cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed and robust resource allocation algorithms for multi-agent systems via discrete-time iterations

This paper proposes two novel nonlinear discrete-time distributed algorithms to solve a class of resource allocation problems. The proposed algorithms allow an interconnected group of agents to collectively minimize a global cost function subject to equality and inequality constraints. Under some technical conditions, we show that the algorithms converge to the solution in a practical way as long as the stepsize chosen is sufficiently small. Of particular interest is that the proposed algorithms are designed to be robust so that temporary errors in communication or computation do not change their convergence to a neighborhood around the equilibrium, and to this end, agents do not require global knowledge of total resources in the network or any specific procedure for initialization. The convergence of the algorithms is established via second-order convexity theory together with nonsmooth Lyapunov analysis. To illustrate the applicability of our strategies, we study a virus mitigation problem over computer and human networks.
Mathematics Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

This review provided a systematic analysis of mathematics interventions for individuals with autism. Using success estimates, strength of evidence ratings, and percentage of non-overlapping data (PND), we identified 13 studies that provided evidence of effective to very effective outcomes using mathematics accuracy measures for at least one intervention. Five studies with measurements related to engagement had 100 % success estimates with at least adequate evidence and had PND scores indicating very effective interventions for the majority of participants across studies. For accuracy-based outcomes, a majority of successful interventions included both behavioral and mathematical components. Although the combination of mathematical and behavioral components appears to be promising, differences in interventions and outcomes and limited details on participant characteristics limit conclusive clinical recommendations.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Hepatitis in Taishan District of Taian City From 1999 to 2008

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis in Taishan District of Taian City so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control.Methods Statistical analysis of incidence of hepatitis cases from the epidemic situation reports system from 1999 to 2008 was conducted.Results A total of 6 321 hepatitis cases were reported from 1999 to 2008 with an average annual incidence of 102.95/105.Four cases were died,and the morbidity was 0.06%.The cases of 92.44% were HBV,and most cases were aged 20-49 years.The average incidence of male and female was 146.31 /105 and 59.18/105(P0.01)respectively.There were significant differences in the incidence in different years(P0.01).The average annual incidence was different in different towns(P0.01)and different age groups(P0.01).Conclusion The incidence of hepatitis reduced year after year in Taishan District of Taian City from 1999 to 2008.It is necessary to strengthen free hepatitis B vaccination of newborn,and supervision and inspection over safety injection among the basic medical institutions.
Planting Date Impacts on Soil Water Management, Plant Growth, and Weeds in Cover-Crop-Based No-Till Corn Production

Agronomy Journa l • Volume 108 , I s sue 1 • 2016 Weed and fertilizer management are among the greatest challenges associated with organic corn production (Mirsky et al., 2013). Without the reliance on chemical fertilizer and chemical weed control methods, intensive primary and frequent secondary tillage, in combination with the use of organic N fertilizer, are essential to ensure maximum corn yield. Th e negative eff ects associated with annual inversion tillage, such as reduction in soil organic matter, reduced soil aggregate stability (Stenberg et al., 2000), increased erosion (Holland, 2004), as well as heightened fuel and labor costs (Bernstein et al., 2011; Ryan, 2010) are well understood, and are among some of the most critical problems associated with organic corn production (Peigne et al., 2007). New mulch-based technologies are being developed and evaluated that have the potential to reduce tillage in organic systems (Delate et al., 2012; Mirsky et al., 2012; RebergHorton et al., 2012). A cover crop-based approach where roller crimpers lay cover crops down into a uniform surface mulch and corn is no-till planted into the residue is one such approach (Teasdale et al., 2012). Th is cover crop-based approach was originally developed in Brazil (Derpsch et al., 1991) and gained interest in the United States aft er the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory improved on the roller-crimper design, and was promoted by the Rodale Institute (Kornecki et al., 2009; Rodale Institute, 2012). Th e roller-crimper is a ground-driven implement designed to terminate and manage cover crops before cash crop planting (Davis et al., 2010; Mirsky et al., 2013; Reberg-Horton et al., 2012; Teasdale et al., 2012; Wells et al., 2013). Cover crop-based organic rotational no-till corn production has rarely achieved comparable yield to conventional no-till systems (Parr et al., 2011). Th is has largely been due to the constraints of the production system such as the need for high cover crop biomass levels to control weeds (Smith et al., 2011; Reberg-Horton et al., 2012). Corn yields in organic no-till systems are quite variable due to: challenges in cutting cover crop residue in the planting row and achieving adequate seed-to-soil contact; insect damage; delayed and staggered germination; Soil Tillage, Conservation & Management
Developmental Aspects of Pagetic Osteoclasts

Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) affects 1–2 million Americans. The primary lesion in PDB is the formation of abnormal osteoclasts (OCL), which leads to highly localized bone resorption accompanied by exuberant new bone formation that is of poor quality. The OCL are increased in number and size, including increased nuclei/OCL, and express a “pagetic phenotype” that distinguishes them from normal OCL. Pagetic OCL precursors form OCL more quickly and at lower levels of inducers of OCL differentiation, including receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, tumor necrosis factor α, and 1,25-(OH)2D3. Another aspect of the pagetic OCL phenotype is the increased expression and secretion of the cytokine interleukin-6, which plays a large role in the development of pagetic OCL. Further, a number of key internal signaling molecules and transcription factors are altered in both pagetic OCL precursors and pagetic OCL. Lastly, pagetic OCL express increased coupling factors to promote osteoblastic differentiation. OCLs in PDB play a critical role in the enhanced osteoblast activity in PDB, since therapies targeting OCLs decrease new bone formation and induce clinical remission in PDB.
Characterization of heterotypic adherence between transformed human lymphoblastic cells and marrow stromal cells: VCAM-1 is a ligand for one of the leukemia cell adhesion proteins.

Marrow stromal cells are important in normal myelopoiesis and support growth of leukemia/lymphoma (LL) cells in vitro. We have previously described the heterotypic adherence of a human B-lymphoblastic cell line (UTMB-460) to marrow stromal cells (MSC). We have extended these observations to a human T-lymphoblastic cell line (CEM) and characterized the heterotypic adherence of B- and T-lymphoblastic cell lines to human MSC. Electron microscopy demonstrated UTMB-460 cells were in very close apposition to the MSC, but no specific intercellular junctions were noted. Under the conditions employed, these MSC express extracellular fibronectin, collagen types I and IV, intracellular laminin, and vimentin, but no factor VIII-R antigen. In addition, the MSC had receptors for the lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin I. UTMB-460 and CEM cells do not adhere to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins secreted by the MSC, i.e., fibronectin, collagen types I, III, or IV, or laminin. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against CD11a, CD11b, CD18, and CD54 and a polyclonal anti-human fibronectin antibody do not inhibit attachment of either B- or T-lymphoblastic cells to MSC. Peptides GRGES and GRGDS did not inhibit adherence of UTMB-460 and CEM cells to MSC. In contrast, the anti-vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 MoAb (4b9) caused significant inhibition (p < 0.01) of the adherence of both UTMB-460 and CEM cells to normal human MSC monolayers. These data suggest: (1) that MSC to which lymphoblastic cells adhere are specialized mesenchymal cells; (2) that the membrane interactions between T- and B-lymphoblastic cells and MSC involve close apposition of cell membranes of MSC and the lymphoblastic cells; (3) that the heterotypic adherence between B- and T-lymphoblastic cell lines (UTMB-460 and CEM) and MSC does not involve the RGD recognition sequence of the integrin family, the B2 leukocyte integrins, CD44, LAM-1, or the ECM proteins examined; and (4) that VCAM-1 may at least be partially responsible for heterotypic adherence between human MSC and B- and T-lymphoblastic cells.
Incidence of trophoblastic disease: increased rate in youngest age group.

The incidence of trophoblastic disease at Strong Memorial Hospital between 1957 and 1968 is 5.8 cases per 10,000 pregnancies terminated. The incidence has increased significantly over this period, with the highest rate observed among the teen-age women, as well as among those over 35 years of age. Problems in the calculation of trophoblastic disease rates are discussed and suggestions made for future studies.
DC DISCHARGES — THE POSITIVE COLUMN

This chapter focuses on the case where the source and loss terms balance. This is the steady-state condition that applies to direct current (DC) discharges and high radio frequency (RF) discharges. The analysis is applied to the positive column. This is the common regime for gas discharges and gas lasers. Depending on the pressure, current, and gas medium that is under consideration, the dominant electron loss mechanism can be diffusion, recombination, or attachment. The most common regime is when the loss of electrons by diffusion balances the production of electrons by collisional ionization. The other situation is where attachment or recombination dominates the electron loss. In the analysis of diffusion-dominated discharges described in the chapter, the fluid equations were used. The source term was assumed as one-step ionization of a neutral by an electron. The chapter discusses longitudinal electric field in the diffusion-dominated discharge. The simplest approach to determine the electric field along the positive column is to balance the energy gain from the electric field with the energy loss due to elastic collisions. Inelastic energy losses should also be included if they constitute a significant energy loss.
Optimal money and debt management: Liquidity provision vs tax smoothing

Abstract Conventional wisdom on public debt management says that liquidity demand should be satiated and that tax rates should be smoothed. Conflicts between the two can arise when government bonds provide liquidity. Smoothing taxes causes greater variability in fiscal balances, and therefore in the supply of government liabilities. When prices are flexible, and can jump to absorb fiscal shocks, the tradeoff between liquidity provision and tax smoothing is eased; when they conflict, optimal policy subordinates tax smoothing to satiating liquidity demand. When price fluctuations impose real costs, conflicts necessarily arise and optimal policy gives primacy to neither goal.
Hypothesis testing in a computational theory of visual word recognition

A computational theory of reading and an algorithmic realization of the theory is presented that illustrates the application of the methodology of a computational theory to an engineering problem. The theory is based on past studies of how people read that show there are two steps of visual processing in reading and that these steps are influenced by cognitive processes. This paper discusses the development of a similar set of algorithms. A gross visual description of a word is used to suggest a set of hypotheses about its identity. These then drive further selective analysis of the image that can be altered by knowledge of language characteristics such as syntax. This is not a character recognition algorithm since an explicit segmentation of a word and a recognition of its isolated characters is avoided. This paper presents a unified discussion of this methodology with a concentration on the second stage of selective image analysis. An algorithm is presented that determines the minimum number of tests that have to be programmed under the constraint that the minimum number of tests are to be executed. This is used to compare the proposed technique to a similar character recognition algorithm.
The Relationships, Origin and Dispersal of the Hystricognathous Rodents

My topic — the relationships, origin and dispersal of hystricognathous rodents — is complicated by a very considerable amount of confusion among authors as to what should be included in the Suborder Hystricognathi. This confusion results, at least in part, from the fact that simplicity of arrangment of taxa has a great appeal, but that simplicity of arrangement does not necessarily reflect either what must have been the facts of the evolution of rodents, or our less than perfect knowledge of these facts.
Joint Time-Frequency Processing of Ultrasonic Signals

The backscattered signal information in ultrasonic testing is an effective method for characterization and detection of defects in materials. The complexity of materials like composites, mixed metals, multilayered fiber-reinforced composites and materials with complex structures used in nuclear power plants and spacecraft add new challenges towards the characterization and defect detection. Due to frequency dependent scattering and attenuation the backscattered ultrasonic signal is nonstationary in character. Therefore, joint time-frequency (t-f) representations of such signals are more revealing than the standard Fourier analysis.
Interactive Contributions of Attribution Biases and Emotional Intensity to Child-Friend Interaction Quality During Preadolescence.

Using data from a subsample of 913 study children and their friends who participated in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the interactive contributions of child-reported attribution biases and teacher-reported child emotional intensity (EI) at Grade 4 (M = 9.9 years) to observed child-friend interaction at Grade 6 (M = 11.9 years) were examined. Study children's hostile attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more negative child-friend interaction. In contrast, benign attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more positive child-friend interaction. The findings are discussed in light of the "fuel" interpretation of EI, in which high-intensity emotions may motivate children to act on their cognitive biases for better or for worse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
An efficient fully sequential selection procedure guaranteeing probably approximately correct selection

Ranking and Selection (R&S) procedures are designed for selecting the best among a finite set of systems using stochastic simulation, guaranteeing the quality of the final selection. Instead of assuming a known lower bound on the difference between the best and others, we consider the probably approximately correct (PAC) selection formulation, which ensures a high quality solution with high probability for all configurations. In this paper, we present a new fully sequential selection procedure, called the Envelope Procedure (EP), which accommodates a variety of sampling rules that, together with a carefully defined termination condition, ensures a PAC selection. A particular sampling rule that achieves good efficiency is proposed. We compare the efficiency of the EP with some existing procedures in numerical experiments, and the results show that the EP saves considerable computational effort in many problem configurations.
The effects of a clean energy standard on public opinion: New York state pledges 50% renewable energy generation by 2030

This paper examines the impact of the New York State (NYS) Clean Energy Standard (CES) on the public's perception of renewable energy (RE) and the feasibility of the mandate. The availability for growth potential of the four primary RE types: Solar, Hydro, Biofuels, and Wind are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the implications of RE generation expansion on land usage, reliability, insulation, and effects on midpoint deadlines outlined by the mandate. In addition, the impact of incentives on the mandate timeline, existing infrastructure, and the developers of RE technologies are analyzed. The findings of NYS RE studies are compared with the NYS CES to establish a basis for comparison with previously enacted mandates. Lastly, this paper outlines the extent of the mandate's success and how this will influence future policy.
A network-aware scheduler in data-parallel clusters for high performance

In spite of many shuffle-heavy jobs in current commercial data-parallel clusters, few previous studies have considered the network traffic in the shuffle phase, which contains a large amount of data transfers and may adversely affect the cluster performance. In this paper, we propose a network-aware scheduler (NAS) that handles two main challenges associated with the shuffle phase for high performance: i) balancing cross-node network load, and ii) avoiding and reducing cross-rack network congestion. NAS consists of three main mechanisms: i) map task scheduling (MTS), ii) congestion-avoidance reduce task scheduling (CA-RTS) and iii) congestion-reduction reduce task scheduling (CR-RTS). MTS constrains the shuffle data on each node when scheduling the map tasks to balance the cross-node network load. CA-RTS distributes the reduce tasks for each job based on the distribution of its shuffle data among the racks in order to minimize cross-rack traffic. When the network is congested, CR-RTS schedules reduce tasks that generate negligible shuffle traffic to reduce the congestion. We implemented NAS in Hadoop on a cluster. Our trace-driven simulation and real cluster experiment demonstrate the superior performance of NAS on improving the throughput (up to 62%), reducing the average job execution time (up to 44%) and reducing the cross-rack traffic (up to 40%) compared with state-of-the-art schedulers.
Cytopathology of Spindle Cell Lesions of Soft Tissue and Bone

Spindle cell lesions of soft tissue and bone encompass a wide ­spectrum of benign and malignant conditions. They include ­reactive lesions such as granulomatous inflammation, pseudosarcomas such as nodular fasciitis, benign mesenchymal tumors such as neuro­fibroma and schwannoma, low and high-grade sarcomas, spindle cell carcinoma, and spindle cell melanoma. The sarcomas that can be presented as spindle cells include fibrosarcoma (FS), leiomyosarcoma (LMS), synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), Kaposi sarcoma, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and some ­angiosarcomas1,2 (Table 3.1).
High-Resolution Analytical Tools for Quantitative Peptidomics

Abstract Peptides control many biological processes, including cell–cell signaling as peptide hormones and neuropeptides, and within the cell in other capacities. Peptidomics is defined as the identification of peptides present in a biological sample. Although peptidomics is related to proteomics (the analysis of proteins), there are some distinct differences between these techniques in terms of overall goals and methodology. Most peptidomic studies are aimed at identifying the precise endogenous form of each peptide, including posttranslational modifications, whereas proteomic studies are usually focused on only identifying the proteins and not the precise forms. Quantitative peptidomics involves both the identification and quantification of peptide present in a sample, either by measuring the total levels of a peptide (absolute quantification) or by comparing peptide levels between different samples (relative quantification). In this review, we discuss the various techniques for quantification of peptides/proteins and their advantages and disadvantages with respect to their application in peptidomics.
Syngeneic immune-dependent abortions in mice suggest paternal alloantigen-independent mechanisms

Problem Recurrent immune-associated miscarriages in humans are thought to result from maternal immune responses to paternal alloantigens. We investigated the role of paternal alloantigens in a mouse model of immune-dependent abortion. Method of study Sib-crosses of C57Bl/6J (haplotype b/b) mice heterozygous for a targeted hypomorphic allele of the tbp gene (tbp(deltaN/+)) resulted in selective mid-gestational abortion of 88% of the tbp(deltaN/deltaN) fetuses. In dams lacking mature lymphocytes (rag1-/-), nearly all tbp(deltaN/deltaN) fetuses survived to birth, indicating abortions were immune-dependent. Allogeneic pregnancies bearing tbp(deltaN/deltaN) fetuses were established by either hybridizing the paternal lineage to BALB/cJ (haplotype d/d) and mating hybrid tbp(deltaN/+) sires to haplotype b/b tbp(deltaN/+) C57Bl/6J dams, or by transfer of haplotype b/b zygotes from tbp(deltaN/+)x tbp(deltaN/+) matings into pseudopregnant wild-type CByD2F1/J dams (haplotype d/d). Results Neither hemizygous paternal allogeneic loci nor homozygous allogeneic loci, including a haplotype-mismatched major histocompatibility complex (MHC), increased abortion frequencies. Conclusion Results suggested that mechanisms for maternal tolerance of paternal alloantigens, including mismatched MHC antigens, were intact in these pregnancies, yet maternal immune-dependent paternal antigen-independent abortion of mutants occurred. These data indicate that, in some cases of immune-mediated abortions, the presence of paternal alloantigens can be coincidental and superfluous to the compromising rejection response.
A Comparison of Two Different Methods to Individualize Students and Skills

One of the most popular methods for modeling students' knowledge is Corbett and Anderson's (1) Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (KT) model. The original Knowledge Tracing model does not allow for individualization. In this work, we focus on comparing two different individualized models: the Student Skill model and the two-phase model, to find out which is the best for formulat- ing the individualization problem within a Bayesian networks framework.
Electric, hybrid, and turboelectric fixed-wing aircraft: A review of concepts, models, and design approaches

Abstract Following high-profile government and industry studies, electric aircraft propulsion has emerged as an important research topic. This article surveys the scholarly and business literature on fixed-wing aircraft propelled in whole or in part by electricity. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, and turboelectric architectures. We introduce a classification of electric aircraft, technology factors, and performance parameters. Next, we present an overview of electrical components and electric propulsion architectures. We survey existing commercial products, prototypes, demonstrators, and conceptual studies, and develop a list of potential benefits and disadvantages of electric propulsion with estimates of potential benefit. We present an introduction to power electronics, electric machines, and batteries for aircraft designers, and explore the emerging problem of aircraft thermal management. We review modeling, simulation, and multidisciplinary optimization capabilities, and identify current shortcomings. We conclude that the electric aircraft design problem introduces new coupling between previously distinct disciplines, such as aerodynamics and propulsion, which may only become apparent with high-fidelity, physics-based analysis. High-fidelity multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization of electric aircraft, including safety and economic analysis, remains an open challenge.
A Multi-Channel Passive Brain Implant for Wireless Neuropotential Monitoring

We propose a novel multi-channel (eight channels) passive neuro-sensing system for wireless acquisition of brain signals as low as 20 $\mu V_{\text{pp}}$ . Compared to previous batteryless multi-channel neuropotential sensors, the proposed design exhibits 28 times better sensitivity, $\sim$ 2 times smaller footprint, and scalability to 100s or even 1000s of channels. The proposed system consists of an external interrogator and a neuro-recorder implanted inside the scalp. For operation, the interrogator first sends a 2.4 GHz carrier signal to “turn on” the implant and, second, an infrared control signal for channel selection. The latter activates the desired channel via a photo-activated multiplexer. For this channel, the carrier signal is mixed with the neural signal ( $f_{\text{neuro}}$ ) to generate a 4.8 $\text{GHz}\pm f_{\text{neuro}}$ modulated signal. The latter is then transmitted back to the interrogator. To verify the implant's operation inside biological tissues, $in$ $vitro$ measurements are presented using pig skin. Experimental results show that the proposed neuropotential recorder exhibits 20 $\mu V_{\text{pp}}$ sensitivity at all eight channels (viz. it can record any signal generated by the human brain). The system is also in compliance with the strictest Federal Communications Commission standards for patient safety. Notably, the proposed approach is scalable to a much higher number of channels. As such, the proposed system can be a game-changing capability for a wide range of applications.
On the taxonomic status of Lygosoma (Keneuxia) dubium Werner, 1909.

The species Lygosoma (Keneuxia) dubium was described by Franz Werner (1909) based on a single specimen from the Royal Natural History Cabinet (Konigliches Naturalienkabinett) in Stuttgart, collection number 3651. According to the original description the specimen was collected by “Direktor Mayer” in Yokohama, Japan in 1897. Much later Nakamura & Ueno (1963) transferred the species to the Genus Dasia Gray, 1839, without further comments. Recently Uetz et al. (2018) questioned the type locality given by Werner (1909) and suggested that the name Lygosoma dubium is likely to be a synonym of Dasia grisea (Gray, 1845) referring to a personal comment of T. Hikida in 2014. However the actual taxonomic status of the species still remains unresolved.
Sustainable outcomes of an experiential learning project in a principles of marketing course

Experiential learning projects provide students with the opportunity to think critically about their own experiences in addition to testing and developing innovative ideas to solve problems. The vi...
Pharmacological Effects of Curcuminoids in Neurological Disorders

Abstract Neurological disorders are major cause of morbidity and mortality. There are very limited therapeutic options available for curing most neurological disorders. This is due to the complex nature of nervous system and its disorders. Medicinal plants have a long history of use for various treatments, and are source of large number of drugs. Curcuminoids (a mixture of curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin) have been extensively studied and shown a huge therapeutic significance for neurological disorders with limited side effects. Though, curcumin is a vital constituent of the curcuminoids mixture, the other two components (bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin) which are usually ignored, also play key role in effectiveness of curcuminoids in neurological disorders. Scientific studies have shown the critical, distinctive, and significant role of each component of the curcuminoids in neurological disorders. In conclusion, curcuminoids as a mixture can be a better candidate than individual compound for the treatment of neurological disorders.
“We Count What Matters”: Students’ Color-Blind “Merit-Based” Logic and the Reproduction of Inequality in a College Admissions Activity:

The authors introduce a college admissions simulation activity that facilitates discussions of affirmative action and racial disparities in the seemingly objective college admissions process. In th...
A phase I/II study of blinatumomab in combination with pembrolizumab for adults with relapsed refractory B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia: University of California Hematologic Malignancies Consortium Study 1504.

TPS7064Background: Outcomes for adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL (R/R B-ALL) remain poor despite new targeted therapies. Blinatumomab is an anti-CD19/CD3 bifunctional T-cell engaging anti...
A linear algorithm for ambient seismic noise double beamforming without explicit crosscorrelations

ABSTRACTGeoscientists and engineers are increasingly using denser arrays for continuous seismic monitoring, and they often turn to ambient seismic noise interferometry for low-cost near-surface ima...
On-device lead sequestration for perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite solar cells, as an emerging high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic technology1–6, face obstacles on their way towards commercialization. Substantial improvements have been made to device stability7–10, but potential issues with lead toxicity and leaching from devices remain relatively unexplored11–16. The potential for lead leakage could be perceived as an environmental and public health risk when using perovskite solar cells in building-integrated photovoltaics17–23. Here we present a chemical approach for on-device sequestration of more than 96 per cent of lead leakage caused by severe device damage. A coating of lead-absorbing material is applied to the front and back sides of the device stack. On the glass side of the front transparent conducting electrode, we use a transparent lead-absorbing molecular film containing phosphonic acid groups that bind strongly to lead. On the back (metal) electrode side, we place a polymer film blended with lead-chelating agents between the metal electrode and a standard photovoltaic packing film. The lead-absorbing films on both sides swell to absorb the lead, rather than dissolve, when subjected to water soaking, thus retaining structural integrity for easy collection of lead after damage. Using lead-absorbing materials to coat the front and back of perovskite solar cells can prevent lead leaching from damaged devices, without affecting the device performance or long-term operation stability.
Component Analysis of Training and Goal Setting, Self-Monitoring, and Tactile Prompting on Early Childhood Educators’ Behavior-Specific Praise:

Multicomponent interventions have successfully increased early childhood teachers’ rates of behavior-specific praise (BSP); however, package interventions do not allow for nuanced examinations of i...
BAGS: A Bayesian Adaptive Group Sequential Trial Design With Subgroup-Specific Survival Comparisons

A Bayesian group sequential design is proposed that performs survival comparisons within patient subgroups in randomized trials where treatment–subgroup interactions may be present. A latent subgro...
Research on Dynamic Resource Scheduling Technology of Dispatching and Control Cloud Platform Based on Container

With the continuous advancement of dispatching and control cloud, traditional platform systems and virtualization technologies have been well supported in resource scheduling, flexible scaling, rapid migration deployment, the future availability and maintainability of these business systems will face enormous challenges. The rapid development of Docker container technology has solved the shortcomings of traditional PaaS platform based on virtual machine. In this paper, Docker container technology is used to build PaaS platform services of dispatching and control cloud. Through the analysis and verification of the flexible scaling, resource scheduling, container response and other performance aspects of the container, the experiment shows that the Docker-based PaaS platform has a good effect in the rational scheduling, rapid response and flexible scaling of resources.
Monitoring and diagnostic technologies usingdeep neural networks for predictive optical network maintenance [Invited]

In recent years, optical networks have become more complex due to traffic increase and service diversification, and it has become increasingly difficult for network operators to monitor large-scale networks and keep track of communication status at all times, as well as to control and operate the various services running on the networks. This issue is motivating the need for autonomous optical network diagnosis, and expectations are growing for the use of machine learning and deep learning. Another trend is the active movement toward reducing capital expenditure (CAPEX)/operational expenditure (OPEX) of optical transport equipment by employing whitebox hardware, open source software, and open interfaces. In this paper, we describe in detail the concept of a series of workflows for the whitebox transponder, including getting optical performance data from the coherent optical transceiver, diagnosing optical transmission line conditions by applying deep neural networks (DNNs) to the collected data, and notifying the remote network management system (NMS) of the diagnosis results. In addition, as one of the use cases, we demonstrate fiber bending detection based on the diagnosis workflow. Offline and online demonstrations show the deployed diagnosis system can identify the fiber bend with up to 99% accuracy in our evaluation environment.
From Jacobite to Loyalist: The Career and Political Theology of Bishop George Hay

Although Catholics were marginalized and strongly associated with Jacobitism under the early Hanoverians, the reign of George III saw a gradual assimilation of Catholics into mainstream political culture. The Vicars Apostolic of Great Britain played a key role in this process by emphasizing passivity and loyalty. The bishop who most strongly personified this Jacobite to loyalist transition was George Hay (1729-1811). A convert to Catholicism from the Scottish Episcopalian faith, Hay served the Jacobite Army as a medic in 1745 and was imprisoned following that conflict. After his conversion and subsequent ordination, Hay became coadjutor of the Lowland District of Scotland in 1769 and was promoted to the Apostolic Vicarate in 1778. Hay actively engaged with many high-profile statesmen and political thinkers, including Edmund Burke. Most notably, he constructively utilized Jacobite political theology to criticise revolutionary ideology. His public involvement in politics was most remarkable during the American and French Revolutions, when he confidently deployed the full force of counterrevolutionary doctrines that formerly alienated Catholics from the Hanoverian state. However, since the Age of Revolution presented a stark duality between monarchy and republicanism, Hay’s expressions of passive obedience and non-resistance endeared him and the Catholic Church to the British establishment.
Isolation and proteomic characterization of tropomyosin extracted from edible insect protein

Abstract Edible insects are considered promising sustainable protein sources. Thermal treatments and proteolysis are commonly used to improve their safety and quality. However, their allergenicity remains mostly unexplored. Tropomyosin, a major insect pan-allergen, can be used to study processing effects on its immunoreactivity. In this study, selective precipitation was used to extract tropomyosin from heated and protease-treated crickets. Immunoinformatics predicted 31 epitope regions, while proteomic analysis suggested decreased amounts of intact epitope regions in microwave-heated/protease-treated crickets. Tropomyosin peptide sequences were identified in higher abundance in convection-heated samples. Finally, tropomyosin immunoreactivity by immunoblotting and ELISA, revealed that protease treatments under microwave heating had lower (p
Circadian and Estrous Rhythms in Pineal and Brain Serotonin

Publisher Summary Differential extraction and spectrophotofluorometry of pineal serotonin in rats demonstrated a 9-fold circadian rhythm, which was shown to be dependent in its timing on the periods of light and darkness and to be slightly modified by the estrous cycle. A circadian change in the serotonin content of anterior and posterior areas of the hypothalamus could not be demonstrated. Available information suggests that the circadian rhythm in pineal serotonin may be an intrinsic one, because serotonin injection does not significantly increase pineal serotonin and because a circadian rhythm, at least of this amplitude and relation to photoperiod, has not been found in the central nervous system. The interpretation of the dynamics of serotonin level in pineal, and possibly some areas of the central nervous system, in terms either of metabolism or binding, must take into account the occurrence or possibility of a circadian rhythm.
Limits to policy: Land use control in the USA

Abstract This article uses two different approaches to examine both the relationship between land and the law and the limits to policy for land use in the US. The first approach considers ways to circumvent the status of rights in land, and looks at their basis in traditional social attitudes and assumptions —factors no longer supported by scientific knowledge and changing concepts of public interest. The second concerns the feasibility of general laws to reflect changing perceptions of rights over land through declarations of national policy. Each approach reveals complexities that pose great difficulties to any effort to achieve a legally defined set of principles for land use that would reinforce a basic stewardship ethic for the land throughout the US.
Modeling and Control of Flexible Telescoping Manipulators

This paper considers modeling and control of a planar flexible two-link telescoping manipulator. The telescoping interface between the deploying and non-deploying portions of the links is discussed in detail. The equations of motion are derived using Lagrange's equation and constrained using a projection method that eliminates the need to compute Lagrange multipliers explicitly. Passivity-based control of the telescoping manipulator is also investigated. It is shown that several passive input–output maps exist. In particular, by a suitable redefinition of the inputs and outputs, a modified tip-based control is made possible. The model is validated through numerical simulation, and the tip-based control is compared with joint-based control. Simulation results show that tip-based control has better closed-loop performance compared with joint-based control.
Determination of Enantiomeric Purity and Absolute Configuration by NMR Spectroscopy

Common and widely studied chiral reagents that are used to determine enantiomeric purity and assign the absolute configuration of particular classes of compounds using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are described. These include chiral derivatizing agents, chiral solvating agents, cavity compounds, metal complexes, and liquid crystals. Keywords: absolute configuration; enantiomeric purity; determination; assign; NMR spectroscopy; enantiomeric discrimination; nuclear magnetic resonance; chiral derivatizing agent; chiral solvating agent; cavity compound; metal complex; liquid crystal; chiral NMR discrimination; singlet; multiplet; 1H NMR; 13C NMR; 31P NMR; chemical shift; spectrum; cyclodextrin; crown ether; calix[4]resorcinarene; calixarene; metal complex; lanthanide; europium; lanthanum; cerium; lutetium; platinum; argentum; rhodium
Domain ontologies in software engineering: use of Protégé with the EON architecture.

Domain ontologies are formal descriptions of the classes of concepts and the relationships among those concepts that describe an application area. The Protege software-engineering methodology provides a clear division between domain ontologies and domain-independent problem-solvers that, when mapped to domain ontologies, can solve application tasks. The Protege approach allows domain ontologies to inform the total software-engineering process, and for ontologies to be shared among a variety of problem-solving components. We illustrate the approach by describing the development of EON, a set of middleware components that automate various aspects of protocol-directed therapy. Our work illustrates the organizing effect that domain ontologies can have on the software-development process. Ontologies, like all formal representations, have limitations in their ability to capture the semantics of application areas. Nevertheless, the capability of ontologies to encode clinical distinctions not usually captured by controlled medical terminologies provides significant advantages for developers and maintainers of clinical software applications.
Fuel injection characteristics and combustion behavior of a direct-injection stratified-charge engine

High levels of hydrocarbon emissions during light load operation keep the direct injection stratified charge engine from commercial application. Previous analytical work has identified several possible hydrocarbon emissions mechanisms which can result from poor in-cylinder fuel distribution. Poor fuel distribution can be caused by erratic fuel injection. Experiments conducted on a single cylinder disc engine show a dramatic increase in the cycle to cycle variation in injection characteristics as engine load decreases. This is accompanied by an increase in cycle to cycle variation in combustion behavior suggesting that degradation in combustion results from the degradation in the quality of the injection event. Examination of combustion and injection characteristics on a cycle by cycle basis shows that, at light load, IMEP and heat release do not correlate with the amount of fuel injected into the cylinder. There are strong indications that individual cycles undergo partial or complete misfire.
Headache Characteristics at Baseline in the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial (S41.006)

OBJECTIVE: To report the headache features of subjects enrolled in the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial (IIHTT) BACKGROUND: The IIHTT is a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, placebo controlled trial comparing acetazolamide to matching placebo in subjects with mild visual loss from IIH. A low-sodium diet and weight loss program was offered to all subjects. 165 subjects (161 women, 4 men) were enrolled. DESIGN/METHODS: Headache characteristics were queried at baseline and throughout the duration of the study during structured interviews. Descriptive statistics, Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients were applied. RESULTS: Headache was the most common symptom (n=139, 84%) and was the initial symptom in 35%. The average severity on a 1-10 scale was 6.3 + 1.9 with 9 subjects reporting a severity of 10. 32% of subjects with headache described constant pain. Subjects with intermittent headache experienced a median of 12 headache days monthly (range 1-30). The pain was characterized as pressure (47%), throbbing/pounding (42%), stabbing (5%), exploding (2%) or other (4%), and 42% experienced nocturnal awakening. The location of head pain was frontal (68%), global (36%), posterior (39%), unilateral (30%), ocular (47%) and extended to the neck in 47%. Associated symptoms included photophobia (70% ), phonophobia (52%), nausea (47%), vomiting (17%), and aggravation by routine physical activity (50%). 41% of participants reported a history of migraine (18% with aura, 58% without aura, 24% both). The average HIT-6 score was 59.7 + 9.0 (severe disability). There was no correlation between the HIT-6 score and papilledema grade, perimetric mean deviation, opening pressure or body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSIONS: The headache pain of IIH in this cohort was variable in quality and location, and many subjects had associated symptoms that are typical of migraine. The headaches were severe, disabling and not related to visual status, BMI, opening pressure or papilledema grade. Study Supported by: National Eye Institute Disclosure: Dr. Friedman has received personal compensation for activities with MAP Pharmaceuticals, Zogenix, and Allergan. Dr. Friedman has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurology Reviews and Medlink Neurology. Dr. Friedman9s institution has received research support from Merck & Co., Inc., Electocore, and the National Eye Institute.
Linearity test for high resolution DACs using low-accuracy DDEM flash ADCs

This work proposed a built-in self-test (BIST) strategy for DAC linearity test by utilizing the deterministic dynamic element matching (DDEM) technique in a common flash ADC. DDEM technique allows low-resolution and low-accuracy ADCs work as test devices. In order to provide high resolution/accuracy test abilities, a fine quantization stage and an input dithering DAC are incorporated. In this paper, the architecture of the test system and the test procedure are described. The test performance is analyzed theoretically and verified by numerical simulation. Simulation results show that a two-step flash ADC composed of a 6-bit coarse DDEM stage and a 6-bit fine stage, plus an incorporated 5-bit dithering DAC, with linearity of all the blocks no more than 6 bits, is capable of testing 14-bit DACs.
Distributed channel allocation in reconfigurable communication networks

A reconfigurable communication network in which the capacity of its multiple-channel links can by dynamically adjusted through activating different numbers of channels to comply with traffic fluctuations has been proposed previously (C.Y Chao and M. Ilyas, 1988). It has been shown that the reconfigurable network can perform significantly better than networks with fixed link capacity. Here, a distributed channel allocation algorithm which can be applied to the reconfigurable network is developed. The algorithm requires local traffic statistics only and converges to an optimum configuration in most cases. The number of iterations is bounded from above by the maximum number of transmitters at each node. It is shown that good delay performance can be achieved by using the channel allocation algorithm and a simple fixed routing algorithm. It is concluded that this fact makes the proposed reconfigurable network architecture very attractive. >
A decision-making model for materials management of end-of-life electronic products

Abstract Currently, there is increasing attention to the environmental impact of the recycling scenarios used for end-of-life electric and electronic (E&E) products. In anticipation of future disposal and recycling concerns due to the increasing consumption of E&E equipment, a systematic management tool is essential to effectively maximize the recyclability of end-of-life products and minimize the environmental impact of recycling and disposal. In this paper, a generic decision-making methodology is developed for material recycling and disposition of E&E products. The research results in an optimal recycling scenario for general end-of-life E&E products based on the combination of environmental impact, recycling feasibility, and intensity of resource recovery. Three major factors are considered during decision making: environmental impact, related cost, and recoverable materials. These three factors are integrated through a fuzzy membership function and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research is based on a project supported by the Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium. A computerized prototype decision-making model is developed based on the proposed methodology. The research result can be extended to the recycling process of all kinds of electromechanical scraps. Potentially, the proposed methodology can be adopted for assessing various recycling alternatives to provide environmentally friendly solutions.