cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Typing on a Visually Occluded Physical Keyboard

The rise of affordable head-mounted displays (HMDs) has raised questions about how to best design user interfaces for this technology. This paper focuses on the use of HMDs for home and office applications that require substantial text input. A physical keyboard is a familiar and effective text input device in normal desktop computing. But without additional camera technology, an HMD occludes all visual feedback about a user's hand position over the keyboard. We describe a system that assists HMD users in typing on a physical keyboard. Our system has a virtual keyboard assistant that provides visual feedback inside the HMD about a user's actions on the physical keyboard. It also provides powerful automatic correction of typing errors by extending a state-of-the-art touchscreen decoder. In a study with 24 participants, we found our virtual keyboard assistant enabled users to type more accurately on a visually-occluded keyboard. We found users wearing an HMD could type at over 40 words-per-minute while obtaining an error rate of less than 5%.
Characterization of rapid extraction protocols for high-throughput metabolomics.

Rationale In the last five years, high-throughput metabolomics has significantly advanced scientific research and holds the potential to promote strides in the fields of clinical metabolomics and personalized medicine. While innovations in the field of flow-injection mass spectrometry and three-minute metabolomics methods now allow investigators to process hundreds to thousands of samples per day, time-sensitive clinical applications, particularly in the emergency department, are limited by a lack of rapid extraction methods. Methods Here we characterized the efficacy of fast liquid–liquid extractions for characterization of hydrophilic compounds through ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Internal stable-isotope-labeled standards were used to quantitatively characterize markers of energy and oxidative metabolism in human whole blood, plasma and red blood cells – three common matrices of clinical relevance. Results For all the tested matrices, vortexing time (4–60 min) did not significantly affect extraction yields for the tested hydrophilic metabolites. Coefficients of variations 80% for all tested metabolites, except for basic amino acids and polyamines, which showed reproducible yields ranging from 50 to 75%. Global profiling and absolute quantitation of 24 metabolites revealed similarities between the plasma and red blood cell metabolomes. Conclusions Rapid extraction (~4 min) of hydrophilic compounds is a viable and potentially automatable strategy to perform quantitative analysis of whole blood, plasma and red blood cells for research or clinical applications.
Factors associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE Posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) affects 11.9%-36% of patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy (DC) and is an important cause of morbidity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Early diagnosis and treatment of PTH can prevent further neurological compromise in patients who are recovering from TBI. There is limited data on predictors of shunting for PTH after DC for TBI. METHODS Prospectively collected data from the erythropoietin severe TBI randomized controlled trial were studied. Demographic, clinical, and imaging data were analyzed for enrolled patients who underwent a DC. All head CT scans during admission were reviewed and assessed for PTH by the Gudeman criteria or the modified Frontal Horn Index ≥ 33%. The presence of subdural hygromas was categorized as unilateral/bilateral hemispheric or interhemispheric. Using L1-regularized logistic regression to select variables, a multiple logistic regression model was created with ventriculoperitoneal shunting as the binary outcome. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS A total of 60 patients who underwent DC were studied. Fifteen patients (25%) underwent placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for PTH. The majority of patients underwent unilateral decompressive hemicraniectomy (n = 46, 77%). Seven patients (12%) underwent bifrontal DC. Unilateral and bilateral hemispheric hygromas were noted in 31 (52%) and 7 (11%) patients, respectively. Interhemispheric hygromas were observed in 19 patients (32%). The mean duration from injury to first CT scan showing hemispheric subdural hygroma and interhemispheric hygroma was 7.9 ± 6.5 days and 14.9 ± 11.7 days, respectively. The median duration from injury to shunt placement was 43.7 days. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of interhemispheric hygroma (OR 63.6, p = 0.001) and younger age (OR 0.78, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with the need for a shunt after DC. CONCLUSIONS The presence of interhemispheric subdural hygromas and younger age were associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after DC in patients with severe TBI.
Sulfated dehydropolymer of caffeic acid: In vitro anti-lung cell death activity and in vivo intervention in emphysema induced by VEGF receptor blockade.

Abstract Induced lung cell death and impaired hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling are proposed as a pathobiologic mechanism for alveolar structural destruction and loss in emphysema. We hypothesized that our sulfated dehydropolymer of caffeic acid, CDSO3, exerts anti-cell death activities and therapeutic interventions in emphysema by virtue of Fe 2+ chelation-based HIF-1α/VEGF stabilization and elevation. The Fe 2+ chelating activity was determined in the chromogenic ferrozine-Fe 2+ chelation inhibitory assay. The in vitro anti-cell death activities and their Fe 2+ and HIF-1α dependence were assessed against a range of emphysematous insults in the lung endothelial (HMVEC-L) and epithelial (A549) cells. CDSO3 was spray-dosed to the lung for three weeks (day 1–21) in an in vivo rat model of apoptotic emphysema induced with a VEGF receptor antagonist SU5416. Post-treatment treadmill exercise endurance, airspace enlargement, and several lung biomarkers/proteins were measured. CDSO3 was a potent Fe 2+ chelating molecule. At 10 μM, CDSO3 inhibited HMVEC-L and A549 cell death induced by histone deacetylase inhibition with trichostatin A, VEGF receptor blockade with SU5416, and cigarette smoke extract by 65–99%, which were all significantly opposed by addition of excess Fe 2+ or HIF-1α inhibitors. As a potent elastase inhibitor and antioxidant, CDSO3 also inhibited elastase- and H 2 O 2 -induced cell death by 92 and 95%, respectively. In the rat model of SU5416-induced apoptotic emphysema, CDSO3 treatment at 60 μg/kg 1) produced 61–77% interventions against exercise endurance impairment, airspace enlargement [mean linear intercept] and oxidative lung damage [malondialdehyde activity]; 2) normalized the apoptotic marker [cleaved caspase-3]; 3) stimulated the VEGF signaling [VEGF receptor 2 phosphorylation] by 1.4-fold; and 4) elevated the HIF-1α and VEGF expression by 1.8- and 1.5-fold, respectively. All of these were consistent with CDSO3's Fe 2+ chelation-based HIF-1α/VEGF stabilization and elevation against their pathobiologic deficiency, inhibiting lung cell death and development of apoptotic emphysema.
Joint Time-Frequency Alignment for PAPR and OOBE Suppression of OFDM-Based Waveforms

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform has been adopted by many wireless standards due to its numerous advantages. However, OFDM symbols have two critical drawbacks: high out-of-band emission (OOBE) and high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). Cyclic prefix (CP) alignment is one of the promising methods that jointly suppresses the OOBE and PAPR of OFDM symbols without introducing extra receiver complexity. However, its suppression performance remains limited in practical scenarios as it only exploits the degrees of freedom (DoFs) provided by the CP part of the OFDM symbols. In this letter, we propose a novel approach which jointly exploits the time domain resources, i.e., CP, and the frequency domain resources that are not effectively used by the receiver, i.e., guard tones and the subcarriers faded by the multipath channel. Thus, the available DoFs are substantially increased and more efficiently utilized for alignment purpose. It is shown that the OOBE and PAPR suppression performance is significantly enhanced with the proposed method as compared with the original approach.
Big Data, Algorithms, and Quantification

This chapter examines the dangers of quantification, Big Data, and algorithms to the status of the individual as unique and valuable. It makes the argument that quantification reduces the richness of human lives to numbers, filtering out the qualitative nuance which is then ignored in favor of easily observable and manipulable numbers. In terms of our personal use of tracking data, this can lead us to ignore other aspects of our lives when mesmerized by numbers, as well as sacrificing our autonomous choices to algorithmic recommendations from businesses. Finally, Big Data and algorithms pose the greatest danger in terms of governance, where citizens are reduced to their most quantifiable aspects in policymaking and law, leading to utilitarian decision-making that ignores the individual.
Minimum alveolar concentration: Key concepts and a review of its pharmacological reduction in dogs. Part 1.

To outline the major components of the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and review the literature in regard to pharmacological manipulation of the MAC of halothane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, enflurane, and desflurane in dogs. The pharmacologic agents included are alpha-2 agonists, benzodiazepines, propofol, maropitant, opioids, lidocaine, acepromazine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and NMDA antagonists. Part 1 will focus on summarizing the relevance, measurement, and mechanisms of MAC and review the effects of alpha-2 agonists, benzodiazepines, and propofol on MAC.PubMed, Google Scholar, CAB Abstracts. Search terms used: minimum alveolar concentration, MAC, dog, canine, inhaled anesthetic potency, isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, enflurane, and halothane.Many drugs reduce the MAC of inhaled anesthetics in dogs, and allow for a clinically important decrease in inhalant anesthetic use. A decrease in MAC may decrease the adverse cardiovascular and pulmonary effects associated with the use of high concentrations of inhaled anesthetics.
Residual Stress Measurements in Ti-6Al-4V and α-Brass with Sub-Surface Flaws Using X-Ray Diffraction Techniques

This paper describes a method of characterizing sub-surface flaws by the measurement of residual stresses associated with these flaws. The residual stresses were estimated using the two angle x-ray diffraction method. The flaws were artificially formed within the material using mechanical and metallurgical (diffusion bonding) methods. Specimens with sub-surface flaws were loaded in tension and subsequently unloaded. A clear indication of spatial dependence of residual stress in the vicinity of the flaw was observed. Ti-6Al-4V and α-Brass are the two alloys used in this investigation. The origin of the residual stress is macroscopic in case of a-Brass, which is a single phase alloy as compared to the microscopic origin in case of Ti-6Al-4V, which is a two-phase alloy. Ti-6Al-4V specimens have residual stresses opposite in nature to the applied stress. Residual stress pattern around the drilled hole specimens is opposite in sign to other specimens of the same material and the residual stress distribution is insensitive to the flaw in case of the diffusion bonded specimens.
Local Techniques and Pharmacologic Agents for Management of Bleeding in Dentistry

In surgical or traumatic wounds, the cessation of bleeding ranges from spontaneous hemostasis, where no intervention is required, to complex multidisciplinary management requiring multiple systemic and local therapies. Effective management begins with understanding bleeding has diverse causes. Generally, the causes of bleeding can be local, systemic, or a combination. Local factors include injured vessel(s) size and type (large versus small; arterial versus venous versus capillary) and fragility of capillaries and perivascular tissues due to age, disease, or medications. Systemic factors include drug-induced coagulopathies and underlying hematologic defects. Obtaining hemostasis is interdependent on the cause(s) of bleeding and event-specific factors such as size of wound, type of procedure/surgery performed, degree of inflammation at the wound site, and response to pharmacologic interventions.
Reactions of dicobalt octacarbonyl with dinucleating and mononucleating bis(imino)pyridine ligands

This work focuses on the application of dicobalt octacarbonyl (Co2(CO)8) as a metal precursor in the chemistry of formally low-valent cobalt with redox-active bis(imino)pyridine [NNN] ligands. The reactions of both mononucleating mesityl-substituted bis(aldimino)pyridine (L1) and dinucleating macrocyclic xanthene-bridged di(bis(aldimino)pyridine) (L2) with Co2(CO)8 were investigated. Independent of the metal-to-ligand ratio (1 : 1 or 1 : 2 ligand to Co2(CO)8), the reaction of the dinucleating ligand L2 with Co2(CO)8 produces a tetranuclear complex [Co4(L2)(CO)10] featuring two discrete [Co2[NNN](CO)5] units. In contrast, a related mononucleating bis(aldimino)pyridine ligand, L1, produces different species at different ligand to Co2(CO)8 ratios, including dinuclear [Co2(CO)5(L1)] and zwitterionic [Co(L1)2][Co(CO)4]. Interestingly, [Co4(L2)(CO)10] features metal–metal bonds, and no bridging carbonyls, whereas [Co2(CO)5(L1)] contains cobalt centers bridged by one or two carbonyl ligands. In either case, treatment with excess acetonitrile leads to disproportionation to the zwitterionic [Co[NNN](NCMe)2][Co(CO)4] units. The electronic structures of the complexes described above were studied with density functional theory. All the obtained bis(imino)pyridine complexes serve as catalysts for cyclotrimerization of methyl propiolate, albeit their reactivity is inferior compared with Co2(CO)8.
Correction of animation deformity with subpectoral to prepectoral implant exchange

Background: Breast animation deformity is a known complication associated with submuscular prosthetic breast reconstruction. Patients often will present months to years after their initial reconstruction complaining of chronic pain and visible contraction deformity of their chest, with minimal voluntary activation of their pectoralis musculature. This is aesthetically displeasing and physically uncomfortable. Our preferred method for addressing existing animation deformity and alleviating patients’ symptoms involves reoperation, with implant pocket conversion to the prepectoral plane, with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) coverage. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent prepectoral conversion of their breast reconstruction for correction of animation deformity with the senior author (HS) between March 2016–April 2018. Demographics, operative details, and post-operative outcomes were assessed. Results: Thirty-one patients underwent 55 revision breast reconstructions for a history of significant animation deformity following their initial submuscular breast reconstruction. All initial breast reconstructions were done with partial muscular coverage of their implant at the time of reconstruction. All patients experienced complete resolution of animation deformity without recurrence. Unplanned return to the operating room occurred in 14.5% of reconstructions. This was four cases of capsular contracture, three infections and one hematoma evacuation. Overall rate of infection requiring intravenous antibiotics was 14.5%. One patient lost both of her reconstructed breasts for an overall implant loss rate of 1.8% implant coverage with ADM was performed in 83.6% of cases, whereas 16.4% of reconstructions were performed with implant pocket change alone. The cohort that did not use ADM had a 44.4% instance of capsular contracture requiring reoperation, compared to a 0% rate of capsular contracture when ADM was used (P<0.01). Conclusions: Implant pocket change from the submuscular plane to the prepectoral plane is a safe and effective means of addressing submuscular associated breast animation deformity. The application of preoperative fat grafting and intraoperative ADM coverage contributes towards lower rates of complications and decreases the need for revisionary procedures.
Analysis of ballpoint pen inks directly from paper using capillary electrophoresis

Abstract A new sampling technique for capillary electrophoretic analysis of writing inks directly from the surface of paper is introduced. A section of paper containing a written word is placed on a sampling platform. The automated system is programmed to deposit about 3 µL of background electrolyte onto a portion of the writing to solubilize some of the ink. A small portion of the solution created is then electrokinetically injected into the capillary and analyzed. The ink surface area consumed was 40× less than a conventional off-line sample extraction technique. Moreover, because of the higher concentration of analyte in solution in the direct analysis technique, less sample volume was injected into the capillary resulting in a better peak shape and higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) when compared to a traditional method. In addition, this novel technique minimizes sample preparation time, uses less sample, and produces less waste than conventional methods.
Impact of Etiology on Efficacy of Oral Triclofos in Recording Pediatric Electroencephalography: A Tertiary Care Center Study.

Background and Objectives: Oral triclofos is a frequently used sedative in pediatric age to record sleep Electroencephalography (EEG). This study is aimed to assess efficacy, safety profile, need for second dose, and rescheduling of oral triclofos in relation to etiology. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study done enrolling all children aged 6 months to 5 years referred for EEG over 1 year. After a trial for natural sleep, the first dose of oral triclofos was given. If a child does not sleep after an hour, the second dose was given and rescheduled if does not sleep even with the second dose. Age, sex, diagnosis, sleep latency, sleep duration, adverse effects, EEG findings, patients needing second dose, and rescheduling were noted. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyze data. Results: A total of 384 children required oral triclofos. The common etiologies for sleep study were atypical febrile seizures, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) sequelae, and behavioral disorders such as autism and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Including the second dose, we were able to successfully record sleep EEG in 372 (96.8%) patients. Rescheduling was required in 3.2% of patients. Mean sleep-onset latency was 36 min and mean sleep duration was 84 min. Single dose was sufficient in 329 (85.6%) and the second dose in 55 (14.4%). Thirty (38.5%) children of HIE sequelae (P
A Partial-State Feedback Model Reference Adaptive Control Scheme

This paper develops a new partial-state feedback model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme, which has full capability to deal with plant uncertainties for output tracking and desired flexibility to combine the advantages of full-state feedback MRAC and output feedback MRAC. For partial-state feedback MRAC, plant-model matching is achievable as with full-state feedback control, while the controller structure enjoys less complexity as compared with an output feedback MRAC design. Adaptive partial-state feedback control designs are developed for relative-degree-one plants and for general plants. Both adaptive control designs ensure closed-loop system stability and asymptotic output tracking. New results are presented for plant-model matching, error model, adaptive law, and stability analysis. New features of partial-state feedback MRAC are addressed, including its design flexibility. Simulation studies are conducted whose results verify the effectiveness of partial-state feedback MRAC.
Machinery Mold (Galactomyces geotrichum) Survival following Thermal and Hydrostatic Pressure Processing.

ABSTRACT Machinery mold is a foodborne fungus associated with spoilage of fruit and vegetable products, as well as colonization of the food production environment. Galactomyces spp. are not conside...
The Darwinian Mystique? Synthesizing Evolutionary Psychology and Feminism

Feminism involves sociocultural criticisms of existing patriarchy. Although evolutionary psychology principles are held in distrust by some feminist scholars, the two perspectives are not incompatible. We hold that the reservations surrounding evolutionary psychology (EP) may be based in misconceptions of the science behind evolutionary theory as applied to human behavior and, in particular, sex differences. Fundamentally, along with the incorrect supposition that EP argues that social influences are not important factors in shaping human behavior, many feminist criticisms of EP surround disagreement with the essentialist view (i.e., that biological underpinnings are partially responsible for psychological and behavioral sex differences). Specifically, some inaccurately contend that EP supports genetic determinism (i.e., that human behavior is fixed because it is entirely driven by genes) and is thus contributing to women’s oppression by excusing social injustices. Here, we outline the contributions of EP and feminism to women’s issues and review the proposals offered by evolutionary feminists to reconcile the disciplines. We argue that evolutionary and feminist perspectives can together have a positive impact on social equality.
Simulation of Harmonic and Supercontinuum Generation in Polycrystalline Media

Numerical modeling of polycrystalline transparent materials exhibiting strong supercontinuum and high-harmonic generation is challenging due to the random nature of these media. This paper describes modeling approaches suitable for realistic simulation of extreme nonlinear optics in such materials.
Analyst Reactions to Expectations Management in the Post-Regulation Fair Disclosure Period

Using a uniquely hand-collected dataset, we examine how financial analysts react to expectations management in the post-Regulation Fair Disclosure (FD) period. We find evidence that management issues pessimistic public guidance to lower analysts’ expectations to a beatable level in the new regulatory environment. Majority of the analysts revised their forecasts downward immediately (in terms of days rather than weeks) after the issuance of a pessimistic public guidance. The magnitude of the downward revision is significantly greater for firms that beat the expectations through managerial guidance than firms that beat the expectations without guidance. In addition, firms that beat analysts’ expectations through pessimistic guidance are able to achieve a larger positive earnings surprise at the earnings announcement than the “legitimate beaters”.
Megalopae of the invasive crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus metamorphose in response to marine biofilms from different potential habitats

Abstract Habitat characteristics favoring settlement and metamorphosis of larvae can affect the distribution and abundance of benthic marine invertebrates. Less selective responses to habitat cues by settling larvae can lead to broader distributions of species and potentially successful introduction to new geographic locations. This study tested whether marine biofilms, which serve as habitat cues for many invertebrates, enhance settlement and metamorphosis (molting) of megalopae of the invasive Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus. Biofilms were allowed to develop on plastic mesh netting deployed in coastal locations with abundant rocky substrate (adult habitat) and estuarine locations with few rocks. Molting rates of laboratory-reared megalopae maintained with biofilm-covered netting were determined. Controls consisted of mesh netting without field-derived biofilms and seawater without netting. Experiments were also conducted with megalopae of a native species of estuarine mud crab, Dyspanopeus sayi, for comparison of responses. Both species molted faster in response to field biofilms regardless of habitat of biofilm development, although the response to biofilms compared to netting without biofilms was stronger for H. sanguineus than D. sayi. The broad response of megalopae of both species to biofilms suggests that positive responses to biofilms and physical structure could be important for successful colonization of crab species in general.
Optical properties extracted from 3D confocal images to assay 3D-printed scleroderma disease model (Conference Presentation)

With the highest mortality rate among rheumatic diseases, scleroderma leads to the painful formation of thick skin and organs. The cause of this thickening is the overproduction of collagen protein in the skin. The pathogenesis scleroderma is not fully understood and there exist no good disese models to provide context for drug discovery. To tackle this problem, we created a disease model of scleroderma with 3D printed collagen containing fibroblasts, MATLAB and confocal microscopy to observe optical properties mu and rho, which can be directly mapped to the scattering coefficient and scattering anisotropy. These optical properties varied with collagen levels and served as our metric for disease model severity. Our observations were based on the correlation between Rho and Mu values in the decay -- Signal = Rho*e(-Mu*Z) -- of the light absorbed over the depth of the tissue. We found that in our scleroderma model the Rho and Mu values increased with age and collagen concentration.
Resting State Functional MRI for Presurgical Planning

Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is commonly used for presurgical planning to help identify areas of eloquent cortex. More recently, our group and others have explored the use of resting state fMRI as an alternative method for mapping brain function. In this chapter, we review the concept of resting state networks, some of the more commonly used preprocessing methods, our specific clinical protocols, and the use of a multilayer perceptron to identify resting state networks in individual patients. We also review some of the literature on the clinical use of resting state networks for presurgical planning, and the expected differences seen in the mapping results between task and resting state fMRI.
Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk: A Rapid Review of Human, Animal, and Cell-Based Studies

Background: Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are one of the most commonly used classes of insecticides in the U.S., and metabolites of OPs have been detected in the urine of >75% of the U.S. population. While studies have shown that OP exposure is associated with risk of neurological diseases and some cancers, the relationship between OP exposure and breast cancer risk is not well understood. Methods: The aim of this rapid review was to systematically evaluate published literature on the relationship between OP exposure and breast cancer risk, including both epidemiologic and laboratory studies. Twenty-seven full-text articles were reviewed by searching on Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Results: Some human studies showed that malathion, terbufos, and chlorpyrifos were positively associated with human breast cancer risk, and some laboratory studies demonstrated that malathion and chlorpyrifos have estrogenic potential and other cancer-promoting properties. However, the human studies were limited in number, mostly included agricultural settings in several geographical areas in the U.S., and did not address cumulative exposure. Conclusions: Given the mixed results found in both human and laboratory studies, more research is needed to further examine the relationship between OP exposure and breast cancer risk, especially in humans in non-agricultural settings.
A New Fully-Distributed Arbitration-Based Membership Protocol

Recently, a new class of "arbitrator-based" membership protocols have been proposed. These claim to provide time bounds on how long membership lists can stay inconsistent—this property is critical in many distributed applications which need to take timely recovery actions. In this paper, we: 1) present the first fully decentralized and stabilizing version of membership protocols in this class; 2) formally prove properties and claims about both our decentralized version and the original protocol; and 3) present experimental results from both a simulation and a real cluster implementation.
Cerebrovascular phenotypes in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease:

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurological degenerative disorder and is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Clinically, AD manifests with memory and cognitive decline associated with deposition of hallmark amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Although the mechanisms underlying AD remains unclear, two hypotheses have been proposed. The established amyloid hypothesis states that Aβ accumulation is the basis of AD and leads to formation of NFTs. In contrast, the two-hit vascular hypothesis suggests that early vascular damage leads to increased accumulation of Aβ deposits in the brain. Multiple studies have reported significant morphological changes of the cerebrovasculature which can result in severe functional deficits. In this review, we delve into known structural and functional vascular alterations in various mouse models of AD and the cellular and molecular constituents that influence these changes to further disease progression. Many studies shed light on the direct impact of Aβ on the cerebrovasculature and how it is disrupted during the progression of AD. However, more research directed towards an improved understanding of how the cerebrovasculature is modified over the time course of AD is needed prior to developing future interventional strategies.
Convergence rate towards the fractional Hartree equation with singular potentials in higher Sobolev trace norms

In this work, we show convergence of the N-particle bosonic Schrodinger equation towards the Hartree equation. Hereby, we extend the results of [I. Anapolitanos and M. Hott, A simple proof of conve...
Exploring wave propagation in heterogeneous metastructures using the relaxed micromorphic model

Abstract Metamaterials are artificial structures that can manipulate and control sound waves in ways not possible with conventional materials. While much effort has been undertaken to widen the bandgaps produced by these materials through design of heterogeneities within unit cells, comparatively little work has considered the effect of engineering heterogeneities at the structural scale by combining different types of unit cells. In this paper, we use the relaxed micromorphic model to study wave propagation in heterogeneous metastructures composed of different unit cells. We first establish the efficacy of the relaxed micromorphic model for capturing the salient characteristics of dispersive wave propagation through comparisons with direct numerical simulations for two classes of metamaterial unit cells: namely phononic crystals and locally resonant metamaterials. We then use this model to demonstrate how spatially arranging multiple unit cells into metastructures can lead to tailored and unique properties such as spatially-dependent broadband wave attenuation, rainbow trapping, and pulse shaping. In the case of the broadband wave attenuation application, we show that by building layered metastructures from different metamaterial unit cells, we can slow down or stop wave packets in an enlarged frequency range, while letting other frequencies through. In the case of the rainbow-trapping application, we show that spatial arrangements of different unit cells can be designed to progressively slow down and eventually stop waves with different frequencies at different spatial locations. Finally, in the case of the pulse-shaping application, our results show that heterogeneous metastructures can be designed to tailor the spatial profile of a propagating wave packet. Collectively, these results show the versatility of the relaxed micromorphic model for effectively and accurately simulating wave propagation in heterogeneous metastructures, and how this model can be used to design heterogeneous metastructures with tailored wave propagation functionalities.
Using Citizen Science to Track Population Trends in the American Horseshoe Crab ( Limulus polyphemus ) in Florida

We used citizen science to improve understanding of population trends and behavior in the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) along the entire coast of Florida. First, we used 18 years of public sightings data, beginning in 2002, on horseshoe crab mating to determine which spawning locations were used most. Then, a subset of those locations was more rigorously surveyed through the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch program. Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch, implemented in 2015 by a collaboration between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS), University of Florida Department of Biology (UF), and Florida Sea Grant (FSG), uses trained citizen volunteers to survey beaches with high spawning activity. Volunteers count, weigh, measure, and tag horseshoe crabs that are nesting on the shoreline. These data contribute to a nationwide mark–recapture program managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and are used in Florida to inform species management decisions and to increase general understanding of the species. We developed and adapted both phases of the research by implementing modern technology, improving survey design, and expanding geographic coverage. The quality and accuracy of public reports have improved with technological advancements. The quality of the morphological data collected by Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch volunteers was comparable to that of data collected by professional scientists. Our design can serve as a model for programs regardless of region or taxon of interest and when funding is limited but public interest is high.
Regulation of mRNA decay in E. coli.

Detailed studies of the Gram-negative model bacterium, Escherichia coli, have demonstrated that post-transcriptional events exert important and possibly greater control over gene regulation than tr...
Development of a versatile, high-temperature, high-throughput ion irradiation system

Abstract Ion irradiation has long been used as a surrogate for neutron irradiation experiments which are comparatively slower, more expensive, and often can leave materials activated and difficult to handle post-irradiation. However, with the growing use of combinatorial synthesis methods and high-throughput, automated characterization techniques, ion irradiation facilities will need to upgrade their capabilities to be able to accommodate these new material platforms. To address this challenge, a high-throughput ion irradiation system has been developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Ion Beam Laboratory (IBL). The system is capable of accommodating large sample arrays of arbitrary geometries and heat samples individually using an infrared laser to enable high-temperature, high-throughput ion irradiation while mitigating the risk of annealing the irradiation damage in nearby samples. To control stage motion, laser power, and beam current measurement, among other tasks, the program Chronos was developed which enables automated high-throughput irradiation experiments.
Covariant Image Representation with Applications to Classification Problems in Medical Imaging

Images are often considered as functions defined on the image domains, and as functions, their (intensity) values are usually considered to be invariant under the image domain transforms. This functional viewpoint is both influential and prevalent, and it provides the justification for comparing images using functional $$\mathbf {L}^p$$Lp-norms. However, with the advent of more advanced sensing technologies and data processing methods, the definition and the variety of images has been broadened considerably, and the long-cherished functional paradigm for images is becoming inadequate and insufficient. In this paper, we introduce the formal notion of covariant images and study two types of covariant images that are important in medical image analysis, symmetric positive-definite tensor fields and Gaussian mixture fields, images whose sample values covary i.e., jointly vary with image domain transforms rather than being invariant to them. We propose a novel similarity measure between a pair of covariant images considered as embedded shapes (manifolds) in the ambient space, a Cartesian product of the image and its sample-value domains. The similarity measure is based on matching the two embedded low-dimensional shapes, and both the extrinsic geometry of the ambient space and the intrinsic geometry of the shapes are incorporated in computing the similarity measure. Using this similarity as an affinity measure in a supervised learning framework, we demonstrate its effectiveness on two challenging classification problems: classification of brain MR images based on patients' age and (Alzheimer's) disease status and seizure detection from high angular resolution diffusion magnetic resonance scans of rat brains.
Meiotic sister chromatid recombination.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on meiotic recombination occurring after DNA synthesis. Meiotic recombination is usually analyzed by detecting new linkage relationships between two or more heterozygous markers. The chapter also focuses on sister chromatid exchanges, which are invisible to this type of analysis, because exchange between two identical DNA molecules does not alter linkage relationships. The chapter also discusses the genetic and cytogenetic evidence that sister chromatid meiotic recombination events occur. Various properties of sister chromatid exchange with “classical” recombination events are compared. Two types of recombination are discussed—crossovers and gene conversions. Distinctions between these types of exchange are most easily made in organisms in which all four products of meiosis can be analyzed. In tetrads derived from a diploid with linked markers A and B on one homologue and a and b on the other, a single crossover between the markers results in two spores with markers in the parental configurations ( AB and ab) and two markers with markers in the recombinant configurations ( Ab and aB ). Each marker examined individually shows 2:2 segregation within the tetrad.
The Three Sources of Risk Premia in Ukrainian Inter-Bank Markets

Despite its adoption of a nominal-anchor exchange-rate policy during the period 1999-2005, Ukrainian financial markets were subject to substantial premia in interest rates on inter-bank markets relative to what is observed in Euro credit markets. In this paper I demonstrate that there were three sources of this risk premium, and that these sources had different causes. Estimation using weekly data over the period 1999-2005 illustrates that the government's nominal anchor policy vis a vis the US dollar was effective at eliminating the risk of currency depreciation. However, other risks of convertibility and liquidity were either not addressed or exacerbated. Future monetary and financial-sector policy should be calibrated to address all three to avoid the financial crises that have affected other emerging economies.
Conserving Endangered Species through Regulation of Urban Development: The Case of California Vernal Pools

The paper concerns the cost of federal policies to protect endangered species in a legal system that gives primary authority over land use decisions to state and local governments. A conceptual model captures the essential features of federal interventions to conserve habitat for listed species, a combination of mitigation and avoidance requirements for greenfield land developments, and considers the effect of preexisting land use regulations. The analysis also demonstrates that the costs of habitat conservation could be reduced if local governments allowed for greater densification of new development in response to federal habitat conservation efforts.
Numerical modeling of continuous-time fully coupled neural networks

Numerical performance modeling of fully coupled continuous-time networks utilizing continuous activation functions, finite input resistance of neurons, and other parasitic components within the neural systems is discussed. Both time-domain performance modeling and static numerical modeling of the networks are characterized and compared. The main focus is the dynamic and static numerical modeling of actual Hopfield-type networks. >
Techno-economic analysis of advanced biofuel production based on bio-oil gasification

This paper evaluates the economic feasibility of an integrated production pathway combining fast pyrolysis and bio-oil gasification. The conversion process is simulated with Aspen Plus® for a 2000 metric ton per day facility. Techno-economic analysis of this integrated pathway has been conducted. A total capital investment of $510 million has been estimated and the minimum fuel selling price (MSP) is $5.59 per gallon of gasoline equivalent. The sensitivity analysis shows that the MSP is most sensitive to internal rate of return, fuel yield, biomass feedstock cost, and fixed capital investment. Monte-Carlo simulation shows that MSP for bio-oil gasification would be more than $6/gal with a probability of 0.24, which indicates this pathway is still at high risk with current economic and technical situation.
Silica, metal oxide, and doped aerogel development for target applications

A variety of silica, metal oxide, and metal doped aerogels are being developed for use as laser target materials. Silica aerogels have been produced with controlled densities as low as 5 mg/cc, and have been produced as bulk molds. Recently, 100 mg/cc small beads and hollow shells have also been fabricated using microencapsulation techniques. Metal oxide aerogels such as tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) and tin oxide (SnO 2 ) are two other low-density materials that have been fabricated. Aerogels with embedded metal particles are also of interest and several methods for producing these composite aerogels are being explored. Each method limits excessive aggregation of the metal so that the end product has a uniform loading of small metal particles. Ion implantation is being investigated as another method that allows more control of the metal doping. With ion implantation the metal dopant can be placed in a narrow distribution beneath the surface of an aerogel, and initial results of 1 MeV Au - implanted in 67 mg/cc SiO 2 are described.
Economic Crisis and the Integration of Law and Finance: The Impact of Volatility Spikes

During the recent financial crisis, there was a dramatic spike, across all industries, in the volatility of individual firm share prices after adjustment for movements in the market as a whole. In this Article, we demonstrate that a similar spike has occurred with each major downturn in the economy since the 1920s. The existence of this long history of crisis-induced spikes has not been previously recognized. The Article evaluates a number of potential explanations for these recurrent spikes in firm-specific price volatility, a pattern that poses a puzzle in terms of existing financial theory. The most convincing explanations relate to reasons why information specifically concerning individual firms would become more important in difficult economic times. This discovery of a long history of crisis-induced spikes in firm-specific price volatility has important implications for several areas of corporate and securities law. With regard to securities law, the Article concludes, for example, that because of these spikes, private damages actions are much less effective deterrents to corporate misstatements and insider trading in crisis times than in normal times. Consequently, substantial additional resources should be devoted to SEC enforcement actions during crisis times. The Article considers as well the most contentious corporate law issue of the last 30 years: the extent to which a target board of directors will be allowed to prevent shareholders from accepting a hostile takeover bid at a premium over the pre-bid share price. The Delaware Supreme Court’s approach to this question has been largely based on the difficult-to-define concept of “substantive coercion.” The Article concludes that these spikes could be a way of giving real meaning to the “substantive coercion” justification for board approval of defenses against hostile takeover attempts, but that the instances where this justification is appropriate will be rare.
Comparison of robust input shapers

The rapid movement of machines is a challenging control problem because it often results in high levels of vibration. As a result, flexible machines are typically moved relatively slowly. Input shaping is a control method that allows much higher speeds of motion by limiting vibration induced by the reference command. To design an input-shaping controller, estimates of the system natural frequency and damping ratio are required. However, real world systems cannot be modeled exactly, making the robustness to modeling errors an important consideration. Many robust input shapers have been developed, but robust shapers typically have longer durations that slow the system response. This creates a compromise between shaper robustness and rise time. This paper analyzes the compromise between rapidity of motion and shaper robustness for several input-shaping methods. Experimental results from a portable bridge crane verify the theoretical predictions.