cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approximate computing for biometrie security systems: A case study on iris scanning

Exploiting the error resilience of emerging data-rich applications, approximate computing promotes the introduction of small amount of inaccuracy into computing systems to achieve significant reduction in computing resources such as power, design area, runtime or energy. Successful applications for approximate computing have been demonstrated in the areas of machine learning, image processing and computer vision. In this paper we make the case for a new direction for approximate computing in the field of biometric security with a comprehensive case study of iris scanning. We devise an end-to-end flow from an input camera to the final iris encoding that produces sufficiently accurate final results despite relying on intermediate approximate computational steps. Unlike previous methods which evaluated approximate computing techniques on individual algorithms, our flow consists of a complex SW/HW pipeline of four major algorithms that eventually compute the iris encoding from input live camera feeds. In our flow, we identify overall eight approximation knobs at both the algorithmic and hardware levels to trade-off accuracy with runtime. To identify the optimal values for these knobs, we devise a novel design space exploration technique based on reinforcement learning with a recurrent neural network agent. Finally, we fully implement and test our proposed methodologies using both benchmark dataset images and live images from a camera using an FPGA-based SoC. We show that we are able to reduce the runtime of the system by 48 χ on top of an already HW accelerated design, while meeting industry-standard accuracy requirements for iris scanning systems.
Applications of Markowitz Portfolio Theory To Pension Fund Design

Harry Markowitz (1952) published an article that revolutionized the way the world thought about investments, the investment process, and measuring and predicting portfolio performance. The impact of Harry’s 1952 article and his research that followed have been extraordinary. There is no doubt that this work is one of a handful of major breakthroughs that have changed not only the way we think about the world of finance, but also the way the world of finance functions.
A Survey of Logger Concerns When Working with Small Woodland Owners

Many small woodland owners will harvest timber only once in their lifetime. Their expectations of a logging operation do not often match with reality. On the other side of the equation, loggers express frustration when working with small woodland owners. The jobs are smaller and often come with complications not found with industrial forest owners. Adding to this is the fact that the two parties often aren’t speaking the same language. In order to better prepare landowners for this operation, we surveyed logging contractors to learn about the interactions with small woodland owners in Oregon, USA. The mail survey focused on how jobs were bid, use of contracts, and difficulties that loggers had when working with small woodland owners. Results provide information that confirms the challenges present when working with many individual owners who do not have experience with harvest operations. Survey results also confirm that the logging workforce in Oregon is aging on average. Results showed no correlation between the number of years working as a logger and responses to other questions.
A Review of Long-Term Pain Relief after Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation in Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background Studies of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of genicular nerves have reportedly significantly decreased pain up to 3 months post ablation, but no longer term effects have been reported. We performed an analysis of long-term pain relief of 31 RFA procedures of the genicular nerves to analyze the degree of pain relief past 3 months, culminating at 6 months. Study design Chart review and study design was approved by Newark Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB). Chart review and follow-up was performed on all patients who underwent genicular nerve RFA during the period of February 2014 through August of 2015. During this inclusion period 41 genicular nerve RFAs were performed on 31 patients, 5 patients received RFA procedure in both knees. Patient follow-up was performed via telephone interview or in-office visit at least 3 months and 6 months post RFA. Settings Procedures were performed in Medical Special Procedures at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and the Pain Management Center at Overlook Medical Arts Center in Summit, NJ. Methods Chart review and study design was approved by Newark Health Sciences IRB. Chart review was performed from February 2014 and continued through August 2015. Patient follow-up was conducted at 3 and at least 6 months post treatment to gauge degree of pain relief (0 - none, 100% - complete), their current day's pain score, other treatment modalities tried before RFA, and the medications used. Patients were asked to quantify their satisfaction with procedure length, pre-procedure anxiety, complications, and if they would recommend this procedure to others. Primary and secondary goals were the duration of pain relief after RFA, the quality of pain relief, and the efficacy of our approach for RFA of genicular nerves versus prior published techniques. Results At 3 month follow-up, the average pain relief was 67% improvement from baseline knee pain, 0% being no relief and 100% being complete relief, and average 0 - 10 pain score was 2.9. At 6 month follow-up, of those who described pain relief at 3 months, 95% still described pain relief. This group's average percent pain relief was 64% and average day's 0 - 10 pain score 3.3. Limitations Our study included a retrospective component in chart review followed by prospective follow-up, only 76% of patients were able to participate in the interview process. Furthermore, some patients suffered from other chronic pain ailments, most commonly chronic back pain, which at times disturbed the patient's ability to focus on solely knee pain. Conclusions Based on patient interviews and data collection, RFA of genicular nerves can supply on average greater than 60% pain relief in our patient population for as long as 6 months.Key words: Osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, chronic knee pain, radiofrequency ablation, nerve ablation, genicular nerves, long-term pain relief.
Assessment of Transporter-Mediated and Passive Hepatic Uptake Clearance Using Rifamycin-SV as a Pan-Inhibitor of Active Uptake.

The use of in vitro data for the quantitative prediction of transporter-mediated clearance is critical. Central to this evaluation is the use of hepatocytes, since they contain the full complement of transporters and metabolic enzymes. In general, uptake clearance (CLuptake) is evaluated by measuring the appearance of compound in the cell. Passive clearance (CLpd) is often determined by conducting parallel studies at 4 °C or by attempting to saturate uptake pathways. Both approaches have their limitations. Recent studies have proposed the use of Rifamycin-SV (RFV) as a pan-inhibitor of hepatic uptake pathways. In our studies, we confirm that transport activity of all major hepatic uptake transporters is inhibited significantly by RFV at 1 mM (OATP1B1, 1B3, and 2B1 = NTCP (80%), OCT1 (65%), OAT2 (60%)). Under these incubation conditions, we found that the free intracellular concentration of RFV is ∼175 μM and that several major CYPs and UGTs can be reversibly inhibited. Using this approach, we also determi...
Screening and Brief Intervention Practice Systems and Implementation

Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) represents an underutilized innovation in primary health care despite its efficacy having been known for over 30 years. Addressing health behavior change in primary care is a complex and multifaceted undertaking, as is instituting systematic clinic processes to facilitate clinicians addressing health behaviors. Special challenges arise when the behavior to be changed is unhealthy alcohol use. This chapter will review the issues that must be addressed for successful clinical implementation of SBI and offer a typical example of one such implementation.
Plant defense against generalist herbivores in the forest understory: a phylogenetic comparison of native and invasive species.

Invasive woody plants from Europe and Asia tend to be more productive than co-occurring native species in deciduous forests of Eastern North America, but community-scale drivers of invasion success remain unknown. If increased productivity in invaders relative to natives comes at the expense of reduced relative allocation to defenses, generalist herbivores may preferentially consume invasive species, potentially reducing the effectiveness of invader growth advantage. We compared leaf traits related to herbivory (nitrogen concentration, total phenolics, cellulose and lignin concentrations, and leaf dry matter content) in 20 phylogenetically paired native and non-native, invasive species and evaluated species palatability to two generalist herbivores: one non-native (European gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar) and one native (fall webworm, Hyphantria cunia). We also evaluated potential physiological tradeoffs between defense-related leaf traits, leaf production, and carbon storage in this group of species. Invasive plants had higher leaf N and lignin concentrations than related native species (0.5% and 5%, respectively), but gypsy moth and fall webworm growth were not associated with plant nativity. Plant defense traits did not predict differences in gypsy moth growth, but fall webworm growth was marginally negatively associated with leaf N. We found no evidence of tradeoffs between defense-related leaf traits, leaf production, and carbon storage, indicating a limited role for carbon-based tradeoffs relating to growth and herbivory in these species, although other unmeasured carbon pools including reproduction may impact these relationships. Woody invaders continue to spread in Eastern North American forest understories, but we found no evidence of inhibition or facilitation by generalist insect herbivores, despite differences among species in leaf traits associated with defense.
Exploratory behavior and developmental skill acquisition in infants with Down syndrome.

Abstract Infants learn about objects by exploring them. Typically developing infants actively explore objects through visual, manual, and oral modalities. Attenuated exploratory behavior has been observed in various neurodevelopmental disorders, including Down syndrome (DS), presumably limiting learning options. However, a direct link between exploration and overall developmental functioning has not been characterized. This study used a Latent Profile Analysis framework to examine within-syndrome variability in exploratory behavior in infants with DS and the developmental correlates of different exploratory behavior profiles. Participants were 45 infants with DS (CA = 9.58 months; SD = 3.62) who completed an object exploration activity and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III (BSID-III; Bayley, 2006). Exploration behavior was coded for the percentage of time engaged in visual, manual, and oral exploration. Results indicated that a 2-profile solution provided the best model fit for exploratory behavior, yielding profiles that represented either an Active (57.78% of the sample) or a Passive Exploratory (42.22% of the sample) profile. The Active Exploratory profile was associated with significantly higher age equivalent scores on the BSID-III Cognitive, Communication, and Motor domains than the Passive Exploratory profile. Other factors, such as sex and biomedical risk factors, were not associated with exploratory profiles. These findings offer a more nuanced understanding of early within-syndrome heterogeneity in DS, and demonstrate that impoverished early exploratory behavior may serve as an important indicator of increased risk for more pronounced developmental delays in DS.
Breaking the Cycle of "Flood-Rebuild-Repeat": Local and State Options to Improve Substantial Damage and Improvement Standards in the National Flood Insurance Program

Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1968 to reduce flood damages nationwide and ease the Federal government’s financial burden for providing disaster recovery. Due largely to recent flood disasters, the NFIP is over $20.5 billion in debt. A proportionally small number of properties insured through the program, known as “severe repetitive loss” (SRL) properties, are repeatedly flooded, repaired, and rebuilt. These properties contribute disproportionally to the rising debts of the NFIP program. Climate change impacts, including sea level rise, more intense and frequent precipitation events, and increased storm surge, put these already vulnerable properties at even greater risk and will greatly increase the number of properties caught in this cycle of “flood-rebuild-repeat.” The NFIP contains an adaptive mechanism — the substantial improvement/damage (“SI/SD”) standard — which can break the cycle of “flood-rebuild-repeat.” The SI/SD standard requires property owners in the program who are making significant improvements or repairs to structures in areas most vulnerable to flooding to take certain measures to mitigate their risk. However, two critical shortcomings of the current FEMA SI/SD definition undermine the effectiveness of program: 1) the SI/SD standard is only triggered when damages or repair work are equal to or exceed 50 percent of the fair market value of the structure, and 2) the regulatory definitions of “substantial improvement” and “substantial damage” do not consider repetitive cumulative repair work or cumulative damage over time. This paper explains how reforming the SI/SD standard to calculate damages cumulatively over time and to be triggered for damages and repair work worth less than 50 percent of the fair market value of the structure can help the NFIP program better weather a changing climate, lessen the taxpayer burden, and increase the safety of homeowners. It analyzes the prevalence of heightened SI/SD standards among NFIP communities and in state model ordinances and discusses the benefits and challenges of implementing more rigorous SI/SD standards.
New developments in acoustofluidics: Understanding and utilization from atomization to nanofluidics

We report new developments in understanding and utilizing acoustofluidics, including atomization devices and physics, interesting new phenomena observed in nanochannels, and entirely new directions of research. In our atomization effort, we have found an absence of bulk turbulence previously posited responsible for capillary wave phenomena that give rise to atomization and find a complex combination of caustics and nonlinear interfacial deformation to be responsible instead. These phenomena are observed on our completely portable micro-scale atomizer devices potentially useful in pulmonary applications. In extending our previous efforts in nanoslit acoustofluidics, we examine droplet manipulation in two-dimensional nanochannel arrays and observe transport at up to 0.1 m/s. Finally, we describe methods and the underpinning physics to integrate acoustofluidics into energy storage systems for a step change in their performance.
Maintaining a Nutritional Diet During and After Active Treatment

As a nurse who cares for mesothelioma patients, diet and nutrition have been an important part of my daily care and assessment of my patient. Over the 12 years that I have worked as a nurse, I have watched and learned the types of nutrition that best facilitate healing in patients recovering from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. As a healthcare professional, I quickly learned that an individual’s diet and nutrition was not only the key to one’s overall health and well-being but how they would respond to their disease process. This chapter addresses the nutritional challenges mesothelioma patients are faced with while offering practical solutions based on my personal experience as a bedside nurse caring for surgical patients and as a nurse coordinator to mesothelioma patients going through all aspects of treatment.
Microtensile characterization of titanium 5111 alloy mechanical properties and comparison of failure mechanisms at two microstructural length scales

Abstract Micro-scale mechanical characterization of materials is a useful technique for understanding local material behavior, particularly where inhomogeneous materials or microstructures are present. In this work, a custom microsample testing system that utilizes digital image correlation (DIC) is used to measure the response of samples that have a 3 mm × 1 mm footprint and a cross sectional gage area of 250 μm × 250 μm. The mechanical behaviors of Ti-5111 base metal and friction stir weld refined microstructures were examined. In a novel use of strain contour mapping, microstructural analysis and measurements were performed directly on microsamples and these results were linked to the fractography and measured properties using the DIC data. Larger variations, in several mechanical properties, were measured in the base metal Ti-5111 than in the weld material. For example, the yield base metal stress was 771 ± 41 MPa versus 828 ± 9 MPa for the weld. These variations were found to be due to the larger colony structure of the wrought plate. The colonies in wrought plate Ti-5111 can be as large as 250 μm and were found to promote the formation of shear bands which resulted in reduced ductility.
A Multi-mode Noise Reference Source for Verifying Different Conducted Emission Setups

This paper describes an improved reference source for conducted emission (CE) testing. It allows for selecting different modes of noise injection. It injects an arbitrary waveform generator signal into a 3-wire power cord. Different from the previous designs, the noise can be injected in four different modes: Line against Neutral; Line against PE; Line and Neutral against PE; and Line, Neutral, and PE against Local GND (i.e., common mode). The source was designed for comparing test setups, and investigating the influencing factors such as table position or cable routing on the resonances.
Latinx with Type 2 Diabetes: Perceptions of Cognitive Health.

Cognitive complaints indicate risk for dementia, but few studies have examined the perspective of cognitive complaints in Latinx with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study explored the meaning of cognitive health from the perspective of Latinx adults with T2DM to assist in detecting problems with diabetes self-management. This was an exploratory qualitative descriptive study using narrative interviews (n = 30) and content analysis. Participants’ mean age was 66 years; mean time with diabetes, 8.7 years; mean A1C, 9.7%. Participants emphasized health as the absence of disease, memory issues as a cognitive compliant, use of cognitive strategies, and the negative effect of cognitive problems on self-management. An additional finding was the impact of ethnic/racial discrimination on health. This study provides insights into cognitive health for Latinxs as well as the negative impact of racism experienced in the US healthcare system and shows that cognitive health assessment and education can positively impact diabetes self-management.
Comparative analysis of HIV/AIDS epidemic situation between local and entry-exit people in Shenzhen

Objective To study the epidemic situation of HIV/AIDS between local and entry-exit people in Shenzhen,analyze the epidemic factors and provide evidences for establishing the preventive measures of HIV/AIDS.Methods The surveillance and the individual investigation data of HIV/AIDS in Shenzhen from 2007 to 2011 were analyzed by descriptive and statistic epidemic methods.Results There were 6735 HIV/AIDS patients in local people and 101 patients in entry-exit people reported from 2007 to 2011.The number of infections increased with years.Most of the infected people aged 20 to 49 years.The male to famale ratios of local and entry-exit people were 3.62∶1 and 4.94∶1(x2 =5.36,P ＜ 0.01) respectively.Heterosexual transmission was the major route of infection,71.00％ of local infections and 49.50％ of entry-exit infections were infected by sexuall transmission.Conclusions The number of local and entry-exit infections increase with years,sexual transmission is still the major route of infection. Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Epidemiology; Local personnel; Entry-exit personnel
An oversimplified picture of the climate behavior based on a single process can lead to distorted conclusions

The nature of the climate system is reviewed. We then review the history of scientific approaches to major problems in climate, noting that the centrality of the contribution of carbon dioxide is relatively recent, and probably inappropriate to much of the Earth’s climate history. The weakness of characterizing the overall climate behavior using only one physical process, globally averaged radiative forcing, is illustrated by considering the role of an equally well-known process, meridional heat transport by hydrodynamic processes which, by changing the equator-to-pole temperature difference, also impact global mean temperature.
How and when to treat the most common adverse effects of antipsychotics: Expert review from research to clinical practice.

Objective As most treatment guidelines for antipsychotics focus on clinical efficacy, we will instead focus on adverse effects and how to manage them. In this review, we aim to provide an up-to-date clinical resource for providers who prescribe antipsychotics and have included here "what's new" and "what to do" for numerous antipsychotic-induced adverse effects. Methods A review was performed of relevant literature, studies, randomized clinical trials, and systematic reviews. This information was combined with the clinical experience of the authors to formulate a practical guide for treating adverse effects of antipsychotics with an emphasis on metabolic and movement disorder adverse effects and brief mention of some others (sedation and sexual dysfunction). Conclusions Antipsychotics are an integral part of psychiatric care and are often prescribed lifelong. When choosing an antipsychotic, special consideration must be given to adverse effects which have an undeniable impact on quality of life and can often be the deciding factor in patients' medication compliance. While patients may respond well to one specific medication, they may still experience adverse effects that lead them to discontinue it or switch to a more tolerable but less effective option. However, strategies do exist for managing and treating adverse effects, especially metabolic and movement adverse effects, allowing better personalization of antipsychotic choice.
What Is the Risk of Stone Recurrence

Stone disease is a widespread and common medical and surgical problem with increasing incidence and prevalence. Multiple factors may have played a role in this increment. Dietary and lifestyle habits are definitively amongst them. Nephrolithiasis is well recognized as a chronic condition with very high risk of recurrence and association with systemic diseases. Patients with previous stone events, combined or individual metabolic risk factors, both older and younger age, and co-morbid conditions, have a higher chance of relapse. Metabolic evaluations of certain individuals and specific elements should be sought out for management of the disease. The main known and recognized metabolic risk factors increasing rates of recurrence are various and include low fluid intake, hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia, hyperoxaluria, hyperuricosuria, and ultimately high supersaturation of the urine. Although analyzed separately, they may all be intermingled. The goals of therapy should be directed towards some of these particular and modifiable risk factors for further prevention. Dietary and lifestyle habit changes are paramount towards these goals. Direct and indirect costs of the disease as well as high impact on the quality of life and functionality of individuals affected by it warrant a thorough follow-up and management by qualified health care providers.
The Classical Ricardian Theory of Comparative Advantage Revisited

According to the classical Ricardian theory of comparative advantage, relative labor productivities determine trade patterns. The Ricardian model plays an important pedagogical role in international economics, but has received scant empirical attention since the 1960s. This paper assesses the contemporary relevance of the Ricardian model for U.S. trade. Cross-section seemingly unrelated regressions of sectoral trade flows on relative labor productivity and unit labor costs are run for a number of countries vis-a-vis the United States. The coefficients are almost always correctly signed and statistically significant, although much of the sectoral variation of trade remains unexplained.
Referential Activity Differentially Mediates Expression of Positive and Negative Emotions in Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a high risk and prevalent personality disorder that is associated with increased negative emotions, decreased positive emotions, and impairments in symbolization and impaired reflective functioning. These dimensions, while they may impact one another, have not been investigated concurrently from qualitative, linguistic narratives. We hypothesized a BPD group would have lower expression of positive emotions and greater expression of negative emotions and less reflective function than healthy controls. Additionally, we explored the role of referential activity (an index of symbolic capacity) between BPD and healthy controls in the context of valenced emotional expression. An adult, female BPD group (n = 13) and a demographically matched healthy control group (n = 14) were recruited and administered the Adult Attachment Interview and/or the Object Relations Inventory. Computerized text analyses were used to assess positive emotion and negative emotion, the Weighted Referential Activity Dictionaries to assess referential activity, and the Computerized Reflective Function dictionary. On the Object Relations Inventory, the BPD group expressed more frequent negative emotions and less frequent positive emotions; on the Adult Attachment Interview, the BPD group exhibited less expression of positive emotions. There were no differences between BPD and controls on referential activity or reflective functioning on either interview. However, BPD status fully mediated the significant relationship between referential activity and negative emotion expression. The BPD group utilized more referential activity when expressing negative emotions than controls. Conversely, the control group utilized more referential activity when expressing positive emotions than controls. Referential activity seems to play an important role in explaining the BPD versus control difference in valenced linguistic emotional expression. Furthermore, these results suggest the object relations inventory elicits more robust linguistic features relevant to BPD.
Weathering the Next Recession: How Prepared are the 50 States?

Rainy day funds are one tool that most US states use to help mitigate the fiscal stress caused by economic slowdowns that reduce state government revenue. Past research I did with Gary Wagner uses a switching regression to estimate parameters in order to form a distribution of potential budget shortfalls for each state. This paper updates those results to include postGreat Recession data. A comparison of this distribution to the actual amount of savings that states have accumulated allows an assessment of how prepared each state is for an economic downturn and the resulting decline in tax revenues. What ability do states have to weather economic downturns without raising taxes or reducing spending? States are ranked based on their current ability to weather future economic downturns.
Is a Prescribed Fire Sufficient to Slow the Spread of Woody Plants in an Infrequently Burned Grassland? A Case Study in Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract In many mesic grasslands, such as the central Great Plains in North America, frequent fire is a key regulator of ecological processes. Long periods of infrequent fire facilitate the conversion of herbaceous-dominated grassland to woody-dominated shrubland or woodland. At the Konza Prairie Biological Station in northeast Kansas, one infrequently burned portion of the landscape has undergone transformation from grassland to woodland after nearly 30 yr without fire. In Spring 2017, a prescribed burn was implemented to assess fire effectiveness on woody plant mortality. A postfire census of 3 000+ individual woody plants identified the distribution of species by size (height), topographic position, and slope on the landscape. Mortality and canopy fire damage were calculated for each individual. In lowland locations with near-continuous shrub cover (30.7% of the landscape), woody plants were unaffected by fire. However, in upland and slope locations, where shrubs and trees were sparser, survival probability varied by topographic position and species. In these locations 68% of all woody individuals experienced 90% or greater fire damage to the canopy, with 56% of these individuals exhibiting new canopy regrowth within 2 mo after the fire. The two most abundant woody shrubs, Cornus drummondii and Rhus aromatica, showed high survival at all height classes and landscape positions. The two abundant tree species, Gleditsia triacanthos and Juniperus virginiana, showed increased survival probability with tree height that varied by landscape position. Survival of J. virginiana also varied according to proximity and size of neighboring clonal shrubs, providing a mechanism for persistence of this fire-sensitive tree species even at small height classes. The probability survival curves developed here are useful for managers assessing when to prescribe fire to maximize mortality for J. virginiana and provide insight relevant for broader ecological understanding of woody encroachment within grasslands throughout the world.
Network analysis of intermediary metabolism using linear optimization. II. Interpretation of hybridoma cell metabolism.

The reaction network of intermediary metabolism in the mammalian cell has been studied using linear optimization. Experimental measurements of metabolite fluxes entering and leaving hybridoma cell line 167.4G5.3 have been used to interpret the interactions of nutrients and the demand for intermediates for growth. We have ascertained the effects of waste production and energy loads on the cell growth rate using linear optimization. This analysis has shown that neither the maintenance demand for ATP nor the antibody production rate limit growth rate at normal experimental conditions. In addition, the cell uses its nutrients for growth with only 57–78% efficiency, due to the large secretion of alanine. The sensitivity of the growth rate with respect to the demand for cofactors and the supply of nutrients is given by the shadow price for each constraint. The shadow prices have shown that amino acids are the limiting nutrients at experimental conditions. The sensitivities of the growth rate to flux through reactions, given by the reduced costs, have shown that flux through the reaction glutamate dehyrogenase may actually slow down cell growth. We have also found that intermediates with lower shadow prices, and thus with lower value to the cell, are the precursors to compounds secreted from the cell. The shadow prices are also a means for comparing the costs of synthesizing various intermediates in terms of the two major nutrients, glucose and glutamine. At anaerobic conditions, glucose and glutamine have similar values to the cell, and the cost to synthesize most intermediates in terms of glucose is identical to the cost in terms of glutamine. At aerobic conditions, glucose is nearly twice as valuable to the cell as glutamine.
Discriminative Learning for Deformable Shape Segmentation: A Comparative Study

We present a comparative study on how to use discriminative learning methods such as classification, regression, and ranking to address deformable shape segmentation. Traditional generative models and energy minimization methods suffer from local minima. By casting the segmentation into a discriminative framework, the target fitting function can be steered to possess a desired shape for ease of optimization yet better characterize the relationship between shape and appearance. To address the high-dimensional learning challenge present in the learning framework, we use a multi-level approach to learning discriminative models. Our experimental results on left ventricle segmentation from ultrasound images and facial feature point localization demonstrate that the discriminative models outperform generative models and energy minimization methods by a large margin.
Poly(Ferulic acid) by thionyl chloride activated polycondensation

Ferulic acid (= 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid) was condensation polymerized at temperatures between 0 and 50°C in bulk or various solvents, using thionyl chloride as activator in the presence or absence of bases. Depending on reaction conditions, true relative yields up to 100% and reduced viscosities (at 0,005 g/mL solute concentration) up to 96 mL/g were observed. The polycondensation follows a 2-stage kinetics.
Crop Models for Varying Environmental Conditions

New variable environment Modified Energy Cascade (MEC) crop models were developed for all the Advanced Life Support (ALS) candidate crops and implemented in SIMULINK. The MEC models are based on the Volk, Bugbee, and Wheeler Energy Cascade (EC) model and are derived from more recent Top-Level Energy Cascade (TLEC) models. The MEC models simulate crop plant responses to day-to-day changes in photosynthetic photon flux, photoperiod, carbon dioxide level, temperature, and relative humidity. The original EC model allows changes in light energy but uses a less accurate linear approximation. The simulation outputs of the new MEC models for constant nominal environmental conditions are very similar to those of earlier EC models that use parameters produced by the TLEC models. There are a few differences. The new MEC models allow setting the time for seed emergence, have realistic exponential canopy growth, and have corrected harvest dates for potato and tomato. The new MEC models indicate that the maximum edible biomass per meter squared per day is produced at the maximum allowed carbon dioxide level, the nominal temperatures, and the maximum light input. Reducing the carbon dioxide level from the maximum to the minimum allowed in the model reduces crop production significantly. Increasing temperature decreases production more than it decreases the time to harvest, so productivity in edible biomass per meter squared per day is greater at nominal than maximum temperatures, The productivity in edible biomass per meter squared per day is greatest at the maximum light energy input allowed in the model, but the edible biomass produced per light energy input unit is lower than at nominal light levels. Reducing light levels increases light and power use efficiency. The MEC models suggest we can adjust the light energy day-to- day to accommodate power shortages or Lise excess power while monitoring and controlling edible biomass production.
The Great Southwest of the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railway

The Great Southwest of the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railway. Edited by Marta Weigle and Barbara A. Babcock. PhoeniX: The Heard Museum, 1996. Distributed by The University of Arizona Press. 254 pp., 138 b/w illustrations, appendix, bibliography, index. $24.95 (paper).
Introducing the cultural variables in school-based substance abuse prevention

AbstractAdolescent substance abuse is a global problem which educators have sought to address through school-based preventive education. Prior research suggests that cultural sensitivity may mediate program success; however the ideal program composition remains unclear. Thus, the purpose of this review is to identify the cultural variables used in the adaptation of substance abuse prevention programs and to evaluate whether the inclusion of such variables enhance program outcomes. We reviewed 58 articles describing study design, results and the cultural variables involved. Cultural variables were categorized as surface-level variables (e.g. language, character names) and deep-level variables (e.g. normative beliefs, motivational factors). Empirical studies implied that variations in language, communication preferences, level of individualism, family orientation, religiosity, norms regarding substance use, gender, ethnic identity and environmental accessibility were possibly related to overall program succ...
Rooted in America: Foodlore of Popular Fruits and Vegetables

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 1999 Pages: xiii + 239 Publisher: University of Tennessee Press Prices: $16.95 US
Multiperiod Stock Allocation via Robust Optimization

We consider a one-warehouse, N-retailer, multiperiod, stock allocation problem in which holding costs are identical at each location and no stock is received from outside suppliers for the duration of the planning horizon. No shipments are allowed between retailers. The only motive for holding inventory at the central warehouse for allocation in future periods is the so-called risk pooling motive. We apply robust optimization to this problem extending the inventory policy to allow for an adaptive, nonanticipatory shipment policy. We consider two alternatives for the uncertainty set, one in which risk pooling is implicit and another for which risk pooling is explicit. The explicit risk pooling uncertainty set grows by no more than the square of the number of retailers. The general problem can be solved using Benders’ decomposition. A special case gives rise to closed-form solutions for both uncertainty set alternatives. The explicit risk pooling uncertainty set leads to a square root law in which the optim...
Quality of indexing in online data bases

Abstract We describe practical tests by which the quality of subject indexing in online bibliographic data bases can be compared and judged. The tests are illustrated with 18 clusters of documents from the medical behavioral science literature and with terms drawn from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, and Excerpta Medica. Each test involves obtaining a cluster of about five documents known on some grounds to be related in subject matter, and retrieving their descriptors from at least two data bases. We then tabulate the average number of descriptors applied to the documents, the number of descriptors applied to all and to a majority of the documents in the cluster, and the relative rarity of the applied descriptors. Comparable statistics emerge on how each data base links related documents and discriminates broadly and finely among documents. We also gain qualitative insights into the expressiveness and pertinence of the available indexing terms.
Attention and memory in children and adults in context-interactive and context-independent situations

Abstract The relation between attention to target and context information and target recall in an incidental learning task for children and adults was examined in seven experiments. In Experiment 1, second- and sixth-graders and college adults were presented with hard (e.g., hawk eagle canary), easy (river lake canary), or unrelated (river pencil canary) word triplets, varying in the difficulty of identifying the “odd” target word (canary), and were required to identify the target themselves (oddity choice), or such identification was optional, since the experimenter identified the target (read). Trial duration was either 3 or 7 s. The attentional patterns varied with triplet type, orienting activity, and trial duration. Most important, target and incidental context word recall seemed to vary directly with the extent of the interactive processing of context and target conceptual information, and the adults seemed more disposed to do such processing than the children. These results support a distinction between context-interactive and context-independent situations and suggest that the attentional patterns that are efficient for memory may differ with the kind of situation. The other experiments extend and establish the generality of these results.
The Dairy Goat as a Model in Lactation Studies

The dairy goat has been used widely in lactation research due in large part to availability, convenience in size and handling, economic considerations, and similarity to the cow as a ruminant species in general and metabolic processes. Considerable basic knowledge of lactation relating to all species has been derived from studies with goats. Although the gross composition of goat and cow milk is similar, significant differences reflect differing synthetic functions. Caution is necessary in using the goat as a model for the dairy cow where differences occur. Some are obvious such as the gross structure of the mammary gland and differing milk constituents. Others are more subtle, such as the susceptibility to metabolic diseases associated with lactation and differing rates of metabolism affecting transfer of dietary and administered materials into milk.
Wage Dispersion and Unionism: Do Unions Protect Low Pay?

Existing research concerning the impact of unions on relative wages provides evidence for the existence of significant union/non‐union wage differentials. However, union practices are deemed to have a more pervasive effect on the overall distribution of wages, reducing wage differentials across and within establishments. Attempts to explore union effects on wage dispersion in the context of the Italian labour market. Several indicators of wage dispersion are computed, using both industry and establishment level data, in the attempt to ascertain the different routes through which union presence affects the structure of wages. The empirical evidence shows that Italian trade unions have pursued “egalitarian” objectives and have succeeded in shaping pay policies which, through central and local negotiations, raise low wages and reduce wage differentials both among skill categories and across establishments.
The effect of the hydrophobic environment on the retro-aldol reaction: comparison to a computationally-designed enzyme

Recent work on a computationally-designed retroaldolase RA-61 suggested that most of the rate-acceleration brought about by this enzyme was due to non-specific interactions with the aromatic substrate. To provide a benchmark for the role of non-specific interactions in this system, we measured the second-order rate constant for the amine-catalysed retro-aldol reaction of methodol in the presence of non-specific hydrophobic pockets such as micelles. We found that a simple micellar system, that consists of a positively-charged surfactant and a long-chain amine, can accelerate the retro-aldol reaction of methodol by 9500-fold. This effect rivals the 105-fold rate acceleration of RA-61. Similar results were obtained with BSA used as the catalyst, implying that the retro-aldol reaction of methodol can be greatly accelerated by non-specific hydrophobic pockets that contain an amino group.
Control of the Morphology of Complex Semiconductor Nanocrystals with a Type II Heterojunction, Dots vs Peanuts, by Thermal Cycling

Type II CdSe/CdTe core/shell nanocrystals with a dot shape were synthesized using a modified SILAR technique that incorporates cycling of the reaction temperature (thermal cycling). Conversely, experimental results revealed that the standard SILAR alone produced type II core/shell nanocrystals in a peanut shape (1D). Despite their differences in shape, the optical properties observed for the type II dot- and peanut-shaped core/shell nanocrystals were similar. The dot-shaped nanocrystals were confirmed as core/shell structures with an abrupt type II heterojunction within the experimental accuracy, and the peanut-shaped ones were found to be consistent with CdSe and CdTe separated on the two ends of the rods. Similar techniques were used for the synthesis of CdS/CdSe/CdTe type II colloidal quantum well heterostructures with dot and peanut shapes. For these type II colloidal quantum well structures, the PL peak positions were shown to be readily tunable by varying the CdSe and CdTe shell thickness, something...
Effects of different dusts on respiratory carcinogenesis in hamsters induced by benzo(a)pyrene and diethylnitrosamine

Abstract The modes of interaction between (a) subcutaneously injected diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and intratracheally instilled ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ); and (b) benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) and dusts; namely, Fe 2 O 3 , aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) or carbon (C) intratracheally instilled, were studied in Syrian golden hamsters. The objective was to determine whether or not an initiation-promotion type relationship existed. DEN alone induced laryngeal and tracheal papillomas and, when followed by Fe 2 O 3 , elicited lung tumors. These tumors may be auto-tranplanted tumors. Fe 2 O 3 followed by DEN treatment, and simultaneous DEN/Fe 2 O 3 treatment produced tumors of the larynx and trachea in the same way as DEN alone. Single applications of DEN and of Fe 2 O 3 induced 1 tracheal papilloma. A number of forestomach papillomas, as well as other tumors, such as adrenal cortex adenomas, were seen in treated groups and in similar numbers in the untreated controls. Repeated applications of B(a)P alone and Fe 2 O 3 given before or after B(a)P failed to induce more than a few laryngeal and tracheal tumors. A significant number of tumors occurred only when both agents, B(a)P and dust, were administered simultaneously. Thus, no significant initiating-promoting action by dusts on DEN or B(a)P-induced lung tumorigenesis in the respiratory tract of Syrian golden hamsters was observed. It is concluded that Fe 2 O 3 acts as a carrier agent, enhancing the effects of B(a)P.
Children's film as an instrument of moral education

This paper explores two philosophical treasures that we often neglect: the moral faculties of children and the pedagogic virtues of film. My thesis consists of three primary claims: (1) when properly educated, children are capable of thinking critically about ethical issues; (2) moral edification ought to have the dual aims of developing this capacity and educating the emotions; and (3) given these aims, the children's film genre is a surprisingly apposite tool for aiding the moral instruction of pre‐adolescents. I advance arguments for positions (1), (2) and (3), while considering objections to each view. I conclude the paper by illustrating how one film, the 2007 Disney Production, Bridge to Terabithia, exemplifies the instructional virtues enumerated in (2).