cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the fate of fuel nitrogen during coal char combustion

The physical and chemical characteristics that influence the conversion of fuel nitrogen to nitrogen oxides during coal char combustion were theoretically examined by using a simplified model in which nitric oxide is an intermediate product between fuel nitrogen and N2. It was found that diffusion-reaction interactions were important in determining the selectivity of the char particle toward nitric oxide production. At low temperature fluidized bed combustion conditions, pore size is important, and low conversion of fuel nitrogen to nitric oxide is favored by long narrow pores. Under high temperature, pulverized coal combustion conditions, the model provided insight into mechanisms of nitric oxide formation and predicted the observed weak temperature dependence of fuel nitrogen conversion, as well as a significant effect of particle size.
Threat facilitates subsequent executive control during anxious mood.

Dual competition framework (DCF) posits that low-level threat may facilitate behavioral performance by influencing executive control functions. Anxiety is thought to strengthen this effect by enhancing threat’s affective significance. To test these ideas directly, we examined the effects of low-level threat and experimentally induced anxiety on one executive control function, the efficiency of response inhibition. In Study 1, briefly presented stimuli that were mildly threatening (i.e., fearful faces) relative to nonthreatening (i.e., neutral faces) led to facilitated executive control efficiency during experimentally induced anxiety. No such effect was observed during an equally arousing, experimentally induced happy mood state. In Study 2, we assessed the effects of low-level threat, experimentally induced anxiety, and individual differences in trait anxiety on executive control efficiency. Consistent with Study 1, fearful relative to neutral faces led to facilitated executive control efficiency during experimentally induced anxiety. No such effect was observed during an experimentally induced neutral mood state. Moreover, individual differences in trait anxiety did not moderate the effects of threat and anxiety on executive control efficiency. The findings are partially consistent with the predictions of DCF in that low-level threat improved executive control, at least during a state of anxiety.
Direction Finding Signage System using RFID for Healthcare Applications

In this paper, we develop a direction signage system that helps a patient to navigate within a health care center effectively without any wait time hassles. This wireless system identifies any patient with a RFID (radio frequency identification) tag along the hallways and guides them towards their preferred destination. The patient scans a tag with a reader and expresses a destination of interest to the information desk This information is communicated to the central station, which in turn computes the shortest path to the destination and sends the direction to the display device associated with the reader that scanned the tag. In addition to providing directions, it also performs tracking and monitoring of patients as they navigate. The system evaluation concludes that it is a cost-effective, robust, scalable and easy-to-integrate solution resulting in reduced wait-time for the patients.
Intractable depression or psychosis.

Objective: Some patients with treatment resistant depression may have a difficult to recognize and therefore untreated thought disorder. Even a subtle disorder may significantly impact patients' lives. This case illustrates a mechanism for identifying and treating this subgroup of patients. Method: The treatment of a 67-year-old female with intractable depression is described. Results: The Rorschach Exner Comprehensive System identified the presence of a thought disorder with four out of five conditions positive on the Schizophrenia Index and five out of seven conditions positive on the Depression Index. Low-dose risperidone was added to the patient's medications with excellent results. Post-testing indicated that the Schizophrenia and Depression Indices were no longer positive. Conclusion: A subgroup of patients with intractable depression may have an underlying thought disorder that can be identified with the Rorschach and successfully treated with low-dose antipsychotic medication.
Quantitative diffuse optical tomography requires nonlinear reconstruction algorithms

Summary form only given. Many diffuse optical tomography (DOT) algorithms rely on assumptions that linearize the relationship between the optical contrast of an optical inhomogeneity and measurements of diffuse light. In this paper, we show that this linearisation results in incorrect moments and thus accurate quantitative imaging is not possible. Common examples of linearized image reconstruction algorithms for DOT are based on the Born approximation. Quantitative imaging is possible only if the linearized solution produces scattered waves that agree well with exact solutions. To check this, we calculated the Born approximation for a spherical object embedded in an otherwise uniform, infinite medium, and compared the numerical results with the analytic solution for diffuse photon density waves (DPDW) scattering from spherical objects.
Biosynthesis of a fully functional cyclotide inside living bacterial cells.

The cyclotide MCoTI-II is a powerful trypsin inhibitor recently isolated from the seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis, a plant member of cucurbitaceae family. We report for the first time the in vivo biosynthesis of natively-folded MCoTI-II inside live E. coli cells. Our biomimetic approach involves the intracellular backbone cyclization of a linear cyclotide-intein fusion precursor mediated by a modified protein splicing domain. The cyclized peptide then spontaneously folds into its native conformation. The use of genetically engineered E. coli cells containing mutations in the glutathione and thioredoxin reductase genes considerably improves the production of folded MCoTI-II in vivo. Biochemical and structural characterization of the recombinant MCoTI-II confirmed its identity. Biosynthetic access to correctly-folded cyclotides allows the possibility of generating cell-based combinatorial libraries that can be screened inside living cells for their ability to modulate or inhibit cellular processes.
How to identify unstable DC operating points

The stability of operating points that satisfy the circuit's DC operations but are nonetheless unobservable operating points is examined in a rigorous way. Two classes of DC operating points, unstable and potentially stable, are defined, and simple criteria, based only on the circuit's DC equations, that can classify a given operating point's stability are given. It is also shown that it suffices to model stray capacitance and inductance in only certain specific locations, for any given physical circuit, to correctly assess the stability of its operating point in the presence of a profusion of parasitic reactances. >
Under-gate defect formation in Ni-gate AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

Abstract High electron mobility transistors based on Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride heterostructures are poised to become the technology of choice for a wide variety of high frequency and high power applications. Their reliability in the field, particularly the reliability of the gate electrode under high reverse bias, remains an ongoing concern, however. Rapid increases in gate leakage current have been observed in devices which have undergone off-state stressing. Scanning Electron Microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy have been used to evaluate physical changes to the structure of Ni-gated devices as the gate leakage current begins its initial increase. This evaluation indicates the formation of an interfacial defect similar to erosion under the gate observed by other authors. Defect formation appears to be dependent upon electrical field as well as temperature. Transmission Electron Microscopy has been used to demonstrate that a chemical change to the interfacial oxynitride layer present between the semiconductor and gate metal appears to occur during the formation of this defect. The interfacial layer under the gate contact transitions from a mixed oxynitride comprised of gallium and aluminum to an aluminum oxide.
Operational restrictions on morphing of quasi- geometric 4D physical spaces

Since a hierarchical notion of dimension is needed to ensure that a virtual, indirect orthogonality of dimensions is maintained in higher-dimensional spatial structures, a generic function for furling and unfurling of the fourth dimension in four-dimensional (4D) spatial structures is proposed. The furling allows three extra dimensions (above the regular three) in a 6D algebraic structure to be represented as a single fourth dimension and thus effectively facilitates morphing of the 4D spacetime into its dual 4D timespace. The effect of the furling of the extra three dimensions resembles that of compactification proposed by Kaluza-Klein theory yet without curling of the furled dimension. The furling supports reexpansion of stringy space into yet another dimension and so enables mapping of radius R (of a closed string being squeezed beyond its minimal radius) into an inverse radius 1/R, which was attributed to string duality, but is shown as due to duality of the 4D spatial structures of spacetime and timespace. Mathematically, it may appear as if further squeezing of the minimal string morphs it into an expanding pointletlike energy bubble so that the stringy spacetime reexpands in a new direction/dimension located within the bubbly dual timespace. So vibrating string is a mirror image of an energy bubblet, both of which do represent the same stringlet. By analogy, particle cast in spacetime could appear mathematically as having a mirror image (or its superpartner) cast in the dual timespace.
An Efficient Sensitivity Analysis Method for Large Cloud Simulations

Simulations of large distributed systems, such as infrastructure clouds, usually entail a large space of parameters and responses that prove impractical to explore. To reduce the space of inputs, experimenters, guided by domain knowledge and ad hoc methods, typically select a subset of parameters and values to simulate. Similarly, experimenters typically use ad hoc methods to reduce the number of responses to analyze. Such ad hoc methods can result in experiment designs that miss significant parameter combinations and important responses, or that overweight selected parameters and responses. When this occurs, the experiment results and subsequent analyses can be misleading. In this paper, we apply an efficient sensitivity analysis method to demonstrate how relevant parameter combinations and behaviors can be identified for an infrastructure Cloud simulator that is intended to compare resource allocation algorithms. Researchers can use the techniques we demonstrate here to design experiments for large Cloud simulations, leading to improved quality in derived research results and findings.
Using Meander Open Complementary Split Ring Resonator (MOCSRR) Particles to Design a Compact UHF RFID Tag Antenna

In this letter, a new printed dipole that uses series-connected meander open complementary split ring resonator (MOCSRR) particles is introduced. It is shown that by using the antenna presented here on a prototype passive UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, useful read ranges up to 4.1 m can be achieved. The printed dipole on the prototype resonates at an overall dimension of approximately 0.1λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength at resonance. The equivalent circuit of each MOCSRR particle is extracted and compared to the equivalent circuit of an open complementary split ring resonator (OCSRR) particle with the same overall dimensions and an OCSRR particle with larger overall dimensions. It is shown that the MOCSRR particle resonates at a lower frequency than both of the OCSRR particles, thus contributing to the lower resonant frequency of the antenna. The read range of the prototype is comparable to other passive UHF RFID tags with dimensions that are up to twice the overall size.
Split-gate tracking accuracy for phase coded CW radar

In this paper, a phase coded continuous wave (CW) radar system is analyzed. The motivation for the research was to accelerate tracking filter convergence. The main goal of the paper is to express the variance of the range errors as a function of signal to noise ratio and position in the split-gate region. Furthermore, the effect of different signal processing algorithms on the variance of the range errors is investigated. The effects of channel mismatch in the receiver and range gate spacing on the variance of the range errors are also included. Analytical equations that relate the variance of the range errors to signal to noise ratio (SNR) and position within the split gate region are derived using a Taylor series expansion. The analytical equations are consistent with a statistical analysis of a simulation of the radar system in MATLAB. The results of the work are the analytical equations for the variance of the range error as a function of SNR, range gate spacing, and channel mismatch for a split-gate tracker.
Phase I Study of Recombinant Tumor Necrosis Factor in Cancer Patients

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine derived from activated macrophages. This agent is cytostatic and cytolytic against transformed human cell lines in vitro and has in vivo activity against a variety of murine tumors. We report a clinical study of the pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and biological activity of i.v. and i.m. administered recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rTNF). Twenty patients with metastatic cancer were given rTNF in doses ranging from 1 to 200 µg/m2 by alternating i.m. and i.v. bolus injections with a minimal intervening period of 72 h. Each patient received a maximum of eight treatments given twice weekly over a 4-week period. With i.v. bolus administration, serum concentrations of rTNF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at doses of 25 µg/m2 or greater. The clearance of rTNF in the serum was described by a monoexponential equation with a half-life calculated to be 14–18 min. After i.m. administration, serum concentrations of rTNF were consistently detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at doses of 150 µg/m2 or greater. Peak concentrations were observed within 2 h and rTNF was occasionally detected, at the lower limit of sensitivity of the assay, at 24 h postinjection. rTNF was well tolerated clinically in this dose range, and there was evidence of antitumor effect.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa variants isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis are killed by a bactericidal protein from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Abstract The susceptibility of paired mucoid and nonmucoid variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from 13 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) to killing by a 55,000-Da bactericidal protein (BP55) from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes was studied. Mucoid and nonmucoid variants were equally sensitive to killing by BP55 at both pH 5.6 and pH 7.2. Eleven of the isolates were resistant to the bactericidal activity of 10% normal human serum but were as sensitive as the serum-sensitive isolates to BP55. Similarly, the 15 isolates with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) containing O-polysaccharide side chains (smooth LPS) were as sensitive to BP55 as those isolates with rough LPS.P. aeruginosa isolates from patients in poor clinical condition were more likely to have LPS of the smooth type and to be resistant to killing by 10% human serum than the isolates from patients in good clinical condition. We have concluded that the susceptibility of the P. aeruginosa isolates from patients with CF to killing by BP55 does not correlate with mucoid or nonmucoid variations, with the presence or absence of smooth LPS, or with the sensitivity or resistance to killing by normal human serum.
Anesthetic efficacy of metomidate and comparison of plasma cortisol responses to tricaine methanesulfonate, quinaldine and clove oil anesthetized channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus

The present experiments were designed to determine the efficacy of metomidate hydrochloride as an alternative anesthetic with potential cortisol blocking properties for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Channel catfish (75 g) were exposed to concentrations of metomidate ranging from 0.5 to 16 ppm for a period of 60 min. At 16-ppm metomidate, mortality occurred in 65% of the catfish. No mortalities were observed at concentrations of 8 ppm or less. The minimum concentration of metomidate producing desirable anesthetic properties was 6 ppm. At this concentration, acceptable induction and recovery times were observed in catfish ranging from 3 to 810 g average body weight. Plasma cortisol levels during metomidate anesthesia (6 ppm) were compared to fish anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate (100 ppm), quinaldine (30 ppm) and clove oil (100 ppm). Cortisol levels of catfish treated with metomidate and clove oil remained at baseline levels during 30 min of anesthesia (P>0.05). Plasma cortisol levels of tricaine methanesulfonate and quinaldine anesthetized catfish peaked approximately eight- and fourfold higher (P<0.05), respectively, than fish treated with metomidate. These results suggest that the physiological disturbance of channel catfish during routine-handling procedures and stress-related research could be reduced through the use of metomidate as an anesthetic.
West African monsoon demise: Climatology, interannual variations, and relationship to seasonal rainfall

The climatology and interannual variations of the West African monsoon demise are investigated using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project precipitation data sets along with the ERA-Interim reanalysis. During monsoon demise, the rainfall maximum progresses southward from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea. The West African monsoon demise is smooth, with no evidence of a meridional jump of the rainfall maximum as occurs during monsoon onset. The climatological monsoon demise date, defined by using a 2 mm d−1 rainfall threshold for the Sahel, is 20 October. The demise date varies up to 25 days during the period 1979–2012, between 5 and 30 October. An early (late) demise is associated with an anomalously strong (weak) North Atlantic subtropical high, which extends over the Mediterranean and the Sahara throughout the demise period. The monsoon season total rainfall is found to be significantly correlated with the demise date. In a composite of early (late) demise cases, northerly (southerly) moisture flux anomalies, which enhance (reduce) moisture divergence, are associated with an anomalously strong (weak) North Atlantic subtropical high. In addition, the early (late) demise of the West African monsoon is accompanied by cold (warm) sea surface temperature anomalies in the subtropical North Atlantic.
Yield modeling from SRAM failure analysis

Yield models based on Poisson, bose-Einstein, and binomial statistics are compared for a 1.25 mu m CMOS process. A mixed binomial yield model is shown to most accurately describe experimental yield data for a 1.25- mu m CMOS process. The model consists of gross yield and random yield components based on gross and random defects determined on a per level basis from a static random access memory-test element group (SRAM-TEG) yield vehicle failure analysis. The random yield component consists of both binomial and negative binomial segments, hence the mixed terminology, depending on whether or not a given defect shows evidence of clustering. Simple negative binomial models become optimistic at larger chip sizes by ascribing too much importance to interlevel effects of defect clustering. Using defect size distributions measured on a per level basis, the model is shown to hold over chip variations in feature size, product type, and chip area. >
Characterization of Nucleocapsid Binding by the Measles Virus and Mumps Virus Phosphoproteins

We report an analysis of the interaction between the P protein and the RNA-associated N protein (N-RNA) for both measles and mumps viruses with proteins produced in a bacterial expression system. During this study, we verified that the C-terminal tail of the N protein is not required for nucleocapsid formation. For both measles and mumps virus N, truncated proteins encompassing amino acids 1 to 375 assemble into nucleocapsid-like particles within the bacterial cell. For measles virus N, the binding site for the P protein maps to residues 477 to 505 within the tail of the molecule, a sequence relatively conserved among the morbilliviruses. For mumps virus N, a binding site for the P protein maps to the assembly domain of N (residues 1 to 398), while no strong binding of the P protein to the tail of N was detected. These results suggest that the site of attachment for the polymerase varies among the paramyxoviruses. Pulldown experiments demonstrate that the last 50 amino acids of both measles virus and mumps virus P (measles virus P, 457 to 507; mumps virus P, 343 to 391) by themselves constitute the nucleocapsid-binding domain (NBD). Spectroscopic studies show that the NBD is predominantly α-helical in both viruses. However, only in measles virus P is the NBD stable and folded, having a lesser degree of tertiary organization in mumps virus P. With isothermal titration calorimetry, we demonstrate that the measles virus P NBD binds to residues 477 to 505 of measles virus N with 1:1 stoichiometry. The dissociation constant (Kd) was determined to be 13 μM at 20°C and 35 μM at 37°C. Our data are consistent with a model in which an α-helical nucleocapsid binding domain, located at the C terminus of P, is responsible for tethering the viral polymerase to its template yet also suggest that, in detail, polymerase binding in morbilliviruses and rubulaviruses differs significantly.
A precedence scheme for selection and explanation of therapies

A general scheme to aid in the selection of therapies is described. A topological sorting procedure within a general production rule representation is introduced. The procedure is used to choose among competing therapies on the basis of precedence rules. This approach has a degree of naturalness that lends itself to automatic explanation of the choices made. A system has been implemented using this approach to develop an expert system for planning therapies for patients diagnosed as having ocular herpes simplex. An abstracted example of the system s output on an actual case is given.
What Is the Appropriate Use of Renal Sonography in an Inner-City Population With New-Onset Acute Kidney Injury?

OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the prevalence of hydronephrosis in patients who underwent renal sonography for new-onset acute kidney injury (AKI) and to identify clinical factors predictive of hydronephrosis. In patients with hydronephrosis, we sought to investigate how routine renal sonography affects patient treatment, including performance of interventional procedures. METHODS A retrospective chart review identified 274 adults with AKI who underwent renal sonography at an urban teaching hospital from January through July 2011. The prevalence of hydronephrosis was determined. Electronic medical records were reviewed for comorbidities, including risk factors for hydronephrosis such as a pelvic mass, prior renal or pelvic surgery, and neurogenic bladder, and for subsequent interventions and outcomes. RESULTS Sonography showed hydronephrosis in 28 patients (10%); 5 (18%) had subsequent interventions. In a multivariable logistic regression model with the outcome being hydronephrosis, all considered risk factors (pelvic mass, prior renal or pelvic surgery, and neurogenic bladder) were significantly associated with hydronephrosis (odds ratio, 6.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.7-15.4; P < .001) when adjusting for age and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes had a negative predictive value for hydronephrosis. No diabetic patients younger than 85 years and without clinical risk factors had hydronephrosis. CONCLUSIONS Hydronephrosis is infrequently seen on sonograms in hospitalized patients with AKI who lack risk factors for urinary tract obstruction. Deferral of sonography pending a trial of medical treatment is safe and will reduce medical costs. Adoption of clinical guidelines to assess patients' risk levels for hydronephrosis is critical to avoid unnecessary imaging.
That Venerable (Or Is It Vulnerable?) Institution: The Supreme Court

This article is an analysis of three books that were written in the late 1980s and how the US Supreme Court was viewed by the analysts. This political opposition to the Court seems alsmost schizophrenic compared with the general public approval of the institution. Analysts worry that the Court's historic venerability will turn to vulnerability in the face of this oppostion. A major debate on the judiciary concerns limits on its power and its institutional survival in a political system in which it has become increasingly active and controversial.
Low-Dose Alcohol Effects on Measures of Inhibitory Control, Delay Discounting, and Risk-Taking

The per se limit for alcohol intoxication in the USA is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 80 mg/100 ml. However, there is abundant evidence that skilled performance (e.g., information processing, motor coordination) is impaired at BACs well below this limit. By contrast, less is known regarding low-dose alcohol effects on impulsivity-related behaviors, including inhibitory control, delay discounting, and risk-taking. Here, we review the evidence to date regarding performance on behavioral impulsivity and decision-making tasks at BACs below the 80 mg/100 ml limit. Overall, below-limit doses of alcohol impair inhibitory control and increase risk-taking but do not affect delay discounting. Within each facet, alcohol effects were largely task-dependent. We discuss the results in relation to above-limit alcohol effects on these measures, as well as implications of these findings in terms of disadvantageous behavior at BACs below the legal level of intoxication.
Honoring our public responsibility: creating milestone and matrix-based training in an era of duty hour restrictions.

After remaining somewhat static for the past century, graduate surgical education has undergone enormous upheavals in the past 10 years. It has been changed fundamentally and irreversibly. The burden is on us as educators in our specialty to use our resources and creativity to ensure that neurosurgeons who arrive at the bedside to treat patients are well educated in the neurosciences and are technically proficient in the management of a broad range of neurosurgical problems. The purpose of this presentation is to review some of the dramatic changes that have occurred in American medicine, discuss their unique impact on the specialty of neurosurgery, and offer some guidance as to where we might focus our energies to ensure that the next generation of neurosurgeons is as well trained as prior generations. I have had a unique experience in having served as a residency program director, a department chair, a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS), chair of the ABNS, member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Resident Review Committee (RRC) for neurological surgery, and currently chair of the neurosurgical RRC. I hope these collective experiences can lend some guidance to our educational bodies going forward. At its core, this presentation must consider the following question: “How can we continue to attract and train the best and the brightest and ensure that they share their core values?”
Measurements and Analysis of a High-Brightness Electron Beam Collimated in a Magnetic Bunch Compressor

A collimator located in a magnetic bunch compressor of a linear accelerator driven x-ray free electron laser has many potential applications, such as the removal of horns in the current distribution, the generation of ultrashort beams, and as a diagnostic of the beam slice emittance. Collective effects, however, are a major concern in applying the technique. Systematic measurements of emittance and analysis were performed using a collimator in the first bunch compressor of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). In the nominal, undercompressed configuration using the collimator we find that the $y$ emittance (nonbending plane) is not increased, and the $x$ emittance (in the bending plane) is increased by about 25%, in comparison to the injector emittance. From the analysis we conclude that the parasitic effects associated with this method are dominated by coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), which causes a ``systematic error'' for measuring slice emittance at the bending plane using the collimation method. In general, we find good agreement between the measurements and simulations including CSR. However, for overcompressed beams at smaller collimator gaps, an extra emittance increase is found that does not agree with 1D simulations and is not understood.
APPLICATION OF PLASTIC STRAIN ON SAND PRODUCTION PREDICTION IN OIL WELL

FEM Model of sand production in oil well was established with plastic strain criteria,the yield stress criteria of the rock is the Drucker-Prager criteria.According to the parameters of formation in some oilfield,the plastic stress-strain results was obtained under the difference pressure with the model in the paper,the sand production can be predicted in light of the results.The critical production pressure without sand production was determined according to the critical plastic strain value.It provided the theoretical data for the normal production in oil well.
The development of a psychological stress questionnaire for ethnic minorities

Based on the factual living of ethnic minority people,the research explored the structure of ethnic minorities' psychological stress,developed a questionnaire of ethnic minorities' psychological stress and 1 325 ethnic minorities were invited to complete the questionnaire.Examined the theoretical ideas of the questionnaire according to the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the questionnaire,and tested the reliability and validity of the survey.Results showed: the structure of ethnic minorities' psychological stress contained six factors,the factors were acculturative stress,daily life stress,job or employment stress,health or accident stress,burden or education stress,the love or marriages stress.The self-developed questionnaire could be suitable for measuring psychological stress of ethnic minorities reliably and validly.
Using DEDICOM for Completely Unsupervised Part-of-Speech Tagging

A standard and widespread approach to part-of-speech tagging is based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). An alternative approach, pioneered by Schutze (1993), induces parts of speech from scratch using singular value decomposition (SVD). We introduce DEDICOM as an alternative to SVD for part-of-speech induction. DEDICOM retains the advantages of SVD in that it is completely unsupervised: no prior knowledge is required to induce either the tagset or the associations of types with tags. However, unlike SVD, it is also fully compatible with the HMM framework, in that it can be used to estimate emission- and transition-probability matrices which can then be used as the input for an HMM. We apply the DEDICOM method to the CONLL corpus (CONLL 2000) and compare the output of DEDICOM to the part-of-speech tags given in the corpus, and find that the correlation (almost 0.5) is quite high. Using DEDICOM, we also estimate part-of-speech ambiguity for each type, and find that these estimates correlate highly with part-of-speech ambiguity as measured in the original corpus (around 0.88). Finally, we show how the output of DEDICOM can be evaluated and compared against the more familiar output of supervised HMM-based tagging.
Why Knight Was (Not) a Conservative Prophet

The recession of 2008 was not just the bursting of an economic bubble; it was the bursting of the bubble of optimism, dating back to the 1980s, for what the economy can do for human society. It also brought Keynes and his policy ideas back into favour, an evolution Knight would no doubt question were he alive today, as noted in an earlier chapter, Knight had said of Keynes in 1950:
Measuring conventionalization in the manual modality

Gestures produced by users of spoken languages differ from signs produced by users of sign languages in that gestures are more typically ad hoc and idiosyncratic, while signs are more typically conventionalized and shared within a language community. To measure how gestures may change over time as a result of the process of conventionalization, we used a social coordination game to elicit repeated silent gestures from hearing non-signers, and used Microsoft Kinect to unobtrusively track the movement of their bodies as they gestured. Our approach follows from a tradition of laboratory experiments designed to study language evolution and draws upon insights from sign language research on language emergence. Working with silent gesture, we were able to simulate and quantify hallmarks of conventionalization that have been described for sign languages, in the laboratory. With Kinect, we measured a reduction in the size of the articulatory space and a decrease in the distance traveled by the articulators, while communicative success increased between participants over time. This approach opens the door for more direct future comparisons between ad hoc gestures produced in the lab and natural sign languages in the world.
Functional Imaging to Study Movement Disorders

Functional imaging with positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has become more common and important in clinical practice and research. New image analysis approaches have been devised, as well as scan technology based on the development of the imaging equipment. Parkinson disease (PD) and dystonia are the most investigated movement disorders using functional neuroimaging. Dopamine imaging has detected presynaptic striatal abnormalities in PD and diffusion tensor imaging has revealed the reduction of the cerebello-thalamocortical pathway in dystonia. In addition, spatial covariance analysis and dopamine imaging may allow for the differential diagnosis of PD from atypical parkinsonism. In this chapter, we will review the basic concept and achievements of the functional neuroimaging approach in movement disorders.
Pathologic response rate in HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancers treated with neoadjuvant trastuzumab and concurrent paclitaxel/radiotherapy.

e11064 Background: We demonstrated in three prospective trials that taxane-based concurrent chemo-radiation achieves high pathological response rates that correlate with decreased recurrence rates ...
Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012.

INTRODUCTION Foods and beverages marketed in schools are typically of poor nutritional value. School districts may adopt policies and practices to restrict marketing of unhealthful foods and to promote healthful choices. Students' exposure to marketing practices differ by school demographics, but these differences have not yet been examined by district characteristics. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by district characteristics such as metropolitan status, size, and percentage of non-Hispanic white students. RESULTS Most practices varied significantly by district size: a higher percentage of large districts than small or medium-sized districts restricted marketing of unhealthful foods and promoted healthful options. Compared with districts whose student populations were majority (>50%) non-Hispanic white, a higher percentage of districts whose student populations were minority non-Hispanic white (≤50% non-Hispanic white) prohibited advertising of soft drinks in school buildings and on school grounds, made school meal menus available to students, and provided families with information on school nutrition programs. Compared with suburban and rural districts, a higher percentage of urban districts prohibited the sale of soft drinks on school grounds and used several practices to promote healthful options. CONCLUSION Preliminary findings showing significant associations between district demographics and marketing policies and practices can be used to help states direct resources, training, and technical assistance to address food and beverage marketing and promotion to districts most in need of improvement.
Nuclear Data Relevant for Astrophysics

Nuclear physics provides a vital component of the models that interpret sophisticated astrophysical observations and formulate our current view of the composition and behavior of the Universe. An overview of the nuclear data needed for astrophysics studies will be given, and overlaps with other nuclear science fields will be noted. Some of the means by which nuclear astrophysics data needs are being met will be discussed, along with an outlook for the future of this growing field.
An Examination of Investors’ Reaction to the Announcement of CoCo Bonds Issuance: A Global Outlook

Abstract Major international financial institutions (FIs) are using contingent convertible (CoCo) bonds in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to meet stricter national and international capital requirements. Beginning with UniCredit's €500 m 9.375% CoCo in July 2010, more than 40 publicly held financial institutions headquartered in 16 countries have issued 68 CoCos. According to SP however, the investors’ reactions vary in a country-by-country analysis. These different reactions create opportunity for investors and issuers to launch global diversification and trading strategies.
Sexual offenders contacting children online: an examination of transcripts of sexual grooming

The present study investigated transcripts of adults sexually grooming decoy victims on the Internet. One hundred transcripts were coded for offender characteristics, victim characteristics, and dy...
Evolution of phenology in a salmonid population: a potential adaptive response to climate change

Accumulating evidence has indicated that many fish populations are responding to climate change through shifts in migration time, but genetic data identifying the role of evolution in these shifts ...
Daily Associations between Objective Sleep and Consumption of Highly Palatable Food in Free-Living Conditions

Objectives Prior studies have shown that individuals with shorter sleep duration and later sleep timing consume more highly palatable food (HPF). It is unclear if this relationship exists at the within-individual level, e.g. if sleeping less or later on one night is associated with greater HPF consumption in the following day in naturalistic environments. This study examined the daily associations between naturalistic sleep and HPF consumption. Methods Data were obtained from 78 healthy young adults (age = 20.38 [SD = 2.40] years). Participants carried a wrist actigraph and completed daily diaries tracking food consumption and covariates for seven consecutive days. Data were analysed using mixed models. Results Individuals with later bedtime were less likely to consume HPF at breakfast in the following day (odds ratio, OR [between] = 0.55 [0.44, 0.70], p < 0.001). This association was also significant at the within-individual level (OR (within) = 0.85 [0.74, 0.97], p = 0.016) - sleeping later on one night was associated with 15% decrease in the odds of consuming HPF at breakfast in the following day. Individual with later wake time had greater likelihood of consuming HPF at dinner (OR = 1.34 [1.03, 1.75], p = 0.027). Conclusions Sleep schedules characterized by later bedtimes and later wake times were associated with lower HPF consumption earlier in the following day but greater HPF consumption later in the day. This pattern of energy intake might mediate the association between sleep and the risk of obesity.
Use of advance directives by health care workers and their families.

BACKGROUND: Advance directives (ADs) are advocated for many but executed by few. To ascertain the importance of education in the decision to execute an AD, I did this study to determine the rate at which health care workers (a medically educated group) and their families execute ADs. METHODS: All clinical staff at an urban tertiary care VA medical center were surveyed. RESULTS: Of 730 surveys mailed, 553 (76%) were returned, and 18% of respondents executed an AD. Age was the only variable that predicted execution of an AD. End-of-life medical decision-making discussions with family members were reported frequently (with spouses 74%, parents 50%). CONCLUSION: Health care workers do not appear to complete ADs at a rate any higher than the general population. Thus, education may be necessary, but alone it appears insufficient to increase use of ADs. Frequent family discussions occur among health care providers and their families. Such discussions may be an important outcome in their own right.
Mobility Management in MANETs: Exploit the Positive Impacts of Mobility

The question of whether mobility is a blessing (Burleigh et al., IEEE Communications Magazine, 41:128–136, 2003; Capkun et al., Proc. of ACM MobiHoc, 2003) or a curse (Zhang et al., Proc. of ACM MobiHoc, 2005) to ad hoc networks has attracted a significant amount of research interest. Some researchers argue that mobility is a hurdle, as it makes the routing, naming and addressing, and location services more challenging. Some new mechanisms such as Zhang et al. (Proc. of ACM MobiHoc, 2005) have been proposed to tackle the problems caused by node mobility in MANETs. Others argue that far?from being a hurdle, mobility can be exploited to increase the system performance. Carefully designed protocols may exploit the mobility to obtain advantages in many important aspects of ad hoc networks, such as network capacity, security, and information dissemination.
Preliminaries for Topological Change Detection Using Sensor Networks

Topological changes to regions, such as merging/splitting and hole formation/elimination, are significant events in their evolution. Information about such salient changes is useful in many applications. The research reported in this paper provides theoretical foundations for such topological change detection in sensor networks. A local tree model is proposed in the spatial domain, based on which a set of types of topological changes is specified. We also present a sensor network framework which captures the necessary information required by the tree model. Both the local tree model and the sensor network framework form the foundations for detection approaches that allow sensor networks to report topological changes.
Sex-specific Physiology and its Implications for the Cost of Reproduction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the implications of sex-specific physiology to the cost of sexual reproduction in plants. It begins by describing various dimorphic sexual systems and why they might be useful for linking physiological process to reproductive function, particularly intermediate sexual systems such as gynodioecy. It describes the differential costs of pollen versus seed production, as well as common costs of flower production and demographic consequences. It also describes the physiological mechanisms that may help mitigate the costs of reproduction, followed by predicted patterns of sexual dimorphism in physiology based on differential investment. Next, it describes the potential causes of sex differences in physiology, followed by a final section summarizing the available data on the presence of sex-specific physiology and its relationship to reproductive investment in a variety of sexual systems.
STEROID HORMONE SITES OF ACTION IN THE BRAIN

ABSTRACT Evidence for the cellular, subcellular and topographical distribution of steroid hormone target sites has been obtained through the use of our dry-mount and thaw-mount autoradiographic techniques. This historical review documents that the autoradiographic data frequently precede or contradict negative biochemical evidence and serve as a guide for refined biochemical, anatomical, physiological and behavioral studies. The autoradiographic results indicate that specific receptors exist in select populations of nerve cells for all mammalian steroid hormones, including estrogen, progestagen, androgen, gluco- and mineralcorticosteroids and dihydroxyvitamin D3. The wide distribution of genomic target sites, together with other evidence, suggests a leading role of steroid hormones in the activation of brain functions and in the regulation of aminergic-peptidergic neurons.
Goitein’s Unfinished Legacies

Goitein’s Mediterranean Society is remarkable and paved the way for a generation —indeed, generations—of scholars. In this brief note, I discuss some of the fundamental questions Goitein left unanswered.
Validation of Pre-operative Templating for Total Disc Replacement Surgery.

ABSTRACT Objectives: This was an analytic retrospective observational study. The aims were (1) to validate patient-specific templating process by comparing postoperative range of motion (ROM) with that predicted by the model, (2) to retrospectively determine the ideal implant size, height, configuration, and location to evaluate if the ROM achieved could have been improved, and (3) to correlate postoperative ROM and clinical outcome. Background: Previous research revealed that after total disc replacement surgery, 34% of patients with less than 5° of postoperative ROM developed adjacent segment disease. The match between patient anatomy (size, facet orientation, disc height) and implant parameters are likely to affect postoperative ROM and clinical outcomes. Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients were implanted with 22 ProDisc-L devices between 2008 and 2015. Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of the implanted segment were constructed from preoperative computed tomography scans and virtually implanted with the ProDisc-L implant. ROM was determined with the endpoints of facet impingement in flexion and implant contact in extension. FE templating was used to determine the optimal implant size and location. ROM was then measured directly from flexion and extension radiographs and compared to predicted ROM. Pre and postoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) data were used to correlate ROM with clinical outcomes. Results: No significant difference was found between the actual and predicted ROM. The computational templating procedure identified an optimal ROM that was significantly greater than actual ROM. The ROM in our cohort could have been improved by an average of 1.2° or 12% had a different implant size or position been used. Conclusions: FE analyses accurately predicted ROM in this cohort and can facilitate selection of the optimal implant size and location that we believe will increase the chance of achieving clinical success with the application of this technology.
Bisphenol A Biomarkers and Biomonitoring

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) has endocrine activity and has been detected in human urine samples in biomonitoring programs and research studies worldwide due especially to its use in food packaging. It is measured as unconjugated (free) BPA, conjugated BPA, and total BPA. The conjugated forms are currently viewed not to have endocrine activities. Urinary measurement is a common method for detecting contaminants with a short half-life such as BPA, which has a half-life of less than 6 h. Although biomonitoring provides reference ranges, for most environmental chemicals there are no “safe ranges” established for biomarkers. Health reference values have been established for BPA based on animal data. Epidemiological studies have observed effects, but the implications of BPA measurements in humans and their correlations to a dose–response relationship have not yet been clearly established.