cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tau acts as a mediator for Alzheimer's disease-related synaptic deficits

The two histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are amyloid plaques containing multiple forms of amyloid beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles containing phosphorylated tau proteins. As mild cognitive impairment frequently occurs long before the clinical diagnosis of AD, the scientific community has been increasingly interested in the roles of Aβ and tau in earlier cellular changes that lead to functional deficits. Therefore, great progress has recently been made in understanding how Aβ or tau causes synaptic dysfunction. However, the interaction between the Aβ and tau-initiated intracellular cascades that lead to synaptic dysfunction remains elusive. The cornerstone of the two-decade-old hypothetical amyloid cascade model is that amyloid pathologies precede tau pathologies. Although the premise of Aβ-tau pathway remains valid, the model keeps evolving as new signaling events are discovered that lead to functional deficits and neurodegeneration. Recent progress has been made in understanding Aβ-PrP(C) -Fyn-mediated neurotoxicity and synaptic deficits. Although still elusive, many novel upstream and downstream signaling molecules have been found to modulate tau mislocalization and tau hyperphosphorylation. Here we will discuss the mechanistic interactions between Aβ-PrP(C) -mediated neurotoxicity and tau-mediated synaptic deficits in an updated amyloid cascade model with calcium and tau as the central mediators.
Cardiac responses to hypoxia and reoxygenation in Drosophila.

An adequate supply of oxygen is important for the survival of all tissues, but it is especially critical for tissues with high-energy demands, such as the heart. Insufficient tissue oxygenation occ...
Arms Negotiation, War Exhaustion, and the Credibility of Preventive War

Why do some states agree to suspend their weapons programs in exchange for compensation while others fail to come to terms? I argue that the changing credibility of preventive war is an important determinant of arms construction. If preventive war is never an option, states can reach mutually preferable settlements. However, if preventive war is not credible today but will be credible in the future, a commitment problem results: the state considering investment faces a “window of opportunity” and must build the arms or it will not receive concessions later on. Thus, agreements fail under these conditions. I then apply the theoretical findings to the Soviet Union’s decision to build nuclear weapons in 1949. War exhaustion made preventive war not credible for the United States immediately following World War II, but lingering concerns about future preventive action induced Moscow to proliferate.
Enthalpy recovery and its relation to shear response in an amine cured DGEBA epoxy

Abstract A description of enthalpy recovery for an amine-cured, digylcidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy (Epon 828/Jeffamine T403) was acquired through a series of experiments targeting the effects of the individual parameters: cooling rate, heating rate, aging temperature, and aging time. From these experiments, the peak temperature, T p , and fictive temperature, T f , were tracked as measures of the extent of structural relaxation. The KAHR formalism provides a standard for comparison to similar epoxies and was parametrized using the peak shift method. The resulting parameterization was then used to assess the relation between volumetric and shear relaxation. In particular, the KAHR model was used to predict volumetric relaxation time-temperature shift factors that are directly compared to measured time-temperature shift factors in shear. This unique methodology to assess equivalence between volumetric and shear relaxation shift factors further establishes the basis for this key assumption of continuum constitutive models based on rheological simplicity.
Multi-slice CT Findings of Congenital Dacryocystocele

Objective To evaluate multi-slice CT (MSCT) features of congenital dacryocystocele.Materials and Methods MSCT findings in 4 cases with congenital dacryocystocele were analyzed retrospectively.Results All 4 cases demonstrated dilation of nasolacrimal duct,a cyst in the medial canthus,and a submucosal cyst within the nasal cavity.Bilateral involvement was found in 3 cases and involvement of only left side in 1 case.Conclusion MSCT could display dilation of the nasolacrimal duct,a cyst in the medial canthus,and a submucosal cyst within the nasal cavity.
Virtual generators based damping controller for a multi-machine power system using μ-synthesis

Inter-area oscillations are frequently observed in a multi-area power system; these oscillations are impacted by different contingencies and operating conditions, and occur with multiple modes. As a result, the consideration of robustness is essential during the design of damping controllers. In order to simultaneously satisfy the requirement of Robust Stability (RS) and Robust Performance (RP) for damping. A μ-synthesis based damping controller that uses Virtual Generator (VG) speeds to characterize oscillation patterns and to implement excitation control is developed in this study. The μ-controller ensures robust performance to power system modeling inaccuracy and to a wide range of operating conditions. Real-time simulation is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the μ-controller.
Nonadiabatic Controlled Geometric Phase for the Asymmetric dc-SQUID Charge States

Introduced a physical model for the asymmetric dc SQUID(Superconducting QU antum Interference Device) system and given a simple scheme to control the fictitious magnetic fields of the charge qubits.We have also presented an easy scheme to make the geometric phase nonadiabaticaly,and obtained the geometric phase for the single qubit.We also showed that when the gate voltage and the externally applied current of the dc SQUID system satisfies an appropriate constraint condition,the charge state evolution can be controlled without the dynamic phase.
Technology and team work

L'article decrit l'experience de Haiwan Yuan, coordinateur de la bibliotheque virtuelle et du site Web dans les bibliotheques de la Western Kentucky University. Ce poste lui a permis de mettre en oeuvre ses competences techniques, de comprendre l'importance des bonnes relations avec les autres membres de l'equipe et de promouvoir la diversite.
Merging movements: Diverse dance practices in postsecondary education

ABSTRACTThis article examines students' choices in a postsecondary dance major curriculum where students selected to study one or more of five dance practices (African and Diaspora Movement Practices, Contemporary Ballet, Movement Language Sources, Postmodern Contemporary Dance, and Urban Movement Practices) each semester along with required coursework centered on inquiry, the ability to pose and pursue informed questions, and creativity, the process of making something new. Using a qualitative research approach, the study investigated three main questions: What factors drive students' course selections?; How do students fuse information from diverse dance practices?; and What do students learn through taking courses with peers who study diverse dance practices? The study's findings suggest that the selection and study of diverse dance practices in combination with a curricular emphasis on creativity and inquiry led students to feel empowered in their dance education, develop and articulate individualized...
Pedophilia on the Internet

The Internet provides adults and children with a medium for professional and personal communication throughout the world. As widespread communication in cyberspace grows exponentially, the potential for Internet-related crimes, such as cyberstalkng, has accelerated. Children are particularly vulnerable to sexual predators, such as pedophiles, on the Internet. This article reports cases of pedophiles who used the information superhighway to exploit child victims. Two models of pedophilia on the Internet are discussed: a trust-based seductive model and a direct sexual model. This article explores the role that mental health professionals may play in the assessment of Internet pedophilia. For example, mental health professionals may provide psychiatric treatment to victims of Internet pedophiles. Psychiatrists may be involved in the evaluation of perpetrators of Internet crimes in a clinical or forensic setting. Governmental agencies, the criminal justice system, school, or the media may request consultations by mental health professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to prevention. Methods of government intervention are discussed.
Shakespearean futurity: Soft cities in Antony and Cleopatra

A bifurcated architectural imaginary animates Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, whose built environment is divided between a ‘hard’ order that maps the rise of the Roman empire and the death of the republic and a ‘soft’ order in which Rome ‘discandies,’ unable to hold a solid form. This essay interprets the melting cities of Antony and Cleopatra in light of queer theory’s turn to futurity, arguing that Shakespeare’s soft environments announce the emergence of alternative worlds and non-normative futures. As an alternative to the practice of ideology critique that ferrets out the gaps in systems of representation to pry apart too-cohesive and normative worldviews, Shakespearean futurity would gesture instead toward the critical and constructive project of imagining different worlds.
Modes of Large-Scale Brain Network Organization during Threat Processing and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Reduction during TF-CBT among Adolescent Girls

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often chronic and disabling across the lifespan. The gold standard treatment for adolescent PTSD is Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), though treatment response is variable and mediating neural mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we test whether PTSD symptom reduction during TF-CBT is associated with individual differences in large-scale brain network organization during emotion processing. Twenty adolescent girls, aged 11-16, with PTSD related to assaultive violence completed a 12-session protocol of TF-CBT. Participants completed an emotion processing task, in which neutral and fearful facial expressions were presented either overtly or covertly during 3T fMRI, before and after treatment. Analyses focused on characterizing network properties of modularity, assortativity, and global efficiency within an 824 region-of-interest brain parcellation separately during each of the task blocks using weighted functional connectivity matrices. We similarly analyzed an existing dataset of healthy adolescent girls undergoing an identical emotion processing task to characterize normative network organization. Pre-treatment individual differences in modularity, assortativity, and global efficiency during covert fear vs neutral blocks predicted PTSD symptom reduction. Patients who responded better to treatment had greater network modularity and assortativity but lesser efficiency, a pattern that closely resembled the control participants. At a group level, greater symptom reduction was associated with greater pre-to-post-treatment increases in network assortativity and modularity, but this was more pronounced among participants with less symptom improvement. The results support the hypothesis that modularized and resilient brain organization during emotion processing operate as mechanisms enabling symptom reduction during TF-CBT.
Effect of Phosphate Treatment on Pb Leachability in Contaminated Shooting Range Soils

ABSTRACTA cost-effective way to reduce lead released into the environment is through immobilization with readily available soil amendments. Leaching of Pb from four shooting range soils treated with two phosphate sources was evaluated in soil columns. Phosphate was applied at a P/Pb molar ratio of 4:1 with two-thirds of the P supplied from phosphate rock (PR) and one-third from phosphoric acid (PA). The soils were incubated for 18 hr and leached with toxicity characterization leaching procedure (TCLP) and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) fluids, respectively. PR/PA treatment reduced Pb in TCLP leachate to below regulatory limit of 5 mg/L after 18 hr of incubation. Reduction of Pb leached was more dependent on clay content than total Fe. PR/PA treatment had no effect on pH of TCLP leached soils, while it led to a drastic lowering of pH that mobilized Pb in SPLP leached soils. However, leaching of Pb reduced with time in SPLP leached soils because pH increased gradually. PR/PA treatment was...
VANET-based privacy preserving scheme for detecting traffic congestion

We propose a VANET-based (Vehicular Ad hoc NETwork), privacy-preserving, distributed, collaborative traffic congestion detection and dissemination system that conserves bandwidth and provides drivers with real-time information on traffic congestions over long distances. The system uses vehicles equipped with simple inexpensive devices, as gatherers and distributors of information without the need for costly road infrastructure such as sensors, cameras or external communication equipment. Each vehicle is assumed to be equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device that provides with vehicle's current location, a real-time clock and a wireless communication device such as a two-way radio that allows it to communicate with vehicles nearby. The vehicles broadcast their current location, speed and direction at fixed time intervals. Our simulation results show that our solution addresses location privacy concerns and uses aggregation in the form of congestion sections to reduce bandwidth consumption.
Leading pretreatments for enhancing the degradability of lignocellulosic wastes and the final products

Lignocellulose is the major source for bioenergy (biogas and ethanol) recovery. The first step is enzymatic hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step due to the complex structure o...
Intestinal Barrier Maturation in Very Low Birthweight Infants: Relationship to Feeding and Antibiotic Exposure.

Objective To test the hypothesis that feeding and antibiotic exposures affect intestinal barrier maturation in preterm infants, we serially measured intestinal permeability (IP) biomarkers in infants Study design Eligible infants Results In a cohort of 43 subjects, the lactulose/rhamnose ratio was increased on day 1 and decreased over 2 weeks, but remained higher in infants born at ≤28 weeks of gestation compared with IP in infants born at >28 weeks of gestation. Exclusive breastmilk feeding was associated with more rapid maturation in intestinal barrier function. A cluster analysis of 35 subjects who had urine samples from all time points revealed 3 IP patterns (cluster 1, normal maturation: n = 20 [57%]); cluster 2, decreased IP during the first week and subsequent substantial increase: n = 5 [14%]); and cluster 3, delayed maturation: n = 10 [29%]). There were trends toward more prolonged antibiotic exposure ( P = .092) and delayed initiation of feeding ≥4 days ( P = .064) in infants with abnormal IP patterns. Conclusions Intestinal barrier maturation in preterm infants is GA and postnatal age dependent, and is influenced by feeding with a maturational effect of breastmilk feeding and possibly by antibiotic exposures. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01756040.
Guanylate cyclase C as a target for prevention, detection, and therapy in colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and new strategies to prevent, detect, and treat the disease are needed. The receptor, guanylate cyclase C (GUCY2C), a tumor suppressor expressed by the intestinal epithelium, has emerged as a promising target.Areas covered: This review outlines the role of GUCY2C in tumorigenesis, and steps to translate GUCY2C-targeting schemes to the clinic. Endogenous GUCY2C-activating ligands disappear early in tumorigenesis, silencing its signaling axis and enabling transformation. Pre-clinical models support GUCY2C ligand supplementation as a novel disease prevention paradigm. With the recent FDA approval of the GUCY2C ligand, linaclotide, and two more synthetic ligands in the pipeline, this strategy can be tested in human trials. In addition to primary tumor prevention, we also review immunotherapies targeting GUCY2C expressed by metastatic lesions, and platforms using GUCY2C as a biomarker for detection a...
Geometry-dependent functional changes in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes probed by functional imaging and RNA sequencing

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) are a promising platform for cardiac studies in vitro, and possibly for tissue repair in humans. However, hiPSC-CM cells tend to retain morphology, metabolism, patterns of gene expression, and electrophysiology similar to that of embryonic cardiomyocytes. We grew hiPSC-CM in patterned islands of different sizes and shapes, and measured the effect of island geometry on action potential waveform and calcium dynamics using optical recordings of voltage and calcium from 970 islands of different sizes. hiPSC-CM in larger islands showed electrical and calcium dynamics indicative of greater functional maturity. We then compared transcriptional signatures of the small and large islands against a developmental time course of cardiac differentiation. Although island size had little effect on expression of most genes whose levels differed between hiPSC-CM and adult primary CM, we identified a subset of genes for which island size drove the majority (58%) of the changes associated with functional maturation. Finally, we patterned hiPSC-CM on islands with a variety of shapes to probe the relative contributions of soluble factors, electrical coupling, and direct cell-cell contacts to the functional maturation. Collectively, our data show that optical electrophysiology is a powerful tool for assaying hiPSC-CM maturation, and that island size powerfully drives activation of a subset of genes involved in cardiac maturation.
Insights into the Mechanisms Involved in Protective Effects of VEGF-B in Dopaminergic Neurons.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B), when initially discovered, was thought to be an angiogenic factor, due to its intimate sequence homology and receptor binding similarity to the prototype angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Studies demonstrated that VEGF-B, unlike VEGF-A, did not play a significant role in angiogenesis or vascular permeability and has become an active area of interest because of its role as a survival factor in pathological processes in a multitude of systems, including the brain. By characterization of important downstream targets of VEGF-B that regulate different cellular processes in the nervous system and cardiovascular system, it may be possible to develop more effective clinical interventions in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and ischemic heart disease, which all share mitochondrial dysfunction as part of the disease. Here we summarize what is currently known about the mechanism of action of VEGF-B in pathological processes. We explore its potential as a homeostatic protective factor that improves mitochondrial function in the setting of cardiovascular and neurological disease, with a specific focus on dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease.
All‐Dielectric Heterogeneous Metasurface as an Efficient Ultra‐Broadband Reflector

Conventional all-dielectric metasurfaces made from high-index and low-loss materials (such as Si or GaAs) can achieve high optical efficiencies as well as broadband characteristics, mostly for the infrared (IR) light. However, maintaining the bandwidth and efficiency for conventional all-dielectric metasurfaces for visible or near-IR light becomes challenging, due to the limitations from material selection as well as fabrication techniques. In this paper, the idea of heterogeneous all-dielectric metasurfaces is proposed for a better metasurface design in shorter-wavelength ranges. An ultra-broadband reflector, as a proof-of-principle demonstration, is presented in this paper, both numerically and experimentally. The broadband reflector demonstrates a good optical efficiency, a broadband reflectance, as well as a great manufacturability. Nanoimprint lithography patterning process and advanced etching recipes are developed for the large-area and low-cost heterogeneous metasurface fabrication.
Label-Free, High-Throughput Purification of Satellite Cells Using Microfluidic Inertial Separation.

Skeletal muscle satellite cells have tremendous therapeutic potential in cell therapy or skeletal muscle tissue engineering. Obtaining a sufficiently pure satellite cell population, however, presen...
Left main coronary artery disease

Abstract Thirty patients with 70 percent or greater obstruction in the left main coronary artery were evaluated during hemodynamic and angiographic studies. There were 25 male and 5 female patients; the average age was 54 years. Twenty-seven patients had moderate to severe angina pectoris, with 14 noting an increase in severity of chest pain within 6 months before arteriography. Six patients also had hemodynamic evaluation by atrial pacing. In each, angina pectoris was easily induced, and all 6 had abnormal pacing ventricular function curves with marked increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure associated with a reduction in left ventricular stroke work. Image intensification fluoroscopy revealed calcification in the left main coronary artery in 7 patients. A striking finding was the severity of obstructive disease in the other coronary arteries. Eight patients had total occlusion of the right coronary artery, and 29 of the 30 patients had 2- or 3-vessel disease. Significant coronary arterial collateral vessels were noted in 21 patients. Contraction abnormalities were present in 24 left ventriculograms. Three deaths were associated with cardiac catheterization (mortality rate 10 percent). Only 2 of 18 patients who underwent aortocoronary bypass surgery died. The 16 surgical survivors are in clinically improved condition after a follow-up period of 10 months. Three of 9 patients not operated on have died, all within 1 month of arteriography. Because of the high risk of sudden death, coronary arteriography should be performed with caution in a patient with severe angina pectoris, very positive findings on exercise testing, easily induced angina and heart failure with stress and calcification in the left main coronary artery. After cardiac catheterization all patients should undergo routine monitoring and, when technically feasible, saphenous vein aortocoronary bypass surgery should be performed.
A dynamical systems perspective to convergence rate analysis of proximal algorithms

In this paper, we develop a semidefinite programming (SDP) framework for convergence rate analysis of proximal algorithms designed to solve convex composite optimization problems. We first represent these algorithms as linear dynamical systems interconnected with a nonlinear component. We then propose a family of time-varying nonquadratic Lyapunov functions that are particularly useful for establishing arbitrary (exponential or subexponential) convergence rates. Using Integral Quadratic Constraints (IQCs) to describe the class of allowable nonlinearities in the interconnection, we derive sufficient conditions for Lyapunov stability of proximal algorithms in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). We show how the developed LMI-based framework can be used to establish convergence rates by specializing it to the proximal gradient method and its accelerated variant for both convex and strongly convex problems.
Scalable matching of industry models: a case study

A recent approach to the problem of ontology matching has been to convert the problem of ontology matching to information retrieval. We explore the utility of this approach in matching model elements of real UML, ER, EMF and XML-Schema models, where the semantics of the models are less precisely defined. We validate this approach with domain experts for industry models drawn from very different domains (healthcare, insurance, and banking). We also observe that in the field, manually constructed mappings for such large industry models are prone to serious errors. We describe a novel tool we developed to detect suspicious mappings to quickly isolate these errors.
Nonlinear optical properties of nanostructures

Publisher Summary Nanostructures are of considerable interest for all optical systems because of their potential of very fast recovery and enhanced nonlinear optical properties. Organic materials offer the flexibilty in the design and the ease of synthesis. The study of semiconductor materials for nonlinear optics has matured to include low dimensional structures. The nonlinear optical properties of nanosize clusters are enhanced by the various quantum size effects. This chapter encourages the preparation of nanocrystallite aggregates by different methods. After a brief introduction to nonlinear optics, a theoretical treatment of nanostructured materials has been presented. Experimental studies of second- and third-order processes are described and is further divided into three classes of materials: metals, semiconductors, and wide bandgap semiconductors. While most of the research effort, thus far, has been invested in studying the properties of individual clusters, this chapter points out the possibility of enhancement in nonlinear optical constants for interacting clusters at close proximity. A substantial nonlinear effect as a result of a coherent effect of many clusters can be achieved.
Experimental Evaluation of an Energy-Delay Aware Web Routing Method

The web infrastructure continues to grow in both size and diversity and is quickly approaching 2 billion sites that serve an equally massive number of users. Content replication is a common technique that aims to improve reliability and performance. It consists of the use of multiple server mirrors that operate across geographically distributed regions. Several factors impair the static system optimization or even a periodic optimization. Final energy costs depend on the level of workload handled by each region given local variations in energy pricing. To accentuate the problem, energy pricing may dynamically change for some sites. Also, network state fluctuations, that are produced by congestion and failures, create time-varying performance to different users. These factors contribute to affect user experience and service costs. We propose an energy-delay aware web routing method that dynamically directs user requests to a set of replicated sites. The method relies on learning to implement a customized performance-cost load-balancing. We present experimental results from a network testbed using actual power measurements and simulated spatial variations in the energy prices according to the U.S. electricity market. The results show that the method can help to achieve the desired balance of energy cost and average response time, while reducing energy costs up to 11% without introducing a major impact to service quality.
A Re-Interpretation of the Normative Foundations of Majority Rule

There are four standard normative defenses for majority rule on two alternatives: fairness (i.e., May's theorem), epistemic (i.e., Condorcet's jury theorem), utilitarian (i.e., Rae-Taylor theorem), and contractarian (i.e., maximization of the number of self-determined voters). There are many ways to generalize majority rule to multiple alternatives, but the standard generalization is majority preference (i.e., Condorcet method). Unfortunately, these arguments fail to generalize to multiple alternatives due to Condorcet's paradox. In this paper, I generalize each of those four defenses to multiple alternatives using the consent of the majority generalization (e.g., approval voting) of majority rule. For example, I show that among Arrovian voting systems, an Arrovian version of approval voting is the voting system with the least restrictive domain which satisfies May's theorem's four conditions, and independence of irrelevant alternatives. The findings suggest that we should normatively and formally explore multiple interpretations of majority rule, beyond majority preference.
Structural Insights into the Interleukin-17 Family Cytokines and Their Receptors

The IL-17 family in humans consists of six distinct cytokines (IL-17A-F) that can interact with five IL-17 receptors (IL-17RA-E). The interaction between these cytokines and their receptors are critical in mediating host defenses while also making major contributions to inflammatory and autoimmune responses as demonstrated through both in vitro and in vivo experiments as well as human clinical trials. Inhibition of the IL-17A/IL-17RA interaction by monoclonal antibodies has also displayed remarkable efficacies in clinical trials against psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases. Recently, we and others reported the identification and characterization of both small-molecule and peptide IL-17A antagonists. These non-antibody IL-17A antagonists can effectively and selectively disrupt the IL-17A/IL-17RA complex and may provide alternative modalities to treat IL-17-related autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. This chapter summarizes the reported crystal structures of the IL-17 cytokines, their complexes with IL-17RA, and their complexes with both monoclonal antibodies as well as small-molecule and peptide antagonists.
Updates on immunologic correlates of vaccine-induced protection

Correlates of protection (CoPs) are increasingly important in the development and licensure of vaccines. Although the study of CoPs was initially directed at identifying a single immune function that could explain vaccine efficacy, it has become increasingly clear that there are often multiple functions responsible for efficacy. This review is meant to supplement prior articles on the subject, illustrating both simple and complex CoPs.
A mobile isocentric C-arm for intraoperative cone-beam CT: Technical assessment of dose and 3D imaging performance.

PURPOSE To characterize the radiation dose and three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a recently developed mobile, isocentric C-arm equipped with a flat-panel detector (FPD) for intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) (Cios Spin 3D, Siemens Healthineers) and to identify potential improvements in 3D imaging protocols for pertinent imaging tasks. METHODS The C-arm features a 30 × 30 cm2 FPD and isocentric gantry with computer-controlled motorization of rotation (0-195°), angulation (±220°), and height (0-45 cm). Geometric calibration was assessed in terms of 9 degrees of freedom of the x-ray source and detector in CBCT scans, and the reproducibility of geometric calibration was evaluated. Standard and custom scan protocols were evaluated, with variation in the number of projections (100-400) and mAs per view (0.05-1.65 mAs). Image reconstruction was based on 3D filtered backprojection using "smooth," "normal," and "sharp" reconstruction filters as well as a custom, two-dimensional 2D isotropic filter. Imaging performance was evaluated in terms of uniformity, gray value correspondence with Hounsfield units (HU), contrast, noise (noise-power spectrum, NPS), spatial resolution (modulation transfer function, MTF), and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ). Performance tradeoffs among protocols were visualized in anthropomorphic phantoms for various anatomical sites and imaging tasks. RESULTS Geometric calibration showed a high degree of reproducibility despite ~19 mm gantry flex over a nominal semicircular orbit. The dose for a CBCT scan varied from ~0.8-4.7 mGy for head protocols to ~6-38 mGy for body protocols. The MTF was consistent with sub-mm spatial resolution, with f10 (frequency at which MTF = 10%) equal to 0.64 mm-1 , 1.0 mm-1 , and 1.5 mm-1 for smooth, standard, and sharp filters respectively. Implementation of a custom 2D isotropic filter improved CNR ~ 50-60% for both head and body protocols and provided more isotropic resolution and noise characteristics. The NPS and NEQ quantified the 3D noise performance and provided a guide to protocol selection, confirmed in images of anthropomorphic phantoms. Alternative scan protocols were identified according to body site and task - for example, lower-dose body protocols (<3 mGy) sufficient for visualization of bone structures. CONCLUSION The studies provided objective assessment of the dose and 3D imaging performance of a new C-arm, offering an important basis for clinical deployment and a benchmark for quality assurance. Modifications to standard 3D imaging protocols were identified that may improve performance or reduce radiation dose for pertinent imaging tasks.
Phased Array for Control of Orbital Angular Momentum in Microwave Systems

Spectral efficiency is a major concern for modern microwave and radio-frequency communication systems. Control of orbital angular momentum (OAM) in microwave systems is a novel technique that exploits electromagnetic (EM) degrees of freedom that most conventional systems do not use. At the macroscopic scale, OAM is EM beam vorticity: propagating waves with vortex-shaped wave fronts. Since OAM modes are mutually orthogonal, each OAM mode can be used to carry information, increasing the rate of data transmission. A circular phased array microwave system can be used to transmit and receive microwaves with OAM characteristics. This paper presents the design of such a system, as well as preliminary results.
Banned: Immigration Enforcement in the Time of Trump: by Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, New York, NY: New York University Press, 2019, 197 pp., $30 (hardcover), ISBN 978-1479857463

This text is a timely look at some of the key changes in the enforcement of immigration law during the Trump administration, from the perspective of a law professor and advocate. Immigration law is...
Between rounds: the aesthetics and ethics of sixty seconds

This paper seeks to develop a philosophical framework for what I argue are the Nietzschean and Kantian aspects of professional boxing matches: narrative dissimulation and moral obligation. The over...
Impact of fan mixing on air pollutant exposure near indoor sources: An analytical model to connect proximity effect with energy

Abstract Exposures close to indoor sources are substantially higher than further away. To predict this “proximity effect”, we must determine the human exposure modeling parameter - turbulent diffusion coefficient, and how important room-specific factors such as fan power influence it. We conducted 11 experiments in a residential garage and an office, varying the operating speeds of two household fans at a room corner to create a range of air mixing conditions. In each, SidePak monitors sampled PM2.5 every 10 s over ~2 h at 15–16 points at different horizontal distances and angles from an emitting tracer particle source near the room center. Using an analytical exposure model involving eddy diffusion, the turbulent diffusion coefficient was deduced from the spatial PM2.5 measurements. Values ranged from 0.001 to 0.012 m2/s for power inputs of 0–4 W. By factoring in the room dimensions and air exchange, we found a significant relationship between the turbulent diffusion coefficient and fan power input across the two rooms. The deduced relationship allows assessments of (i) the magnitude of the proximity effect and (ii) the energy budget for reducing exposure via air mixing for a given indoor setting; it can be applied for different air contaminants (e.g., gaseous pollutants) in indoor environments where turbulent mixing dominates over brownian diffusion. For rooms with low air exchange rates, a modest power input from a fan can greatly increase pollutant mixing, reducing proximity exposure with minimal energy consumption.
Unification of Rare/Weak Detection Models using Moderate Deviations Analysis and Log-Chisquared P-values

Rare/Weak models for multiple hypothesis testing assume that only a small proportion of the tested hypotheses concern non-null effects and the individual effects are only moderately large, so that they generally do not stand out individually, for example in a Bonferroni analysis. Such rare/weak models have been studied in quite a few settings, for example in some cases studies focused on underlying Gaussian means model for the hypotheses being tested; in some others, Poisson. It seems not to have been noticed before that such seemingly different models have asymptotically the following common structure: Summarizing the evidence each test provides by the negative logarithm of its P-value, previous rare/weak model settings are asymptotically equivalent to detection where most negative log P-values have a standard exponential distribution but a small fraction of the P-values might have an alternative distribution which is moderately larger; we do not know which individual tests those might be, or even if there are any such. Moreover, the alternative distribution is noncentral chisquared on one degree of freedom. We characterize the asymptotic performance of global tests combining these P-values in terms of the chisquared mixture parameters: the scaling parameters controlling heteroscedasticity, the non-centrality parameter describing the effect size whenever it exists, and the parameter controlling the rarity of the non-null effects. Specifically, in a phase space involving the last two parameters, we derive a region where all tests are asymptotically powerless. Outside of this region, the Berk-Jones and the Higher Criticism tests have maximal power. Inference techniques based on the minimal P-value, false-discovery rate controlling, and Fisher's test have sub-optimal asymptotic phase diagrams. We provide various examples for multiple testing problems of the said common structure.
Using Biotechnological Approaches for Virus Elimination in Sweet Potato: A Review

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) belongs to the Convolvulaceae family and is an important crop for food security. Sweet potato is subject to a wide range of pathogen infections. Among them, viral diseases are the major constraints for sweet potato productions, because viruses can be accumulated and transferred from one generation to the next through the use of infected storage roots for vegetative propagation. There are over 30 viruses worldwide that are known to infect sweet potato and many of them have been reported in the United States and have caused devastating yield losses. To realize the full potential of this crop, meristem-tip culture based biotechnique has been adopted for producing virus-indexed propagating material in the U.S. This review attempts to assess methodology for sweet potato virus detection and identification, as well as current biotechnological approaches for virus elimination and disease management. We also provide insights regarding the potential concerns and challenges for sweet potato industry.
Anesthesia for Chronic Subdural Hematoma

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common neurosurgical conditions. Anesthesia management of patients with CSDH requiring surgical intervention involves a thorough preoperative evaluation, tailored intraoperative anesthesia management, and comprehensive postoperative care including pain control. By understanding and optimizing cerebral physiology, secondary brain injuries are minimized, and surgical evacuation of the hematoma can lead to a successful recovery. The holistic integration of the patient’s current and past neurological history and physical examination findings are critical in formulating an anesthesia plan. Choice of anesthesia depends on the patient’s neurologic status, the size and location of the CSDH, and the surgical approach. Both general anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care are used in CSDH surgery. However, general anesthesia is the preferred approach due to patient comfort and ability for ventilation control. Anesthetics should be tailored to each patient and the need for timely anesthesia emergence. In addition to pain management, it is imperative to prevent nausea and vomiting and delirium in the postoperative period.
Chapter 11 A Method for the Study of Cell Proliferation and Renewal in the Tissues of Mammals

Publisher Summary Many tissues in the adult mammalian body continue to have cell proliferation throughout the life of the animal. This chapter discusses method that can be used for labeling every cell that comes into DNA synthesis in tissue–cell populations of an intact mammal (mouse). The method can be used to study slowly renewing cell populations that have not previously lent themselves to quantitative analysis of cell renewal. Specifically, this method involves administration of thymidine-H 3 in the drinking water, followed by tissue autoradiography. This method does not disturb normal cell proliferation of the animal. The dosages used in this method show no detectable radiation toxicity. Some future applications of the method are mentioned. Awareness that such a cell renewal process occurs in the body of adult vertebrates goes back to the past century when it was realized that mitotic activity in the basal layer of epidermis produces new cells at a rate faster than could be accounted for on the bases of growth of the epidermis alone. C. P. Leblond and several of his associates have confirmed and extended the concept of renewal cell populations.
Handbook of Structural Engineering

PREFACE ABOUT THE EDITORS CONTRIBUTORS STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS Structural Fundamentals, E.M. Lui Structural Analysis, J.Y.R. Liew and N.E. Shanmugam Structural Dynamics, F.Y. Cheng STRUCTURAL DESIGN Steel Structures, E.M. Lui Steel Frame Design Using Advanced Analysis, S. E. Kim and W-F. Chen Cold-Formed Steel Structures, W. -W. Yu Reinforced Concrete, A. Pan Prestressed Concrete, E.G. Nawy Masonry Structures, R.E. Klingner Timber Structures, J.D. Dolan Aluminum Structures, M.L. Sharp Reliability-Based Structural Design, A. Haldar Structure Configuration Based on Wind Engineering, Y. Kubo STRUCTURAL DESIGN USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE MATERIALS High-Performance Steel, E.M. Lui High-Performance Concrete, Z. Li and Y. Zhang Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites, L.C. Bank EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN Fundamentals of Earthquake Engineering, C. Scawthorn Earthquake Damage to Structures, M. Yashinsky Seismic Design of Buildings, R.O. Hamburger and C. Scawthorn Seismic Design of Bridges, L. Duan, M. Reno, W-F. Chen, and S. Unjoh Performance-Based Seismic Design and Evaluation of Building Structures, S.K. Kunnath SPECIAL STRUCTURES Multistory Frame Structures, J.Y.R. Liew and T. Balendra Semirigid Frame Structures, L. Xu Space Frame Structures, T.T. Lan Bridge Structures, S. Toma, L. Duan, and W-F. Chen Cable-Supported Bridges, M. Ito Cooling Tower Structures, P.L. Gould and W.B. Kratzig Tunnel Structures, C. Ingerslev, B. Brenner, J-N. Wang, P. Rice, and B. Schmidt Glass Structures, A. Lee, A.K.W. So, and S.L. Chan SPECIAL TOPICS Welded Tubular Connections - CHS Trusses, P.W. Marshall Effective Length Factors of Compression Members, Lian Duan and W-F. Chen Structural Bracing, B. Chen and J. Yura Stub Girder Floor Systems, R. Bjorhovde Fatigue and Fracture, R.J. Dexter Passive Energy Dissipation and Active Control, T.T. Soong and G.F. Dargush Life Cycle Evaluation and Condition Assessment of Structures, C. Estes and D.M. Frangopol Structural Design for Fire Safety, Y.C. Wang INDEX
Fusion of Steganalysis Systems Using Bayesian Model Averaging

The increasing use of steganography requires digital forensic examiners to consider the extraction of hidden information from digital images encountered during investigations. The first step in extraction is to identify the embedding method. Several steganalysis systems have been developed for this purpose, but each system only identifies a subset of the available embedding methods and with varying degrees of accuracy. This paper applies Bayesian model averaging to fuse multiple steganalysis systems and identify the embedding used to create a stego JPEG image. Experimental results indicate that the steganalysis fusion system has an accuracy of 90% compared with 80% accuracy for the individual steganalysis systems.
How "Open" is Innovation in the US and Japan?: Evidence from the RIETI-Georgia Tech inventor survey

While individual inventors are key to technological progress, it is becoming increasingly necessary for inventors and their firms to exploit information and capabilities outside the firm in order to combine one’s own resources with resources from the external environment. To better understand the collaborative process in inventions, we collected detailed information on a sample of triadic patents, focusing on the invention process, sources of ideas, and collaboration (the RIETI-Georgia Tech inventor survey), with over 1900 responses from the US and over 3600 responses from Japan. Our results suggest that in both countries, just over 10% of inventions involved an external co-inventor and about 30% involved external (non-co-inventor) collaborators (with the rate of collaboration somewhat higher in Japan). Cross-organizational coinventions increase as firm size declines, especially in Japan. In both countries, vertical collaborations (both co-inventions and other collaborations) with users and suppliers were the most common. The most important knowledge sources were similar in the two countries: patents, customers, publications, and information from other parts of the firm, although their relative rankings varied somewhat. In particular, patent literature is a relatively more important information source in Japan and scientific literature is relatively more important in the US. Since our evidence suggest that inventors see literature globally, such difference does not seem to be driven by the difference of the disclosed literature (for an example, more early patent disclosure in Japan) as suggested by earlier literature but by that of the incentive and capability of the inventors. While in both countries most R&D funding is provided internally, venture capital and government funding play a greater role in the US than in Japan, with venture capital funds especially important for the smallest US firms. On the other hand, industry funding plays a greater role for university researchers’ inventions in Japan. There is some evidence that “open innovation” through collaborations enhances not only the technical significance of the invention, but also the probability of its commercialization through, for an example, vertical collaboration facilitating better matches between the needs of customers or the capabilities of suppliers.
Ronald Coase and Methodology

Ronald Coase wrote two great theoretical articles that earned him the Nobel Prize: "The Nature of the Firm" in 1937 and "The Problem of Social Cost" in 1960. He also wrote many articles dealing with the methodology of economics, often in the setting of a discussion of a particular economist, such as Adam Smith or Alfred Marshall. The methodological articles will be my particular focus here.
A method for automatically building and evaluating dictionary resources

This paper describes a method toward automatically building dictionaries from text. We present DEFINDER, a rule-based system for extraction of definitions from on-line consumer-oriented medical articles. We provide an extensive evaluation on three dimensions: i) performance of the definition extraction technique in terms of precision and recall, ii) quality of the built dictionary as judged both by specialists and lay users, iii) coverage of existing on-line dictionaries. The corpus we used for the study is publicly available. A major contribution of the paper is the range of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.