cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neighborhood denoising for learning high-dimensional grasping manifolds

Human control of high degree-of-freedom robotic systems, e.g. anthropomorphic robot hands, is often difficult due to the overwhelming number of variables that need to be specified. Previous work has addressed this sparse control problem by learning a high-dimensional manifold of robot poses to provide low-dimensional control subspaces. Such subspaces allow cursor control, or eventually decoding of neural activity, to drive a robotic hand. Considering previously identified problems related to noise in manifold learning, we introduce a method for denoising neighborhood graphs in order to embed hand motion into 2D spaces. We present results demonstrating our approach in the case of a synthetic swissroll as well as in the embeddings for interactive sparse control for several grasping tasks.
PIV Measurements Within the Waves of Wavy and Wavy-Annular Horizontal Two-Phase Flow

A novel technique of microscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is presented for two-phase annular, wavy-annular and stratified flow. Seeding of opaque particles in a water/dye flow allows the acquisition of instantaneous film velocity data in the film cross-section at the center of the tube in the form of digital image pairs. An image processing algorithm is also described that allows numerical velocities to be distilled from particle images by commercial PIV software. The approach yields promising results for stratified and wavy-annular flows, however highly bubbly flows remain difficult to image and post-process. Initial data images are presented in raw and processed form.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Spectroscopic measurements in the post-hole convolute on Sandia's Z-Machine (invited)

Pulsed power is a key driver for high energy density (HED) science. The Z-Machine is the world's largest pulsed power driver, and as such is one of the foremost platforms for HED science. The double post-hole convolute current adder is a critical element in low impedance, multi-module pulsed power device design. Post-refurbishment, the current loss in the convolute has reached as high as 5 MA (20% of the MITL current). Measurements of the plasma forming in this region will lead to a better understanding of the losses, and may help with a redesign of the system. Spectroscopic measurements of the convolute show strong continuum emission with absorption features. Most notably we observe the hydrogen H-alpha at 6563 A. Lithium was introduced into the convolute as a tracer; this experiment put upper and lower bounds on the axial position of the observed continuum emitter, (located in the upper post-hole). Measurements of the location of continuum emission as a function of time indicate that plasma travels from cathode to anode with an apparent velocity of greater than 7 cm/μs.
Overdriver: handling memory overload in an oversubscribed cloud

With the intense competition between cloud providers, oversubscription is increasingly important to maintain profitability. Oversubscribing physical resources is not without consequences: it increases the likelihood of overload. Memory overload is particularly damaging. Contrary to traditional views, we analyze current data center logs and realistic Web workloads to show that overload is largely transient: up to 88.1% of overloads last for less than 2 minutes. Regarding overload as a continuum that includes both transient and sustained overloads of various durations points us to consider mitigation approaches also as a continuum, complete with tradeoffs with respect to application performance and data center overhead. In particular, heavyweight techniques, like VM migration, are better suited to sustained overloads, whereas lightweight approaches, like network memory, are better suited to transient overloads. We present Overdriver, a system that adaptively takes advantage of these tradeoffs, mitigating all overloads within 8% of well-provisioned performance. Furthermore, under reasonable oversubscription ratios, where transient overload constitutes the vast majority of overloads, Overdriver requires 15% of the excess space and generates a factor of four less network traffic than a migration-only approach.
Fluid shear stress increases membrane fluidity in endothelial cells : a study with DCVJ fluorescence

Fluid shear stress (FSS) has been shown to be an ubiquitous stimulator of mammalian cell metabolism. Although many of the intracellular signal transduction pathways have been characterized, the pri...
Ace of (BDSM) clubs: Building asexual relationships through BDSM practice:

Since the, 1990s, asexuality has gained prominence as an identity adopted by individuals who do not experience sexual attraction. Paradoxically, many asexual individuals form relationships through ...
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Chronic Cough

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common cause of unexplained chronic cough. This article reviews important clinical considerations regarding association, diagnosis, and treatment of GERD in the setting of chronic unexplained cough.
An Ovol2-Zeb1 Mutual Inhibitory Circuit Governs Bidirectional and Multi-step Transition between Epithelial and Mesenchymal States

Reversible epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is central to tissue development, epithelial stemness, and cancer metastasis. While many regulatory elements have been identified to induce EMT, the complex process underlying such cellular plasticity remains poorly understood. Utilizing a systems biology approach integrating modeling and experiments, we found multiple intermediate states contributing to EMT and that the robustness of the transitions is modulated by transcriptional factor Ovol2. In particular, we obtained evidence for a mutual inhibition relationship between Ovol2 and EMT inducer Zeb1, and observed that adding this regulation generates a novel four-state system consisting of two distinct intermediate phenotypes that differ in differentiation propensities and are favored in different environmental conditions. We identified epithelial cells that naturally exist in an intermediate state with bidirectional differentiation potential, and found the balance between EMT-promoting and -inhibiting factors to be critical in achieving and selecting between intermediate states. Our analysis suggests a new design principle in controlling cellular plasticity through multiple intermediate cell fates and underscores the critical involvement of Ovol2 and its associated molecular regulations.
Convective and stratiform components of the precipitation-moisture relationship

We reexamine the well known empirical relationship between area-averaged surface precipitation (P) and the column moisture content (r) using ground radar and satellite observations, with an emphasis on the convective and stratiform rainfall classifications. The rapid rise in P above critical r (rc) or the “pickup” is more pronounced for stratiform rainfall on hourly and less time scales while convective rainfall, displays only a weak pickup above rc. After partitioning the area-averaged rainfall into conditional rain rates and rain area, we find that the nonlinearity in the P-r curve can be almost entirely explained by the nonlinear increase in rain area, especially in stratiform regions. These findings have implications for the representation of organized convective cloud systems in global circulation models.
Agrarian Reorganization in the South

T HE chief aim of agrarian reorganization in the South is to remedy the following conditions: first, a relatively low standard of living, and second, a high rate of tenancy. It is obvious that there is some degree of mutual causation between these with the high rate of tenancy in part responsible for the low standard of living and the low standard of living in some degree responsible for the high rate of tenancy. However, the degree of reciprocal causation is often greatly overestimated. It is quite possible, indeed, that the ratio of tenancy in areas of higher standard of living may rise as high or higher than that in the South.' In the South, where the productivity of soil resources has been materially impaired, and where the ratio of labor to cultivated land is relatively high, the elimination of tenancy certainly would not of itself raise the standard of living. On the contrary, primary reliance for improving the standard of living in the rural South must be placed upon increased opportunity for employment in nonagricultural branches of the economy.
Endovascular Treatment with Stent-Retriever Devices for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Importance Acute ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Several recent clinical trials have shown that endovascular treatment improves clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Objective To provide an overall and precise estimate of the efficacy of endovascular treatment predominantly using second-generation mechanical thrombectomy devices (stent-retriever devices) compared to medical management on clinical and functional outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Data Sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Collaboration Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Web of Science, and NIH ClinicalTrials.gov were searched through November 2015. Study Selection Searches returned 3,045 articles. After removal of duplicates, two authors independently screened titles and abstracts to assess eligibility of 2,495 potentially relevant publications. From these, 38 full-text publications were more closely assessed. Finally, 5 randomized controlled trials of endovascular treatment with predominant use of retrievable stents were selected. Data Extraction and Synthesis Three authors independently extracted information on participant and trial characteristics and clinical events using a standardized protocol. Random effects models were used to pool endovascular treatment effects across outcomes. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was better functional outcome as measured on the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and symptomatic intra-cerebral hemorrhage. Results Five trials representing 1,287 patients were included. Overall, patients randomized to endovascular therapy experienced 2.22 times greater odds of better functional outcome compared to those randomized to medical management (95% CI, 1.66 to 2.98; P < 0.0001). Endovascular therapy was not associated with mortality [OR (95% CI), 0.78 (0.54, 1.12); P = 0.1056] or symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage [OR (95% CI), 1.19 (0.69, 2.05); P = 0.5348]. Meta-regression analysis suggested that shorter times from stroke onset to groin puncture and from stroke onset to reperfusion result in better functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients (P = 0.0077 and P = 0.0089). There were no significant differences in the beneficial effects of endovascular treatment on functional outcomes across categories of gender, age, stroke severity, ischemic changes on computed tomography, or intravenous tissue plasminogen activator administration. Conclusions and Relevance This meta-analysis demonstrated superior functional outcomes in subjects receiving endovascular treatment compared to medical management. Further, this analysis showed that acute ischemic stroke patients may receive enhanced functional benefit from earlier endovascular treatment.
The Corporate Sell-Off

This article reviews a variety of financial economic hypotheses that may explain the sale of corporate assets and discusses the relevant empirical evidence regarding corporate divestitures. Two explanations are stressed: diseconomies to the seller and economies to the buyer. The article also examines several phenomena related to sell-offs, such as their relation to prior mergers, the presence or absence of reported sales prices, differences between voluntary and involuntary sell-offs, and the announcement effects.
Uniqueness of Compatible Quasi-Uniformities

It is shown that a topological space has a unique compatible quasi-uniformity if its topology is finite. Examples are given to show the converse is false for T 1 and for normal second countable spaces. Two sufficient conditions are given for a topological space to have a compatible quasi-uniformity strictly finer than the associated Csaszar-Pervin quasi-uniformity. These conditions are used to show that a Hausdorff, semi-regular or first countable T 1 space has a unique compatible quasi-uniformity if and only if its topology is finite. Csaszar and Pervin described, in quite different ways, quasi-uniformities which induce a given topology. It is shown that, for a given topological space, Csaszar and Pervin described the same quasi-uniformity.
Research on schistosomiasis distribution in mobile population in Guangdong province

Objective To know schistosomiasis and patient distribution in mobile population in Guangdong province in order to develop surveillance program.Methods After divided whole province into 4 parts(eastern,western,northern,and central),a stratified randomly cluster sampling method was performed to select 24 counties with 2 counties in each high,median and low economic status areas in each part to investigate mobile population from June in 2005 to July in 2007.Then selected 1 000 people from schistosomiasis epidemic suffered areas by cluster sampling in each county to detect serological antibody of schistosomiasis by DIGFA,then diagnosed by kato-katz.Proportions and prevalence rate,diagnosed rate as well as distribution of mobile population were calculated to describe epidemiological features.Results Sample size included 22 counties(cities,districts) and 6 360 505 mobile population,which mainly in Pearl River Delta region(91.18%) and rural or rural and urban adjacent areas(82%).19.49 %( 24 777/127 122) was from schistosomiasis epidemic suffered areas,mainly in 15-49 age group(98.92%).1.74%(228/13 076) of those from schistosomiasis epidemic suffered areas had positive schistosomiasis antibody,with highest rate in 15-39 age group(P0.01),Prevalence rate in antibody positive cases was 21.93%(50/228)and 0.38%(50/13 076)in general population.Diagnostic rate was 2.63%(6/228)in antibody positive cases and 0.05%(6/13 076)in general population.Conclusion 30 000 possible schistosomiasis cases were extrapolated among mobile population in Guangdong province which resided in the rural or rural and urban adjacent brooky water areas of central Guangdong.
Thinking Entrepreneurially to Identify Research Opportunities

Entrepreneurship scholars, like all scholars, need to find and exploit research opportunities. In this chapter, I explain a process of identifying research opportunities by exploring the role of using idiosyncratic knowledge, making do with the resources at hand through recombinations, engaging intrinsic and prosocial motivation, building research self-efficacy, and engaging in experimentation. Entrepreneurship scholars need to explore and exploit research opportunities for increasing our understanding of entrepreneurial phenomenon and can manage the uncertainty of this research process through a portfolio approach to creating and managing their pipeline of papers.
A Bias Toward Federalism

To govern this nation do we want an operative federal structure? If so, where do we want the balance between national and state power to be drawn and on which issues? Under a national regime, states and localities carry out national instructions; the problem is how to improve their obedience. In a federal regime, states and localities are disobedient. The operational meaning of federalism is found in the degree to which the constituent units disagree about what should be done, who should do it, and how it should be done. In a word, federalism is about conflict. It is also about cooperation, that is, the terms and conditions under which conflict is limited. A federal regime, therefore, cannot be coordinated from the center any more than it can be controlled or coerced. Coordination, as we have seen, does not necessarily imply a coordinator. Under an operative federalism, coordination occurs by interaction among many governments, not by intellectual cogitation by a single one. Federalism means mutuality, not hirearchy, multiple rather than single causation, a sharing instead of a monopoly of power. One can determine if the federal beast is alive only by whether it kicks—and then whom it kicks and who kicks it back. The rationality, responsiveness, and responsibility of a regime, its overall decency and effectiveness, should not depend on its appearance (it may appear untidy) but on results.
A Look at Depression and Beyond

We have shown, we think, what we have set out to show: that descriptive sampling can demonstrate individual differences between subjects and can find dramatic differences between individuals who are identified as being members of dramatically different groups: the inner experiences of our schizophrenic subjects were in fact much different from those of our normal subjects.
Speciation evolution of zinc and copper during pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization treatments of sewage sludges.

Abstract Thermal and hydrothermal treatments are promising techniques for sewage sludge management that can potentially facilitate safe waste disposal, energy recovery, and nutrient recovery/recycling. Content and speciation of heavy metals in the treatment products affect the potential environmental risks upon sludge disposal and/or application of the treatment products. Therefore, it is important to study the speciation transformation of heavy metals and the effects of treatment conditions. By combining synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy/microscopy analysis and sequential chemical extraction, this study systematically characterized the speciation of Zn and Cu in municipal sewage sludges and their chars derived from pyrolysis (a representative thermal treatment technique) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC; a representative hydrothermal treatment technique). Spectroscopy analysis revealed enhanced sulfidation of Zn and Cu by anaerobic digestion and HTC treatments, as compared to desulfidation by pyrolysis. Overall, changes in the chemical speciation and matrix properties led to reduced mobility of Zn and Cu in the treatment products. These results provide insights into the reaction mechanisms during pyrolysis and HTC treatments of sludges and can help evaluate the environmental/health risks associated with the metals in the treatment products.
Gas—Particle Flow

The parameters relating to the interaction of particles and gas in a dispersed-phase flow are presented in this chapter. These parameters are essential to the development of numerical and analytic submodels of pulverized-coal combustion.
Adjunctive Technologies (Rotablation, Excimer Laser, Aspiration Thrombectomy, Distal Embolic Protection)

Rotational atherectomy improves the procedural success rate of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in heavily calcified lesions, but does not decrease restenosis. Late lumen loss was higher in patients treated with rotational atherectomy followed by drug-eluting stenting compared with patients without rotational atherectomy. Pericardiocentesis kits and covered stents should be readily available given the risk of coronary perforation.
Diabetics show accelerated progression of knee cartilage and meniscal lesions: data from the osteoarthritis initiative

To investigate whether subjects with diabetes show accelerated knee joint structural degeneration over 4 years compared to diabetes-free controls. Two hundred forty-four participants with diabetes were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort and matched with 244 diabetes-free controls. 3.0-T MRI scans of the right knee were obtained at baseline and 4-year follow-up. Evaluation of structural knee abnormalities was performed using the Whole-Organ Resonance Imaging Scoring system (WORMS). Linear regression analysis was conducted to compare structural temporal changes in each compartment, as well as the mean across all compartments by diabetes status. Study groups were similar in age (63.0 vs. 63.3 years, p = 0.73), body mass index (31.5 vs. 31.0 kg/m2, p = 0.21), sex (female 52.0 vs. 52.9%, p = 0.85) and radiographic Kellgren/Lawrence score distribution (p = 0.99). Structural degeneration was significantly worse in the knees of diabetics with an increase in the overall WORMS sum score (delta WORMS [95% CI]: 4.87 [4.17, 5.57], vs. 3.23 [2.60, 3.85] p = 0.001). Moreover, diabetics showed a greater increase in cartilage lesions in the global knee (p < 0.001), but also separately in the patella, lateral tibia, and both femoral compartments (lowest p value; p = 0.001). Furthermore, diabetics showed also a greater increase in meniscus lesion score, in both the medial (p = 0.01) and lateral meniscus (p = 0.01). Diabetics exhibited a significantly greater increase in cartilage and meniscus lesions when compared to diabetes-free controls over 4 years. Overall, our findings suggest that diabetics exhibit a stronger deterioration of knee structure and are therefore potentially at higher risk for developing knee OA.
Intraseasonal Variations of Nonmigrating Tides Observed Near the Mesopause

Nonmigrating tides excited in the tropical troposphere by latent heat release from deep convection are known to be responsible for introducing the longitudinal structures in the upper atmosphere and the ionosphere. This study presents for the first time an extensive analysis of the prominent wave-3 and wave-4 longitudinal structures using nearly 14 years of temperature observations by the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument operated on the Aura satellite from 2004 to 2017. The observations reveal significant intraseasonal (~30-60 days) periodic variations in the amplitudes of these wave structures at ~97-km altitude near the mesopause. Some large wave amplitudes accompany strong activity of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. Rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission are used as a proxy of latent heating to investigate the source of these variations. Intraseasonal signatures in the wave structures are observed to coincide with the rainfall variations, indicating that the tropospheric 30- to 60- day oscillation is an important driver of the same periodic changes in the upper atmosphere. Given that not all intraseasonal oscillations in the lower atmosphere have corresponding signatures in the longitudinal wave structures, the atmospheric conditions and other influences are important. This study provides evidence on the connection between intraseasonal variations of tides in the upper atmosphere and the changes in the forcing by latent heat release in the troposphere.
A Review of Supercapacitor-based Energy Storage Systems for Microgrid Applications

This paper reviews supercapacitor-based energy storage systems (i.e., supercapacitor-only systems and hybrid systems incorporating supercapacitors) for microgrid applications. The technologies and applications of the supercapacitor-related projects in the DOE Global Energy Storage Database are summarized. Typical applications of supercapacitor-based storage systems in microgrids are reviewed. Open research issues at both the device level (modeling and characterization of a supercapacitor cell and cell balancing circuits) and the system level (system design, control, and valuation) are outlined.
Reduced Use of Pesticides for Effective Controls of Arthropod Pests and Plant Diseases

Abstract Current label recommendations of pesticides for arthropod pests and plant diseases in the nursery and green industry are vague and frequently result in excessive pesticide use. The objective of this research was to demonstrate that modifications of spray application techniques with current spray equipment in ornamental nursery production could reduce pesticide use. The efficacy of half rates and full rates of both active ingredients and carrier was investigated in commercial nurseries with air-assisted sprayers in two tests and a state inspector survey for the control of arthropod pests and plant diseases. Sprayers were optimized with properly sized nozzles and properly calibrated operating parameters. In Test 1, treatments were conducted in approximately 0.5 ha (1.2 A) plot each in three commercial nurseries for control of arthropod pests and diseases, and in Test 2, the same treatment for aphid control was evaluated in a birch tree plot. The survey was a compilation of the pests and diseases th...
Observations on the Gaps and Opportunities for Geo computation

Traditional geographical approaches to acquiring new knowledge and understanding problems varies significantly from the primary modus operandi of computational thinking that is practiced by computer scientists. These differences have contributed to a persistent absence of geo computational courses within academic geography departments and an underdeveloped and limited understanding of spatial thinking by computationally-minded scholars.
Federal Presentence Reports: Multi-Tasking at Sentencing

Federal courts routinely consider a presentence investigation report ("PSR") prior to passing judgment of the appropriate sentence for a criminal defendant. The PSR is prepared by federal probation officers who are employed by the courts to investigate the true facts of the offense and the defendant's background before making a sentencing recommendation. Courts consider the PSR at sentencing and often hear testimony from the probation officer to resolve dispute of facts contained in it. However, the PSR is more than simply an advisory report. It is a charging document which goes beyond the indictment in identifying the specific conduct which the probation officer believes determines punishment under Sentencing Guidelines. It also details the probation officer's view of the true facts of the offense and the reasons for believing them - a version which will be taken as established unless the defendant specifically disputes them. Finally, the PSR serves as a suggested analysis of the Guidelines' application as the officer applies the law to the facts in the first instance.This article reviews the history and purpose of the PSR and the probation officer's critical role in its preparation and use. In particular, it analyzes how the PSR functions under the Guidelines as a (1) pleading, (2) exhibit, and (3) a judicial report and recommendation. None of these analogies alone fully describe the PSR. Furthermore, the unique combination of functions explain to some extent the varying treatment accorded to the PSR by sentencing judges. These often conflicting roles are found at center court in Guideline sentencing, to some extent eclipsing the task of the sentencing judge. The article concludes the PSR's varied functions in the abbreviated (often summary) trial of facts at federal sentencing are unique among statutory powers given federal employees, including Article III judges. It suggests that the PSR has unfortunately been transformed from a disinterested report to an adversarial one of multiple dimensions without considering the consequences for the criminal justice system.
Exceptional capacitive deionization rate and capacity by block copolymer–based porous carbon fibers

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is energetically favorable for desalinating low-salinity water. The bottlenecks of current carbon-based CDI materials are their limited desalination capacities and time-consuming cycles, caused by insufficient ion-accessible surfaces and retarded electron/ion transport. Here, we demonstrate porous carbon fibers (PCFs) derived from microphase-separated poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-polyacrylonitrile (PMMA-b-PAN) as an effective CDI material. PCF has abundant and uniform mesopores that are interconnected with micropores. This hierarchical porous structure renders PCF a large ion-accessible surface area and a high desalination capacity. In addition, the continuous carbon fibers and interconnected porous network enable fast electron/ion transport, and hence a high desalination rate. PCF shows desalination capacity of 30 mgNaCl g−1PCF and maximal time-average desalination rate of 38.0 mgNaCl g−1PCF min−1, which are about 3 and 40 times, respectively, those of typical porous carbons. Our work underlines the promise of block copolymer–based PCF for mutually high-capacity and high-rate CDI.
Paradoxical individualization: ideological polarization in the U.S. in historical-comparative and theoretical perspective

Beginning with Karl Marx, theorists have seen individual autonomy and ideology as opposing elements. Ideology was considered the product of mental, cultural or social constraints. People did not ch...
Pearls & Oy-sters: Contrast-induced encephalopathy following coronary angiography: A rare stroke mimic.

The clinical presentation of contrast-induced encephalopathy (CIE) varies widely, including altered mental status, focal motor and sensory deficit, visual disturbance, ophthalmoplegia, global aphasia, and seizures.
Diffusion of Ecstasy in the Electronic Dance Music Scene.

Ecstasy (MDMA, Molly) is among the most prevalent drugs used by people who attend electronic dance music (EDM) events; however, little recent research has examined diffusion of ecstasy in this high...
An Insight into the Factors Regulating Flowering in Rice: From Genetics to Epigenetics

Yield in rice is determined by the reproductive phase which is determined by the flowering time. Flowering in rice occurs toward the end of the vegetative phase. However, flowering in rice is affected by several factors like environmental atrocities, pathogen attack, etc. The signaling cascade involved in flowering is a complex process that involves coordinated regulation of several genes like Heading date 1 (Hd1), Heading date 5 (Hd5), and Heading date 6 (Hd6) that delays flowering under long day. While genes like Oryza sativa Phytochrome B (OsPhyB), Oryza sativa Constans-like 4 (OsCOL4), Supernumerary bract (SNB), and Oryza sativa Indeterminate Spikelet 1 (OsIDS1) inhibit flowering independent of day length. The accumulation of inhibitors of flowering reduces toward the end of vegetative phase, and this is the signal for flowering. Hd1 switches to flowering inducer under short-day conditions with accumulation of LD-specific inducers like OsMADS50 and OsDof12, OsId1, Ehd4 and miR172. Alongside, transcription factors, circadian clock genes, photoreceptors, and epigenetic regulation, are also involved. The current review provides an overview of all the factors involved in initiation and regulation of flowering that finally determines the yield potential of rice.
Interactive effects of prescribed fire and livestock grazing on Seriphium plumosum in South African sour bushveld

Documented increases in woody plant abundance worldwide can reduce land value and grazing capacity. Throughout many grasslands and savannas in South Africa, Seriphium plumosum, an encroaching woody...
Saliva or Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens for Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Saliva Specimens to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Infection In this letter, the investigators report that saliva specimens and nasopharyngeal swab specimens had similar sensitivity in the detection of SARS-CoV...
Beyond just a tight fortress: contribution of stroma to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer

Novel effective treatment is direly needed for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Therapeutics that target the driver mutations, especially the KRAS oncoprotein and its effector cascades, have been ineffective. It is increasing clear that the extensive fibro-inflammatory stroma (or desmoplasia) of PDAC plays an active role in the progression and therapeutic resistance of PDAC. The desmoplastic stroma is composed of dense extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited mainly by the cancer-associated-fibroblasts (CAFs) and infiltrated with various types of immune cells. The dense ECM functions as a physical barrier that limits tumor vasculatures and distribution of therapeutics to PDAC cells. In addition, mounting evidence have demonstrated that both CAFs and ECM promote PDAC cells aggressiveness through multiple mechanisms, particularly engagement of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. Acquisition of a mesenchymal-like phenotype renders PDAC cells more invasive and resistant to therapy-induced apoptosis. Here, we critically review seminal and recent articles on the signaling mechanisms by which each stromal element promotes EMT in PDAC. We discussed the experimental models that are currently employed and best suited to study EMT in PDAC, which are instrumental in increasing the chance of successful clinical translation.
A Real Time Node Connectivity Algorithm for Synchronous Cyber Physical and IoT Network Systems

In a strongly connected network, for each network node $n$ , the network connectivity metric can be defined as the smallest integer such that for every node $m$ , there is a directed path of at most $j$ links from $m$ to $n$ . In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to compute the connectivity metric for every node of a synchronous network so that each node can compute the value of its own connectivity. Each node is assumed to have a unique identifier and it knows the bound on the total number of nodes of the network. To verify the functionality of the proposed approach, we implemented the proposed algorithm with dynamic biographs for variable number of concurrent network nodes. Also, comprehensive illustration examples are provided. Finally, the simulation results illustrate that the proposed algorithm design has recorded an attractive result in terms of time complexity of order $O(N)$ where $N$ is the total number of concurrent nodes in the synchronous network. Hence, the proposed algorithm can be efficiently employed by real time synchronous communications of IoT networks and cyber physical systems.
Planets in triple star systems--the case of HD188753

We consider the formation of the recently discovered ``hot Jupiter'' planet orbiting the primary component of the triple star system HD188753. Although the current outer orbit of the triple is too tight for a Jupiter-like planet to have formed and migrated to its current location, the binary may have been much wider in the past. We assume here that the planetary system formed in an open star cluster, the dynamical evolution of which subsequently led to changes in the system's orbital parameters and binary configuration. We calculate cross sections for various scenarios that could have led to the multiple system currently observed, and conclude that component A of HD188753 with its planet were most likely formed in isolation to be swapped in a triple star system by a dynamical encounter in an open star cluster. We estimate that within 500pc of the Sun there are about 1200 planetary systems which, like Hd188753, have orbital parameters unfavorable for forming planets but still having a planet, making it quite possible that the HD188753 system was indeed formed by a dynamical encounter in an open star cluster.
Reading and mapping Hardy's roads

Acknowledgements 1. Orientation in a Disoriented Victorian World 2. Figuring the Map in The Return of the Native 3. Sexual Identity on the Road in Tess of the D'Urbervilles 4. Nomadism and the Road Not Taken in Jude the Obscure 5. Epilogue Notes. Bibliography. Index
Activists, Alliances, and Anti–U.S. Base Protests: Anti-Base Movements in Ecuador and Italy

We'll renew the base on one condition: that they let us put a base in Miami – an Ecuadorian base.… [I]f there's no problem having foreign soldiers on a country's soil, surely they'll let us have an Ecuadorian base in the United States. – Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador I am about to tell the U.S. Ambassador that the Italian government won't oppose the decision by the previous government and the town council of Vicenza to allow the expansion of the military base.… Our attitude in regards to the U.S. is that of friend and ally. – Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy The preceding two chapters examined anti-base movement episodes from the Asia-Pacific region. Movement episodes from the Philippines and Okinawa suggest that host-government elite perceptions, ideas, and beliefs regarding the U.S. alliance affect the likelihood of anti-base movement success in winning concessions from governments. Additionally, alliance relations and the degree of security consensus shape government responses to civil societal pressure. This chapter extends the security consensus framework to anti-base movement episodes in other regions. Two cases, the No Bases movement in Manta, Ecuador, and the No Dal Molin movement in Vicenza, Italy, are used to test the robustness of the theoretical argument. In Ecuador, a weak security consensus among political elites, and the ties formed between sympathetic politicians and activists, paralleled the 1991 Anti-Treaty Movement in the Philippines. Conversely, a relatively strong security consensus among Italian government officials raised serious obstacles for anti-base protestors.
Steering, Critiquing, Editing paradigm: a framework for user guidance in mixed initiative planning systems

We describe the Steering, Critiquing, Editing paradigm, a framework which summarizes and unifies several broadly applicable human-computer guidance paradigms commonly used in many mixed-initiative planning and design problems. Mixed initiative systems, if designed well, can offer the convenience, speed and systematic thoroughness of computers, while preserving the flexibility and adaptability of humans. However, in designing such systems, there are many questions to be considered in terms of when and how user guidance (or automation) should be offered. For example, should the user's guidance be offered before a plan is generated, during, or after? By what mechanism(s) should user's guidance be communicated? Through interaction with an automated planner? With a critic? Or with an editing tool that can be used to "tweak" the computer's solution? The goal of this work is not only to describe a selected set of common human-computer guidance structures which we have observed, but also to provide designers with a framework that helps them to more thoroughly consider additional points at which user guidance and automation might be used, and additional ways of providing it.
An efficient H/sup /spl infin// estimation approach to speed up the sphere decoder

Maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding often reduces to solving an integer least-squares problem, which is NP hard in the worst-case. On the other hand, it has recently been shown that, over a wide range of dimensions and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), the sphere decoding algorithm finds the exact solution with an expected complexity that is roughly cubic in the dimension of the problem. However, the computational complexity of sphere decoding becomes prohibitive if the SNR is too low and/or if the dimension of the problem is too large. In this paper, we target these two regimes and attempt to find faster algorithms by pruning the search tree beyond what is done in the standard sphere decoder. The search tree is pruned by computing lower bounds on the possible optimal solution as we proceed to go down the tree. Using ideas from H/sup /spl infin// estimation theory, we have developed a general framework to compute the lower bound on the integer least-squares. Several special cases of lower bounds were derived from this general framework. Clearly, the tighter the lower bound, the more branches can be eliminated from the tree. However, finding a tight lower bound requires significant computational effort that might diminish the savings obtained by additional pruning. In this paper, we propose the use of a lower bound which can be computed with only linear complexity. Its use for tree pruning results in significantly speeding up the basic sphere decoding algorithm.
Graphical User Interfaces

The sections in this article are 1 History 2 Definition of a Graphical User Interface 3 Are Graphical User Interfaces Better Than Character-Based Interfaces? 4 Effects On Software Development 5 Architecture Of Graphical User Interfaces 6 Development Process 7 Designing The Graphical User Interface 8 Representations Of Design 9 Appearance 10 Evaluation Of Graphical User Interfaces 11 Future of Graphical User Interfaces
Comparison of Analytic Methods for Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Data

Abstract Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory procedure to amplify and simultaneously quantify targeted DNA molecules, and then detect the product of the reaction at the end of all the amplification cycles. A more modern technique, real-time PCR, also known as quantitative PCR (qPCR), detects the product after each cycle of the progressing reaction by applying a specific fluorescence technique. The quantitative methods currently used to analyze qPCR data result in varying levels of estimation quality. This study compares the accuracy and precision of the estimation achieved by eight different models when applied to the same qPCR dataset. Also, the study evaluates a newly introduced data preprocessing approach, the taking-the-difference approach, and compares it to the currently used approach of subtracting the background fluorescence. The taking-the-difference method subtracts the fluorescence in the former cycle from that in the latter cycle to avoid estimating the background fluorescence. The...
The Internationalization of SMES in Emerging Economies: Institional Embeddedness and Absorptive Capacities

We examine the importance of institutional embeddedness and dynamic capabilities in the internationalization strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies. We focus on two types of SMEs - incumbent SMEs and entrepreneurial start-ups. We argue that incumbent SMEs can increase their internationalization capabilities by using their embedded networks with local governments and business groups. Entrepreneurial start-ups in emerging economies may develop new capabilities by learning from foreign firms and business groups. Therefore, entrepreneurial start-ups identify, create, and exploit new opportunities continuously in foreign markets. This work contributes to our knowledge of how incumbent SMEs and entrepreneurial ventures in emerging markets build knowledge and capabilities to enter and compete successfully in international markets.
Morphology of Viruses

The chemical constituents described in the previous chapter are found in particles of diverse size and shape in the various viruses isolable from animals, bacteria, plants, and fungi. Despite the diversity of size and shape of different viruses, the size and shape of any one virus tend to be much more uniform than do the cells of a bacterium. This uniformity is reflected in the fact that many viruses can be crystallized whereas bacteria cannot. Some examples of virus crystals are shown in Figure 30. Note that a single virus crystal contains millions of virus particles as is nicely illustrated in the electron micrograph obtained by Steere and Williams (1953) of a partially dissolved crystal of tobacco mosaic virus. Thus, although a simple virus particle may consist of hundreds of molecules of protein and one or more molecules of nucleic acid, large populations of these particles often behave as though they were just molecules, crystallization of particles being one manifestation of this characteristic (behavior of virus particles in hydrodynamic tests such as electrophoresis or sedimentation is also molecular in character).
Analysis of the size dependence of macromolecular crowding shows that smaller is better

The aqueous milieu inside cells contains as much as 30–40% dissolved protein and RNA by volume. This large concentration of macromolecules is expected to cause significant deviations from solution ideality. In vivo biochemical reaction rates and equilibria might differ significantly from those measured in the majority of in vitro experiments that are performed at much lower macromolecule concentrations. Consequently crowding, a nonspecific phenomenon believed to arise from the large excluded volume of these macromolecules, has been studied extensively by experimental and theoretical methods. However, the relevant theory has not been applied consistently. When the steric effects of macromolecular crowders and small molecules like water and ions are treated on an equal footing, the effect of the macromolecules is opposite to that commonly believed. Large molecules are less effective at crowding than water and ions. There is also a surprisingly weak dependence on crowder size. Molecules of medium size, ∼5 A radius, have the same effect as much larger macromolecules like proteins and RNA. These results require a reassessment of observed high-concentration effects and of strategies to mimic in vivo conditions with in vitro experiments.
RAKSHASAS AND ASURAS IN HINDU EPIC TALES

When the Aryans came to India, they found the Hindus Valley Civilization (3300–1300 BCE) to be more advanced than any they had ever encountered before. After many battles, the Aryans finally settled down in the northern part of India, forcing the non-Aryans to move from the north to the south. The fact that the non-Aryans had dark skin and a different facial structure from the Aryans gave rise to the characters called rakshasas and asuras . By analyzing relevant parts of the Hindu mythology, I will trace in this paper the role of social and political factors that have been instrumental in creating such stories. Keywords: Aryans, non-Aryan, Hindus Valley Civilization, mythology.
Isomerization of saturated hydrocarbons Communication 2. Isomeric transformations of C12 -C16 paraffins

1. A study was made of the isomerization of various paraffins having 12–16 carbon atoms in presence of a multifunctional catalyst and of hydrogen under pressure. 2. In the isomerization of paraffins of a given molecular weight, branched paraffins, predominantly dimethylalkanes, are formed. 3. A catalyst was found which has reduced cleavage power under the conditions for the isomerization of high-boiling hydrocarbons. 4. A thermodynamic calculation was made of the “realizable-equilibrium composition” for C12- C16 paraffins.
The Aesthetics of War: The Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution

Largely ignored by historians and critics, the Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista actually constituted a significant episode in the twenty-one years of Fascist rule. Organized by some of Italy's mos...
Implications of on-line FTIR detection in the separation of coal-derived products via HPLC with polar modifiers

Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was utilized as a detection system for high-performance liquid chromatography of polar compounds on a normal bonded-phase system. In addition to FTIR, UV (254 nm) and refractive index detection were employed in the separation of model compounds containing oxygen and nitrogen atoms in their molecules (phenols, alcohols, neutral and weakly basic nitrogen compounds). A polar amino-cyano (PAC) bonded-phase column was employed with a binary mobile phase (98:2 CDCl3:CH3CN). The separations and the information gained from each detector is discussed, including interactions between sample material and mobile phase. A polar fraction of a coal-derived product is also chromatographed under identical conditions. The results based on FTIR detection and chromatographic retention behavior suggest the exclusive presence of hindered and unhindered phenols.
Comparison of Gil-Vernet and classic flank approaches to pyelo- and ureterolithotomy

We review our experience with the posterior approach to the kidney and compare it with the classic flank approach to pyelo- and ureterolithotomy. Our results show a decrease in morbidity with the posterior approach
Spatial search and the Dirac equation

We consider the problem of searching a $d$-dimensional lattice of $N$ sites for a single marked location. We present a Hamiltonian that solves this problem in time of order $\sqrt{N}$ for $dg2$ and of order $\sqrt{N}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{log}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}N$ in the critical dimension $d=2$. This improves upon the performance of our previous quantum walk search algorithm (which has a critical dimension of $d=4$), and matches the performance of a corresponding discrete-time quantum walk algorithm. The improvement uses a lattice version of the Dirac Hamiltonian, and thus requires the introduction of spin (or coin) degrees of freedom.