cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreasing particle number concentrations in a warming atmosphere and implications

Abstract. New particle formation contributes significantly to the number concentration of condensation nuclei (CN) as well as cloud CN (CCN), a key factor determining aerosol indirect radiative forcing of the climate system. Using a physics-based nucleation mechanism that is consistent with a range of field observations of aerosol formation, it is shown that projected increases in global temperatures could significantly inhibit new particle, and CCN, formation rates worldwide. An analysis of CN concentrations observed at four NOAA ESRL/GMD baseline stations since the 1970s and two other sites since 1990s reveals long-term decreasing trends that are consistent in sign with, but are larger in magnitude than, the predicted temperature effects. The possible reasons for larger observed long-term CN reductions at remote sites are discussed. The combined effects of rising temperatures on aerosol nucleation rates and other chemical and microphysical processes may imply substantial decreases in future tropospheric particle abundances associated with global warming, delineating a potentially significant feedback mechanism that increases Earth's climate sensitivity to greenhouse gas emissions. Further research is needed to quantify the magnitude of such a feedback process.
Ocean Turbulence. Part I: One-Point Closure Model—Momentum and Heat Vertical Diffusivities

Since the early forties, one-point turbulence closure models have been the canonical tools used to describe turbulent flows in many fields. In geophysics, Mellor and Yamada applied such models using the 1980 state-of-the art. Since then, no improvements were introduced to alleviate two major difficulties: 1) closure of the pressure correlations, which affects the correct determination of the critical Richardson number Ri(sub cr) above which turbulent mixing is no longer possible and 2) the need to express the non-local third-order moments (TOM) in terms of lower order moments rather than via the down-gradient approximation as done thus far, since the latter seriously underestimates the TOMs. Since 1) and 2) are still being dealt with adjustable parameters which weaken the credibility of the models, alternative models, not based on turbulence modeling, have been suggested. The aim of this paper is to show that new information, partly derived from the newest 2-point closure model discussed, can be used to solve these shortcomings. The new one-point closure model, which in its simplest form is algebraic and thus simple to implement, is first shown to reproduce a variety of data. Then, it is used in a Ocean-General Circulation Model (O-GCM) where it reproduces well a large variety of ocean data. While phenomenological models are specifically tuned to ocean turbulence, the present model is not. It is first tested against laboratory data on stably stratified flows and then used in an O-GCM. It is more general, more predictive and more resilient, e.g., it can incorporate phenomena like wave-breaking at the surface, salinity diffusivity, non-locality, etc. One important feature that naturally comes out of the new model is that the predicted Richardson critical value Ri(sub cr) is Ri (sub cr approx. = 1) in agreement with both Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and empirical evidence while all previous models predicted Ri (sub cr approx. = 0.2) which led to a considerable underestimate of the extent of turbulent mixing and thus to an incorrect mixed layer depth. The predicted temperature and salinity profiles (vs. depth) are presented and compared with those of the Kolmogorov-Petruvsky-Piskunuv (KPP) model and Levitus data.
The trapping of equatorial magnetosonic waves in the Earth's outer plasmasphere

We investigate the excitation and propagation of equatorial magnetosonic waves observed by the Van Allen Probes and describe evidence for a trapping mechanism for magnetosonic waves in the Earth's plasmasphere. Intense equatorial magnetosonic waves were observed inside the plasmasphere in association with a pronounced proton ring distribution, which provides free energy for wave excitation. Instability analysis along the inbound orbit demonstrates that broadband magnetosonic waves can be excited over a localized spatial region near the plasmapause. The waves can subsequently propagate into the inner plasmasphere and remain trapped over a limited radial extent, consistent with the predictions of near-perpendicular propagation. By performing a similar analysis on another observed magnetosonic wave event, we demonstrate that magnetosonic waves can also be trapped within local density structures. We suggest that perpendicular wave propagation is important for explaining the presence of magnetosonic waves in the Earth's plasmasphere at locations away from the generation region.
The digital tourniquet: how safe is it?

To measure the pressure generated beneath a digital tourniquet, this study was based on the mathematical relationship between pressure and resistance in latex rubber. The digital tourniquets were either a 1/4-inch Penrose drain or a rolled glove finger. Pressures generated beneath the rolled glove finger were noted to range between 200 and 1200 mm Hg. Pressures beneath the Penrose drain ranged between 100 and 650 mm Hg in one study group and between 120 and 500 mm Hg in a second study group consisting of fingertip injuries. A method was developed based on the same mathematical relationship to control pressure. Marks spaced 26 mm apart on a Penrose drain are wrapped around a finger until the marks touch and the Penrose drain is clamped. With this technique, the pressure beneath the Penrose drain will remain between 250 and 375 mm Hg. Less strain will be required for smaller fingers and more strain will be required for larger fingers; however, the pressure will remain within a predictable range.
Characteristics that predict locating and interviewing mothers identified by a state birth defects registry and vital records.

BACKGROUND State vital records are often used to select population-based controls in record-linkage studies of birth defects. However, locating and contacting individuals based on these data sources to collect additional data can be a challenge. METHODS A large case-control study of air quality and birth defects was conducted in 7 Texas counties in which cases were selected from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and controls from state vital records. In 2004, data from these sources were used to trace mothers of cases and controls who delivered babies in the year 2000 (n = 2477) for participation in a computer-assisted telephone interview. A number of factors that predicted whether an individual would be located and interviewed were identified. RESULTS Between March and August 2004, 38% of the mothers were located, and 38% of the located mothers were interviewed. Case mothers were more likely than control mothers to be located (44 vs. 30%) and, if located, to be interviewed (43 vs. 31%). We compared the characteristics of mothers who were not located (case n = 760; control n = 777), mothers who were located but not interviewed (case n = 344; control n = 236), and mothers who were interviewed (case n = 256; control n = 104). Among both cases and controls, older mothers (≥30 years) were more likely than younger mothers to be located, and non-Hispanic black mothers were least likely to be located and interviewed. CONCLUSIONS Despite the utility of vital records as a source of population-based controls in record-linkage analyses, the poor response rate discourages the use of these data sources to contact individuals for a follow-up study 4 years after delivery. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Junction angles in drainage networks

A theoretical model relating the junction angle of a tributary in a drainage network to its own Shreve magnitude and the Shreve magnitude of the stream into which it flows is developed and verified using published data (including Landsat maps) on U.S. networks with different underlying rock types, relief, and basin lengths. Good agreement is found, and a tendency for the slopes of individual network links to evolve toward graded longitudinal profiles as the network approaches an equilibrium (graded') planimetric pattern is noted. The differences between the network patterns predicted by the model and those observed on Mars are indicated, confirming the results of Pieri (1979, 1980).
Influence of Virginia Market Type Genotype on Peanut Response to Weed Interference

Abstract Differences in the ability of cultivars to compete with weeds are not well-defined for peanut. Research was conducted in 2007 and 2008 to compare the growth and competitiveness of the virginia market type cultivars NC 10C, NC-V 11, NC 12C, Phillips, VA 98R, and breeding lines N99027L, N01013T, and N02020J under weedy and weed-free conditions. Weed-free peanut was established by applying preemergence and postemergence herbicides throughout the growing season supplemented by weekly hand removal of weeds. Clethodim was applied to weedy peanut to eliminate annual grass interference but not interference from broadleaf weeds and sedges. Weed-free peanut biomass, weedy peanut biomass, and weed biomass were not affected by genotype 10 weeks after peanut emergence. Although substantial yield loss was noted in presence of weeds, the percent yield loss did not vary by genotype when comparing weedy and weed-free yield. These data suggest that cultivar selection within virginia market type peanut will have li...
Changing the Climate Sensitivity of an Atmospheric General Circulation Model through Cloud Radiative Adjustment

AbstractConducting probabilistic climate projections with a particular climate model requires the ability to vary the model’s characteristics, such as its climate sensitivity. In this study, the authors implement and validate a method to change the climate sensitivity of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model, version 3 (CAM3), through cloud radiative adjustment. Results show that the cloud radiative adjustment method does not lead to physically unrealistic changes in the model’s response to an external forcing, such as doubling CO2 concentrations or increasing sulfate aerosol concentrations. Furthermore, this method has some advantages compared to the traditional perturbed physics approach. In particular, the cloud radiative adjustment method can produce any value of climate sensitivity within the wide range of uncertainty based on the observed twentieth century climate change. As a consequence, this method allows Monte Carlo–type probabilistic climate forecasts to...
Integral equation based analysis of scattering from 3D inhomogeneous anisotropic bodies

The paper presents an integral equation (IE) based scheme to analyze scattering from inhomogeneous bodies with anisotropic electromagnetic properties. Newly emerging metamaterials have both anisotropic /spl epsiv/ and /spl mu/ due to the structured orientation of inclusions. We develop the necessary mathematics to enable the modeling of 3D bodies of arbitrary shape using tetrahedral tessellation and apply Galerkin testing to solve the problem numerically. Evaluation of elements in the resulting matrix equation is considerably more involved with the introduction of generalized /spl epsiv/ and /spl mu/ tensors; computing these integrals is elucidated. Also, schemes for accurately compensating the artificial surface charges for tetrahedral basis functions is demonstrated. The proposed scheme can be easily retrofitted with acceleration techniques like the fast multipole method (FMM) to permit large scale computations. It is shown that incorporation of such techniques is a trivial task. Likewise, periodic Green's functions can be used for the analysis of periodic band-gap structures.
Dynamic integration of distributed semantic services

Global networking is changing the way that we think about and perform computation. Network-based computing may link tens or hundreds of distributed devices, sensors and computing resources to support an application. Therefore, a critical challenge is how dynamically to discover and integrate these distributed services seamlessly for various applications. In this paper, many cutting-edge technologies including semantic Web, Web services, peer-to-peer network and content-based routing, are used to address this challenge. With these technologies, we propose a new framework for dynamic integration of distributed services. Moreover, a prototype system with basic capabilities is implemented as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential of this framework and its constituent technologies in network-based computing.
Self-organized development of behaviors in spatio-temporal dynamical systems

Nonlinear distributed modeling is applied to generate conditions for the emergence of intentional behaviors afforded by the environment. The models are based on a nondeterministic dynamical approach to self-organized formation of categories using chaotic principles. Continuous and discrete models of the spatio-temporal dynamics are shown to exhibit phase transitions manifested in the form of intermittent spatio-temporal structures, which are studied in simulated environments.
A study of an electron-beam excited atomic xenon laser at high energy loading

Operation of an electron-beam excited atomic xenon laser was investigated at pump rates between 40 W/cm/sup 3/ and 1 kW/cm/sup 3/ with pump times of 1 ms. Effects of cavity loss, gas mixture, and pump rate on laser performance were studied under selected conditions. The variation in laser power in 99.5% argon and 0.5% xenon selectively lasing at 1.73 or 2.6 mu m was investigated as a function of pump power. It was found that the laser pulsewidth was shorter than the pump pulse and increased as the pump rate decreased, consistent with a temperature-induced effect. Lasing with broadband optics was investigated as the xenon concentration was varied and as helium or neon was combined with argon-xenon mixtures. Strong lasing was observed for xenon concentrations up to 20%. Addition of helium resulted in a slight increase in laser pulsewidth and caused lasing at 2.03 mu m to increase at the expense of lasing at 1.73 and 2.6 mu m. >
Immunomodulatory Metabolites Released by the Frog-Killing Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a fungal pathogen in the phylum Chytridiomycota that causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis. Chytridiomycosis is considered an emerging infectious disease linked to worldwide amphibian declines and extinctions. Although amphibians have well-developed immune defenses, clearance of this pathogen from the skin is often impaired. Previously, we showed that the adaptive immune system is involved in the control of the pathogen, but B. dendrobatidis releases factors that inhibit in vitro and in vivo lymphocyte responses and induce lymphocyte apoptosis. Little is known about the nature of the inhibitory factors released by this fungus. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of three fungal metabolites produced by B. dendrobatidis but not by the closely related nonpathogenic chytrid Homolaphlyctis polyrhiza. These metabolites are methylthioadenosine (MTA), tryptophan, and an oxidized product of tryptophan, kynurenine (Kyn). Independently, both MTA and Kyn inhibit the survival and proliferation of amphibian lymphocytes and the Jurkat human T cell leukemia cell line. However, working together, they become effective at much lower concentrations. We hypothesize that B. dendrobatidis can adapt its metabolism to release products that alter the local environment in the skin to inhibit immunity and enhance the survival of the pathogen.
Microscopic tumor burden in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) best predicts nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) involvement in patients with melanoma

8004 Background: Therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND) has long been the standard of care for melanoma metastatic to the regional LNs and is commonly used for patients (pts) with microscopic dis...
The Voices for Healthy Kids Campaign and US State Legislation to Prevent Childhood Obesity

We documented childhood obesity legislative activity in all 50 US states that occurred in parallel to the first year of Voices for Healthy Kids (Voices), a campaign to mobilize evidence-based legislation addressing childhood obesity. We identified 217 bills in the year before Voices (November 2012 to October 2013) and 304 bills at follow-up (November 2013 to October 2014). In states with active Voices grantees, the bill enactment rate was 50% higher (increasing from 10% at baseline to 15% at follow-up).
SROC: A Speaker Recognition with Data Decision Level Fusion Method in Cloud Environment

Speaker recognition as one of biometrics techniques is to recognize speaker's identity. A robust method for speaker recognition with high accuracy of recognition rate is the aim for all relevant researchers. With the rapid development of cloud computing, many complicated tasks in speaker recognition system, such as machine learning, data processing, and information recording, can be implemented in cloud. Meanwhile, speaker recognition can be used as a security and privacy service which are extremely important for the popularization of cloud computing. In this paper, we propose a data decision level fusion method for speaker recognition in cloud environment. After introducing the basic processing of speech recognition process and describing the composition of the speech recognition system based on Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory of decision level data fusion method, we present a speaker recognition system of cloud computing (SROC) architecture. Through experimental evaluation, SROC can improve the recognition rate and accuracy greatly.
The Clinton Regulatory Legacy

The cover story offers a review of Clintonian regulatory changes in eight policy areas: Taxes, Civil Rights, Trade, Transportation, Banking & Finance, Securities, Environment, and Health & Medicine. Some of the reviewers offer applause for the changes; others present sharp criticisms. Altogether, theClinton Legacy is given a mixed review: the administration did oversee some significant market-based reforms, but it also instituted some costly new regulations that seem grounded in politics and not in providing efficient, effective benefits to Americans.
Comparison of physiological properties of certain phage-typable coagulase-positive Staphylococci.

SummaryFree coagulase can be measured adequately by either the tube-plasma method or the tellurite-glycine method. We were unable to establish any direct relationship between certain groups of phage-typable staphylococci and production of alpha, beta or delta hemolysins. Fibrinolytic activity was variable but 50% of Group d (non-typable) exhibited some activity.
A rapid mycobacterial drug susceptibility test.

Suitable inoculum preparation and low magnification microscopic examination of seeded 7H10 or 7H11 culture plates permits detection of growth of mycobacteria as early as the third or fourth day following inoculation. It is regularly evident within 7 days if this growth is continuing. Application of this method for determining drug susceptibility is simple and economic. The method provides for early reporting and makes possible some estimation of proportional relationships. It is virtually free from errors clue to short drug life or growth of organisms other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis .
An Investigation of the Mode of Action of Ingested Arsenic Trioxide in Periplaneta Americana (L.)

The mesenteron and alimentary canal of the female adult American cockroach are respectively 160% and 100% heavier and contain 140% and 56% more GSH (reduced glutathione) than the corresponding organs of the male. In addition, the rate of absorption of arsenic from the male digestive tract is considerably greater than in the female. Efforts to protect against the toxic effects of an ingested dose of arsenic by GSH injections were unsuccessful. The greater tolerance of the female to arsenic is discussed in the light of these findings.
Model-Based Nonlinear Embedding for Power-Amplifier Design

A fully model-based nonlinear embedding device model including low- and high-frequency dispersion effects is implemented for the Angelov device model and successfully demonstrated for load modulation power-amplifier (PA) applications. Using this nonlinear embedding device model, any desired PA mode of operation at the current source plane can be projected to the external reference planes to synthesize the required multi-harmonic source and load terminations. A 2-D identification of the intrinsic PA operation modes is performed first at the current source reference planes. For intrinsic modes defined without lossy parasitics, most of the required source impedance terminations will exhibit a substantial negative resistance after projection to the external reference planes. These terminations can then be implemented by active harmonic injection at the input. It is verified experimentally for a 15-W GaN HEMT class-AB mode that, using the second harmonic injection synthesized by the embedding device model at the input, yields an improved drain efficiency of up to 5% in agreement with the simulation. A figure-of-merit is also introduced to evaluate the efficacy of the nonlinear embedding PA design methodology in achieving the targeted intrinsic mode operation given the model accuracy.
Synthesis and characterization of highly luminescent (CdSe)-ZnS Quantum Dots

We report the synthesis of a series of nearly monodisperse ZnS-overcoated CdSe quantum dots whose room temperature photoluminescence quantum yield approaches 50%. This spectrally narrow (FWHM < 40nm) band edge luminescence spans the visible region from blue to red light. We use a two-step synthesis based on the high temperature decomposition of organometallic precursors in a coordinating solvent. We characterize our composite quantum dots using optical spectroscopies, wavelength dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, small angle x-ray scattering, and wide angle x-ray diffraction. The data indicate that samples displaying the highest quantum yield are those which have just achieved a closed shell of ZnS encapsulating the CdSe core. As more ZnS is added, the quantum yield decreases somewhat, possibly due to the many defects present in larger ZnS shells.
High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Asbestos/Phenolic Composites

As a perfect insulating material,the mechanical properties of asbestos/phenolic composites are very impotant under high temperature.In this paper,the tensile and compressive properties of asbestos/phenolic composites were investigated under room temperature,200 ℃ temperature and 400 ℃.The results showed that the degradation of tensile strength and compressive strength of asbestos/phenolic composites not only depended on the temperature but also on the carbonization ratio of the specimen.Asbestos/phenolic composites exhibited nonlinear stress-strain behavior in tension and compression.The fracture modes of tension and compression were all brittle fracture.It's not evident to the effect of temperature on the fracture mode.
The Family-State Nexus in American Political Development: Explaining Women’s Political Citizenship

The United States was a suffrage pioneer for eliminating restrictions based on class and race, but not for prohibiting the use of sex classifications as a voting qualification. This contribution focuses on the relationship between the family and the state to explain this discrepancy. In the context of America’s liberal heritage, the family and the state are separated by virtue of being ruled by opposite principles: parental rule versus political rule. I argue that women’s suffrage was delayed in the United States because women’s identification with the family as an institution separated them from formal inclusion in the state. Reformers had to solve, therefore, the relationship between the family and the state in order to achieve women’s political citizenship. Using a new data set that tracks family-state frames used by women’s suffrage and women rights leaders from the founding of the American state to the addition of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, I show how configurations of the family and the state developed over time. It was when the family and the state were eventually conceptualized to be analogous, rather than opposite, institutions that women finally achieved the right to vote.
Stromelysin-2 (MMP10) Moderates Inflammation by Controlling Macrophage Activation

Several members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family control a range of immune processes, such as leukocyte influx and chemokine activity. Stromelysin-2 (MMP10) is expressed by macrophages in numerous tissues after injury; however, little is known of its function. In this study, we report that MMP10 is expressed by macrophages in human lungs from patients with cystic fibrosis and induced in mouse macrophages in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection both in vivo and by isolated resident alveolar and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Our data indicates that macrophage MMP10 serves a beneficial function in response to acute infection. Whereas wild-type mice survived infection with minimal morbidity, 50% of Mmp10(-/-) mice died and all showed sustained weight loss (morbidity). Although bacterial clearance and neutrophil influx did not differ between genotypes, macrophage numbers were ∼3-fold greater in infected Mmp10(-/-) lungs than in wild-types. Adoptive transfer of wild-type BMDM normalized infection-induced morbidity in Mmp10(-/-) recipients to wild-type levels, demonstrating that the protective effect of MMP10 was due to its production by macrophages. Both in vivo and in cultured alveolar macrophages and BMDM, expression of several M1 macrophage markers was elevated, whereas M2 markers were reduced in Mmp10(-/-) tissue and cells. Global gene expression analysis revealed that infection-mediated transcriptional changes persisted in Mmp10(-/-) BMDM long after they were downregulated in wild-type cells. These results indicate that MMP10 serves a beneficial role in response to acute infection by moderating the proinflammatory response of resident and infiltrating macrophages.
Science Fiction as Platform for Problem-Based Learning and Teaching Writing as Design

This chapter chronicles how my approach to teaching writing shifted in response to interactions with students and professors in the visual arts and engineering. It also describes what I learned as I grew to understand how these seemingly disparate disciples are connected through the task of writing. By examining my own creative process and its impact on my teaching through the language and concerns of design-based disciplines, I was able to develop a way of talking about writing pedagogy that resonated with both professors and students in design-based fields. This resonance is the result of a shared interest in problem solving and design thinking. Here, I demonstrate for others how conversations across disciplines might enhance and be enhanced by design-based writing assignments, creating occasions for interdisciplinary conversations between faculty members and their students. In my discussion, I provide full assignments and examples of student writing, unpack the writing studies concept of “Writing as Design” in relation to its Engineering counterpart, and propose suggestions for structuring, implementing, and creating design-based writing assignments.
Statistical analysis of recent fault-plane solutions of earthquakes

The large number of fault-plane solutions at present available in the literature permit one to calculate several statistical averages that have an important bearing upon geotectonics. The present paper represents a continuation of earlier work in this direction: 101 new fault-plane solutions are listed and the ratio of pressure to tension, strike slip to dip slip, and the average slip angle have been calculated for nine earthquake areas. Some of the older results are thereby corroborated, viz., that the “normal” character of earthquakes is to represent strike-slip faulting, and that the central Asian regions constitute an exception to this rule. In addition, it is now possible to make a breakdown with regard to depth. In this, a peculiar situation is found at 0.03 R depth, where the slip angle reaches a maximum. If the relationship between shallow and deep earthquakes be considered for any one area, however, it turns out that they are on the whole of the same character. Thus, whatever it is that causes earthquakes, acts in a similar fashion at all depths in any one area, but differs from one area to another.
Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Wilderness Medicine: Advancing Trauma Care in Austere Environments

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) is a set of evidence-based, best-practice prehospital trauma care guidelines customized for use on the battlefield. Military units that have trained all of their unit members in TCCC have now documented the lowest incidence of preventable deaths in the history of modern warfare and TCCC is now the standard for battlefield trauma care in the US Military. TCCC and wilderness medicine share the goal of optimizing care for patients with trauma in austere environments that impose significant challenges in both equipment and evacuation capability. This article reviews the current battlefield trauma care recommendations in TCCC and discusses their applicability to the wilderness setting.
Internal Separation of Powers, Compensating Adjustments, and Court Rulemaking

The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure has attracted a bevy of critics. The Court, they note, vacillates between "statutory" and “antistatutory” Rule constructions. This, the critics charge, is just plain incoherent. The Court needs to make up its mind about how to interpret the Federal Rules. This article argues that these criticisms misfire because they don’t take into account “compensating adjustments.” In domains like administrative law, the Court compensates for the perceived underenforcement of constitutional values in formal constitutional doctrine by giving voice to those values through sometimes unconventional interpretations of ordinary statutes. Enclaves of civil procedure, it turns out, are also characterized by compensating adjustments. And missing this dimension of the Court’s Federal Rules interpretations has led the critics astray. Viewed from the vantage of ordinary interpretive doctrine, the Court’s pattern of Federal Rules interpretations in these enclaves looks strange and incoherent. But viewed from the vantage of the literature on compensating adjustments, that pattern, I will argue, is coherent and unremarkable.
Legal-Writing Exercises: Part V—Punctuation

This column, the fifth in a six-part series on legal-writing exercises, gives questions and answers on punctuation: quotations, hyphens, commas, periods, exclamation points, question marks.
Inferring link changes in dynamic networks through power spectral density variations

In this paper, we present a computationally efficient method of detecting and localizing changes in the dynamics of links in networks of LTI systems, represented as a collection of interdependent time series. We define “link” to mean a dependence of one node process on another. Our method uses only passively obtained second-order statistics. The dynamics of the network are not required to be known. As such, we do not require a least-squares step to find system parameters, nor do we risk using possibly corrupted data to update what we believe is the original system model. As a passive method, it does not require injecting control signals or manipulating the network. The corrupted link is only partially identified, but the scope of the problem is narrowed significantly. We detect a link change by tracking the cross power spectral density between each pair of node processes in the network. When a link changes, many pairs of nodes will experience a change in their power spectral density; we call these “changed pairs”. We characterize which pairs of nodes in the network will change depending on which link changes. We use this characterization to uniquely find the strongly connected component containing the head of the changed link. We also provide a characterization of when the tail of the changed link can be uniquely identified.
Scrambler therapy efficacy and safety for neuropathic pain correlated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in adolescents: A preliminary study.

PURPOSE Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy, in need of effective treatment. Preliminary data support the efficacy of scrambler therapy (ST), a noninvasive cutaneous electrostimulation device, in adults with CIPN. We test the efficacy, safety, and durability of ST for neuropathic pain in adolescents with CIPN. PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied nine pediatric patients with cancer and CIPN who received ST for pain control. Each patient received 45-min daily sessions for 10 consecutive days as a first step, but some of them required additional treatment. RESULTS Pain significantly improved comparing Numeric Rate Scale after 10 days of ST (9.22 ± 0.83 vs. 2.33 ± 2.34; P < 0.001) and at the end of the optimized cycle (EOC) (9.22 ± 0.83 vs. 0.11 ± 0.33, P < 0.001). The improvement in quality of life was significantly reached on pain interference with general activity (8.67 ± 1.66 vs. 3.33 ± 2.12, P < 0.0001), mood (8.33 ± 3.32 vs. 2.78 ± 2.82, P < 0.0005), walking ability (10.00 vs. 2.78 ± 1.22, P < 0.0001), sleep (7.56 ± 2.24 vs. 2.67 ± 1.41, P < 0.001), and relations with people (7.89 ± 2.03 vs. 2.11 ± 2.03, P < 0.0002; Lansky score 26.7 ± 13.2 vs. 10 days of ST 57.8 ± 13.9, P < 0.001; 26.7 ± 13.2 vs. EOC 71.1 ± 16.2, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Based on these preliminary data, ST could be a good choice for adolescents with CIPN for whom pain control is difficult. ST caused total relief or dramatic reduction in CIPN pain and an improvement in quality of life, durable in follow-up. It caused no detected side effects, and can be retrained successfully. Further larger studies should be performed to confirm our promising preliminary data in pediatric patients with cancer.
Forecasting Training Device Effectiveness Using ASTAR

The purpose of this paper is to discuss applications for the Automated Simulator Test and Assessment Routine (ASTAR) in the design and acquisition of training systems. ASTAR is a computer-based, analytic method for forecasting the effectiveness of training devices; it is designed to be used throughout the training device design and acquisition process.
Competing Exchange Rate Models: A State Space Model vs Structural and Time Series Alternatives

Exchange rate modeling has been popular among economists interested in the fields of international trade, finance, monetary policy, and time series analysis for the past twenty years, beginning shortly after the current regime of floating rates. Articles have been written to propose structural models [e.g., Bilson (1979), Dornbusch and Fischer (1980), Edwards (1983), Frankel (1979), Kiguel (1987), Mussa (1976), and Stulz (1987)], to propose time series models [Ahking and Miller (1987), Baillie and Bollerslev (1989), and Havenner and Modjtahedi (1988)], to reject previously proposed models [Meese and Rogoff (1983)], and even to examine the underlying statistical properties of the exchange rates that all the others had been modeling [Boothe and Glassman (1987a) and (1987b)]. This paper will take a somewhat different approach by attempting to provide a fair testing ground for several of the previously proposed models along with one new model, a state space model based on results from linear systems theory. An evaluation of the models will be made with a set of nonnested hypothesis tests. While articles have described the empirical failure of some exchange rate models advanced in out-of-sample forecasting [cf. Meese and Rogoff (1983)], no direct tests of competing paradigms have been done giving equal treatment to all competing hypotheses while including both in-sample and out of-sample tests.
Chamber Systems and Buildings

Chamber systems over a type set I were defined by J. Tits as a family of partitions of a set of vertices called chambers. An equivalent representation as certain classes of graphs with edges labeled by non-empty subsets of I allows one to describe morphisms, truncations, and residues graph-theoretically. Residual connectedness is defined for chamber systems. For a residually connected chamber system, each edge is labeled by exactly one type, while chamber systems in which each chamber lies on infinitely many distinct panels are not residually connected at all. Generalized polygons are presented as both chamber systems and point-line geometries in order to introduce chamber systems of type M. Buildings are plucked out of the sea of all chamber systems of type M by any one of six equivalent conditions involving strong-gatedness of residues, or galleries of reduced type.
Outcomes of lung cancer patients with leptomeningeal metastases in the targeted therapy era.

2064Background: Recent improvements in detection and molecular characterization of leptomeningeal metastasis from lung cancer (LC-LM) coupled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-penetrating targeted the...
SwapNet: Image Based Garment Transfer

We present Swapnet, a framework to transfer garments across images of people with arbitrary body pose, shape, and clothing. Garment transfer is a challenging task that requires (i) disentangling the features of the clothing from the body pose and shape and (ii) realistic synthesis of the garment texture on the new body. We present a neural network architecture that tackles these sub-problems with two task-specific sub-networks. Since acquiring pairs of images showing the same clothing on different bodies is difficult, we propose a novel weakly-supervised approach that generates training pairs from a single image via data augmentation. We present the first fully automatic method for garment transfer in unconstrained images without solving the difficult 3D reconstruction problem. We demonstrate a variety of transfer results and highlight our advantages over traditional image-to-image and analogy pipelines.
Impact of Hospital Case Volume on Outcomes Following Radical Nephrectomy and Inferior Vena Cava Thrombectomy.

Abstract Background Radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy (RN-IVCT) is a complicated procedure for which the impact of hospital case volume on overall survival (OS) is unknown. Objective To assess the degree to which renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVC-TT) care is centralized and to evaluate the impact of hospital case volume on outcomes following RN-IVCT. Design, setting, and participants The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients with pT3b–c RCC treated with RN-IVCT. Hospitals were classified by case volume percentile as low ( 95th percentile, >3 cases annually). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The primary outcome was OS. Secondary outcomes were short-term (30- and 90-d) mortality rates according to hospital case volume. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression model were used to evaluate OS and the effect of covariables. Results and limitations There were 2664 cases of RN-IVCT for pT3b–c tumors reported by 573 institutions, of which 435, 108, and 30 were classified as low, intermediate, and high volume, accounting for 28.5%, 34.5%, and 37% of cases, respectively. Treatment at high-volume institutions was associated with better OS: the median OS was 42, 53, and 60 months for low, intermediate and high-volume centers, respectively (p = 0.009). After multivariable adjustment, treatment at a high-volume institution was associated with a 24% relative risk reduction for all-cause mortality compared to treatment at a low-volume institution (hazard ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.65–0.89; p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in short-term mortality following RN-IVCT when stratified by hospital case volume. Conclusions Higher hospital case volume was associated with longer OS for patients undergoing RN-IVCT. These findings support efforts to centralize care for cases of advanced RCC. Patient summary In this study we looked at the impact of hospital case volume on survival following surgery for renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava thrombectomy. Survival was significantly better in high-volume hospitals performing three or more procedures per year.
Design of 3D Printed Integrated Multiplexer of Spatial Domain Multiplexing Communication System

This presents spatial multiplexing in optical fiber communication systems, using a novel high resolution 3D printed multiplexer, which is designed with the help of Solid Works and Zemax. Simulated and experimental results for a two channel SDM system and their output intensity profile is presented.
High oxygen preservation hydrogels to augment cell survival under hypoxic condition.

Abstract Cell therapy is a promising approach for ischemic tissue regeneration. However, high death rate of delivered cells under low oxygen condition, and poor cell retention in tissues largely limit the therapeutic efficacy. Using cell carriers with high oxygen preservation has potential to improve cell survival. To increase cell retention, cell carriers that can quickly solidify at 37 °C so as to efficiently immobilize the carriers and cells in the tissues are necessary. Yet there lacks cell carriers with these combined properties. In this work, we have developed a family of high oxygen preservation and fast gelation hydrogels based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) copolymers. The hydrogels were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of NIPAAm, acrylate-oligolactide (AOLA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and methacrylate-poly(ethylene glycol)-perfluorooctane (MAPEGPFC). The hydrogel solutions exhibited sol-gel temperatures around room temperature and were flowable and injectable at 4°C. They can quickly solidify (≤6 s) at 37°C to form flexible gels. These hydrogels lost 9.4~29.4% of their mass after incubation in Dulbecco's Phosphate-Buffered Saline (DPBS) for 4 weeks. The hydrogels exhibited a greater oxygen partial pressure than DPBS after being transferred from a 21% O2 condition to a 1% O2 condition. When bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were encapsulated in the hydrogels and cultured under 1% O2, the cells survived and proliferated during the 14-day culture period. In contrast, the cells experienced extensive death in the control hydrogel that had low oxygen preservation capability. The hydrogels possessed excellent biocompatibility. The final degradation products did not provoke cell death even when the concentration was as high as 15 mg/ml, and the hydrogel implantation did not induce substantial inflammation. These hydrogels are promising as cell carriers for cell transplantation into ischemic tissues. Statement of Significance Stem cell therapy for ischemic tissues experiences low therapeutic efficacy largely due to poor cell survival under low oxygen condition. Using cell carriers with high oxygen preservation capability has potential to improve cell survival. In this work, we have developed a family of hydrogels with this property. These hydrogels promoted the encapsulated stem cell survival and growth under low oxygen condition.
Building a Foundation for Family Health Measurement in National Surveys: A Modified Delphi Expert Process

Families are the most proximal and powerful context for the development, promotion, and disruption of health of individuals across the life course. Despite families’ critical role in health, U.S. nationally representative health surveys lack comprehensive and standardized assessments of family health and functioning. To foster research on family health in population surveys, we developed a conceptualization of family health using a modified Delphi process with family health experts. Experts responded online to produce consensus definitions of ‘family’ and ‘family health.’ Guided by these definitions, they responded to a survey to create a list of concepts for measurement of family health and ranked the importance and measurability of those concepts. We achieved consensus among 15 family health experts on definitions of ‘family’ and ‘family health.’ Thirty-one family health concepts were organized into six domains, then ranked by relevance and importance as follows: (1) “Family relationships” and “family social context” tied for first priority, (2) “family member health, (3) “family health-related practices,” (4) “family health resources,” and (5) “management of time and activities.” Social relationships and social environment were prioritized as more essential than other aspects of family environments typically assessed in population surveys, such as health practices and family members’ illness and disease. This study develops the scientific groundwork needed to advance routine monitoring of family health in national health surveys and in child/family performance measures.
Does Progressive Finance Alter School Organizations and Raise Achievement? The Case of Los Angeles:

State finance reforms have raised per-pupil spending and elevated the achievement of disadvantaged students over the past half-century. But we know little about how fresh funding may alter teacher ...
Holographic system for figure sensing of large primary mirrors

Large deformable mirrors, such as those envisioned for advanced space telescopes and the space laser program, will require a method for actively sensing the mirror figure while it is in use. Figure sensing is usually done at the center of curvature of the mirror; placing an interferometer at this point requires extending the telescope structure by many meters, which is not desirable because it introduces additional structural and packaging problems. There have been a variety of schemes presented in the past for figure sensing near the focal plane of the mirror. Of these schemes, the full aperture holographic zone plate studied by Erickson1 is particularly attractive, since it provides full aperture phase information and does not require modifications of the mirror other than to the coating.
Prion-induced photoreceptor degeneration begins with misfolded prion protein accumulation in cones at two distinct sites: cilia and ribbon synapses

Accumulation of misfolded host proteins is central to neuropathogenesis of numerous human brain diseases including prion and prion-like diseases. Neurons of retina are also affected by these diseases. Previously, our group and others found that prion-induced retinal damage to photoreceptor cells in mice and humans resembled pathology of human retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations in retinal proteins. Here, using confocal, epifluorescent and electron microscopy we followed deposition of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) and its association with damage to critical retinal structures following intracerebral prion inoculation. The earliest time and place of retinal PrPSc deposition was 67 days post-inoculation (dpi) on the inner segment (IS) of cone photoreceptors. At 104 and 118 dpi, PrPSc was associated with the base of cilia and swollen cone inner segments, suggesting ciliopathy as a pathogenic mechanism. By 118 dpi, PrPSc was deposited in both rods and cones which showed rootlet damage in the IS, and photoreceptor cell death was indicated by thinning of the outer nuclear layer. In the outer plexiform layer (OPL) in uninfected mice, normal host PrP (PrPC) was mainly associated with cone bipolar cell processes, but in infected mice, at 118 dpi, PrPSc was detected on cone and rod bipolar cell dendrites extending into ribbon synapses. Loss of ribbon synapses in cone pedicles and rod spherules in the OPL was observed to precede destruction of most rods and cones over the next 2–3 weeks. However, bipolar cells and horizontal cells were less damaged, indicating high selectivity among neurons for injury by prions. PrPSc deposition in cone and rod inner segments and on the bipolar cell processes participating in ribbon synapses appear to be critical early events leading to damage and death of photoreceptors after prion infection. These mechanisms may also occur in human retinitis pigmentosa and prion-like diseases, such as AD.