cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viscosity effects on Dean vortex membrane microfiltration

The influence of changing viscosity by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) during microfiltration of silica suspensions in the presence and absence of Dean vortices was determined. A new microfiltration membrane module design containing helically wound hollow fibers (with Dean vortices) was compared with a standard commercial cross-flow module (without Dean vortices) containing linear hollow fibers during filtration of poly(ethylene) glycol solutions and silica suspensions. The influence of solution viscosity on permeation flux behavior was evident through two separate effects. First, increased viscosity effected the formation and stability of vortices and, hence, wall shear rate and convective back-flow. Second, permeation flux was reduced with increasing fluid viscosity. Flux improvements (linear vs. helical membranes) of up to 45% were observed for all value of the silica suspensions with and without PEG. The energy required to obtain these improvements, however, was considerable. Flux advantages of the helical design decreased and eventually disappeared as the viscosity of the solution increased up to 12 times that of water at 27°C. New mass-transfer correlations for microfiltration of poly(ethylene) glycol solutions containing silica concentrations for laminar flow in a helical and a linear module were obtained with respect to the solution viscosity, for a silica particle concentration of 0.1 wt. %.
Intensive Linkage Mapping in a Wasp (Bracon hebetor) and a Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) With Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism Analysis of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers

The use of random amplified polymorphic DNA from the polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) allows efficient construction of saturated linkage maps. However, when analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, most RAPD-PCR markers segregate as dominant alleles, reducing the amount of linkage information obtained. We describe the use of single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of RAPD markers to generate linkage maps in a haplodiploid parasitic wasp Bracon (Habrobracon) hebetor and a diploid mosquito, Aedes aegypti. RAPD-SSCP analysis revealed segregation of codominant alleles at markers that appeared to segregate as dominant (band presence/band absence) markers or appeared invariant on agarose gels. Our SSCP protocol uses silver staining to detect DNA fractionated on large thin polyacrylamide gels and reveals more polymorphic markers than agarose gel electrophoresis. In B. hebetor, 79 markers were mapped with 12 RAPD primers in six weeks; in A. aegypti, 94 markers were mapped with 10 RAPD primers in five weeks. Forty-five percent of markers segregated as codominant loci in B. hebetor, while 11% segregated as codominant loci in A. aegypti. SSCP analysis of RAPD-PCR markers offers a rapid and inexpensive means of constructing intensive linkage maps of many species.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Mechanisms of Inflammation

In adults, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are found in vivo at low frequency and are defined by their capacity to differentiate into bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue, depending on the stimuli and culture conditions under which they are expanded. Although MSCs were initially hypothesized to be the panacea for regenerating tissues, MSCs appear to be more important in therapeutics to regulate the immune response invoked in settings such as tissue injury, transplantation, and autoimmunity. MSCs have been used therapeutically in clinical trials and subsequently in practice to treat graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation. Reports of successful immune modulation suggest efficacy in a wide range of autoimmune conditions, such as demyelinating neurological disease (multiple sclerosis), systemic lupus erythematosus, and Crohn's disease, among others. This review provides background information about hMSCs and also describes their putative mechanisms of action in inflammation. We pr...
Tensor Voting: A Perceptual Organization Approach to Computer Vision and Machine Learning

This lecture presents research on a general framework for perceptual organization that was conducted mainly at the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems of the University of Southern California. It is not written as a historical recount of the work, since the sequence of the presentation is not in chronological order. It aims at presenting an approach to a wide range of problems in computer vision and machine learning that is data-driven, local and requires a minimal number of assumptions. The tensor voting framework combines these properties and provides a unified perceptual organization methodology applicable in situations that may seem heterogeneous initially. We show how several problems can be posed as the organization of the inputs into salient perceptual structures, which are inferred via tensor voting. The work presented here extends the original tensor voting framework with the addition of boundary inference capabilities; a novel re-formulation of the framework applicable to high-dimensional spaces and the development of algorithms for computer vision and machine learning problems. We show complete analysis for some problems, while we briefly outline our approach for other applications and provide pointers to relevant sources.
Stochastic search algorithm-based multilink neural network

In this paper we present a new network architecture based on a Multi-Link Neural Network (MLNN) model. An MLNN has a structure similar to that of a feedforward network except that each connection between a pair of nodes in the hidden layer and the output layer is made of multiple links with possibly different weight values. This results in an aggregation of a combinatorial number of subnets that themselves can be viewed as ordinary feedforward networks. For an MLNN with M hidden nodes, N output nodes, and K links for each connection, its overall connection status is represented as an MN dimensional region with KMN sampling points in the weight space. Thus the multi-link structure defines a sampling grid over this region.A region-based search algorithm has been developed that, for problems of a complex nature, offers a better chance in locating a global minimum than the traditional backpropagation algorithm.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
ASYMPTOTIC ESTIMATES FOR THE BEST TRIGONOMETRIC AND BILINEAR APPROXIMATIONS OF CLASSES OF FUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL VARIABLES

We obtain exact order estimates for the best M-term trigonometric approximations of the Besov classes B ∞,θ r in the space L q . We also determine the exact orders of the best bilinear approximations of the classes of functions of 2d variables generated by functions of d variables from the classes B p,θ r with the use of translation of arguments.
Assessment of the effects of sex and sex hormones on spatial cognition in adult rats using the Barnes maze

Although sex differences and hormone effects on spatial cognition are observed in humans and animals, consensus has not been reached regarding exact impact on spatial working or reference memory. Recent studies in rats suggest that stress and/or reward, which are often different in tasks used to assess spatial cognition, can contribute to the inconsistencies in the literature. To minimize the impact of these sex- and sex hormone-sensitive factors, we used the Barnes maze to compare spatial working memory, spatial reference memory and spatial learning strategy in adult male, female, gonadectomized (GDX) male, and GDX male rats supplemented with 17β-estradiol (E) or testosterone propionate (TP). Rats received four acquisition trials, four trials 24h later, and a single retention trial one week after. Males and females acquired the task during the first four trials and retained the task thereafter. In contrast, GDX rats took longer to acquire the task and showed retention deficits at 1week. All deficits were attenuated similarly by TP and E. Assessment of search patterns also showed that strategies in the males transitioned from random to spatially focused and eventually direct approaches to the goal. However, this transition was faster in control and GDX-TP than in GDX and GDX-E rats. In contrast, the females almost invariantly followed the maze edge in thigmotactic, serial searches. Thus, while Barnes maze reveals activational, in part estrogenic effects on spatial cognition in males, its amenability to animals' use of multiple strategies may limit its ability to resolve mnemonic differences across sex.
Safety and efficacy of drug eluting stents compared with bare metal stents for saphenous vein graft interventions: A comprehensive meta‐analysis of randomized trials and observational studies comprising 7,994 patients

Background: Saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions remain amongst the most challenging lesions for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is unknown whether drug eluting stents (DES) are superior to bare metal stents (BMS) for such lesions. Our objective is to determine the safety and efficacy of DES compared with BMS for SVG lesions by performing a meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies. Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, conference proceedings, and internet-based resources of clinical trials. Study Selection:Studies comparing DES vs. BMS for SVG lesions with at least > 30 patients in each study reporting the outcomes of interest [death, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), stent thrombosis (ST), and the composite of death, TVR and MI (major adverse cardiac events; MACE)] with at least 6 months clinical follow-up. The primary outcome of interest was death. Results:Two randomized trials, one subgroup analysis of a randomized trial and 26 observational studies comprising a total of 7,994 patients (4,187 patients in DES and 3,807 patients in BMS group) were included in the analysis .Mean follow-up duration was 21 ± 11 months (6–48 months). In the overall population, MACE events were 19% in DES and 28% in BMS with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.7 (0.6, 0.8) P 2 years follow-up with RR of 0.77 (0.65, 0.91) P = 0.003. Death rate was 7.8% in DES and 9% in BMS with a RR of 0.82 (0.7, 0.97) P = 0.02. MI rate was 5.7% in DES and 7.6% in BMS with RR of 0.72 (0.57, 0.91) P = 0.007. TVR was 12% in DES and 17% in BMS with RR of 0.71 (0.59, 0.85) P = 0.0002. ST was 1% in DES and 1.7 % in BMS RR of 0.61 (0.35, 1.06) P = 0.08. Specifically in randomized controlled trials, DES were associated with no significant differences in overall mortality [RR = 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17–23; P = 0.58] or MI (RR = 1.24; 95% CI, 0.3–5.5; P = 0.78) compared with BMS. Conclusions:Based on the results of this meta-analysis, DES may be considered as a safe and efficacious option for the percutaneous intervention of SVG lesions. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physiological noise in oxygenation-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging

The physiological noise in the resting brain, which arises from fluctuations in metabolic-linked brain physiology and subtle brain pulsations, was investigated in six healthy volunteers using oxygenation-sensitive dual-echo spiral MRI at 3.0 T. In contrast to the system and thermal noise, the physiological noise demonstrates a signal strength dependency and, unique to the metabolic-linked noise, an echo-time dependency. Variations of the MR signal strength by changing the flip angle and echo time allowed separation of the different noise components and revealed that the physiological noise at 3.0 T (1) exceeds other noise sources and (2) is significantly greater in cortical gray matter than in white matter regions. The SNR in oxygenation-sensitive MRI is predicted to saturate at higher fields, suggesting that noise measurements of the resting brain at 3.0 T and higher may provide a sensitive probe of functional information.
Surface of cellulosic materials modified with functionalized polyethylene coupling agents

The interfacial adhesion between a wood fiber and a plastic matrix strongly influences the performance of wood-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Fiber surface modification with coupling agents is generally needed to induce bond formation between the fiber and polymer matrix. This study investigated the chemical reactions between cellulosic materials and functionalized polyethylene coupling agents. Both wood flour and cotton cellulose powder were treated with acrylic acid-functionalized polyethylene and maleic anhydride-functionalized polyethylene (maleated polyethylene) for surface modifications, and chemical changes resulting from these treatments were followed by a study of the Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra. Variations in the band intensities, oxygen-to-carbon ratios, and concentrations of unoxidized carbon atoms were related to changes that occurred on the surfaces of modified cellulosic materials. The experimental results indicated that chemical bonds between the hydroxyl groups of the cellulosic materials and the functional groups of the coupling agents occurred through esterification reactions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 278–286, 2003
Transport of Intact Porphyrin by HpuAB, the Hemoglobin-Haptoglobin Utilization System of Neisseria meningitidis

The meningococcal hemA gene was cloned and used to construct a porphyrin biosynthesis mutant. An analysis of the hemA mutant indicated that meningococci can transport intact porphyrin from heme (Hm), hemoglobin (Hb), and Hb-haptoglobin (Hp). By constructing a HemA- HpuAB- double mutant, we demonstrated that HpuAB is required for the transport of porphyrin from Hb and Hb-Hp.
African families and AIDS: context, reactions and potential interventions.

surveys concerning 'risk behaviours' thought to be related to the AIDS epidemic are many. Nevertheless, unfocused inquiry into diffuse behaviours in undifferentiated populations is not productive in low-seropreva lence populations, especially when the point is to design some form of intervention that might actually avert further infection. This is because of a failure to distinguish conceptually between the relevance of AIDS-related behavioural data for individuals and for populations. An illustration is drawn from the AIDS epidemic in Santiago, Chile, and an alternative perspective, based on extensive interviews with persons with AIDS and a survey of current HIV-surveillance and blood-screening programs, is described.
Hemispatial neglect in young children with early unilateral brain damage

Hemispatial neglect is commonly observed in adults following right-hemisphere brain lesions. Given the potential for reorganization in the developing brain, spatial neglect may not be apparent following early unilateral damage. This study aimed to determine whether infants who experienced pre- or perinatal focal brain lesions showed evidence of spatial neglect. Study participants were 33 infants/toddlers (22 males, 11 females; age range 6 to 48 months); 27 preschool children (14 males, 13 females; age range 28 to 75 months) with either left hemisphere (LH) or right hemisphere (RH) damage of pre- or perinatal onset (total 60), and 36 control individuals (15 females, 21 males; age range 28 to 75 months). Participants were assessed using two object-removal preference tasks. Control children showed no lateralized preference for object removal. Those with LH or RH damage preferentially removed objects from the side of the board ipsilateral to the lesion first and the contralateral side last. These results suggest that spatial neglect may be found in young children even after very early unilateral brain damage. Further, in contrast to the adult pattern, contralateral neglect is present for up to 6 years after either LH or RH damage. This pattern suggests that there may be a different distribution of attention to space in the developing brain as compared with the mature brain. The persistence of spatial neglect suggests that there are some limitations on plasticity in the developing human brain.
Translating culture in West African drama

West African drama helps to redefine the concept of cultural translation as it has been understood in translation studies via postcolonial and feminist theories. In looking at the tradition of Ghanaian and Nigerian anglophone playwrights we come to a richer understanding of the concept as it has been theorized in plays by both early playwrights like Joe DeGraft and Wole Soyinka and later playwrights like Jacob Yirenkyi and Tess Osonye Onwueme, who continue the tradition. Not only do the West African texts show the value of translation and the translator to the cultures represented, but they also demonstrate the function of intra-cultural translation as a method to highlight and critique power differentials based on gender and class within their cultures. Ultimately, while West African drama theorizes cultural translation to comment upon local cultures, it can also help to reshape global discourses within translation studies to enrich the debates that define the field while adding to our knowledge of the i...
The Viterbi algorithm and Markov noise memory

This work designs sequence detectors for channels with intersymbol interference (ISI) and correlated (and/or signal-dependent) noise. We describe three major contributions. (i) First, by modeling the noise as a finite-order Markov process, we derive the optimal maximum-likelihood sequence detector (MLSD) and the optimal maximum a posteriori (MAP) sequence detector extending to the correlated noise case the Viterbi algorithm. We show that, when the signal-dependent noise is conditionally Gauss-Markov, the branch metrics in the MLSD are computed from the conditional second-order noise statistics. We evaluate the branch metrics using a bank of finite impulse response (FIR) filters. (ii) Second, we characterize the error performance of the MLSD and MAP sequence detector. The error analysis of these detectors is complicated by the correlation asymmetry of the channel noise. We derive upper and lower bounds and computationally efficient approximations to these bounds based on the banded structure of the inverses of Gauss-Markov covariance matrices. An experimental study shows the tightness of these bounds. (iii) Finally, we derive several classes of suboptimal sequence detectors, and demonstrate how these and others available in the literature relate to the MLSD. We compare their error rate performance and their relative computational complexity, and show how the structure of the MLSD and the performance evaluation guide us in choosing a best compromise between several types of suboptimal sequence detectors.
Distributed Software-based Attestation for Node Compromise Detection in Sensor Networks

Sensors that operate in an unattended, harsh or hostile environment are vulnerable to compromises because their low costs preclude the use of expensive tamper-resistant hardware. Thus, an adversary may reprogram them with malicious code to launch various insider attacks. Based on verifying the genuineness of the running program, we propose two distributed software-based attestation schemes that are well tailored for sensor networks. These schemes are based on a pseudorandom noise generation mechanism and a lightweight block-based pseudorandom memory traversal algorithm. Each node is loaded with pseudorandom noise in its empty program memory before deployment, and later on multiple neighbors of a suspicious node collaborate to verify the integrity of the code running on this node in a distributed manner. Our analysis and simulation show that these schemes achieve high detection rate even when multiple compromised neighbors collude in an attestation process.
Effects of unsaturated fat on serum lipids in idiopathic hyperlipemia.

SummaryTwo patients with idiopathic hyperlipemia were placed on 2400-2600 calorie diets containing 50 g of highly purified soybean oil. with or without the addition of a phospholipid concentrate. Marked decreases in serum lipids occurred during the period of administration of both diets. The serum lipid decreases were independent of phospholipid concentration in the diet, and believed attributable to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids in the dietary fat. Clinical signs of the disease regressed or disappeared coincident with the decrease in serum lipids.
Intraspecific variation in gender strategies in Lycium (Solanaceae): Associations with ploidy and changes in floral form following the evolution of gender dimorphism

 Premise of the study: An association between polyploidy and gender dimorphism has been noted in several plant lineages. Whereas the majority of Lycium species are diploid and have hermaphroditic fl owers in cosexual populations, gender dimorphism (gynodioecy, dioecy) has been shown to be uniformly associated with polyploidy in previous studies. Preliminary fi eld observations suggested that some populations of Lycium carolinianum were dimorphic, providing a test of this association.  Methods: We assessed sexual systems and cytotype variation (to infer ploidy) across 17 populations of L. carolinianum . Comparison of fl owers in cosexual and dimorphic populations were used to infer changes in reproductive morphology associated with the evolution of gynodioecy.  Key results: The majority of populations were cosexual in gender expression, but dimorphism was present in the Yucat a�n and in some populations in Hawaii. Populations varied in ploidy and were either diploid or tetraploid. Floral sexual dimorphism was present in all gynodioecious populations, though the magnitude differed and was cryptic in some cases. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that following the evolution of gynodioecy, fl owers on hermaphrodites increased in size.  Conclusions: Dimorphic sexual systems have likely evolved convergently in L. carolinianum . In contrast to previous studies, dimorphism is not perfectly associated with polyploidy. Although our sample from the Yucat a�n was both tetraploid and dimorphic, all populations in Hawaii were diploid regardless of sexual system. Ongoing phylogeographic and mating system studies will contribute to our understanding of reproductive evolution in this widespread, polymorphic species.
Momentum-based parameterization of dynamic character motion

This paper presents a system for rapid editing of highly dynamic motion capture data. At the heart of this system is an optimization algorithm that can transform the captured motion so that it satisfies high-level user constraints while enforcing that the linear and angular momentum of the motion remain physically plausible. Unlike most previous approaches to motion editing, our algorithm does not require pose specification or model reduction, and the user only need specify high-level changes to the input motion. To preserve the dynamic behavior of the input motion, we introduce a spline-based parameterization that matches the linear and angular momentum patterns of the motion capture data. Because our algorithm enables rapid convergence by presenting a good initial state of the optimization, the user can efficiently generate a large number of realistic motions from a single input motion. The algorithm can then populate the dynamic space of motions by simple interpolation, effectively parameterizing the space of realistic motions. We show how this framework can be used to produce an effective interface for rapid creation of dynamic animations, as well as to drive the dynamic motion of a character in real-time.
Feature model augmentation with sentiment analysis for product line planning

A feature model is able to identify commonality and variability within a product line, helping stakeholders configure product variants and seize opportunities for reuse. However, no direct customer preference information is incorporated in the feature model when it comes to the question—how many product variants are needed in order to satisfy individual customer needs. This paper proposes to mine customer preference information for individual product features by sentiment analysis of online product reviews. The features commented by the users of a product are used to augment a simple feature model predefined with customer opinionated preference information. In such a way, the customer preference information is considered as one attribute of the features in the model, helping designers make informed decisions when trading off between commonality and variability of a product line. Finally, we present a Kindle Fire tablet case study to demonstrate the proposed method.
All Hormone-Producing Cell Types of the Pituitary Intermediate and Anterior Lobes Derive From Prop1-Expressing Progenitors

Mutations in PROP1, the most common known cause of combined pituitary hormone deficiency in humans, can result in the progressive loss of all hormones of the pituitary anterior lobe. In mice, Prop1 mutations result in the failure to initiate transcription of Pou1f1 (also known as Pit1) and lack somatotropins, lactotropins, and thyrotropins. The basis for this species difference is unknown. We hypothesized that Prop1 is expressed in a progenitor cell that can develop into all anterior lobe cell types, and not just the somatotropes, thyrotropes, and lactotropes, which are collectively known as the PIT1 lineage. To test this idea, we produced a transgenic Prop1-cre mouse line and conducted lineage-tracing experiments of Prop1-expressing cells. The results reveal that all hormone-secreting cell types of both the anterior and intermediate lobes are descended from Prop1-expressing progenitors. The Prop1-cre mice also provide a valuable genetic reagent with a unique spatial and temporal expression for generating tissue-specific gene rearrangements early in pituitary gland development. We also determined that the minimal essential sequences for reliable Prop1 expression lie within 10 kilobases of the mouse gene and demonstrated that human PROP1 can substitute functionally for mouse Prop1. These studies enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of disease in patients with PROP1 mutations.
Genetic Incorporation of ε-N-2-Hydroxyisobutyryl-lysine into Recombinant Histones

Here, we report the evolution of an orthogonal amber suppressor pyrrolysyl–tRNA synthetase (PylRS)/tRNACUAPyl pair that genetically encodes the post-translationally modified amino acid, e-N-2-hydroxyisobutyryl-lysine (HibK), in bacteria and mammalian cells. HibK is a new type of histone mark that is widely distributed in histone proteins. The ability to site-specifically incorporate HibK into proteins provides a useful tool to probe the biological function of this newly identified post-translational modification.
Changes in Elastomers Due to Radiation from Cobalt

Abstract A survey has been made of the effects of intense gamma radiation on the physical properties of elastomers and plastics. Such information is required to determine the types of elastomers which are most resistant to radiation, to estimate the service life of elastomers exposed to radiation, and to show favorable trends in compounding for radiation resistance. Intense radiation may affect the physical properties of elastomers benficially or adversely, depending on the type of elastomer and the exposure dose, although hardening and embrittlement are most commonly observed. The possibility is apparent of developing elastomer compounds with improved radiation resistance, especially by the use of chemical agents which affect free-radical reactions. The nature of the elastomer, however, will probably severely limit what can be accomplished by compounding.
Evaluation of a New Contraceptive

A series of tests were performed to measure the spermicidal efficacy harmlessness and acceptability of Emko Vaginal Foam. The manufacturer describes the foam as an oil-in-water dispersion which is combined under pressure with a liquefied gas propellant so that the liquid dispersion can be expelled as a foam into a vaginal applicator. Laboratory tests were made first. Then clinical tests were made to assess the acceptability of the foam. These consisted of single-dose tests in 8 women and 21-day tests during which 12 women used a daily dose for 21 days. None showed any subjective or objective evidence of local discomfort or irritation. 32 postcoital test were performed after use of the foam in 22 selected couples of reproductive age all of whom had had previous excellent postcoital test results and good semen analyses. Except in 5 cases when the time interval was 8-11 hours the postcoital test were made within 4 1/2 hours after coitus. In 29 tests no motile spermatozoa were found in either vaginal or endocervical specimens. In 3 tests 1-3 sperm feebly motile and without forward motion were seen in the endocervical mucus after a search of more than 40 dry high-power fields. The foam appears to possess a high degree of spermicidal activity in vivo.(AUTHORS MODIFIED)
Research on the comprehensive prediction methods for energy consumption of Yunnan based on the Shapley value

An accurate prediction of energy consumption in the future is the groundwork for formulating the strategic objectives of energy development and can provide the scientific basis for setting up energy policy and planning.In this paper,the energy consumption of Yunnan Province was predicted by the exponential smoothing model and the system dynamics model,respectively.Using the Shapley value method for cooperative games,the weight of each predicting model in the comprehensive predicting model was determined by distributing the total error.The comprehensive predicting model was therefrom constructed and used to predict the energy consumption of Yunnan Province.The result showed that the prediction accuracy of the comprehensive predicting model is higher than the individual models selected and the prediction of energy consumption is feasible and effective.
I want my voice to be heard: IP over Voice-over-IP for unobservable censorship circumvention.

Open communication over the Internet poses a serious threat to countries with repressive regimes, leading them to develop and deploy censorship mechanisms within their networks. Unfortunately, existing censorship circumvention systems face difficulties in providing unobservable communication with their clients; this highly limits their availability as censors can easily block access to circumvention systems that make observable communication patterns. Moreover, the lack of unobservability may pose serious threats to their users. Recent research takes various approaches to tackle this problem, however they introduce new challenges, and the provided unobservability is breakable. In this paper we propose an easy-to-deploy and unobservable censorship-resistant infrastructure, called FreeWave. FreeWave works by modulating a client’s Internet traffic into acoustic signals that are carried over VoIP connections. Such VoIP connections are targeted to a server, the FreeWave server, that extracts the tunneled traffic and proxies them to the uncensored Internet. The use of actual VoIP connections, as opposed to traffic morphing, allows FreeWave to relay its VoIP connections through oblivious VoIP nodes (e.g., Skype supernodes), hence keeping the FreeWave server(s) unobservable and unblockable. In addition, the use of end-to-end encryption, which is supported/mandated by most VoIP providers like Skype, prevents censors from distinguishing FreeWave’s VoIP connections from regular VoIP connections. To utilize a VoIP connection’s throughput efficiently we design communications encoders tailored specifically for VoIP’s lossy channel. We prototype FreeWave over Skype, the most popular VoIP system. We show that FreeWave is able to reliably achieve communication throughputs that are sufficient for web browsing, even when clients are far distanced from the FreeWave server. We also validate FreeWave’s communication unobservability against traffic analysis and standard censorship techniques. Keywords-Internet Censorship; Circumvention; VoIP;
Review: Modern Architecture and Its Representation in Colonial Eritrea: An In-visible Colony, 1890–1941, by Sean Anderson

Sean Anderson Modern Architecture and Its Representation in Colonial Eritrea: An In-visible Colony, 1890–1941 Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2015, 312 pp., 143 b/w illus. $124.95, ISBN 9781472414960 Sean Anderson's important new book, Modern Architecture and Its Representation in Colonial Eritrea: An In-visible Colony, 1890–1941 , significantly improves our understanding of the built environment in Eritrea during its half century of Italian colonial rule. Anderson discusses the many roles Eritrea served—as military outpost, demographic colony, agricultural settlement, and imperial symbol—under both liberal and fascist regimes. His nuanced reading of urbanism and architecture fuels a careful study of Eritrea's place in the modernization of Italy. Eritrea was the Italian state's first colony in Africa, and as the colonia primogenita (firstborn colony) it enjoyed a high level of public and private investment. It also received a great deal of attention from architects, who saw the colony as a place that would allow unrestrained experimentation. As Anderson explains, Italians conceived of Africa as an “empty space” that needed to be organized and ordered through the built environment. Professional organizations devoted considerable resources to promoting the design of colonial cities and buildings, and private companies invested significant funds in commercial activities in Eritrea and the later colonies of Somalia, Tripolitania and …
Aerial swarms as asymmetric threats

Despite being unmatched on the battlefield or at home, low-cost, asymmetric threats have proven dangerous for U.S. military forces and homeland security. The proliferation of improvised explosive devices of all types in the Iraqi and Afghan theaters has demonstrated that inexpensive, commercial off-the-shelf technology and some electronics knowledge can be combined to significantly impact high-tech operations. Autonomous GPS-guided and semi-autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles will change the paradigm in their employment in the very near future. While a single attack might be insignificant, a swarm of robotic devices could prove a credible threat. In this paper we discuss the impact and limitations of commercially off-the-shelf drones and what measures might be used to counter these devices. We back up our findings with flight tests and observations on systems commonly used for research but also easily available to adversaries and bad actors. Finally, we present some speculation on the potential implementation of swarms using these vehicles as a continuation to the discussion.
NONLINEAR METHODS AND CHAOS

Our mind would lose itself in the complexity of the world if that complexity were not harmonious; like the short-sighted, it would only see the details, and would be obliged to forget each of these details before examining the next, because it would be incapable of taking in the whole. The only facts worthy of our attention are those which introduce order into this complexity and so make it accessible to us. HENRI POINCARe
Monitoring Memory Usage

In Icon, memory management is automatic. Memory is allocated when it is needed, and reclaimed implicitly when it is no longer referenced. The memory management subsystem provides significant insight into program behavior. Program performance problems can often be attributed to inefficient memory usage, and the actual pattern of usage can illuminate aspects of behavior ranging from simple transitions between major phases of the program down to semantic errors in program coding.
Frankfurt and Cohen on bullshit, bullshiting, deception, lying, and concern with the truth of what one says

This paper addresses the following three claims that Frankfurt makes about the concept of bullshit: 1. Bullshit requires the intention to deceive others. 2. Bullshit does not constitute lying (bullshit is “short of lying”). 3. The essence of bullshit is lack of concern with the truth of what one says. I offer counterexamples to all three claims. By way of defending my counterexamples, I examine Cohen’s distinction between bullshiting and bullshit and argue that my examples are indeed cases of bullshiting that Frankfurt’s analysis is intended to cover. My examples of bullshitters who are very concerned to say only things that are true show that Frankfurt is mistaken in claiming that the “essence” of bullshit is lack of concern with the truth of what one says.
Paul Gill. Lone-Actor Terrorists: A Behavioural Analysis

Paul Gill's Lone-Actor Terrorists: A Behavioural Analysis is a well-researched and empirically driven piece of scholarship that examines multiple behavioral aspects of lone-actor terrorists. Given ...
Atomic Layer Deposition of Cerium Oxide for Potential Use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

With the growing need for sustainable energy, solid oxide fuel cells are an attractive alternative for power generation since they are efficient and environmentally friendly. However, required high operating temperatures limit their widespread use. The two ways to reduce the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells is to decrease the thickness of the electrolyte and to use new materials that have lower ion resistivities. In this study, both methods were employed. Currently, yttrium stabilized zirconium is the material used in solid oxide fuel cells as the electrolyte, and in this study cerium oxide was examined to be a potential replacement. To decrease the thickness of the electrolyte, thin films production techniques can be used. One technique for making thin films is atomic layer deposition, also known as ALD, which uses alternating saturative surface reactions. ALD creates films that have good conformality, are pin-hole free, and thickness is easily controlled. In this study, the atomic layer deposition of cerium oxide was studied for potential use in solid oxide fuel cells as the electrolyte and anode. The optimum precursor temperature was found to be 130 °C and the water pulse length was found to be 55 ms. The ALD window, which is the temperature range of ideal ALD growth, was determined to be 210 to 280 °C, the surface was saturated when at least four plugs of precursor pulses were used in the procedure, and the growth was linear at 1.2 A/cycle.
An Ontology for a Polymer Nanocomposite Community Data Resource

Interest in polymer nanocomposites has been increasing because of their unique properties. Since the field draws on a wide range of disciplines, a data resource aimed at adequately supporting the field needs to include vocabulary from many disciplines. We are building an ontology that aims to connect to relevant vocabularies and include well-specified interconnections between those vocabularies. Coverage is determined by a set of use cases. We will describe our ontology along with the growing data resource that it supports and introduce how our ontology-based approach can enable collaborative community research in polymer nanocomposites. Further, we mention how this approach can be leveraged more broadly in material science.
Comment on ‘Effects of injectable progestogen contraception versus the copper intrauterine device on HIV acquisition: sub-study of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial’

Hofmeyr et al. reported no significant differences in HIV acquisition in their randomised controlled trial (RCT) among South African women using injectable progestogens or copper intrauterine contraceptive devices (Cu-IUDs) for pregnancy prevention.1 Acknowledging their longitudinal study of 1290 HIV-negative women (with time from enrolment to follow-up HIV testing of about 20 months) was underpowered to identify modest differences in HIV risk, they concluded that larger RCTs will more definitively define the effect of specific contraceptives on HIV susceptibility. They also noted their trial was halted early because of plans to conduct a larger and more comprehensive RCT. This Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) Study was designed to compare HIV acquisition in women from sub-Saharan …
Dose- and Ion-Dependent Effects in the Oxidative Stress Response to Space-Like Radiation Exposure in the Skeletal System

Space radiation may pose a risk to skeletal health during subsequent aging. Irradiation acutely stimulates bone remodeling in mice, although the long-term influence of space radiation on bone-forming potential (osteoblastogenesis) and possible adaptive mechanisms are not well understood. We hypothesized that ionizing radiation impairs osteoblastogenesis in an ion-type specific manner, with low doses capable of modulating expression of redox-related genes. 16-weeks old, male, C57BL6/J mice were exposed to low linear-energy-transfer (LET) protons (150 MeV/n) or high-LET 56Fe ions (600 MeV/n) using either low (5 or 10 cGy) or high (50 or 200 cGy) doses at NASA's Space Radiation Lab. Five weeks or one year after irradiation, tissues were harvested and analyzed by microcomputed tomography for cancellous microarchitecture and cortical geometry. Marrow-derived, adherent cells were grown under osteoblastogenic culture conditions. Cell lysates were analyzed by RT-PCR during the proliferative or mineralizing phase of growth, and differentiation was analyzed by imaging mineralized nodules. As expected, a high dose (200 cGy), but not lower doses, of either 56Fe or protons caused a loss of cancellous bone volume/total volume. Marrow cells produced mineralized nodules ex vivo regardless of radiation type or dose; 56Fe (200 cGy) inhibited osteoblastogenesis by more than 90% (5 weeks and 1 year post-IR). After 5 weeks, irradiation (protons or 56Fe) caused few changes in gene expression levels during osteoblastogenesis, although a high dose 56Fe (200 cGy) increased Catalase and Gadd45. The addition of exogenous superoxide dismutase (SOD) protected marrow-derived osteoprogenitors from the damaging effects of exposure to low-LET (137Cs γ) when irradiated in vitro, but had limited protective effects on high-LET 56Fe-exposed cells. In sum, either protons or 56Fe at a relatively high dose (200 cGy) caused persistent bone loss, whereas only high-LET 56Fe increased redox-related gene expression, albeit to a limited extent, and inhibited osteoblastogenesis. Doses below 50 cGy did not elicit widespread responses in any parameter measured. We conclude that high-LET irradiation at 200 cGy impaired osteoblastogenesis and regulated steady-state gene expression of select redox-related genes during osteoblastogenesis, which may contribute to persistent bone loss.
Turnout, party system diversity and left-of-centre parties: explaining turnout through the strength of left-of-centre parties

In the last 50 or so years, observers have noted with concern declining rates of voter turnout in many democracies. There has also been a perceived narrowing of ideological diversity in many party systems, with, in particular, many parties on the left moving towards the centre. However, extant literature on turnout and party systems has realized only mixed and often contrary results. By replacing poorly performing aggregate measures of polarization and number of parties with a novel measure of left party strength, a consistent association with turnout is uncovered, alongside clearer conceptualization of how ideological diversity affects turnout. Findings show that measures of party systems that capture the ideological strength and position of left parties have a significant and substantial positive association with voter turnout outperforming more commonly used aggregate measures of party systems.
Principles of autoimmune and paraneoplastic encephalitis

Die paraneoplastischen und autoimmunen Enzephalitiden sind inzwischen gut etablierte Entitaten. Der Nachweis neuraler Autoantikorper ermoglicht spezifische Diagnosen, gibt Informationen uber die zugrunde liegende Pathophysiologie, die immunologische Behandelbarkeit und die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass ein Tumor ursachlich ist. Dies gilt fur die „hochwertigen“ neuralen Antikorper, die im Kontext umschriebener klinischer Bilder und unter Berucksichtigung groser Kontrollkollektive etabliert, von anderen Labors in gleicher Weise gefunden wurden und auf Immuntherapie ansprechen. Die Triggerung der Immunreaktion kann durch Tumoren und Virusenzephalitiden (NMDA-Rezeptor-Antikorper) erfolgen; z. T. wurde eine genetische Pradisposition nachgewiesen. Manche Antikorper werden peripher gebildet, andere (auch) intrathekal. Der Weg der Antikorper ins Gehirn kann uber die Blut-Hirn-Schranke oder aus dem Liquor erfolgen. Im Gehirn selbst fuhren die Antikorper zur Internalisierung antigener Rezeptoren (NMDA-, AMPA-Rezeptor) oder zur nervenzellzerstorenden Aktivierung der klassischen Komplementkaskade. Bei manchen Enzephalitiden stehen zytotoxische T‑Zellen im Zentrum der Pathogenese. Fur die Diagnostik ist die Testung von Liquor-Serum-Paaren mit breiten Antigenpanels empfehlenswert. Therapeutisch strebt man die Unterdruckung der Produktion pathogener Antikorper, z. T. ihre direkte Beseitigung an. Hierfur hat sich eine Sequenz aus First-line-Therapien (Steroide, intravenose Immunglobuline und/oder Apheresen) und Second-line-Behandlungen (Rituximab und/oder Cyclophosphamid) etabliert.
Intraoperative Renal Resistive Index as an Acute Kidney Injury Biomarker: Development and Validation of an Automated Analysis Algorithm.

Objective Intraoperative Doppler-determined renal resistive index (RRI) is a promising early acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarker. As RRI continues to be studied, its clinical usefulness and robustness in research settings will be linked to the ease, efficiency, and precision with which it can be interpreted. Therefore, the authors assessed the usefulness of computer vision technology as an approach to developing an automated RRI-estimating algorithm with equivalent reliability and reproducibility to human experts. Design Retrospective. Setting Single-center, university hospital. Participants Adult cardiac surgery patients from 7/1/2013 to 7/10/2014 with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography-determined renal blood flow measurements. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Renal Doppler waveforms were obtained retrospectively and assessed by blinded human expert raters. Images (430) were divided evenly into development and validation cohorts. An algorithm for automated RRI analysis was built using computer vision techniques and tuned for alignment with experts using bootstrap resampling in the development cohort. This algorithm then was applied to the validation cohort for an unbiased assessment of agreement with human experts. Waveform analysis time per image averaged 0.144 seconds. Agreement was excellent by intraclass correlation coefficient (0.939; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.921 to 0.953) and in Bland-Altman analysis (mean difference [human–algorithm] -0.0015; 95% CI –0.0054 to 0.0024), without evidence of systematic bias. Conclusion The authors confirmed the value of computer vision technology to develop an algorithm for RRI estimation from automatically processed intraoperative renal Doppler waveforms. This simple-to-use and efficient tool further adds to the clinical and research value of RRI, already the “earliest” among several early AKI biomarkers being assessed.