cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One-relator surface groups

For X a subset of a group G, the smallest normal subgroup of G which contains X is called the normal closure of X and is denoted by ngp (X; G) or simply by ngp (X) if there is no possibility of ambiguity. By a surface group we mean the fundamental group of a compact surface. We are interested in determining when a normal subgroup of a surface group contains a simple loop – the homotopy class of an embedding of S1 in the surface, or more generally, a power of a simple loop. This is significant to the study of 3-manifolds since a Heegaard splitting of a 3-manifold is reducible (cf. [2]) if and only if the kernel of the corresponding splitting homomorphism contains a simple loop. We give an answer in the case that the normal subgroup is the normal closure ngp (α) of a single element α: if ngp (α) contains a (power of a) simple loop β then α is homotopic to a (power of a) simple loop and β±1 is homotopic either to (a power of) α or to the commutator [α, γ] of a with some simple loop γ meeting a transversely in a single point. This implies that if a is not homotopic to a power of a simple loop, then the quotient map π1(S) → π1(S)/ngp (α) does not factor through a group with more than one end. In the process we show that π1(S)/ngp (α) is locally indicable if and only if α is not a proper power and that α always lifts to a simple loop in the covering space Sα of S corresponding to ngp (α). We also obtain some estimates on the minimal number of double points in certain homotopy classes of loops.
Asynchronous, Distributed Event Driven Simulation Algorithm for Execution of VHDL on Parallel Processors

This paper describes a new Asynchronous, Parallel, Event Driven Simulation algorithm with inconsistent event Preemption, P/sup 2/EDAS. P/sup 2/EDAS represents a significant advancement in distributed conservative digital circuit simulation algorithms in that it permits the use of any number of non-zero propagation delays for every path between the input and output of every hardware entity. P/sup 2/EDAS permits, accurate, concurrent, asynchronous, and efficient, i.e. deadlock free and null-message free, execution of sequential and combinatorial digital designs on parallel processors. It is a conservative algorithm in that only those output transitions, if any, are asserted at the output of a model following its execution, that are guaranteed correct. In addition, preemption of inconsistent events are allowed. P/sup 2/EDAS extends to any simulator based on high-level hardware description language. This paper presents a detailed description of the algorithm.
Doublecortin (DCX) Mediates Endocytosis of Neurofascin Independently of Microtubule Binding

Doublecortin (DCX) is one of two major genetic loci underlying human lissencephaly, a neurodevelopmental disorder with defects in neuronal migration and axon outgrowth. DCX is a microtubule-binding protein, and much work has focused on its microtubule-associated functions. DCX has other reported binding partners, including the cell adhesion molecule neurofascin, but the functional significance of the DCX-neurofascin interaction is not understood. Neurofascin localizes strongly to the axon initial segment in mature neurons where it plays a role in assembling and maintaining other axon initial segment components. During development, neurofascin likely plays additional roles in axon guidance and in GABAergic synaptogenesis. We show here that DCX can modulate the surface distribution of neurofascin in developing cultured rat neurons, and thereby the relative extent of accumulation between the axon initial segment, and soma and dendrites. Mechanistically, DCX acts via increasing endocytosis of neurofascin from soma and dendrites. Surprisingly, DCX increases neurofascin endocytosis apparently independently of its microtubule-binding activity. We additionally show that the patient allele DCXG253D still binds microtubules, but is deficient in promoting NF endocytosis. We propose that DCX acts as an endocytic adaptor for neurofascin to fine-tune its surface distribution during neuronal development.
Automated detection of Focal Cortical Dysplasia lesions on T1-weighted MRI using volume-based distributional features

A new procedure is proposed for the automated detection of Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) lesions on T1-weighted MRIs using volume-based discriminative features. Statistical features are obtained from of a set of neighboring voxels without using any computation that requires hard labeling of grey matter and white matter tissues. The significance of the proposed features is quantitatively evaluated with a Naive Bayes probabilistic approach, which is used for classification, and experiments are conducted on a total of 21 subjects with FCD lesions. The experimental results indicate that using the proposed features can achieve better detection rate and lower false positive rate for the FCD lesions compared to the widely used Antel's features [1].
Phonological and Acoustic Bases for Earliest Grammatical Category Assignment: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective.

Maternal infant-directed speech in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish (two mother-child dyads each; ages of children between 0;11 and 1;8) was examined to see if cues exist in input that might assist infants' assignment of words to lexical and functional item categories. Distributional, phonological, and acoustic measures were analysed. In each language, lexical and functional items (i.e. syllabic morphemes) differed significantly on numerous measures. Despite differences in mean values between categories, distributions of values typically displayed substantial overlap. However, simulations with self-organizing neural networks supported the conclusion that although individual dimensions had low cue validity, in each language multidimensional constellations of presyntactic cues are sufficient to guide assignment of words to rudimentary grammatical categories.
Binary linear quasi-perfect codes are normal

Whether quasi-perfect codes are normal is addressed. Let C be a code of length n, dimension k, covering radius R, and minimal distance d. It is proved that C is normal if d>or=2R-1. Hence all quasi-perfect codes are normal. Consequently, any (n,k)R binary linear code with minimal distance d>or=2R-1 is normal. >
High Power Disk Loaded Guide Load

A method to design a matching section from a smooth guide to a disk-loaded guide, using a variation of broadband matching, [1, 2] is described. Using this method, we show how to design high power loads. The load consists of a disk-loaded coaxial guide operating in the TE 01 -mode. We use this mode because it has no electric field terminating on a conductor, has no axial currents, and has no current at the cylinder-disk interface. A high power load design that has -35 dB reflection and a 200 MHz, -20 dB bandwidth, is presented. It is expected that it will carry the 600 MW output peak power of the pulse compression network. We use coaxial geometry and stainless steel material to increase the attenuation per cell.
The structure of inequalities and protracted social conflict: A theoretical framework

This theoretical essay draws upom economic, sociological and political ideas in order to link structural inequality to “protracted social conflict.” The meaning, determinants, and consequences of structural inequalities are specified. The linkages between protracted social conflict and economic and political structures of a society are outlined. “Development,” is hypothesized as alleviating or intensifying protracted social conflict. The complex relationships between structural inequalities and protracted social conflict are advanced. The essay relates its thrust to the contemporary research on conflict structures and international relations theory building.
Multiconstrained QoS Routing: A Norm Approach

A fundamental problem in quality-of-service (QoS) routing is the multiconstrained path (MCP) problem, where one seeks a source-destination path satisfying K > 2 additive QoS constraints in a network with K additive QoS parameters. The MCP problem is known to be NP-complete. One popular approach is to use the shortest path with respect to a single edge weighting function as an approximate solution to MCP. In a pioneering work, Jaffe showed that the shortest path with respect to a scaled 1-norm of the K edge weights is a 2-approximation to MCP in the sense that the sum of the larger of the path weight and its corresponding constraint is within a factor of 2 from minimum. In a recent paper, Xue et al. showed that the shortest path with respect to a scaled oc-norm of the K edge weights is a K-approximation to MCP, in the sense that the largest ratio of the path weight over its corresponding constraint is within a factor of K from minimum. In this paper, we study the relationship between these two optimization criteria and present a class of provably good approximation algorithms to MCP. We first prove that a good approximation according to the second optimization criterion is also a good approximation according to the first optimization criterion, but not vice versa. We then present a class of very simple K-approximation algorithms according to the second optimization criterion, based on the computation of a shortest path with respect to a single edge weighting function
Stereoregular P(MMA)-clay nanocomposites by metallocene catalysts : In situ synthesis and stereocomplex formation

This contribution reports the synthesis and characterization of stereochemically controlled, as well as crystalline stereocomplex, P(MMA)-clay nanocomposites using metallocene complexes and alane-intercalated clay activators. The ligand elimination and exchange reactions involving Lewis acids E(C6F5)3 (E = Al, B) and an organically modified montmorillonite clay were employed to synthesize the alane-intercalated clay activators. When combined with dimethyl metallocenes of various symmetries, these clay activators brought about efficient MMA polymerizations leading to in situ polymerized, stereochemically controlled P(MMA)-intercalated clay nanocomposites. The most noticeable thermal property enhancement observed for the clay nanocomposite P(MMA), when compared with the pristine P(MMA) having similar molecular weight and stereomicrostructure, has a considerable increase in Tg (≥10 °C). Mixing of dilute THF solutions of two diastereomeric nanocomposites in a 1:2 isotactic to syndiotactic ratio, followed by reprecipitation or crystallization procedures, yielded unique double-stranded helical stereocomplex P(MMA)-clay nanocomposites with a predominantly exfoliated clay morphology. Remarkably, the resulting crystalline stereocomplex P(MMA) matrix is resistant to the boiling-THF extraction and its clay nanocomposites exhibit high Tm of 201 to 210 °C. Furthermore, the stereocomplex P(MMA)-clay nanocomposite shows a one-step, narrow decomposition temperature window and a single, high maximum rate decomposition temperature of 377 °C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2581–2592, 2007
Policy based access for home contents and services

Policies are familiar approach to preserve security and privacy of the Web contents and services. This paper is going to address the policy based constrained access to the home contents and services but in the context of distributed but connected devices. A community concept equipped with trust metric is introduced to facilitate such restricted access. The community structure is maintained through a knowledge base exploiting Web Ontology Language and the policies are formulated using Semantic Web Rule Language. Reasoner then executes the policies to derive the access authorization results. In this paper, we provide a prototypical implementation of the whole scenario where a community member can download videos from the owner's home devices through a Web application. Besides, this paper critically investigates several challenges of the proposed approach with regard to various implementation issues.
Local spectral time splitting method for first- and second-order partial differential equations

A family of local spectral evolution kernels (LSEKs) are derived for analytically integrating a class of partial differential equations (PDEs)@[email protected]?tu=A(t)@?^[email protected]?x^2+B(t)@[email protected]?x+C(t)u.The LSEK can solve the above PDEs with x-independent coefficients in a single step. They are utilized in operator splitting schemes to arrive at a local spectral time-splitting (LSTS) method for solving more general linear and/or nonlinear PDEs. Like previous local spectral methods, this new method is of controllable accuracy in both spatial and temporal discretizations, and it can be of spectral accuracy in space and arbitrarily high-order accuracy in time. Its complexity scales as O(N) at a fixed level of accuracy. It is explicit, time transverse invariant, unconditionally stable for many problems whose two split parts are both analytically integrable. It adopts uniform grid meshes. The proposed method is extensively validated in terms of accuracy, stability, efficiency, robustness and reliability by the Fokker-Planck equation, the Black-Scholes equation, the heat equation, the plane wave propagation, the Zakharov system, and a linear harmonic oscillator. Numerical applications are considered to Fisher's equation, the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation, the Bose-Einstein condensates, and the Schrodinger equation in the semi-classical regime. Numerical results compare well with those in the literature.
Attacks on WebView in the Android system

WebView is an essential component in both Android and iOS platforms, enabling smartphone and tablet apps to embed a simple but powerful browser inside them. To achieve a better interaction between apps and their embedded "browsers", WebView provides a number of APIs, allowing code in apps to invoke and be invoked by the JavaScript code within the web pages, intercept their events, and modify those events. Using these features, apps can become customized "browsers" for their intended web applications. Currently, in the Android market, 86 percent of the top 20 most downloaded apps in 10 diverse categories use WebView. The design of WebView changes the landscape of the Web, especially from the security perspective. Two essential pieces of the Web's security infrastructure are weakened if WebView and its APIs are used: the Trusted Computing Base (TCB) at the client side, and the sandbox protection implemented by browsers. As results, many attacks can be launched either against apps or by them. The objective of this paper is to present these attacks, analyze their fundamental causes, and discuss potential solutions.
Antioxidants, Cytokines, and Influenza Infection in Aged Mice and Elderly Humans

The age-associated dysregulation of the immune response contributes to higher incidences of infectious diseases in the aged. Of note, there is dysregulation of cytokines, including a change in T helper (Th) 1/Th2 cytokine balance and an increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines. Synthesis of many cytokines is influenced by changes in the cellular oxidant/ antioxidant balance. Because vitamin E supplementation reduces oxidative stress and improves the immune response in the aged, a series of experiments was conducted to determine the effect of supplementation with vitamin E and other antioxidants on resistance to influenza infection in aged mice and the role of cytokines in vitamin E-induced increase in resistance to influenza infection. The results of these studies plus findings by other investigators on the effects of age and antioxidants on production of cytokines in human and animal models are reviewed.
Bacterial Arthritis of the Hip in the Adult

A retrospective study of bacterial arthritis of the hip in twenty-six adults seen in the years 1942 through 1962 was made. Only patients in the original phase of the hip infection were included bacterial arthritis associated with a specific disease such as brucellosis or tuberculosis was not include
Holocene closure of Lib Pond, Marshall Islands.

Well-preserved sediment from closed water bodies of atolls such as Lib Pond are rare opportunities to reconstruct the past regional climate, which pieced together across a latitude and longitude range identify the range of movement patterns of wider scale climate phenomena such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We conducted the first physico-chemical survey of Lib Pond, a shallow, closed-water saline lake located on remote and difficult to access Lib Island in the Marshall Islands at 8° 18' 48.99″ N, 167 22' 51.90″ E in the Pacific Ocean, in July 2009. We performed a bathymetric survey, recorded salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature profiles, monitored the tidal variability, and conducted a vegetation survey surrounding the lake. From bathymetric data we calculated the lake volume, which we used to estimate the lake's salt budget, and ultimately the residence time of water in the lake basin. We took a series of sediment cores from the lake, cores which indicate Lib Island's changing environment and climate. Radiocarbon measurements determined sediment age, and reveal significant mixing over the last 2 ka of deposition. We conclude that prior to 3 ka, Lib Island was an atoll with a central lagoon connected to the open ocean, which was then closed off from the open ocean to form the brackish system that exists today. We predict that the sediment accumulation in Lib Pond evident today will continue. As seawater is inhibited from exchanging with fresh water, Lib Pond will become a shallower lake with increasingly fresh water.
The psychological foundations of the hero-ogre story

Stories in which a hero defeats a semi-human ogre occur much more frequently in unrelated cultures than chance alone can account for. This claim is supported by a discussion of folk-tales from 20 cultures and an examination of the folk-tales from a random sample of 44 cultures. The tendency to tell these stories must, therefore, have its source in the innate human nature discussed by evolutionary psychologists. This essay argues that these stories reinforce innate positive biases in the perception of self and ingroup and negative biases in the perception of outgroups.
Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Dispersion Methods Affect Their Aggregation, Deposition, and Biomarker Response

To systematically evaluate how dispersion methods affect the environmental behaviors of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), MWNTs were dispersed in various solutions (e.g., surfactants, natural organic matter (NOM), and etc.) via ultrasonication (SON) and long-term stirring (LT). The two tested surfactants [anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonionic poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(propylene glycol)–poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO–PPO–PEO) triblock copolymers (Pluronic)] could only disperse MWNTs via ultrasonication; while stable aqueous SON/MWNT and LT/MWNT suspensions were formed in the presence of the two model NOMs (Suwannee river humic acid and fulvic acid). Due to the inherent stochastic nature for both methods, the formed MWNT suspensions were highly heterogeneous. Their physicochemical properties, including surface charge, size, and morphology, greatly depended upon the dispersant type and concentration but were not very sensitive to the preparation methods. Aggregation and deposition behaviors of t...
Slow-Release Formulations of Grandlure, the Synthetic Pheromone of the Boll Weevil

An experimental slow-release formulation of grandlure, the synthesized pheromone of the male of Anthonomus grandis Boheman, proved to be 90–100% as effective in the field as male weevils when the weevils and the formulation were tested in the field for 7 days or longer. The formulation was superior to formulations used previously and was used effectively in traps for survey and research and in the Pilot Boll Weevil Eradication Experiment in S Mississippi.
The 1- and 2-octadecyl glyceryl ethers as model compounds for study of triglyceride resynthesis in cell fractions of intestinal mucosa.

SummaryThe 1- and 2-octadecyl-(1-14C) glyceryl ethers have been used as model compounds to study triglyceride synthesis. The data suggest that: (a) The rat mucosa utilizes 2-monoglyceride for the formation of triglyceride; (b) the 1,2-diglyceride is the intermediate which is acylated to form triglyceride in the monoglyceride pathway; (c) and that utilization of the 1,3-diglyceride in triglyceride synthesis probably involves preliminary isomerization to the 1,2-diglyceride.
Fiber optic magnetometer with sub-pico Tesla sensitivity for magneto-encephalography

This work reports a highly sensitive resonant Faraday force magnetometer with a minimum detectable rms magnetic field of 277 fT at 17.2 Hz suitable for magnetoencephalography and brain circuit imaging at room temperature. At this level of sensitivity, our sensor can favorably compete with superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) without requiring liquid helium cooling and with the possibility of monitoring brain activity in humans behaving in our natural environment. In addition to room temperature operation, our sensor is more compact (~4 mm device area) compared to SQUIDs and has power dissipation comparable to MEMS devices. The light intensity coupled to the fiber optic waveguide varies exponentially with the displacement of the sensing cantilever and in contrast to electron tunneling detectors, the optical magnetometer has a large dynamic range and high sensitivity. Keywords—magnetometer; magnetic field measurement;
Why Sparse? Fuzzy Techniques Explain Empirical Efficiency of Sparsity-Based Data- and Image-Processing Algorithms

In many practical applications, it turned out to be efficient to assume that the signal or an image is sparse, i.e., that when we decompose it into appropriate basic functions (e.g., sinusoids or wavelets), most of the coefficients in this decomposition will be zeros. At present, the empirical efficiency of sparsity-based techniques remains somewhat a mystery. In this paper, we show that fuzzy-related techniques can explain this empirical efficiency. A similar explanation can be obtained by using probabilistic techniques; this fact increases our confidence that our explanation is correct.
Report of Legionella pneumophila contamination on shower head of hotel bathroom

[Objective]To understand the contamination status of Legionella pneumophila in some public places of Fengxian District in Shanghai,provide the basis for prevention and control of Legionella pneumophila.[Methods]80 samples were collected from the large hotels and supermarkets where were equipped with the centralized air conditioning,to test Legionella pneumophila.PCR technology was combined with the conventional methods.The samples were tested by PCR firstly,and the conventional isolation and identification were performed in positive samples.[Results]Two strains of Legionella pneumophila were detected on shower head of bathroom in a hotel.[Conclusion]Legionella pneumophila is found in environment,and there is risk of infection.
Pancreas Development Ex Vivo: Culturing Embryonic Pancreas Explants on Permeable Culture Inserts, with Fibronectin-Coated Glass Microwells, or Embedded in Three-Dimensional Matrigel™

Pancreas development is a complex and dynamic process orchestrated by cellular and molecular events, including morphogenesis and cell differentiation. As a result of recent explorations into possible cell-therapy-based treatments for diabetes, researchers have made significant progress in deciphering the developmental program of pancreas formation. In vitro pancreas organ culture systems provide a valuable tool for exploring the mechanisms of gene regulation, cellular behaviors, and cell differentiation. In this chapter, we review three common techniques for culturing embryonic pancreas explants. Each technique is suitable for different applications. Specifically, culturing embryonic pancreas on culture inserts provides an excellent platform to test the effects of chemical compounds. Conversely, when the embryonic pancreas is cultured in fibronectin-coated glass microwells, the system provides unique culture conditions to monitor organ growth and cellular dynamic events. Lastly, when the embryonic pancreas is embedded in Matrigel, organogenesis can be studied in a three-dimensional environment instead of limiting the analysis to one plane.
Urachal diverticulum in a 3-year-old boy.

AbstractA case of a urachal diverticulum that presented as a right lower quadrant mass in a 3-year-old boy is reported. There was no urinary tract infection or obstructive uropathy in this patient. Classification of urachal anomalies is reviewed.
A Simulation Assessment of Model‐Assisted Estimation of Steelhead Redd Abundance

AbstractRedd abundance for steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss is frequently estimated using design-based redd surveys. Redd abundance estimates may be biased low because redds may not be distinguishable prior to or in between sampling events (i.e., removal bias). Removal bias is typically mitigated by increasing temporal sampling intensity, thereby potentially reducing the level of spatial replication. In this study a model-assisted estimation technique to correct for removal bias was described and evaluated. Parametric survival time models were fit to redd data to estimate redd longevity and parameterize a simulation to evaluate the model-assisted estimation approach. The simulation showed increasing negative bias in redd counts not adjusted for removal bias as redd longevity decreased and as sampling intervals increased. Average bias among simulated datasets was as high as 43% using raw counts when redd longevity was relatively short at a 25-d sampling interval. Average bias was reduced to as low 1.3% using ...
250mV–950mV 1.1Tbps/W double-affine mapped Sbox based composite-field SMS4 encrypt/decrypt accelerator in 14nm tri-gate CMOS

A 10K-gate 4Gbps unified encrypt/decrypt SMS4 Chinese cryptographic accelerator is fabricated in 14nm tri-gate CMOS, operating at 1GHz, 750mV, 25°C with total power consumption of 12mW. Double-affine mapped Sbox circuits enable inverse computation using GF(24)2 data-path, resulting in 33% reduction in accelerator area by elimination of look-up tables (LUT). Optimal composite-field reduction polynomials, counter-assisted round constant generation circuits, and a hybrid data-path with in-line key-expansion provide additional 14% area saving over traditional designs resulting in a compact layout occupying 2445µm2. Low voltage optimizations enable robust sub-threshold operation down to 250mV, with peak energy-efficiency of 1.1Tbps/W measured at 330mV.
Primers and probe design and precision assessment of the real time RT-PCR assay in Coxsackievirus A10 and enterovirus detection.

Abstract This data article contains data related to the research article entitled “Rapid detection of enterovirus and Coxsackievirus A10 by a TaqMan based duplex one-step real time RT-PCR assay” (Chen at al., 2017) [1] . Primers and probe sequence design are among the most critical factors in real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay optimization. Linearity, sensitivity, specificity and precision are the crucial criteria which are used to evaluate the performance of a new method. This data article report the primers and probe design and precision assessment of the new assay. VP1 gene of Coxsackievirus A10 (CV-A10) and 5′-NCR of different enterovirus (EV) serotypes were retrieved from GenBank database and aligned. The intra- and inter-assay variation were assessed using high, medium and low concentration of control plasmid DNA and viral RNA samples.
Experimental investigation of horizontal air–water bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows in a 3.81 cm ID pipe

Abstract The present study seeks to investigate horizontal bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows. The two-phase flow structures and transition mechanisms in these transition flows are studied based on experimental database established using the local four-sensor conductivity probe in a 3.81 cm inner diameter pipe. While slug flow needs to be distinguished from plug flow due to the presence of large number of small bubbles (and thus, large interfacial area concentration), both differences and similarities are observed in the evolution of interfacial structures in bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transitions. The bubbly-to-plug transition is studied by decreasing the liquid flow rate at a fixed gas flow rate. It is found that as the liquid flow rate is lowered, bubbles pack near the top wall of the pipe due to the diminished role of turbulent mixing. As the flow rate is lowered further, bubbles begin to coalesce and form the large bubbles characteristic of plug flow. Bubble size increases while bubble velocity decreases as liquid flow rate decreases, and the profile of the bubble velocity changes its shape due to the changing interfacial structure. The bubbly-to-slug transition is investigated by increasing the gas flow rate at a fixed liquid flow rate. In this transition, gas phase becomes more uniformly distributed throughout the cross-section due to the formation of large bubbles and the increasing bubble-induced turbulence. The size of small bubbles decreases while bubble velocity increases as gas flow rate increases. The distributions of bubble size and bubble velocity become more symmetric in this transition. While differences are observed in these two transitions, similarities are also noticed. As bubbly-to-plug or bubbly-to-slug transition occurs, the formation of large elongated bubbles is observed not in the uppermost region of bubble layer, but in a lower region. At the beginning of transitions, relative differences in phase velocities near the top of the pipe cross-section to those near the pipe center become larger for both gas and liquid phases, because more densely packed bubbles introduce more resistance to both phases.
Custom, rapid prototype thumb prosthesis for partial-hand amputation: A case report.

Background:Due to advancements in three-dimensional printing, custom-made prostheses are becoming more viable options for persons with difficult cases of prosthetic management. The purpose of this ...
Climate change vulnerability assessment of forests in the Southwest USA

Climate change effects are already apparent in some Southwestern US forests and are expected to intensify in the coming decades, via direct (temperature, precipitation) and indirect (fire, pests, pathogens) stressors. We grouped Southwestern forests into ten major types to assess their climate exposure by 2070 using two global climate models (GCMs) and two emission scenarios representing wetter or drier conditions and current or lowered emission levels. We estimate future climate exposure over forests covering 370,144 km2 as the location and proportion of each type projected to experience climate conditions that fall outside 99% of those they currently occupy. By late century, 27–77% is climatically exposed under wetter or drier current emission levels, while lowered emission levels produce 10–50% exposure, respectively. This difference points to the benefits of reducing emissions from the RCP8.5 to the RCP4.5 track, with regard to forest retention. Exposed areas common to all four climate futures include central Arizona and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Vulnerability assessments also comprise sensitivity and adaptive capacity, which we scored subjectively by forest type according to the number of key stressors they are sensitive to and the resilience conferred by life history traits of their dominant tree species. Under the 2070 RCP8.5 emissions, four forest types are critically and six are highly vulnerable under the hotter GCM; and eight are highly and two moderately vulnerable under the wetter GCM. We discuss forest management adaptation strategies and the barriers to and co-benefits of such plans.
Probing material conductivity in two-terminal devices by resistance difference

It is generally impossible in two-terminal devices to separate the resistance of the device material from the parasitic resistance of terminals, interfaces, and serial loads, yet such information is needed to understand device physics. Here, we present an exact resistance-difference analysis, for a library of similarly configured two-terminal devices with self-similar material responses to external perturbations (electric current, temperature, and magnetic field), to obtain the relative conductivity change Δσ/σ in the device material using device-resistance data only. An outstanding example is nanometallic Mo/Si3N4:Pt/Pt resistance memory, in which electrons in Si3N4:Pt—the device material—display entirely different physics from those in the Pt and Mo electrodes. Our method unraveled their individual Δσ/σ, which for Si3N4:Pt exhibits self-similarity over different resistance states and film thicknesses.
“Money Earned; Money Won”: The Problem of Labor Pricing in Gower’s “Tale of the King and the Steward’s Wife”

This chapter reads Gower’s “Tale of the King and the Steward’s Wife” in Book 5 of Confessio Amantis as a tale of two transactions for the labor of the steward’s wife, with each transaction originating from one of two competing economic systems. The steward represents a cash-based economy while the king follows the economic practices of feudal relationships. The steward’s loss of his wife at the end of the tale does not mean that the cash-based economy is bad but that the steward has misunderstood the role of money, seeing it not as a medium of exchange but as a commodity itself.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in the Elderly

This article aims to review select applications of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) that have significant relevance in geriatric psychiatry. Small study sizes and parameter variability limit the generalizability of many TMS studies in geriatric patients. Additionally, geriatric patients have unique characteristics that can moderate the efficacy of TMS. Nonetheless, several promising experimental applications in addition to the FDA-approved indication for major depression have emerged. Cognitive impairment, neuropathic pain, and smoking cessation are experimental applications with special significance to the elderly. Cognitive impairment has been researched the most in this population and evidence thus far suggests that TMS has potential therapeutic benefit. There is also evidence to suggest benefit from TMS for neuropathic pain and smoking cessation in working age adults. TMS is consistently reported as a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality with no adverse cognitive side effects. TMS is a safe treatment modality that can be effective for certain applications in the elderly. Additional research that specifically includes older subjects is needed to replicate findings and to optimize treatment protocols for this population.
Using Social Media to Increase Nonprofit Organizational Capacity

ABSTRACTThis study examines social media utilization in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) for increasing organizational capacity. Using data from a survey of human service NPOs in the Los Angeles metr...
Opsonization and Membrane Complement Receptors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses opsonization and membrane complement receptors. Opsonization is the important process in host defense by which particles or complexes are made readily ingestible for uptake by phagocytic cells. Specific serum proteins, known as opsonins, coat particles and cause the particles to bind avidly to phagocytes and trigger ingestion. The complement (C) system plays a major role in opsonization by coating particles such as bacteria with fixed C3 and C4. This leads to binding of the bacteria to phagocyte C3 receptors and the clearance of the bacteria. Viruses, soluble immune complexes, and tumor cells are opsonized and removed by a similar mechanism. Other non-C serum proteins may also opsonize bacteria, particularly IgG antibacteria antibody and fibronectin. For each type of opsonin, there is an opsonin-specific membrane receptor on phagocytes responsible for binding particles coated with that opsonin. In the blood, C-coated particles and immune complexes are bound first to erythrocytes by way of C3 receptors and then, the erythrocytes serve as a vehicle that transports the bound complexes to macrophages in the liver that strip the complexes from the red cell surface and return the red cells to the circulation. At tissue sites of infection, C activation generates C5a, which attracts phagocytic cells via specific C5a receptors.
Light cone expansions and applications

Different implications of general light cone expansions of the current products are reviewed.
Gender in English, German, and other languages: Problems with the old theory, opportunities for the new

Nominal gender-marking is a complex linguistic device, one aspect of which is the obligatory use of masculine, feminine, and neuter articles for modifying nouns in languages such as German. By way of illustration, German speakers must use the masculine der (and its variants) as the definite article for some nouns, e.g., ‘moon’ (der Mond) the feminine diefor other nouns, e.g., ‘sun’(die Sonne), and the neuter das for still other nouns, e.g., ‘girl’( das Madchen) What makes nominal gender especially interesting is its intimate relations to important syntactic devices such as anaphora. Indeed, pronoun use is arguably the strongest indicant that der is masculine, die is feminine, and dasis neuter (Ibrahim 1973). Because speakers of German generally use ‘he’ to request a ‘spoon’ (der Loffel), ‘she’ to request a ‘fork’ (die Gabel) and ‘it’ to request a ‘knife’ (das Messer), der (and Loffel) must be masculine, die (and Gabel) must be feminine, and das (and Messer) must be neuter.
BiTCNN: A Bi-Channel Tree Convolution Based Neural Network Model for Relation Classification

Relation classification is an important task in natural language processing (NLP) fields. State-of-the-art methods are mainly based on deep neural networks. This paper proposes a bi-channel tree convolution based neural network model, BiTCNN, which combines syntactic tree features and other lexical level features together in a deeper manner for relation classification. First, each input sentence is parsed into a syntactic tree. Then, this tree is decomposed into two sub-tree sequences with top-down decomposition strategy and bottom-up decomposition strategy. Each sub-tree represents a suitable semantic fragment in the input sentence and is converted into a real-valued vector. Then these vectors are fed into a bi-channel convolutional neural network model and the convolution operations re performed on them. Finally, the outputs of the bi-channel convolution operations are combined together and fed into a series of linear transformation operations to get the final relation classification result. Our method integrates syntactic tree features and convolutional neural network architecture together and elaborates their advantages fully. The proposed method is evaluated on the SemEval 2010 data set. Extensive experiments show that our method achieves better relation classification results compared with other state-of-the-art methods.
Introduction of the Book

Currently over 50,000 large dams are operational. There are two major types: dams at least 15 m high or, if between 5 and 15 m in height, with a storage capacity of more than 3 million cubic meters of water.
Peripapillary microvasculature in the retinal nerve fiber layer in glaucoma by optical coherence tomography angiography: focal structural and functional correlations and diagnostic performance

Purpose To quantify peripapillary microvasculature within the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal eyes, determine association of perfusion parameters with structural and functional measures, and report diagnostic accuracy of perfusion parameters. Patients and methods POAG and normal patients underwent 6×6 mm2 optic nerve head scans (Angioplex optical coherence tomography angiography [OCTA]; Cirrus HD-OCT 5000) and Humphrey Field Analyzer II-i 24-2 visual field (VF) testing. Prototype software performed semiautomatic segmentation to create RNFL en face images and quantified vessel area density (VAD), vessel skeleton density (VSD), and vessel complexity index (VCI) in the optic nerve head globally and focally. Generalized estimating equations models assessed association of OCTA parameters with VF mean deviation (MD) and RNFL thickness. Results Thirty-eight POAG and 17 normal eyes were studied. Global VAD, VSD, and VCI were reduced in mild POAG vs normal (P<0.02) and moderate-severe vs mild POAG (P<0.04). Stepwise focal reductions across disease stage were demonstrated for OCTA parameters in the inferior hemisphere (P<0.05); reduction in OCTA parameters in mild POAG vs normal was demonstrated in inferior and superior quadrants (P<0.05). Reduced global VF MD was associated with reduced VAD, VSD, and VCI (P=0.0007, 0.0013, <0.0001; R2=0.449, 0.312, 0.399, respectively), and global RNFL thickness was associated with VAD, VSD, and VCI (P<0.0001; R2=0.499, 0.524, 0.542), superior and inferior hemifield MD were associated with corresponding VAD, VSD, and VCI (P≤0.001; R2 from 0.208 to 0.513). RNFL thickness in all quadrants was associated with corresponding OCTA parameters (P<0.05; R2 from 0.213 to 0.394), except temporal VAD and VCI. Area under curves for VAD, VSD, and VCI demonstrated good diagnostic ability (0.868, 0.855, 0.868; P<0.0001). Conclusion Glaucomatous eyes showed stepwise reductions in RNFL microcirculation across severity; focal reductions in the inferior hemisphere and inferior and superior quadrants were most significant. OCTA parameters had stronger associations with structural rather than functional measures of glaucoma.
Speed And Accuracy Are Not Enough! Trustworthy Machine Learning

Classical linear/shallow learning is relatively easy to analyze and understand, but the power of deep learning is often desirable. I am developing a hybrid approach in order to obtain learning algorithms that are both trustworthy and accurate. My research has mostly focused on learning from corrupted or inconsistent training data (`agnostic learning'). Recently, I, as well as independent researchers, have found these same techniques could help make algorithms more fair.
Characterizing PD-L1/PD-1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and implications on postresection treatment response.

e15626Background: Despite recent progress in the treatment of liver cancer, its outcomes remain poor and recurrence rates are as high as 70% in 5 years. Here we seek to use PD-1 and PD-L1 expressio...
The Colonial Efficacy of Casta Paintings

How can we understand artworks as classification systems? Is art a valid object of study in information science? If we answer “yes” to the latter question, how do we examine the first question? Casta paintings in colonial New Spain present a robust opportunity to understand art’s classificatory and documentary powers. In order to evaluate the efficacy of casta paintings as a classification system, it is necessary analyze how these works, as objects of colonial visual culture, enacted subjugation on multiple levels. Complex networks of power produce every classification system. Colonial power, particularly in urban New Spain, was often performed in seemingly paradoxical manners. Casta paintings responded to colonial anxieties about miscegenation, but they also acknowledged the realities of racial amalgamations in colonial New Spain. Put simply, New Spain was simultaneously a jewel for the Spanish Empire and the heart of an evil, non-Christian Other. This context reveals the critical necessity of social classification systems for European colonial expansion. To evaluate the knowledge organization casta paintings produced for colonial powers, I will focus on those held in the Denver Art Museum’s (DAM) New World Department. The DAM’s holdings include a complete set of sixteen casta paintings by Francisco Clapera, along with individual works by Jose de Alcibar and unidentified artists. Recognizable signifiers in these paintings enacted social classification at several levels in colonial New Spain.1 For the methodology of this project, I follow Jonathan Furner’s approach to evaluating classification systems.2 Furner’s prompt for classification researchers to evaluate how classification systems represent identity begets evaluation classification systems’ ideological and material structures. In the case of casta paintings, it makes sense to appraise their functions of identity representation on the one hand, and their descriptive power and retrieval functions on the other hand.
Responsibility in healthcare: what's the point?

In a welcome broadening of the discussion surrounding responsibility in healthcare, Rebecca Brown and Julian Savulescu propose that standard philosophical accounts of responsibility are too narrow to be useful. Although these accounts of course differ with respect to the exact conditions they posit as necessary and sufficient for responsibility, they are nonetheless relatively united in their focus on a single individual at a single moment in time. Suppose a subject S performs an action a at a time t that has harmful consequences for their health. Is S responsible for a and derivatively their condition? Brown and Savulescu argue that answers to this question that fail to consider both what S was or was not doing at times other than t and what people other than S were doing to encourage or discourage S from performing a cannot do justice to actions which are habitual and socially influenced—such as unhealthy patterns of eating, exercise and substance use. Given that it is precisely these kinds of patterns of behaviour that typically inflame the discussion of responsibility in healthcare, Brown and Savulescu’s insistence on the need for a diachronic and socially contextualised account of responsibility is essential— if we are to consider the issue of responsibility in healthcare at all. But should we and, if so, why? With respect to this question, Brown and Savulescu hope to sit on the fence. This is both because they recognise the complexity and balance of arguments for and against the view …
Comparison of the prognostic value of regadenoson and adenosine myocardial perfusion imaging

Regadenoson is now widely used in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). However, the prognostic value of abnormal stress perfusion findings with regadenoson vs adenosine are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of regadenoson SPECT and to compare it to that of adenosine SPECT. 3698 consecutive patients undergoing either adenosine or regadenoson SPECT were assessed at 1 year for the endpoints of cardiovascular death and a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or MI. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression modeling with the inverse probability weighted (IPW) estimators method adjusting to propensity for agent was used to account for differences in baseline characteristics. Patients undergoing adenosine SPECT MPI had a significantly higher prevalence of smoking history, diabetes, hypertension, and prior myocardial infarction (P < .05, all). At 1 year of follow-up, there were 154 cardiovascular deaths and 204 with the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or MI. Using IPW adjustment to propensity for agent in a model with stress agent, summed stress score (SSS) remained a significant predictor of the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or MI (HR 1.36 CI 1.28-1.46; P < .0001) as well as cardiovascular death (HR 1.38 CI 1.28-1.49; P < .0001). The interaction of SSS with agent was not significant. Similar findings were seen with summed difference score (SDS). SSS derived from either adenosine or regadenoson SPECT MPI is a significant predictor of events and provides incremental prognostic information beyond basic clinical variables. We have shown for the first time that use of regadenoson vs adenosine as stress agent does not modify the prognostic significance of SSS. Similar findings were seen with SDS.