintaining accuracy and reducing numerical dispersion. The advantages in efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are demonstrated in two illustrative examples that simulate depth-resolved reactive transport and soil carbon cycling.
A Review of the Fossil History of Staphylinoidea

The superfamily Staphylinoidea includes the families Hydraenidae, Ptiliidae, Agyrtidae, Leiodidae, Silphidae, and Staphylinidae and currently includes more than 400 described fossils. The geological history of the superfamily ranges from the Triassic to Cenozoic, and the lineage is well represented in multiple significant Lagerstatte. During the last several years, many new important fossils have been described, and for most Staphylinidae subfamilies, their geological history extends into the Cretaceous. I summarize the most important fossil discoveries for families and subfamilies from compressions/impressions and amber inclusions. I discuss the diversity of Staphylinoidea though time, and I provide a summary phylogeny of Staphylinoidea with fossil constraints, updated from previously published works. Additionally, I discuss the apparent bradytely in many lineages and possible future steps to expand our knowledge of fossil Staphylinoidea .
Markov Processes for Knowledge Spaces

This article describes some Markovian procedures designed for assessing the competence of individuals, such as school children, regarding a particular topic. The Markovian search takes place in a ‘knowledge structure,’ a combinatoric object gathering all the feasible ‘knowledge states.’ Each knowledge state is a subset of questions that could be mastered by some individual. Two Markovian classes of procedures are outlined in this article. In the most important one, each state of a Markov process is a probability distribution on the knowledge structure.
A SIMPLIFIED MODEL FOR THE DAMAGED SEGMENT OF A LONGITUDINALLY VIBRATING UNIFORM BEAM

Abstract A three element analytical model for a free-free longitudinally vibrating uniform beam containing a symmetric discontinuity is presented. Based on this model, an analytical expression is developed which relates the length of the element used to model the effective length of the damaged section to the depth of this discontinuity. This expression was verified experimentally, and shown to be material independent.
Low-Temperature Thermodynamics of Quantum Systems

We describe an efficient numerical technique for computing thermodynamic quantities of quantum systems at low temperatures. All low-energy eigen-values of the system are calculated from a single Lanczos run. The method may be extended systematically to all temperatures. We apply the method to a Heisenberg model for the two-dimensional quantum disordered antiferromagnet CaV4O9.
Solidarity and Multiculturalism

"The European Union will be nothing if not multicultural." This slogan puts multiculturalism in a global and legal perspective. Multiculturalism is defined here as the major feature of a society, which is predominantly composed of groups with different ethnic, geographic, religious and cultural roots striving for equal positions among its citizens on the market of labor, goods and capital. The legal support system is based upon the concept of solidarity. Its realization, however, clashes in an exemplary manner with formal requirements of law and administration in the EU.
Y-90 PET/CT for localization of Yttrium-90 microspheres - Post radioembolization

1202 Objectives Yttrium-90 microspheres are used for the treatment of unresectable liver tumors. Yttrium-90 results in pair production ( e+e- ) in 32 out of 1 million decays. This characteristic allows us to acquire PET images in patients treated with Y-90 microspheres. The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of Y-90 PET to localize the distribution of microspheres in relation to the hepatic tumor foci and also detect sites of non-targeted delivery. Methods Y-90 PET/CT was performed on 49 patients (30 males and 19 females, age range 34 -83 years) 2-12 hrs after Y-90 microsphere radioembolization. PET imaging of abdomen was performed using time of flight (TOF) reconstruction and without use of additional shielding. Thirty patients had hepatocellular cancer and 19 had hepatic metastasis ( colorectal 9, carcinoid 3, melanoma 3, esophageal 2 , breast 1, lung 1). Results In 41 of 49 cases Y- 90 distribution matched the tumor foci in the liver with high target to background ratio. In 14 of the 49 patients (29%) management was modified based on the distribution of Y-90 microspheres on PET scan. Eight patients had incomplete coverage of the tumor foci needing further intervention. Complications from non targeted delivery of Y-90 were able to be predicted in 6 cases (gallbladder related 3 cases, bowel 2 and omentum one case). Conclusions Y-90 PET/CT is a useful noninvasive tool to map out the distribution of Y-90 microspheres delivered to the liver via radioembolization procedure. Localization of Y-90 microsphere distribution by Y-90 PET, impacts management and helps in predicting potential complications
Ethnic disparities in stroke recognition in individuals with prior stroke.

Objective Studies of stroke awareness suggest that knowledge of early warning signs of stroke is low in high-risk groups. However, little is known about stroke knowledge among individuals with a history of prior stroke who are at significant risk for recurrent stroke. Methods Data from 2,970 adults with a history of prior stroke from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were examined. Recognition of the five warning signs of stroke and appropriate action to call 911 was compared across three racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic/other. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to: (1) determine the association between race/ethnicity and recognition of multiple stroke signs and appropriate first action and (2) identify independent correlates of recognition of multiple stroke signs and taking appropriate action to seek treatment among individuals with prior stroke. Results Recognition of all five signs of stroke and taking appropriate action to call 911 was lowest among the non-Hispanic black group (22.3%) and Hispanic/other group (16.7%). In multivariate models, Hispanic/other (odds ratio [OR] 0.42 [0.25, 0.71]), age 50-64 (OR 0.64 [0.43, 0.97]), age > or =65 (OR 0.36 [0.23, 0.55]), and >high school education (OR 1.79 [1.22, 2.63]) emerged as independent correlates of recognition of all five signs of stroke and first action to call 911. Conclusions Less than 35% of people with prior stroke can distinguish the complex symptom profile of a stroke and take appropriate action to call 911. Targeted educational activities that are sensitive to differences in race/ethnicity age, and education levels are needed for individuals with prior stroke.
We Ran 9 Billion Regressions: Eliminating False Positives through Computational Model Robustness:

False positive findings are a growing problem in many research literatures. We argue that excessive false positives often stem from model uncertainty. There are many plausible ways of specifying a ...
Identification of a biologically active fragment of ALK and LTK-Ligand 2 (augmentor-α)

Elucidating the physiological roles and modes of action of the recently discovered ligands (designated ALKAL1,2 or AUG-α,β) of the receptor tyrosine kinases Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and Leukocyte Tyrosine Kinase (LTK) has been limited by difficulties in producing sufficient amounts of the two ligands and their poor stability. Here we describe procedures for expression and purification of AUG-α and a deletion mutant lacking the N-terminal variable region. Detailed biochemical characterization of AUG-α by mass spectrometry shows that the four conserved cysteines located in the augmentor domain (AD) form two intramolecular disulfide bridges while a fifth, primate-specific cysteine located in the N-terminal variable region mediates dimerization through formation of a disulfide bridge between two AUG-α molecules. In contrast to AUG-α, the capacity of AUG-α AD to undergo dimerization is strongly compromised. However, full-length AUG-α and the AUG-α AD deletion mutant stimulate similar tyrosine phosphorylation of cells expressing either ALK or LTK. Both AUG-α and AUG-α AD also stimulate a similar profile of MAP kinase response in L6 cells and colony formation in soft agar by autocrine stimulation of NIH 3T3 cells expressing ALK. Moreover, both AUG-α and AUG-α AD stimulate neuronal differentiation of human neuroblastoma NB1 and PC12 cells in a similar dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these experiments show that deletion of the N-terminal variable region minimally affects the activity of AUG-α toward LTK or ALK stimulation in cultured cells. Reduced dimerization might be compensated by high local concentration of AUG-α AD bound to ALK at the cell membrane and by potential ligand-induced receptor–receptor interactions.
Can We Downsize Our Prisons and Jails Without Compromising Public Safety

Author(s): Bartos, BJ; Kubrin, CE | Abstract: Research Summary: Our study represents the first effort to evaluate systematically Proposition 47's (Prop 47's) impact on California's crime rates. With a state-level panel containing violent and property offenses from 1970 through 2015, we employ a synthetic control group design to approximate California's crime rates had Prop 47 not been enacted. Our findings suggest that Prop 47 had no effect on homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, or burglary. Larceny and motor vehicle thefts, however, seem to have increased moderately after Prop 47, but these results were both sensitive to alternative specifications of our synthetic control group and small enough that placebo testing cannot rule out spuriousness. Policy Implications: As the United States engages in renewed debates regarding the scale and cost of its incarcerated population, California stands at the forefront of criminal justice reform. Although California reduced its prison population by 13,000 through Prop 47, critics argue anecdotally that the measure is responsible for recent crime upticks across the state. We find little empirical support for these claims. Thus, our findings suggest that California can downsize its prisons and jails without compromising public safety.
Cardiac myocyte proliferation and maturation near term is inhibited by early gestation maternal testosterone exposure.

Using measurements of cardiac myocyte growth and maturation in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome, this study demonstrates that early gestation excess maternal testosterone exposure reduce...
Brief Report: Gut Structural Damage: an Ongoing Process in Chronically Untreated HIV Infection.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the longitudinal changes of gut structural damage in chronically untreated HIV infection. DESIGN This is a 96-week prospective, single-site, cohort study of antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-infected participants. METHODS Intestinal fatty acid-binding proteins (I-FABP) were used as a surrogate marker of gut structural damage. We assessed changes in I-FABP over 96 weeks and examined the associations between I-FABP, HIV variables, and inflammation. Spearman's correlations and linear mixed-effect models were used to study relationships among variables. RESULTS A total of 63 HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy-naive patients were included in this analysis. At baseline, 76% were male; 62% were African American, with median age and body mass index of 40 years and 27 kg/m, respectively. Median HIV-RNA and CD4 T-cell counts were 5520 copies per milliliter and 588 cells per mm, respectively. I-FABP significantly increased from baseline to week 96 (mean change +333.9 pg/mL; P = 0.03), and this increase was associated with viral replication (rho = +0.4; P = 0.03). I-FABP levels were found to be associated with markers of inflammation: sTNFR-II (rho = 0.4, P = 0.02) and sVCAM-1 (rho = 0.04; P < 0.01) at all study time points. Lower baseline CD4 T-cell counts was found to be independently associated with I-FABP progression after adjusting for baseline characteristic variables (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION Gut structural damage is an ongoing process in the chronic phase of untreated HIV infection and is largely dependent on viral replication. I-FABP was found to be associated with worse immune function, increased inflammation, and viremia in chronically untreated HIV infection, supporting its role as a biomarker of intestinal barrier dysfunction.