cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structured search result differentiation

Studies show that about 50% of web search is for information exploration purpose, where a user would like to investigate, compare, evaluate, and synthesize multiple relevant results. Due to the absence of general tools that can effectively analyze and differentiate multiple results, a user has to manually read and comprehend potentially large results in an exploratory search. Such a process is time consuming, labor intensive and error prone. With meta information embedded, keyword search on structured data provides the potential for automating or semi-automating the comparison of multiple results.In this paper we present an approach for differentiating search results on structured data. We define the differentiability of query results and quantify the degree of difference. Then we define the problem of identifying a limited number of valid features in a result that can maximally differentiate this result from the others, which is proved to be NP-hard. We propose two local optimality conditions, namely single-swap and multi-swap. Efficient algorithms are designed to achieve local optimality. To show the applicability of our approach, we implemented a system XRed for XML result differentiation. Our empirical evaluation verifies the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Behavioral synthesis for FPGA-based computing

We describe how a behavioral synthesis system can be used to create designs for FPGA-based computing systems directly from a specification of the desired algorithm. This higher level of specification reduces design times and design errors. Our target hardware is called the Rasa Board and is composed of three Xilinx FPGAs interconnected with Aptix Field Programmable Interconnect Chips. We address two significant challenges in this research effort: the synthesis of multiple FPGA designs, and the improvement of the design through designer interaction. >
Structure modeling of all identified G protein-coupled receptors in the human genome.

G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), encoded by about 5% of human genes, comprise the largest family of integral membrane proteins and act as cell surface receptors responsible for the transduction of endogenous signal into a cellular response. Although tertiary structural information is crucial for function annotation and drug design, there are few experimentally determined GPCR structures. To address this issue, we employ the recently developed threading assembly refinement (TASSER) method to generate structure predictions for all 907 putative GPCRs in the human genome. Unlike traditional homology modeling approaches, TASSER modeling does not require solved homologous template structures; moreover, it often refines the structures closer to native. These features are essential for the comprehensive modeling of all human GPCRs when close homologous templates are absent. Based on a benchmarked confidence score, approximately 820 predicted models should have the correct folds. The majority of GPCR models share the characteristic seven-transmembrane helix topology, but 45 ORFs are predicted to have different structures. This is due to GPCR fragments that are predominantly from extracellular or intracellular domains as well as database annotation errors. Our preliminary validation includes the automated modeling of bovine rhodopsin, the only solved GPCR in the Protein Data Bank. With homologous templates excluded, the final model built by TASSER has a global Cα root-mean-squared deviation from native of 4.6 A, with a root-mean-squared deviation in the transmembrane helix region of 2.1 A. Models of several representative GPCRs are compared with mutagenesis and affinity labeling data, and consistent agreement is demonstrated. Structure clustering of the predicted models shows that GPCRs with similar structures tend to belong to a similar functional class even when their sequences are diverse. These results demonstrate the usefulness and robustness of the in silico models for GPCR functional analysis. All predicted GPCR models are freely available for noncommercial users on our Web site (http://www.bioinformatics.buffalo.edu/GPCR).
The Drosophila neural lineages: a model system to study brain development and circuitry

In Drosophila, neurons of the central nervous system are grouped into units called lineages. Each lineage contains cells derived from a single neuroblast. Due to its clonal nature, the Drosophila brain is a valuable model system to study neuron development and circuit formation. To better understand the mechanisms underlying brain development, genetic manipulation tools can be utilized within lineages to visualize, knock down, or over-express proteins. Here, we will introduce the formation and development of lineages, discuss how one can utilize this model system, offer a comprehensive list of known lineages and their respective markers, and then briefly review studies that have utilized Drosophila neural lineages with a look at how this model system can benefit future endeavors.
Preliminary proper motion analysis of the Carina dwarf spheroidal

We present preliminary results from a proper motion study of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Our proper motions show a scatter of ∼1.1 mas yr−1 per Carina member star, and we determinate the mean ensemble motion to an accuracy of ∼7 mas century−1 . While this is a precise measurement of the relative proper motions of Carina members, our correction to an absolute frame is limited by the small number of measured QSOs in the field.
Effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on T cell activation and T cell receptor-mediated signaling in a murine model.

A short-term feeding paradigm in mice, with diets enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), was used to study the modulation of T cell activation via the T cell receptor (TcR) and the downstream pathways of intracellular signaling. Diets enriched in EPA and DHA suppressed antigen-specific delayed hypersensitivity reactions and mitogen-induced proliferation of T cells. Cocultures of accessory cells and T cells from mice given different diets revealed that purified fatty acid ethyl esters acted directly on the T cell, rather than through the accessory cell. The loss of proliferative capacity was accompanied by reductions in interleukin (IL)-2 secretion and IL-2 receptor alpha chain mRNA transcription, suggesting that dietary EPA and DHA act, in part, by interrupting the autocrine IL-2 activation pathway. Dietary EPA and DHA blunted the production of intracellular second messengers, including diacylglycerol and ceramide, following mitogen stimulation in vitro. Dietary effects appear to vary with the agonist employed (i.e., anti-CD3 [TcR], anti-CD28, exogenous IL-2, or phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin).
Motor Adaptation Scaled by the Difficulty of a Secondary Cognitive Task

Background: Motor learning requires evaluating performance in previous movements and modifying future movements. The executive system, generally involved in planning and decision-making, could monitor and modify behavior in response to changes in task difficulty or performance. Here we aim to identify the quantitative cognitive contribution to responsive and adaptive control to identify possible overlap between cognitive and motor processes. Methodology/Principal Findings: We developed a dual-task experiment that varied the trial-by-trial difficulty of a secondary cognitive task while participants performed a motor adaptation task. Subjects performed a difficulty-graded semantic categorization task while making reaching movements that were occasionally subjected to force perturbations. We find that motor adaptation was specifically impaired on the most difficult to categorize trials. Conclusions/Significance: We suggest that the degree of decision-level difficulty of a particular categorization differentially burdens the executive system and subsequently results in a proportional degradation of adaptation. Our results suggest a specific quantitative contribution of executive control in motor adaptation.
Predictors of Career Satisfaction Among Practicing Psychologists

Are psychologists satisfied with their careers? The present study sought to answer this question and to understand factors that relate to high levels of career satisfaction. Data from 595 respondents of a national survey of practicing psychologists indicated that, consistent with past research, psychologists tend to be satisfied with their careers. To investigate factors that predict high levels of satisfaction, two groups of psychologists were identified: a high-satisfaction group (n 129) and a moderate-satisfaction group (n 102). Optimal data analysis (ODA) was then used to identify single variables, as well as combinations of personal and professional factors, that maximized classification accuracy in predicting high versus moderate career satisfaction. Percentage of direct-pay clients, work–life balance strategies, control at work, and reflecting on satisfying work experiences emerged as important predictors. Specific recommendations for practitioners are discussed.
Robust crease detection and curvature estimation of piecewise smooth surfaces from triangle mesh approximations using normal voting

In this paper, we describe a robust method for the estimation of curvature on a triangle mesh, where this mesh is a discrete approximation of a piecewise smooth surface. The proposed method avoids the computationally expensive process of surface fitting and instead employs normal voting to achieve robust results. This method detects crease discontinuities on the surface to improve estimates near those creases. Using a voting scheme, the algorithm estimates both principal curvatures and principal directions for smooth patches. The entire process requires one user parameter-the voting neighborhood size, which is a function of sampling density, feature size, and measurement noise. We present results for both synthetic and real data and compare these results to an existing algorithm developed by Taubin (1995).
Carbon‐isotopic analysis of microbial cells sorted by flow cytometry

One of the outstanding current problems in both geobiology and environmental microbiology is the quantitative analysis of in situ microbial metabolic activities. Techniques capable of such analysis would have wide application, from quantifying natural rates of biogeochemical cycling to identifying the metabolic activity of uncultured organisms. We describe here a method that represents one step towards that goal, namely the high-precision measurement of ^(13)C in specific populations of microbial cells that are purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Sorted cells are concentrated on a Teflon membrane filter, and their ^(13)C content is measured by coupling an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with a home-built spooling wire microcombustion (SWiM) apparatus. The combined instrumentation provides measurements of δ^(13)C in whole cells with precision better than 0.2‰ for samples containing as little as 25 ng of carbon. When losses associated with sample handling are taken into account, isotopic analyses require sorting roughly 10^4 eukaryotic or 10^7 bacterial cells per sample. Coupled with ^(13)C-labelled substrate additions, this approach has the potential to directly quantify uptake of metabolites in specific populations of sorted cells. The high precision afforded by SWiM-IRMS also permits useful studies of natural abundance variations in ^(13)C. The approach is equally applicable to specific populations of cells sorted from multicellular organisms.
Hypersensitiveness to acetyl salicylic acid expressed by an angina pectoris syndrome with and without urticaria

Abstract Three cases of hypersensitivity to acetyl salicylic acid expressed by an angina pectoris syndrome—in two cases accompanied by urticaria—are reported. None of the characteristic signs of a myomalacia cordis were present. A study of one case showed definite allergic manifestations and definite electrocardiographic changes in the attack produced by the ingestion of acetyl salicylic acid. The electrocardiographic changes disappeared before the subsidence of the reaction. This syndrome in this individual was produced with every administration of acetyl salicylic acid and was, to some degree, controlled by the administration of adrenalin. There were evidences of preexisting cardiovascular disease in all three cases.
Power and Control in the Legal System From Marriage/Relationship to Divorce and Custody

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which abuse that occurred during marriage/relationship continued within divorce and custody-related legal proceedings. Twenty-seven women participated in semistructured interviews. Interviews were analyzed utilizing a grounded theory approach in order to inductively arrive at a theory explaining how abuse dynamics may continue during legal proceedings. Participants identified child support litigation, custody and visitation battles, intimidation/harassment, deliberately prolonging the case, manipulating finances, and distortions of information as methods by which their exes sought to maintain power and control. Counseling implications are described.
Layer-by-layer nanoscale-coating of microparticles with a droplet microfluidic device

This paper reports a method for the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) nanoscale coating of microparticles using a droplet microfluidic device for the first time. This so-called droplet-LbL PDMS microfluidic device consists of a droplet generator and a mixing channel. The nanoscale coating of PDDA layer on the charged microparticles called polymethacrylate has been successfully demonstrated, resulting in the change of their surface potential from -46.51 mV to 44.78 mV. The successful coating is also confirmed by the fluorescence image of microparticles coated with FITC-labeled protamine sulphate. Multiple-layers coating can be achieved by cascading the droplet generators and mixing channel with properly designed integrated rinsing components, which is under development.
Difficult medical problems: on explanatory models and a pragmatic alternative.

Summary Despite the significant improvements in the treatment of many pathologic processes witnessed over the past century, some particularly difficult medical problems persist. Some of these problems, perhaps best exemplified by chronic low back pain/degenerative disc disease, are characterized by unclear underlying etiologies and less than desirable outcomes of treatment in spite of considerable intellectual and financial investment. Faced with these disorders, many physicians rely on ‘explanatory models’, such as the traditional Biomedical model or the Biopsychosocial model, to provide a perspective from which to aim research, diagnosis, and treatment programs. The strength of the Biomedical model is its proven success as a roadmap for diagnosis and treatment of a multitude of diseases over the past two centuries. Its weakness lies in its failure to fully include psychosocial factors which have proven to be powerful co-factors of disease in modern society. The Biopsychosocial model has filled this void, but carries with it the potential to blur more straightforward biomedical models of causation (and their straight-forward treatments), questions about whether it is a falsifiable scientific theory, and whether it further ‘medicalizes’ those being treated. In this paper, we expand and detail the strengths and weaknesses of using these explanatory models and conclude by presenting a ‘pragmatic alternative’ hypothesis.
The Effect of Nonviolent Action on Social Attitudes

Nonviolent action will produce attitude change to the exlent that it satisfies either or both of two prerequisites. It must either interfere with the functions served by the attitudes or it must produce some inconsistency between the attitudes and other orientations of the persons affected by the action. The three major functions served by attitudes are object orientation, ego-support, and ego-defense. For many social attitudes the ego-support provided by attitudes which help define a person's relation to a reference group is especially powerful, Functions may be blocked by a particular set of conditions, which may have little in common with one another. Inconsistencies may occur among different attitudes or among the components of a single attitude. One class of inconsistencies that is of particular importance occurs when people are persuaded or mildly pressured into action contrary to their attitudes. Each of the sources of attitude change pressure carries its own requirements for producing change and its own mechanisms for protecting attitudes against change pressures. Nonviolent action does not necessarily meet these requirements or overcome the defenses. However, with knowledge of the functional bases and conceptual contexts of the attitudes being challenged it may be possible to utilize the resources present in nonviolent action to increase the likelihood of a desirable impact.
A Transformative Rationale

The rationale for my recommending a transformative over a reproductive relationship between psychology and society emerges both from a consideration of the effects of the particular underlying organizational principle of contemporary society and the values embedded in the emancipatory interest previously considered: that people employ their self-reflective abilities to determine the conditions that determine them.
Modular Sum-Defined Neighbor-Distinguishing Colorings

While Chap. 2 dealt with sum-defined vertex-distinguishing edge colorings whose colors are positive integers, Chap. 3 considered corresponding edge colorings whose colors are elements of the integers modulo k for some integer k ≥ 2.
A new flexible dependence measure for semi‐competing risks

Semi-competing risks data are often encountered in chronic disease follow-up studies that record both nonterminal events (e.g., disease landmark events) and terminal events (e.g., death). Studying the relationship between the nonterminal event and the terminal event can provide insightful information on disease progression. In this article, we propose a new sensible dependence measure tailored to addressing such an interest. We develop a nonparametric estimator, which is general enough to handle both independent right censoring and left truncation. Our strategy of connecting the new dependence measure with quantile regression enables a natural extension to adjust for covariates with minor additional assumptions imposed. We establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators and develop inferences accordingly. Simulation studies suggest good finite-sample performance of the proposed methods. Our proposals are illustrated via an application to Denmark diabetes registry data.
Spatially offset raman spectroscopy for non-invasive assessment of fracture healing

Fracture non-unions and bone re-fracture are common challenges for post-fracture management. To achieve better prognosis and treatment evaluation, it is important to be able to assess the quality of callus over the time course of healing. This study evaluated the potential of spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for assessing the fracture healing process in situ. We investigated a rat model of fracture healing at two weeks and 4 weeks post fracture with a fractured femur and a contralateral control in each animal. Raman spectra were collected from the depilated thighs on both sides transcutaneously in situ with various source/detection offsets. Bone signals were recovered from SORS spectra, and then compared with those collected from bare bones. The relative intensity of mineral from fractured bone was markedly decreased compared to the control. The fractured bones demonstrated lower mineral and carbonate level and higher collagen content in the callus at the early time point. Compared to week 2, collagen mineralization and mineral carbonation increased at 4 weeks post fracture. Similarly, the material properties of callus determined by reference point indentation also increased in the 4-week group, indicating improved callus quality with time. The results from Raman analysis are in agreement with radiographic and material testing, indicating the potential of this technique in assessing fracture healing in vivo.
Effect of IL-1β on CRE-dependent gene expression in human airway smooth muscle cells

IL-1β inhibits isoproterenol (ISO)-induced relaxation of cultured human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. The purpose of this study was to determine whether IL-1β can also suppress ISO-induced cAM...
Recent developments in applications of high performance iron powder cores

For soft magnetic materials,the magnetic flux density and operating frequency as well as their application fields were illustrated and compared.The applications of iron powder cores with high properties in DC brush motor rotors and diesel injector system were introduced.
Organic osmolytes in inner medulla of Brattleboro rat: effects of ADH and dehydration

Inner medullary methylamine [glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) and glycine betaine (betaine)] and polyol [sorbitol and myo-inositol (inositol)] osmolytes were measured in water-restricted and antidiuretic hormone (ADH)-infused Brattleboro (DI) rats. Compared with DI rats allowed water ad libitum, rats dehydrated for 3 days had higher urinary osmolality (Uosmol) (812 vs. 239 mosmol/kgH2O) and plasma osmolality (Posmol) (333 vs. 296 mosmol/kgH2O). Dehydration reduced betaine content (36 vs. 66 nmol/mg protein) but had no significant effect on GPC, sorbitol, or inositol. In separate protocols, DI rats, allowed water ad libitum, were infused for either 3 or 12 days with either ADH in saline (+ADH) or saline alone (-ADH). Compared with -ADH controls, 3- or 12-day ADH-infused rats were antidiuretic (Uosmol, 1,000-1,300 mosmol/kgH2O) but not dehydrated (Posmol, 297-300 mosmol/kgH2O). Three days of ADH infusion caused an increase in GPC (340%), betaine (80%), and sorbitol (248%) but not in inositol. After 12 days of ADH, further increases were observed in GPC (730%) and sorbitol (870%); inositol was also elevated (170%), whereas betaine was unchanged. Consequently, the total osmolyte content was significantly higher in +ADH than in -ADH [449 vs. 256 (3 days) and 778 vs. 199 (12 day) nmol/mg protein], whereas total osmolyte levels in dehydrated and control rats were similar (222 vs. 219 nmol/mg protein).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fertility issues in the therapy of nonseminomatous testicular tumors.

Given the data described herein, there is reason for even greater optimism about the possibility of fertility among patients with testicular cancer. Fertility issues have been and will continue to be important as different therapies for nonseminomatous cancer are proposed. For example, we previously calculated that the difference in fertility between patients who are treated with expectant therapy versus lymph-adenectomy for clinical stage I disease was only 16 patients in favor of expectant therapy. If new data on relapse rates after expectant therapy (e.g., 30 per cent) and better ejaculation preservation rates after lymphadenectomy (e.g., 85 per cent) are incorporated into this calculation, the number benefited falls to 6 patients. It has also been proposed that patients with low-volume stage IIB disease should receive initial chemotherapy and that lymphadenectomy should be reserved for those patients with residual disease. Applying these calculations along with certain additional assumptions, the difference in fertility between these two treatment alternatives is only 4 patients in favor of initial chemotherapy (P.H. Lange; manuscript in preparation). However, this approach has significantly greater toxicity. Much more must be done to improve our understanding and management of infertility in patients with testicular cancer. Additional tasks include the need to establish the exact ratio of patients with testicular cancer who have infertility that precedes or is a result of their disease, and to develop methods for predicting fertility status so that treatment can be tailored accordingly. Also, we must consolidate and improve the indications, techniques, and results for fertility-sparing lymphadenectomy in ways that have been described herein. In addition, the exact damage-to-benefit ratio for the number of courses and types of chemotherapy administered to patients will need to be studied carefully and prospectively, preferably in cooperative groups. The accelerating advances in in vitro fertilization and cryopreservation must be watched carefully, and their application to appropriate patients with nonseminomatous cancer should be encouraged. Cryopreservation before therapy should continue to be advocated. All of these tasks are extremely difficult because they require precise analysis of carefully generated statistics and difficult judgments about individual human values.
Timmy’s in the well: Empathy and prosocial helping in dogs

Dogs are thought to evaluate humans’ emotional states, and attend more to crying people than to humming people. However, it is unclear whether dogs would go beyond focusing attention on humans in need by providing more substantive help to them. This study used a trapped-other paradigm, modified from use in research on rats, to study prosocial helping in dogs. A human trapped behind a door either cried or hummed, and the dog’s behavioral and physiological responses (i.e., door opening and heart rate variability) were recorded. Then, dogs participated in an impossible task to evaluate gaze at the owner as a measure of the strength of their relationship with their owner. Dogs in the distress condition opened at the same frequency, but significantly more quickly, than dogs in the control condition. In the distress condition, the dogs that opened showed lower levels of stress and were able to suppress their own distress response, thus enabling them to open the door more quickly. In the control condition, opening was not related to the dog’s stress level and may have instead been motivated by curiosity or a desire for social contact. Results from the impossible task suggest that openers in the distress condition may have a stronger bond with their owner than non-openers, while non-openers in the control condition showed a stronger bond than openers, which may further suggest that the trapped-other paradigm is reflective of empathy.
Cancer: Bad blood promotes tumour progression.

Mutations that drive the abnormal expansion of progenitor subpopulations of blood cells are known to cause leukaemia. A genetic analysis reveals that these clonal blood stem-cell mutations are also common in people who have solid tumours.
Discrimination, Subjective Wellbeing, and the Role of Gender: A Mediation Model of LGB Minority Stress

The present study examined the link between discrimination and the three components of subjective wellbeing (positive and negative affect and life satisfaction) among a cisgender sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Specifically, we investigated internalized homonegativity and expectations of rejection as potential mediators of the links between discrimination and subjective wellbeing among a sample of 215 participants. Results from our structural equation model demonstrated a strong, positive direct link between discrimination and negative affect. Discrimination also had small, negative indirect effects on life satisfaction through our two mediators. Interestingly, neither discrimination nor our two mediators were related with positive affect, demonstrating the need for future research to uncover potential buffers of this link. Finally, our model evidenced configural, metric, and scalar invariance, suggesting that our model applies well for both women and men. Practical implications and future directions for research are discussed.
Continuation, Adaptation Studies, and the Never-Finished Text

This chapter explores the usefulness of Gerard Genette’s work on transtextuality for adaptation studies, arguing in particular for the understanding of all texts as only provisionally singular, that is, as inherently disposed toward extension of different kinds, including transmedial adaptation. Further, this chapter seeks to historicize the dominant view of textuality as either monadic or, indeed, as Genette’s work implies, dyadic, through a focus on the notion of “continuation,” which in certain traditions encourages an extensive and ever-expandable multiplicitousness (including medieval Arthurian romance). If texts are by their nature unfinished, then adaptation does not represent the “fall” of an honored original into unauthorized secondariness, but rather the value-neutral extension always already at the heart of any textual tradition. Thus the question of “fidelity” must be historicized rather than essentialized, as the case history of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon exemplifies.
Discovery of Novel Genes and Other Lineage-Specific Features Through Comparative Genomics

Abstract We are broadly interested in how genomic features that are unique to a given species or lineage may be associated with behavioral phenotypes uniquely expressed by that species or lineage. We discuss how we utilize comparative genomics to identify novel genes or paralogs uniquely present in a given species or lineage of interest. Our strategy relies extensively on local and comparative genomic alignments of gene predictions using the BLAST-like alignment tool (BLAT), in conjunction with extensive and thorough examination of alignments and synteny to verify or disprove orthology. Follow-ups include examination of conserved domains and gene expression analysis in relevant brain circuits. We have successfully employed this strategy to identify novel genes that are uniquely present in songbirds, a vocal learning group, and expressed in their vocal control circuitry. We expect our strategy to be applicable to other models, and that its systematic application will significantly improve gene annotations in newly assembled genomes of interest.
A Rare Adrenal Incidentaloma That Mimics Adrenocortical Carcinoma.

Objective. We present a case of an adrenal hemangioma, an uncommon cause of an adrenal mass, and review the clinical presentation, work-up, and management of adrenal incidentalomas. Background. A 64-year-old male was found to have a right adrenal incidentaloma during work-up for elevated liver transaminase levels, later found to be from hepatitis C. The mass was suspicious for adrenocortical carcinoma on CT imaging. Biochemical evaluation revealed no evidence of function. He underwent an open right adrenalectomy. The mass was found to be an adrenal hemangioma on histopathologic analysis. Methods. This is a case report with pertinent review of the diagnosis and management of adrenal incidentalomas. Results. Adrenal hemangiomas are rare, benign, nonfunctional tumors typically found during imaging for other reasons. As illustrated by this case, they appear similar to adrenocortical carcinoma on CT imaging. The diagnosis is usually not made prior to surgical resection. Conclusion. Adrenal hemangioma is a rare nonfunctional adrenal incidentaloma that displays atypical features on CT imaging. The suspicion for adrenocortical carcinoma usually prompts adrenalectomy.
Developmental Biology of the Placenta

The placenta is a transient organ consisting of cell types that are unique to eutherian mammals. It is fetal in origin and shares just half of the genome with that of the maternal uterus. Although existing for only 9 months, there are constant morphological and biological fluctuations within the placenta proper and at the interface between the placenta and the maternal endomyometrium. It is at the latter interface that unique fetomaternal tissue remodeling, hormonal regulation, and immunological interactions are regulated in such a delicate balance, so that appropriate maternal support can be delivered to the embryo and the mother does not illicit an immunologic rejection response to the growing gestational structures. Proliferative disorders including tumors arising from the placenta have distinct genetic, biological, and immunological properties that are drastically different from those of the maternal neoplasms. Recent findings of genomic imprinting including imprinted X chromosome inactivation in the placenta and its implication in the pathogenesis of gestational trophoblastic diseases raised some fundamental questions in mammalian biology and oncology.
The Effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the Production of Fuel Ethanol in the U.S.

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, which mandates the commercialization of bio-fuels through 2022, is the U.S.’s most significant renewable energy policy. It was first established in 2005 in order to create a viable market for bio-fuels based on the policy goals of enhancing U.S. energy security, reducing transportation-related GHG emissions, and stimulating rural economic development. In this Paper, we provide the first empirical study addressing whether the RFS is an effective policy instrument to incentivize the efficient development of an economically sustainable bio-fuels industry. Our analysis focuses on data associated with the first-generation bio-ethanol industry and suggests that the RFS contributes to increasing production-related economies of scale. More specifically, our empirical findings suggest that the RFS has a positive significant effect on: (1) the survival rate of first-generation bio-ethanol plants; and (2) the production capacity of first-generation bio-ethanol plants.
Cognitive Development in Childhood and Adolescence

Causal reasoning, the process by which cause–effect relations are identified, is used to illustrate general trends in cognitive development from childhood to adolescence. Age-related developments in analogical reasoning, attention, working memory, strategy selection and use, and domain-specific knowledge, are implicated as mechanisms of observed behavioral changes. In turn, postnatal neural developments are thought to underlie changes in component processes.
A new characterization of plane elastica

Plane elastic curves are considered in dependence of a tension parameter σ and the squared global curvature maximum k m 2 . A characterization of these curves by their curvature function is given. A formula is established that gives the maximum turning angle of an elastica as a function depending on k m 2 and σ. It is shown that an elastic curve can be represented as a linear combination of its curvature, arc length and energy function and that any curve with this property is an elastica.
Role of aliphatic ligands and solvent composition in the solvothermal synthesis of iron oxide nanocrystals

Abstract This paper describes a new method for controlling nanocrystal size and crystal phase in solvothermal syntheses of iron oxide nanocrystals by altering the carbon chain length of aliphatic iron(III) carboxylate precursors and reaction solvent composition, respectively. Hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanocrystals were synthesized from iron(III) carboxylate precursors in a 2:1 water:ethanol mixture in the presence of free aliphatic carboxylic acids or aliphatic primary amine ligands. In the presence of amine, increasing the length of the carbon chain of the iron(III) carboxylate precursor from two to eighteen carbons produced pseudocubic nanocrystals with size dispersities of ∼10% and diameters that decreased from 65 nm to 25 nm. Changing the chain length of the amine does not affect the size of the nanocrystals. In contrast, free carboxylic acid ligands produce polydisperse, polycrystalline hematite nanoparticles. The crystal structure of the iron oxide nanocrystals synthesized by this method depends on the mole-fraction of water (xwater) in the water/ethanol solvent mixture: xwater = 0 produces maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), xwater = 0.67 produces hematite, and xwater = 1 produces a mixture of goethite (α-FeOOH) and hematite. The dependence of the nanocrystal size on ligand chain length is attributed to decreasing solubility of partially hydrolyzed iron(III) carboxylate precursors in the reaction solvent mixture with increasing chain length. The dependence of nanocrystal phase on solvent composition is attributed to the different reactivities of water and ethanol toward hydrolysis of the iron(III) carboxylate precursors.
Adaptive Tiling: Applying Fixed-size Systolic Arrays To Sparse Convolutional Neural Networks

We introduce adaptive tiling, a method of partitioning layers in a sparse convolutional neural network (CNN) into blocks of filters and channels, called tiles, each implementable with a fixed-size systolic array. By allowing a tile to adapt its size so that it can cover a large sparse area, we minimize the total number of tiles, or equivalently, the number of systolic array calls required to perform CNN inference. The proposed scheme resolves a challenge of applying systolic array architectures, traditionally designed for dense matrices, to sparse CNNs. To validate the approach, we construct a highly sparse Lasso-Mobile network by pruning MobileNet trained with an $\ell_{1}$ regularization penalty, and demonstrate that adaptive tiling can lead to a 2- $3\mathbf{x}$ reduction in systolic array calls, on Lasso-Mobile, for several benchmark datasets.
Learning from Non-Seizure Clusters for EEG Analytics

EEG data collected in EMU is highly imbalanced and accuracy of automatic epileptic seizure detection is naturally low. Our aim is to increase the accuracy by reducing the imbalance ratio of seizure and non-seizure classes. We hypothesis that the non-seizure class itself includes various daily brain activities and then the data points are distributed as clusters in this class. In training phase, we propose a technique to cluster the majority (non-seizure) class into k clusters. Then, we train k KNN classifiers using each of k non-seizure clusters plus seizure class. In testing phase, we classify an incoming sample using this model and the non-seizure cluster closest to the incoming sample. We employed a state-of-the-art visualization technique to illustrate clusters of majority non-seizure class in two dimensions. The results, applied to MIT EEG dataset, show that our technique provides a higher average F-Measure accuracy.
Temperature-Sensitive Reproduction and the Physiological and Evolutionary Potential for Mother’s Curse

Strict maternal transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is hypothesized to permit the accumulation of mitochondrial variants that are deleterious to males but not females, a phenomenon called mother's curse. However, direct evidence that mtDNA mutations exhibit such sexually antagonistic fitness effects is sparse. Male-specific mutational effects can occur when the physiological requirements of the mitochondria differ between the sexes. Such male-specific effects could potentially occur if sex-specific cell types or tissues have energy requirements that are differentially impacted by mutations affecting energy metabolism. Here we summarize findings from a model mitochondrial-nuclear incompatibility in the fruit fly Drosophila that demonstrates sex-biased effects, but with deleterious effects that are generally larger in females. We present new results showing that the mitochondrial-nuclear incompatibility does negatively affect male fertility, but only when males are developed at high temperatures. The temperature-dependent male sterility can be partially rescued by diet, suggesting an energetic basis. Finally, we discuss fruitful paths forward in understanding the physiological scope for sex-specific effects of mitochondrial mutations in the context of the recent discovery that many aspects of metabolism are sexually dimorphic and downstream of sex-determination pathways in Drosophila. A key parameter of these models that remains to be quantified is the fraction of mitochondrial mutations with truly male-limited fitness effects across extrinsic and intrinsic environments. Given the energy demands of reproduction in females, only a small fraction of the mitochondrial mutational spectrum may have the potential to contribute to mother's curse in natural populations.
Developmental expression of doublesex-related transcripts in the common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum

Sex determination is a rapidly evolving biological process controlled by differential gene expression. One family of transcription factors that initiate sex-specific gene expression and differentiation in many animal species are the Doublesex and Mab-3 (DM) domain proteins. While much is known about Doublesex-related proteins in various insect orders and commonly studied model systems, little is known about their function in basally branching arthropods. Spiders are an emerging model for molecular and evolutionary development that could fill this gap. Arachnids share an ancient whole-genome duplication providing a unique opportunity to study the effect of major genomic rearrangements on the evolution of developmental processes. In this study, we aimed to identify the repertoire of Dsx-related proteins encoded by the genome of the common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum. While insects have four DM domain proteins, the P. tepidariorum genome encodes seven, indicating the possibility of duplicate retention. At least four of the DM protein genes demonstrated sex bias expression in adult spiders. Embryonic expression of these genes suggests roles in development of the spinnerets, nervous system, and appendages.
Sample representation in the social sciences

The social sciences face a problem of sample non-representation, where the majority of samples consist of undergraduate students from Euro-American institutions. The problem has been identified for decades with little trend of improvement. In this paper, I trace the history of sampling theory. The dominant framework, called the design-based approach, takes random sampling as the gold standard. The idea is that a sampling procedure that is maximally uninformative prevents samplers from introducing arbitrary bias, thus preserving sample representation. I show how this framework, while good in theory, faces many challenges in application. Instead, I advocate for an alternative framework, called the model-based approach to sampling, where representative samples are those balanced in composition, however they were drawn. I argue that the model-based framework is more appropriate in the social sciences because it allows for systematic assessment of imperfect samples and methodical improvement in resource-limited scientific contexts. I end with practical proposals of improving sample quality in the social sciences.
Chapter 28 – The Role of Grants-in-Aid in a Federalist System of Governments

Chapter 28 begins with the theory of grants-in-aid, presenting the standard efficiency argument to correct for spillovers of externalities across jurisdictions resulting from imperfect correspondences and then LeGrand’s prescription for fiscal equalization, an equity argument. The remainder of the chapter is empirical, focusing on issues related to the estimation of the demand for state and local services and grants-in-aid. Topics covered include the median voter model, Tiebout bias, the flypaper effect and various explanations for it, and Chernick’s analysis of the response to project grants.
A New Compact Expression for the Powers of Hybrid Modes of the Step-Index Optical Fiber

A new, compact, and exact general expression is developed for the powers of hybrid EH- and HE-modes of the standard step-index optical fiber. The expression is found with the help of the Pauli matrices. The expression is reducible to widely used approximate forms for hybrid mode powers of weakly-guided fibers.
Canted Eu magnetic structure in EuMnS b 2

Magnetic ordering breaks the time-reversal symmetry, greatly impacting material topological properties. We report the investigation of the magnetic properties of the layered $\mathrm{EuMnS}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}$, which has two sets of magnetic sublattices. Both the magnetization and electrical resistivity reveal two phase transitions with one at ${T}_{\mathrm{N},\mathrm{Eu}}\ensuremath{\sim}21\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ and the other at ${T}_{\mathrm{N},\mathrm{Mn}}\ensuremath{\sim}346\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. Single crystal neutron diffraction refinement indicates that both transitions are originated from magnetic ordering. Below ${T}_{\mathrm{N},\mathrm{Mn}},$ the Mn sublattice forms the C-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure with moments [$(4.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ at 7 K] pointing along the $a$ axis. Below ${T}_{\mathrm{N},\mathrm{Eu}}$, the Eu sublattice forms the canted A-type AFM structure with moments [$(5.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ at 7 K] lying in the $ac$ plane but pointing (41 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} away from the $a$ axis. Quantitative analysis indicates that the spin-spin correlation length, while anisotropic, has long-range characteristic in all directions for both the Eu and Mn sublattices.
Unplanned Cesarean delivery is associated with risk for postpartum depressive symptoms in the immediate postpartum period.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common pregnancy complication. The association between cesarean delivery (CD) and PPD has shown conflicting results in prior studies, although emergent CD appears t...
Electrical Properties of Compound Semiconductor Heterostructures

The p-n junction and metal–semiconductor junction are the basic building blocks of modern electronic devices such as diodes and transistors. Under the equilibrium condition, a potential barrier is formed at these junctions such that no net charge carriers flow across the junction. An externally applied forward bias is needed to cause the flow of charged carriers and, thus, the current. In semiconductor heterostructures, as discussed in this chapter, due to the formation of energy band discontinuities in both conduction and valence bands at the heterojunction, extra energy barriers exist without resort to p-n junctions. For example, under the equilibrium condition, type-I n-N and p-P-type heterostructures can block flows of holes and electrons, respectively. Furthermore, a triangular potential well is formed at the heterojunction to generate 2D electron gas in n-N-type heterostructures and 2D hole gas in p-P-type heterostructures. One important feature of heterostructures is the formation of the quantum well that has a far-reaching impact on modern electronic and photonic device advancements. In this chapter, the electrical properties of heterojunctions will be developed first, followed by the analysis of quantum-well heterostructures and superlattices.
Influences of oral tactile stimuli on evoked emotions from cold tea consumption: A case study of straws

Recently, consumer awareness toward sustainable lifestyles has increased, and the use of reusable straws is becoming the norm. There is ample evidence through previous research that extrinsic factors can influence consumer acceptance, perception, and purchasing behavior of food products. However, there have been no previous studies pertaining the influences of straw materials on consumer experience of products. This study aimed to determine the effects of straw materials on evoked emotions and sensory perception of consumers toward cold tea beverages. Five materials of straws were used in this study, including plastic, silicone, stainless steel, copper, and paper. Fifty cold-tea consumers (23 females) aged between 18 and 59 years old rated the liking, sensory intensities, and emotional responses toward unsweetened cold black tea served with the aforementioned straws. Results showed that the plastic straws induced most bitter, sour, and astringent perceptions, while the opposite trends were observed with copper straws. Emotions evoked by cold tea beverages differed with the different materials of straws, indicating that straw materials may influence consumer experience of cold tea products. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence that sensory perception and emotions toward cold tea beverages can vary as a function of the material type of straws.