cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonthermal Atmospheric RF Plasma in 1-D Spherical Coordinates: A Parametric Study

We present 1-D simulations of atmospheric-pressure RF-excited plasma with two concentric spherical electrodes and the inner electrode powered. The gap distance between the inner and outer electrodes is 1 mm. The gas used is helium with a small amount of nitrogen as an impurity. The coupled continuity equations and electron energy equation are solved with Poisson's equation using the finite element method. In this paper, we particularly focus on the influence of a blocking capacitor, nitrogen concentration, and secondary electrons. In the presence of a blocking capacitor, the self-bias voltage alters sign from negative to positive as the power increases. Reduction of relative nitrogen concentration from 10-3 to 10-6 leads to significant changes in the gas-phase chemistry as well as species flux impacting the outer electrode. Secondary electrons turned out to play a minor role in the transition from the corona to glow modes. We also show that the directed ion kinetic energy distribution to the outer electrode largely depends on the discharge mode.
Understanding the Success of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Causing Epidemic Disease in the Community

Since it was first described in 1961, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an increasingly important cause of health care-associated infections worldwide [1, 2]. For several decades, MRSA was almost exclusively a health care-associated pathogen and was not considered a significant threat to healthy persons in the general community. During the 1990s, new strains of MRSA emerged and caused communityassociated infections on multiple continents [3]. The genetic backgrounds of these strains vary geographically but are distinct from those of MRSA strains that
Limitations on the subcarrier frequency-to-symbol rate ratio

The residual-carrier tracking performance for PCM/PSK/PM/NRZ for square-wave and sine-wave subcarriers is evaluated as a function of the symbol SNR degradation. Explicitly, the RF residual carrier tracking performance is defined in terms of the subcarrier-to-symbol rate ratio, n. The upper and lower bound values for n are derived, and used to determine the minimum required bandwidth for maximum residual-carrier tracking performance. The analytical results obtained from the mathematical models are validated by computer simulation. >
A Constrained Non-Negative Matrix Factorization Approach to Unmix Highly Mixed Hyperspectral Data

This paper presents a blind source separation method to unmix highly mixed hyperspectral data, i.e., each pixel is a mixture of responses from multiple materials and no pure pixels are present in the image due to large sampling distance. The algorithm introduces a minimum volume constraint to the standard non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) formulation, referred to as the minimum volume constrained NMF (MVC-NMF). MVC-NMF explores two important facts: first, the spectral data are non-negative; second, the constituent materials occupy the vertices of a simplex, and the simplex volume determined by the actual materials is the minimum among all possible simplexes that circumscribe the data scatter space. The experimental results based on both synthetic mixtures and a real image scene demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches.
Policy evaluation using the Ω-return

We propose the Ω-return as an alternative to the λ-return currently used by the TD(λ) family of algorithms. The benefit of the Ω-return is that it accounts for the correlation of different length returns. Because it is difficult to compute exactly, we suggest one way of approximating the Ω-return. We provide empirical studies that suggest that it is superior to the λ-return and γ-return for a variety of problems.
The case for the international governance of immigration

States have rights to unilaterally determine their own immigration policies under international law and few international institutions regulate states’ decision-making about immigration. As a result, states have extensive discretion over immigration policy. In this paper, I argue that states should join international migration institutions that would constrain their discretion over immigration. Immigration restrictions are morally risky. When states restrict immigration, they risk unjustly harming foreigners and restricting their freedom. Furthermore, biases and epistemic defects pervasively influence states’ decision-making about immigration policy. States should transfer some of their decision-making authority over immigration to more reliable institutions in order to mitigate the risks that they will unjustly restrict immigration. International institutions that include the interests of potential immigrants would be more reliable with respect to immigration policy than unilateral state decision-making. Thus, states should subject their immigration policies to international control.
Patient profile card used in clinical pharmacy services

The patient profile card used in the provision of clinical pharmacy services at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is discussed. The desirable aspects of the profile card are its (1) completeness, (2) flexibility, (3) portability and (4) documentation of service. Its current applications and possible additional applications in patient monitoring are described.
(2,4,6-Trimethyl­dithio­benzoato)(triphenyl­phosphine)gold(I)

The title compound, [Au(C10H11S2)(C18H15P)], features an AuI atom linearly coordinated to a P atom and one S atom of the dithio­benzoate. The S—Au—P bond angle is 177.43 (2)°. In contrast to other reported dithio­benzoate–gold complexes, in which the second S atom is syn with respect to Au, the title compound shows an uncoordinated S atom in an anti conformation.
The Outcomes of International Trade Conflicts: The US and South Korea, 1960–1981

Since 1960 national governments have increasingly found themselves in international trade disputes. Yet little research has attempted to analyze this important form of conflict comparatively. Here four general hypotheses are proposed for explaining variations in bilateral conflict outcomes, and a technique for comparing outcomes is devised. A study of one bilateral North-South relationship, that of South Korea and the US, shows that 13 significant commercial disputes occurred between 1960 and 1981, spanning three industrial sectors. The outcomes varied in the degree to which each government achieved its initial objectives. The pattern of variations is explained by the interstate power structure, the domestic distribution of power among industries in the US, the international bargaining process, and to some extent by sectoral market conditions. Conclusions are based on interviews conducted in Seoul, Hong Kong and Washington, as well as on other data.
Default Mode Network in a Small Cohort of Children with Abnormal Brain MRIs

Resting state networks (RSNs) are functionally connected brain networks identified as correlated low-frequency fluctuations in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal. One common network, the default mode network (DMN), is deactivated during performance of demanding tasks such as some language and memory tests. The DMN can also be isolated as an RSN using independent component analysis (ICA) on data acquired from subjects at rest. The vast majority of research has focused on the DMN as visualized in subjects or patients with structurally normal brains. To see if the DMN could be identified in patients with structurally abnormal brains encountered daily in routine clinical practice, we compared the DMN identified by both techniques in 14 pediatric seizure patients undergoing routine eloquent cortex mapping with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We successfully isolated the DMN as areas of deactivation during a semantic word generation task. We also employed temporal concatenation to combine four task-based fMRI exams from each patient. The composite dataset was then studied with ICA to isolate the DMN, as an RSN, from each patient. We found that the DMN demonstrated by the two techniques was very similar with two exceptions. The two techniques appear to display slightly different aspects of the DMN. The ability to reliably and retrospectively identify the DMN using RSN analysis in patients with large brain abnormalities and seizures may provide another avenue to study these patients and their treatments.
X-band RF Photoinjector for Laser Compton X-ray and Gamma-ray Sources

Extremely bright narrow bandwidth gamma-ray sources are expanding the application of accelerator technology and light sources in new directions. An X-band test station has been commissioned at LLNL to develop multi-bunch electron beams. This multi-bunch mode will have stringent requirements for the electron bunch properties including low emittance and energy spread, but across multiple bunches. The test station is a unique facility featuring a 200 MV/m 5.59 cell X-band photogun powered by a SLAC XL4 klystron driven by a Scandinova solid-state modulator. This paper focuses on its current status including the generation and initial characterization of first electron beam. Design and installation of the inverse-Compton scattering interaction region and upgrade paths will be discussed along with future applications.
Research of enterotoxin and its gene in Staphylococcus aureus stains isolated from food poisoning and food samples

Objective:To analyze the distribution of the enterotoxin genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolates between food poisoning and food samples.And the use of its mini-VIDAS method were compared.Methods:Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin genes(SEA-SEJ)were determined by PCR and using mini-VIDAS determination of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin(SEA-SEE).Results:Isolated from the various types of samples of 154 strains of Staphylococcus aureus,84.41%of strains are carrying enterotoxin genes(SEA-SEJ),the isolates with more than one enterotoxin genes accounted for 39.61%.Strains isolated in the food contain the toxin genotype of traditional(SEA-SEE) accounted for 44.66% of the strains,the isolates with newly found enterotoxin SEG-SEJ genes accounted for 54.37%.In food poisoning,the isolates strains contain with SEA-SEE genes accounted for82.35%,the isolates with SEG-SEJ genes accounted for 41.18%.120 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were determined enterotoxins(SEA-SEE) and the gene by mini-VIDAS and PCR.The results showed that there is full compliance with the 96 strains,and there are 24 strains of the results do not meet.Conclusion:The distribution of enterotoxins genes are distinctly different between Staphylococcus aureus isolates from food and from food poisoning.Determination of ordinary PCR enterotoxin gene and mini-VIDAS method enterotoxin results have significant differences.
Study on Trend Test of Maintainability Growth

This paper study trend test of maintainability growth(testfix and delayed-fix).The diagrammatic representation and Laplace method are presented on trend test of test-fix.And following ordered constraint condition of repair rate(repair rate of i phase is μi):∞μm≥…≥μi≥…≥μ2≥μ10,the confindence interval estimation of exponential distribution and normal distribution are applied on trend test of delayed-fix.And these methods are illustrated by numerical examples.
Evaluation of poly(90% biscyanopropyl/10% cyanopropylphenyl siloxane) capillary columns for the gas chromatographic quantification of trans fatty acids in non-hydrogenated vegetable oils

Current gas chromatographic (GC) methods for the analysis of fatty acids (FA) were optimized primarily for the quantification of the trans 18:1 FAs (18:1 tFAs) produced during the partial hydrogenation of fats and oils. Recent regulatory action regarding the application of partial hydrogenation in the processing of edible fats and oils may reshape the FA composition of these products. The higher content in 18:3 tFAs compared to 18:1 tFAs of most refined non-hydrogenated vegetable oils (RNHVO), and the challenge in their quantification applying current methods, suggest the need for new methodologies. This manuscript describes a simple GC method for the analysis of FAs in RNHVOs utilizing a 100m (0.25mm I.D.) capillary column coated with poly(90% biscyanopropyl/10% cyanopropylphenyl siloxane) (90% BCS). The optimization of the chromatographic conditions and the detection of co-eluting compounds were carried out by applying comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography with online reduction (GC-OR×GC). Results showed that 90% BCS capillary columns operated at the elution temperature of 162°C provide the separation of the 18:1, 18:2 and 18:3 tFAs, contained in RNHVOs, from other components. A minor constituent of Canola oil, 16:3n-3, partially co-eluted with trans-18:1 FAMEs. This simple GC method showed the ability to measure trans-fat in RNHVOs at the level of 0.5g/100g, providing comparable quantitative results to the more complex GC×GC methodology.
First Acquaintances – The Eighteenth Century

This chapter concerns the introduction of Kant’s name and works into Imperial Russia from 1758–1800. Some young Russians studied in Konigsberg and brought knowledge of Kant’s ideas back to Russia proper. However, as a result of the Seven Years’ War, Konigsberg was under Russian occupation for a time, and as a result Kant himself was in a sense in Imperial Russia. Here, we look at both these young Russians as well as Kant’s own relations to occupying military units stationed in his hometown.
Volunteerism in Relation to Recreational Sports and the Law

Everything in life involves risk. Even volunteering one's time involves risk. Lawsuits brought against volunteers and volunteer coaches have brought fear and apprehensions, which legislators believ...
Variations on a theme: species differences in synaptic connectivity do not predict central pattern generator activity

This research shows that the synaptic connectivity between homologous neurons exhibits species-specific variations on a basic theme. The neurons vary in the extent of electrical coupling and recipr...
Abstract 212: Control of Diabetes And Cardiovascular Biomarkers

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major cause of overall mortality even with optimal control. We sought to explore the association of novel biomarkers with mortality in a nationally representa...
Adjunctive antibiotics for drained skin abscesses improve clinical cure rate

Commentary on : Daum RS, Miller LG, Immergluck LA, et al . Placebo-controlled trial of antibiotics for smaller skin abscesses. N Engl J Med 2017;376:2545–55. The primary treatment of a skin abscess is drainage. Past studies of adjunctive antibiotic treatment conducted before and after the emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the USA and other parts of the world were small and did not clearly demonstrate benefit. In 2016, Talan et al 1 reported a US randomised placebo-controlled trial (RCT) among 1265 mostly adults, including some with co-morbidities, which demonstrated that treatment with an antibiotic possessing in vitro activity against MRSA, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), was associated with a significantly higher short-term cure rate among patients with a drained skin abscess ≥2 cm in diameter. TMP-SMX-treated participants also had fewer additional drainage procedures and new site skin infections through 4–6 post-treatment. Overall adverse event rates were similar, with slightly …
Categorizing Student Speech

Primary and secondary school student speech cases raise a variety of conflicting concerns about civic growth, intellectual development, school discipline, and judicial discretion. This article explains how courts should address the internal conflicts within jurisprudence that on the one hand recognizes students retain First Amendment rights, and on the other defers to school censorship without subjecting it to exacting scrutiny. The precedents are jumbled because courts treat students as civic participants in some cases, but as immature wards in others. Judicial inconsistency has created circuit splits concerning when school authorities can punish inciteful or innocuous statements students made at school, during educational activities, and uploaded on the World Wide Web. A student’s rights to express personal opinions, artistic acumen, or political insights remain constitutionally protected, but the Court has of late taken a decidedly less speech-protective analytical direction of late, and lower courts have followed its lead. A majority of justices and lower court judges have become increasingly deferential to school administrators’ censorship of offensive content, including raunchy political slogans and challenges to drug policies. In effect, courts now treat student speech as another category of low value speech entitled to lesser scrutiny. A fine-tuned standard of judicial review is needed to safeguard students’ abilities to openly explore controversial public subjects, to express themselves artistically, and to debate political matters. The standard I suggest follows from Tinker’s acknowledgement that certain types of student speech hold constitutional value. In discussions of ideas, self-assertion, and political speech stated in the playground, near the school, by lockers, and other unstructured activities, courts should use strict scrutiny analysis. In circumstances, where limitations on students are created to advance certain neutral time, place, and manner concerns, the intermediate scrutiny standard is appropriate. Finally, officials should be granted the greatest discretion when dealing with speech that is neither political nor informational, such as obscenity, true threats, and plagiarism. This balanced method of review maintains the intellectual space for students to engage in thoughtful social discourse while conserving educators’ discretion to impose pedagogical discipline.
Environmental justice frameworks in student affairs assessment practice

Assessment and evaluation of programs are core components of ethical professional practice for student affairs administrators in higher education. This paper reviews three environmental frameworks and applies the Just sustainability paradigm in the development of an assessment questionnaire.
A Summary of NCSER-Funded Projects in the Area of Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students With Disabilities:

Special education practitioners are required to use instructional practices based on scientific research. Conducting high-quality research can be expensive and researchers often need federal funding to assist in documenting effective practices. The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is a preferred source of funding for this type of special education research. The purpose of this review was to summarize publications from grants funded from 2006 until 2013 by NCSER in the area of Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students, describe major findings, and discuss their contributions to the field. We reviewed information from 22 grants and 132 articles published in refereed journals with an additional one article in press. Contributions to the field, limitations, suggestions for future research, implications for practice, and conclusions are discussed.
Osmotic Therapy in Traumatic Brain Injury

The goal of this paper is to review hyperosmolar therapy in patients with intracranial hypertension after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent studies that have compared hypertonic saline and mannitol for intracranial hypertension after TBI show greater intracranial pressure (ICP) control with hypertonic saline. However, these studies are limited by substantial variation in methodology, and the results fail to show improved neurological outcomes. Although mannitol is the traditional hyperosmolar agent recommended for intracranial hypertension, there is increasing evidence for the safety and efficacy of hypertonic saline. Data from prior studies suggest that short-term differences in ICP control between hypertonic saline and mannitol appear to be insufficient to independently affect mortality or neurological outcome after severe TBI. A sufficiently powered, multicenter, randomized controlled trial focusing on hypertonic saline and mannitol in severe TBI patients is necessary to determine whether a particular hyperosmolar agent independently contributes to a superior neurological outcome.
Efficiency improvement of three port high frequency transformer isolated triple active bridge converter

This paper discusses and compares few techniques for efficiency improvement of Three-port Triple Active Bridge(TAB) Converter. Transformer isolated three port phase shifted Triple Active Bridge dc-dc converters are very efficient in nature providing high efficiency, ZVS operation over wide range, galvanic isolation and bidirectional power flow capability. The natural turn-on ZVS for switching devices in DAB or TAB converters is a very useful property for using Mosfets, as it reduces the device losses by a huge margin. The natural ZVS is lost for phase shifted converters at low power operating regions, causing reduction in efficiency. This paper discusses a comparsion between phase shift operation at fixed frequency vs phase shift operation at varying frequency and varying duty cycle operation at fixed frequency, which leads to a greater operating range of natural turn-on ZVS thus improving the efficiency. A comparison of the three methods have been presented in this paper with experimental results from a 10kW hardware prototype made of SiC Mosfets.
Performance Evaluation of Surface-Activated Solid-State Welding for ASTM A992 Structural Steel

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a pilot study to evaluate a solid-state welding technology, called surface activated solid-state (SASS) welding, for joining structural steel members. SAS...
Practical Cryptanalysis of k-ary C*

Recently, an article by Felke appeared in Cryptography and Communications discussing the security of biquadratic \(C^*\) and a further generalization, k-ary \(C^*\). The article derives lower bounds for the complexity of an algebraic attack, directly inverting the public key, under an assumption that the first-fall degree is a good approximation of the solving degree, an assumption that the paper notes requires “greater justification and clarification.”
Cartas desde Buenos Aires: El movimiento homosexual argentino desde una perspectiva transnacional

Tensions among different subjectivities along the axes of socioeconomic class, gender performance, and urban homosociability informed Argentinean homosexuals’ cultural expressions and militant strategies between the 1950s and 1980s. The homophile politics of respectability and the liberationist activism against the bourgeois moral order were rooted in the conflictive relationship between “entendidos,” or middle- to upper-class homosexuals who valued decorum and a self-disciplined masculinity, and working-class “maricas,” who performed a sexualized and hedonist femininity. Relationships with the transnational sexual dissidence movement emanated from and highlighted the political potential of these subjectivities. At the same time, the repressive context of the mid-1970s strengthened the role of international solidarity networks, which contributed to the continuity of the Argentinean Homosexual Liberation Front’s struggles after its dissolution in 1976. Resumen La tension entre diferentes subjetividades articuladas por la clase social, las performances de genero y la homosociabilidad urbana dieron forma a las expresiones culturales y estrategias militantes de los homosexuales argentinos entre las decadas de 1950 y 1980. El modelo homofilo (de “amor al igual,” denominacion predominante entre los movimientos homosexuales de los cincuenta y sesenta) de politicas de la respetabilidad y el activismo liberacionista de ruptura con el orden moral burgues estaban enraizados en la conflictiva relacion entre los “entendidos”, o u homosexuales de clase media o alta que valoraban el decoro y la masculinidad autodisciplinada, y las “maricas” de clase trabajadora que proyectaban una feminidad sexualizada y hedonista. Las relaciones con el movimiento sexo-disidente transnacional emanaron de y resaltaron el potencial politico de estas subjetividades. Al mismo tiempo, el contexto represivo de mediados de los anos setenta llevo a un fortalecimiento de las redes de solidaridad internacional, que contribuyeron a la continuidad de las luchas del Frente de Liberacion Homosexual de la Argentina tras su disolucion en 1976.
Abstract #1256: The nuclear pore protein Nup153 has two distinct roles during cell division

Accurate inheritance of genomic content during cell division is dependent on coordinated changes in cellular organization and chromosome dynamics. Once chromosomes undergo condensation, nuclear membranes and nuclear pore complexes are disassembled. Formation of daughter cells involves such hallmark events as segregation of chromosomal content, followed by rapid rebuilding of nuclei and, finally, abscission at the mid-body, a structure which connects the daughter cells until cytokinesis is complete. Understanding these events and how they are coordinated will allow us to better analyze how errors in cell proliferation lead to cancer and will also provide new therapeutic strategies to arrest uncontrolled cell growth. Our previous results in a cell-free system that recapitulates early embryonic conditions suggested that the nuclear pore protein Nup153 is a good candidate for playing a role in cell cycle coordination. To decipher whether this is the case in mammalian somatic cells, we reduced the levels of this nucleoporin in HeLa cells and monitored the consequences on cell growth. We found that reduction of Nup153 levels results in a delay during the late stages of mitosis, accompanied by an increase in unresolved cytokinetic mid-bodies. Live imaging analysis revealed a pronounced defect early in mitosis when Nup153 was depleted to an even lower threshold. Concomitantly, there was an accumulation of cells with multilobed nuclei, which could reflect a role for Nup153 in forming nuclear structure or a role in proper chromosome compaction and/or segregation, which has been found to result in similar nuclear morphology. Rescue of the defects in the resolution of mitosis required the Nup153 C-terminal domain. In contrast, rescue of the multilobed nuclei phenotype was independent of this domain. These phenotypes and rescue requirements indicate that Nup153 plays at least two distinct roles critical to the execution of mitosis. The C-terminal domain of Nup153 houses an FG-rich motif known to be important for trafficking through the nuclear pore. We found, however, that protein trafficking was not significantly altered under the depletion conditions used here, thus the FG-rich motif of Nup153 may play a novel role during cell division. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 1256.
Carbonation based leaching assessment of recycled concrete aggregates.

Abstract The leaching characteristics of seven different recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) samples derived from building demolition waste, concrete pavement, stockpiled, and freshly crushed concrete were evaluated focusing on the effects of carbonation, liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S), and particle sizes. Batch water leach test (WLT), toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) were performed to assess the pH, electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, and the leached concentrations of Ba, Ca, Cr, Mg, and SO4 in RCA effluent. The leaching efficiency of the test methods at different RCA carbonation levels was also evaluated. Results indicated that the effluent pH, EC, and alkalinity decreased, while the leached fractions of elements increased with an increase in L/S ratio. An increase in calcium carbonate content tended to increase the leaching of Mg, Cr, and SO4. For highly carbonated RCA samples, effluent pH, EC, alkalinity, and Ca concentrations were higher for particle sizes of 1.19 mm–0.149 mm, while fresher RCA samples resulted in higher values from particles finer than 0.149 mm. Carbonated RCA samples leached higher Ca, Mg, and Ba in TCLP, whereas the maximum concentrations of Cr and SO4 were found in WLT effluent. For less carbonated RCA samples, Ca concentrations in WLT and TCLP effluents were comparable, SPLP leached higher amounts of Mg, Ba concentrations were maximum in WLT, and TCLP concentrations of Cr and SO4 were the most critical ones. TCLP alkalinity increased, whereas WLT and SPLP alkalinity decreased with an increase in calcium carbonate content of the RCA.
Genetic susceptibility to toxicity of chemotherapy in mice as pharmacokinetics-independent and drug-specific.

e13549 Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant obstacle in cancer chemotherapy. In spite of the advances in the development of drugs for cancer therapy, ADRs compromise their po...
Circulating PAMM, a novel antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protein, is elevated in acute SCI.

Peroxiredoxin activated in M-CSF stimulated monocytes (PAMM) is a novel protein produced by adipocytes with putative redox regulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Because acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and because PAMM can be detected in systemic circulation, we hypothesized that acute neuro-trauma might induce changes in circulating PAMM expression. Specifically, we hypothesized that PAMM levels might vary based on the presence or absence of acute, traumatic SCI. We therefore investigated circulating PAMM levels in adults with and without acute traumatic SCI. We studied 105 men and women (54 with SCI and 51 without SCI). Participants with SCI were admitted for acute rehabilitation within 1 month after injury. Serum samples were obtained during hospitalization and stored at − 80 °C until batch analysis. Total PAMM was quantified by ELISA assay (MyBiosource, Cat. No: MBS9327247) with a detection limit of 0.25 ng/ml. Separate multivariate models including age, BMI, and injury severity were assessed to determine significant clinical predictors of change in PAMM levels. When adjusting for BMI, age, and gender, mean change in PAMM levels were greatest in participants with motor complete SCI compared to able-bodied (1.65 ng/ml versus 0.94 ng/ml, p = 0.003). This model explained 26% of the variation in change in circulating PAMM levels. Our results suggest that PAMM may be a novel biomarker of neurological injury or of native anti-inflammatory responses to neurological injury. More work is needed to establish the role of PAMM and other adipocyte-derived factors in the acute response to neurotrauma.
Re-Reading Lawrence/Leticia/Latisha King: The Time of Genders and Sexualities

In the current paper, the author offers a philosophically informed history of the present to address the evolving intersections of gender identity and sexuality within the K-12 student body. The au...
Chapter 5 – More on Optimum Design Concepts: Optimality Conditions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses topics related to the optimality condition for constrained problems. Implications of the regularity requirement in the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) necessary conditions and second-order optimality conditions for the problem are also discussed. The chapter highlights how to write and use an alternate form of optimality conditions for constrained problems, determines if the candidate minimum points are irregular, checks the second-order optimality conditions at the candidate minimum points for general constrained problems, and describes duality theory in nonlinear programming.
Therapy, Orthotics and Assistive Devices for Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Therapy is an important component in the care of the individuals who have osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). There are different areas of emphasis based on where the services are rendered. This chapter reviews our approach to therapy in each environment, functional measures related to OI, orthotics, and assistive devices for enhanced mobility.
Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) Stain Negative Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Masquerading as a Pyogenic Granuloma on the Scalp

Metastasis occurs in 25-50% of patients diagnosed with primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC), although only 6% of RCC metastases manifest on the skin. We present a unique case of a slowly growing clear cell RCC metastasis of the scalp in a middle-aged male that was RCC stain negative. The lesion clinically appeared to be a benign pyogenic granuloma, however, the diagnosis of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma was made based on histology. Because cutaneous metastases may masquerade as other more benign tumors, the physician must be clinically suspicious of vascular appearing lesions on the scalp.
Disturbance Estimation and Rejection for Aircraft Glideslope Regulation in Turbulence: A Matrix SOS Approach

In this paper, a robust disturbance observer based controller is presented for glideslope regulation of aircraft in turbulence and with uncertainties in the aerodynamic model. A significant challenge in designing disturbance observers for such system arises from the nonlinear disturbance to state coupling. This state dependent coupling limits the application of disturbance observer based control without resorting to system approximation. Instead of model simplification, this work explicitly accounts for the disturbance to state coupling and leverages the polynomial nature of the system dynamics to design an exponentially convergent disturbance observer. The underlying principle behind synthesis of stable disturbance observers is sum-of-squares (SOS) optimization and in particular, polynomial matrix inequalities (PMI). Through exponential convergence of disturbance estimate, the wind components and aerodynamic uncertainties can be rapidly estimated and then compensated by deploying control surfaces. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated using the disturbance observer with a nominal dynamic inversion controller for glideslope regulation of an aircraft based on the F/A-18 High Angle of Attack (HARV) model.
Using a design-based research approach to develop and study a web-based tool to support collaborative learning

Abstract We report on a design-based research study that was conducted over two years. We developed, tested, and implemented Collabucate, a web-based tool for fostering social regulation of learning in collaborative learning. In this paper, we describe two cycles of a design-based research study in which Collabucate was implemented with Doctor of Pharmacy students. Collabucate was created according to Jarvela and colleagues' (2015) design principles for supporting socially shared regulation of learning and our design proposition to provide direct instruction of social regulation strategies. During two implementations, we collected and analyzed log data, student ratings, and focus groups. We improved design elements between the two design-based research cycles. Study results supported Jarvela and colleagues’ (2015) design principles and our design proposition. However, further work is required to improve how design elements are embodied in web-based tools. Based on our experience, we outline achievements, challenges, and future considerations for related tools and research. The study contributes to a growing number of tools created to foster awareness and effective regulation in collaborative learning.
Knowledge representation in goal-motivated decision making for intelligent active sonar

We consider knowledge representation in a goal-driven model for intelligent, or cognitive, active sonar designed to improve system performance and reduce sonar operator burden. The intelligent sonar uses observations of the environment (broadly defined) and predictions of future behavior to make decisions that leverage system resources to address a set of goals. These goals are created and managed by the system itself with possible input from the sonar operator. Decisions take the form of action selections, where actions may include transmit waveform, ping interval, illuminated region, etc. Each action is assigned a utility score, or metric, based on how well it addresses each system goal, with weighting according to how simultaneous (possibly competing) goals are prioritized by the system and/or operator. Metrics for evaluating candidate actions rely on signal processing models for localization and tracking in active sonar. To illustrate the impact of the structure of utility metrics on system behavior, we study the performance and decision-making behavior of the intelligent sonar system in simulated scenarios in which the system is tasked with addressing multiple search and track goals simultaneously. The effect of the chosen metric structure on the impact of goal prioritization and operator input is explored and discussed.
Moss stomata do not respond to light and CO2 concentration but facilitate carbon uptake by sporophytes: a gas exchange, stomatal aperture, and 13C-labelling study

Stomata exert control on fluxes of CO2 and water (H2 O) in the majority of vascular plants and thus are pivotal for planetary fluxes of carbon and H2 O. However, in mosses, the significance and possible function of the sporophytic stomata are not well understood, hindering understanding of the ancestral function and evolution of these key structures of land plants. Infrared gas analysis and 13 CO2 labelling, with supporting data from gravimetry and optical and scanning electron microscopy, were used to measure CO2 assimilation and water exchange on young, green, ± fully expanded capsules of 11 moss species with a range of stomatal numbers, distributions, and aperture sizes. Moss sporophytes are effectively homoiohydric. In line with their open fixed apertures, moss stomata, contrary to those in tracheophytes, do not respond to light and CO2 concentration. Whereas the sporophyte cuticle is highly impermeable to gases, stomata are the predominant sites of 13 CO2 entry and H2 O loss in moss sporophytes, and CO2 assimilation is closely linked to total stomatal surface areas. Higher photosynthetic autonomy of moss sporophytes, consequent on the presence of numerous stomata, may have been the key to our understanding of evolution of large, gametophyte-independent sporophytes at the onset of plant terrestrialization.
Only time will tell: Acute stress response patterns with time series analysis

Abstract Acute stress is often conceptualized as a response pattern that activates the fight-or-flight response via the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). However, other stress response patterns can manifest as well, such as parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) shutdown, and SNS-PNS coactive hypervigilance. Each response pattern engages many dimensions, including physiological, emotional, and behavioral. As stress unfolds over time, these patterns can change to adjust to the changing nature of the stressor. This proof of concept study introduces novel time series methodology to track the multidimensional patterns of acute stress. The defense cascade provides a model with which to understand and predict response patterns over the time course of an acute stressor. The time series methodology introduced in this study holds promise for identifying mechanisms of change in therapy and clinical settings.
Risks of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Integration Within Building Energy Management System Environments: A Look at Remote Attack Surface and Implications

The rapid development of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and incorporation within more traditional industrial control systems, such as Building Management Systems (BMS) and Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) can lead to undesirable consequences. In a desire to gain functionality, separated components are often integrated and accessible through less secure means. Furthermore, the architecture and operational environment of some devices may lead to unintended consequences based on either physical or logical co-location. To perform analysis of the remote attack surface we used publicly available tools and data sets such as Shodan [1], nmap [2], and exploit-db’s searchsploit tool [3].
Elastic Shape Analysis of Planar Objects Using Tensor Field Representations

Shape analysis of objects in images is a critical area of research, and several approaches, including those that utilize elastic Riemannian metrics, have been proposed. While elastic techniques for shape analysis of curves are pretty advanced, the corresponding results for higher-dimensional objects (surfaces and disks) are less developed. This paper studies shapes of solid planar objects that are embeddings of a compact domain—a unit square or a unit disk—in $${\mathbb {R}}^2$$ . Specifically, it introduces a mathematical representation of objects using tensor fields and uses a re-parametrization-invariant Riemannian metric on these tensor fields to analyze object shapes elastically. The essential contribution here is developing an efficient numerical technique to map tensor fields back to the object space, allowing one to approximate geodesic paths in these objects’ shape spaces. Finally, the paper extends this framework to reach landmark-driven registration and improve geodesic computations. The paper illustrates this framework using several simulated and natural objects.
10 Progression of Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type on a Battery of Psychometric Tests

Publisher Summary This chapter describes progression of senile dementia of the alzheimer type on a battery of psychometric tests. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, deteriorative disease. As described in the chapter, it typically first attacks the individual's ability to learn and remember new information, but as the disease progresses, a wide range of higher cortical functions are affected. The search for correlates of rate of deterioration in SDAT takes two general forms. The first focuses on risk factors. One commonly examined is age at onset of the disease. Other risk factors include concomitant features of the disease in its early stages that may be associated with more rapid decline. The chapter includes a description of attempts to identify correlates of progression (deterioration) on the battery of psychometric tests included in the longitudinal study. It differs in several important ways from the earlier reports from this same sample that focused on progression.
Simulating the impacts of ionospheric scintillation on L band SAR image formation

[1] We develop a phase screen model called the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Scintillation Simulator (SAR-SS) for predicting the impacts of ionospheric scintillation on SAR image formation. SAR-SS consists of a phase screen generator and a propagator. The screen generator creates a 2-D random realization of spatial phase fluctuations resulting from the traversal of small-scale field-aligned irregularities in the ionosphere. It accounts for the motion of the radar platform, the drift of the ionospheric irregularities, and the oblique angle of propagation, all of which determine the scale sizes of the irregularities sampled by the radar beam. The propagator solves the 3-D parabolic wave equation using the split step technique to compute the ionospheric transfer function for two-way propagation. This ionospheric transfer function is used to modulate the SAR signal due to terrestrial features in order to assess the ionospheric impact on SAR image formation in the small target approximation. We compare simulated and observed PALSAR imagery over Brazil during disturbed ionospheric conditions. We demonstrate that SAR-SS can reproduce the field-aligned streaks in PALSAR imagery caused by irregularities in the equatorial ionosphere that have been observed by previous authors. The field-aligned streaks exhibited a dominant wavelength larger than the Fresnel break scale, which suggests that refractive scatter was dominant over diffraction as the physical mechanism responsible for the scintillation of the radar signal in this case. The spectral index of phase fluctuations in the screen was quite large (9.0), suggesting that these irregularities were possibly associated with bottomside sinudoidal irregularities rather than equatorial plasma bubbles.
Dumping in international markets and welfare: A general equilibrium analysis

Abstract This paper examines a two-sector open economy with a monopoly in the export sector who has monopoly power in the domestic market, is a competitor in the international market and is able to discriminate between the two. We show that in the presence of such dumping, while income-distributional and resource-allocational aspects are basically the same as in the standard two-sector model, significant differences arise in policy implications. A consumption subsidy to the domestic consumers for the export good is the first-best policy, whereas a tariff or an export tax is only a second-best.
LIBRA-LiTE, a light ion inertial confinement fusion reactor with ballistic ion propagation

LIBRA-LiTE is a conceptual design for a 1300-MWe power plant using light ion inertial fusion. LIBRA-LiTE differs from the LIBRA design in its use of ballistically focused light ions to drive the target. Focusing magnets are positioned 2.05 m from the target, which, to mitigate neutron damage effects, has required a novel magnet design using liquid lithium as a conductor. A sacrificial film of liquid lithium protects the magnets, the target chamber side walls and bottom from the X-rays and debris released by the target microexplosion. The target neutrons deposit in a tritrium breeding blanket of liquid lithium confined to woven metal tubes on the sides and in a pool on the bottom. The top of the target chamber is a metallic dome removed far enough (16 m) from the target to be a lifetime component. >
Hegemony: Anthropological Aspects

Anthropologists commonly cite Antonio Gramsci when they refer to hegemony and the related ideas that make up Gramsci's neo-Marxist theory of hegemony, such as culture, common sense, and the intellectuals. However, most anthropologists are inspired by interpretations of hegemony other than Gramsci's. To understand how anthropologists understand and use the idea of hegemony, it is essential to know how Gramsci's idea of hegemony as a moral and intellectual leadership was revised by non-anthropologists and equated with ideas of culture, tradition and ideology. By the time anthropologists discovered the idea of hegemony in the late 1980s it barely resembled Gramsci's. Because of the various interpretations and different applications of hegemony, hegemony has for many anthropologists been only a trendy buzz word that negates its political intent. Yet other anthropologists have seriously applied the idea of hegemony in diverse, novel, and creative ways in order to explore primarily two related concerns: the historical consequences of state and colonial policies for contemporary post-colonial societies, and relations of resistance and political domination. After briefly considering how Gramsci conceived hegemony and how others revised it, these two concerns provide the focus here for the anthropological use of hegemony.
Present finite element technology from a hybrid formulation perspective

Abstract Over the past two decades, the assumed displacement element formulation via the principle of minimum potential energy has evolved to eliminate element pathologies as exemplified by the ‘locking phenomena’. Modifications fall into three categories: incompatible element formulation, reduced and selective integration, and assumed natural strain formulation. All three modifications commit ‘variational crimes’. From a hybrid formulation perspective, these modifications may be addressed using a generalized variational functional. By examining the assumed fields modified by these techniques, a close relationship with hybrid formulation can be observed. Such a relationship is exposed using variational statements. Another topic of interest is the dependence of accuracy on constitutive properties.