cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incentive Inequalities and Talents: A Reply to Shiffrin

In a recent article, Seana Valentine Shiffrin offers a distinctive egalitarian critique of the types of incentive inequalities that are permitted by John Rawls's difference principle. She argues that citizens of a well-ordered society, who publicly accept Rawls's two principles of justice and their justifications, may not demand incentives to employ their talents in productive ways since such demands are inconsistent with a major justification for the difference principle: the moral arbitrariness of talent. I argue that there is no such inconsistency. Citizens can publicly accept the claim that talent is morally arbitrary and accept incentives to employ their talents productively without inconsistency. In the standard case that Rawls envisions, citizens who do so take their preferences to be a reason for a higher salary, not their talents.
Integrated ferroelectric monomorph transducers for acoustic imaging

Abstract Millimeter-sized ferroelectric monomorph sonar transducers have been built using sol-gel PZT on micromachined silicon wafers. The fabrication of monolithic transducer arrays on silicon wafers is described. Transducers have been tested in water in the frequency range of 0.5 to 4 MHz. Individual transducer diaphragms varied from 0.2 to 2 mm in size. Improvements to the sol-gel process have yielded high-quality, crack-free PZT films up to 12 μm in thickness, which leads directly to higher sensitivity and figure of merit for acoustic transducers. The longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient d33 is 140–180 pC/N, measured through a double beam laser interferometer. Remanent polarization of 34 μC/cm2, a coercive field of 42 kV/cm, and dielectric constant of 1400 were measured on 4-μm thick films. Results of air and in-water testing are presented, including frequency response, beam patterns, and output capacitance. High-resolution acoustic images of have been generated using these transducers and a four-el...
Technique for enhancing the performance of discretized controllers

This paper introduces a method to partially compensate for the zero order hold effects of a closed-loop digital control system. By multiplying a given discretized controller in the Z-domain by a pole-zero pair, a significant closed-loop performance improvement has been achieved in many design examples.
Land, livestock, and livelihoods: Changing dynamics of gender, caste, and ethnicity in a Nepalese Village

Over the past 10 years, Ghusel VDC, Lalitpur District has moved from primarily subsistence agriculture into the wider cash economy aided by the Small Farmers' Development Program (SFDP), which provides credit to farmers mainly for the purchase of buffalo for milk production, and by the National Dairy Corporation, which supports local dairy cooperatives. Analysis reveals that buffalo-keeping and milk sales are increasing the well-being of many households, while at the same time creating new inequalities in gender roles and responsibilities, greater inequities between Brahmin and Tamang residents in Ghusel, and placing pressures on the ecosystem for increased supplies of fodder and fuelwood. Evidence suggests that there is critical, need for attention to the social, and particularly gender-based, implications of maintaining livestock for milk sales and to the ecological underpinnings of this livelihood system.
Solitary fibrous tumor of the tongue: report of a case with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies.

Abstract Solitary fibrous tumors are rare in extrapleural sites and extremely rare in the oral cavity. We report a case of a solitary fibrous tumor arising from the tongue of a 70-year-old woman. The tumor measured 1.6 cm in maximum diameter and consists of spindle-shaped cells distributed in a haphazard pattern. Immunohistochemical studies show strong positivity for CD34 and bcl-2, and weak positivity for desmin. Smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein are negative. Electron microscopy shows uniform neoplastic spindle cells with mesenchymal features. The differential diagnosis for spindle cell neoplasms in the tongue is discussed. Ann Diagn Pathol 6: 168-171, 2002.
Natural language processing for information retrieval: the time is ripe (again)

Paraphrasing van Rijsbergen [37], the time is ripe for another attempt at using natural language processing (NLP) for information retrieval (IR). This paper introduces my dissertation study, which will explore methods for integrating modern NLP with state-of-the-art IR techniques. In addition to text, I will also apply retrieval to conversational speech data, which poses a unique set of considerations in comparison to text. Greater use of NLP has potential to improve both text and speech retrieval.
Psychosocial Outcomes of Urban African American Adolescents Born to Teenage Mothers

This is a study of psychosocial outcomes of adolescents born to teenage mothers. Adolescents' problem behaviors, psychological well-being, social support, school variables, and sexual behaviors are compared across three groups—those born to mothers 17 or younger, mothers 18–19 years old, and mothers 20 or older. Analyses from two samples of African American adolescents from Maryland (n = 205) and Michigan (n = 570) are reported. The results from both samples indicate that mother's age at birth is unrelated to adolescents' psychosocial outcomes. These two studies add to the limited number of analyses that examine adolescent outcomes for children of teen mothers. The results suggest that efforts to understand social structural determinants of healthy and problematic adolescent development may be more informative than examining the effects of mother's age. They also suggest that teen pregnancy prevention programs may be more effective if they are part of a larger prevention strategy that incorporates social structural change efforts and not only a focus on individual level change.
Impaired Glial Glutamate Uptake Induces Extrasynaptic Glutamate Spillover in the Spinal Sensory Synapses of Neuropathic Rats

Glial cell dysfunction and excessive glutamate receptor activation in spinal dorsal horn neurons are hallmark mechanisms of pathological pain. The way in which glial cell dysfunction leads to exces...
Os8N3 is a host disease-susceptibility gene for bacterial blight of rice

Many bacterial diseases of plants depend on the interaction of type III effector genes of the pathogen and disease-susceptibility genes of the host. The host susceptibility genes are largely unknown. Here, we show that expression of the rice gene Os8N3, a member of the MtN3 gene family from plants and animals, is elevated upon infection by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strain PXO99A and depends on the type III effector gene pthXo1. Os8N3 resides near xa13, and PXO99A failed to induce Os8N3 in rice lines with xa13. Silencing of Os8N3 by inhibitory RNA produced plants that were resistant to infection by strain PXO99A yet remained susceptible to other strains of the pathogen. The effector gene avrXa7 from strain PXO86 enabled PXO99A compatibility on either xa13- or Os8N3-silenced plants. The findings indicate that Os8N3 is a host susceptibility gene for bacterial blight targeted by the type III effector PthXo1. The results support the hypothesis that X. oryzae pv. oryzae commandeers the regulation of otherwise developmentally regulated host genes to induce a state of disease susceptibility. Furthermore, the results support a model in which the pathogen induces disease susceptibility in a gene-for-gene manner.
Faster program adaptation through reward attribution inference

In the adaptation-based programming (ABP) paradigm, programs may contain variable parts (function calls, parameter values, etc.) that can be take a number of different values. Programs also contain reward statements with which a programmer can provide feedback about how well a program is performing with respect to achieving its goals (for example, achieving a high score on some scale). By repeatedly running the program, a machine learning component will, guided by the rewards, gradually adjust the automatic choices made in the variable program parts so that they converge toward an optimal strategy.ABP is a method for semi-automatic program generation in which the choices and rewards offered by programmers allow standard machine-learning techniques to explore a design space defined by the programmer to find an optimal instance of a program template. ABP effectively provides a DSL that allows non-machine-learning experts to exploit machine learning to generate self-optimizing programs.Unfortunately, in many cases the placement and structuring of choices and rewards can have a detrimental effect on how an optimal solution to a program-generation problem can be found. To address this problem, we have developed a dataflow analysis that computes influence tracks of choices and rewards. This information can be exploited by an augmented machine-learning technique to ignore misleading rewards and to generally attribute rewards better to the choices that have actually influenced them. Moreover, this technique allows us to detect errors in the adaptive program that might arise out of program maintenance. Our evaluation shows that the dataflow analysis can lead to improvements in performance.
Stochastic Threshold Microdose Model for Cell Killing by Insoluble Metallic Nanomaterial Particles

This paper introduces a novel microdosimetric model for metallic nanomaterial-particles (MENAP)-induced cytotoxicity. The focus is on the engineered insoluble MENAP which represent a significant breakthrough in the design and development of new products for consumers, industry, and medicine. Increased production is rapidly occurring and may cause currently unrecognized health effects (e.g., nervous system dysfunction, heart disease, cancer); thus, dose-response models for MENAP-induced biological effects are needed to facilitate health risk assessment. The stochastic threshold microdose (STM) model presented introduces novel stochastic microdose metrics for use in constructing dose-response relationships for the frequency of specific cellular (e.g., cell killing, mutations, neoplastic transformation) or subcellular (e.g., mitochondria dysfunction) effects. A key metric is the exposure-time-dependent, specific burden (MENAP count) for a given critical target (e.g., mitochondria, nucleus). Exceeding a stochastic threshold specific burden triggers cell death. For critical targets in the cytoplasm, the autophagic mode of death is triggered. For the nuclear target, the apoptotic mode of death is triggered. Overall cell survival is evaluated for the indicated competing modes of death when both apply. The STM model can be applied to cytotoxicity data using Bayesian methods implemented via Markov chain Monte Carlo.
Tea consumption and cardiovascular disease risk

BACKGROUND The present analysis was conducted in response to inconsistent epidemiologic studies on the relation between consumption of tea and cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE We undertook a literature review of the consistency and strength of the associations between tea and cardiovascular diseases on the basis of published observational studies and meta-analyses addressing tea or tea flavonoids and cardiovascular disease risk. DESIGN We performed a search in 3 databases for meta-analyses and compared them with studies they subsumed. We performed an additional search for subsequent studies to determine whether the conclusions were consistent. RESULTS Many epidemiologic studies have been conducted and summarized in 5 meta-analyses on either tea consumption or flavonoid consumption and cardiovascular disease or the subset of stroke. Heterogeneity of effect was seen when the outcome included all cardiovascular diseases. In the case of stroke, a consistent, dose-response association with tea consumption on both incidence and mortality was noted with RRs of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.98) for flavonoids and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.85) for tea when high and low intakes were compared or the addition of 3 cups/d was estimated. CONCLUSION Thus, the strength of this evidence supports the hypothesis that tea consumption might lower the risk of stroke.
Pathology and Epizootiology of Entomophaga maimaiga Infections in Forest Lepidoptera

The insect-pathogenic fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga is endemic to northeastern Asia and was first found in North America in 1989. Due to repeated epizootics and spread within populations of the major forest defoliator in northeastern North America, the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), this pathogen has gained much notoriety. Although this pathogen was purposely introduced to North America for biological control of L. dispar in 1910 to 1911, it is questionable whether it became established at the time of release and then remained at innocuous levels until relatively recently. Alternatively, the fungal strain present in North America today could be a more recent accidental introduction. DNA analysis demonstrates that this pathogen differs significantly from North American members of the same species complex (the Lepidoptera-specific Entomophaga aulicae species complex), and, to date, isolates of this introduced pathogen display little heterogeneity in North America. Nonsusceptible lepidopteran larvae have been identified, and either E. maimaiga is unable to penetrate the cuticle or the fungus cannot survive within the hemocoel. In the latter case, although E. maimaiga grows as protoplasts lacking cell walls in the host hemolymph, glycoproteins on plasma membranes of the protoplasts could lead to host recognition. Epizootiological studies demonstrate a clear association between fungal activity and environmental moisture but little association with host density under hypothesized conditions of high fungal density. Prediction of the occurrence of epizootics is not yet possible. E. maimaiga is easily established in new areas by releasing azygospores, but the ability to use this pathogen further for biological control will depend, in large part, on the development of mass production systems.
Capacity scaling and spectral efficiency in wide-band correlated MIMO channels

The dramatic linear increase in ergodic capacity with the number of antennas promised by multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems is based on idealized channel models representing a rich scattering environment. Is such scaling sustainable in realistic scattering scenarios? Existing physical models, although realistic, are intractable for addressing this problem analytically due to their complicated nonlinear dependence on propagation path parameters, such as the angles of arrival and delays. In this paper, we leverage a recently introduced virtual representation of physical models that is essentially a Fourier series representation of wide-band MIMO channels in terms of fixed virtual angles and delays. Motivated by physical considerations, we propose a D-connected model for correlated channels defined by a virtual spatial channel matrix consisting of D nonvanishing diagonals with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Gaussian entries. The parameter D provides a meaningful and tractable measure of the richness of scattering. We derive general bounds for the coherent ergodic capacity and investigate capacity scaling with the number of antennas and bandwidth. In the large antenna regime, we show that linear capacity scaling is possible if D scales linearly with the number of antennas. This, in turn, is possible if the number of resolvable paths grows quadratically with the number of antennas. The capacity saturates for linear growth in the number of paths (fixed D). The ergodic capacity does not depend on frequency selectivity of the channel in the wide-band case. Increasing bandwidth tightens the bounds and hastens the convergence of scaling behavior. For large bandwidth, the capacity scales linearly with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well. We also provide an explicit characterization of the wide-band slope recently proposed by Verdu. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the key theoretical results.
Trade networks in West Africa: a social network approach

To date, most of the literature on trade networks in West Africa has considered networks in a metaphorical way. The aim of this paper is to go one step further by showing how social network analysis may be applied to the study of regional trade in West Africa. After a brief review of the literature, this exploratory paper investigates two main issues related to regional trade. We start by discussing how recent developments in regional trade in West Africa have contributed to challenging the social structure of traders. We then discuss the changes that have affected the spatiality of regional trade by looking at the influence of spatial location and geographic scale on traders' abilities to trade. In both cases, we argue that the value of social network analysis in exploring how traders have progressively adapted to social and spatial changes in economic activities has been greatly underestimated. Our discussion is illustrated with the case of two trade networks located between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.
The Effects of Cognitive Strategy Instruction on the Mathematical Problem Solving of Adolescents With Spina Bifida

This study investigated the effects of cognitive strategy instruction on the mathematical problem solving of three adolescents with spina bifida. Conditions of the multiple-baseline across-individuals design included baseline, two levels of treatment, posttesting, and maintenance. Treatment 1 focused on one-step math problems, and Treatment 2 focused on two-step problems. All students substantially improved as measured by performance on criterion tests of math problem solving. Discussion centers on the need for intervention studies with students with spina bifida that specifically address their unique characteristics and the adaptations and accommodations that benefit these students.
E-beam writing: a next-generation lithography approach for thin-film head critical features

Magnetic recording areal densities using magnetoresistive (MR) head technology are increasing at annual rates in excess of 60% per year and in some applications as great as 100% per year. Today, the critical features of the thin-film head can be patterned with the same optical lithography techniques used by the semiconductor industry. However, with the assumption that areal density increases in magnetic recording are maintained, within the next rive years, thin-film head lithography requirements will exceed semiconductor roadmap projections. This paper describes the use of e-beam lithography as an alternative to optical lithography for the fabrication of critical features in the thin-film head. In particular, the unique geometry of the head structure, the low density of critical head features on the wafer, and the relatively low wafer volume requirements for thin-film heads allow e-beam lithography to become a viable manufacturing alternative for thin-film head fabrication. More important, e-beam lithography is ideally suited for producing thin-film head structures at a development level prior to the optimization of manufacturable optical processing.
Robust analytic deflection-limiting commands

Methods for rapidly computing command signals that can move a flexible system without residual vibration and also limit the transient deflection have recently been introduced. These types of commands utilize a simple model and their performance is sensitive to both the accuracy of the system model and the desired move distance. Robust analytic deflection-limiting commands are described and evaluated in this paper. On average, the new formulation produces commands that are nine times more robust than the previous formulation. Traditional methods for measuring robustness fail to capture all the important features of these rest-to-rest commands. However, their results compare favorably to performance measures designed specifically for deflection-limited commands. Simulation results on a mass-spring-mass system are used to demonstrate the key advancements.
Drift or Selection: A Statistical Test of Gene Frequency Variation over Generations

ABSTRACT The method used by Fisher and Ford (1947) to study the spread of a gene in a natural population has been modified to analyze the variation in allele frequencies from generation to generation in a common experimental procedure. A further analysis has been developed that is more sensitive to directional trends in the allele frequency over generations, and its use in detecting the action of directional selection on gene frequency at a locus is discussed. The power of each of these statistical tests is calculated for a number of cases, and the tests are applied to sets of isozyme data from Drosophila pseudoobscura and Zea mays .
Explaining young children's difficulty on the false belief task : representational deficits or context-sensitive knowledge ?

This study compared two explanations for the poor performance of 3-year-olds on the false belief task: an inability to represent false beliefs and context-sensitive problem solving schemas. Experiment 1 tested preschoolers' understanding of the appearance-reality distinction and of false beliefs. Some of the results were: an age difference was found on the appearance-reality assessment but not on the false belief assessment; 3-year-olds performed better on the false belief assessment than on the appearance-reality assessment; and task content was found to affect performance on both assessments. In Expt 2, explicit reference to deception was found to facilitate performance on the false belief task. It was suggested that the representational-deficit theories may not be able to account for these results. Performance on the false belief task was discussed in terms of the development and application of context-sensitive problem-solving schemas.
Supporting computational systems science: genomic analysis tool federations using aspects and AOP

We show how Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) and its mainconcept - the aspect - can be used to effectively construct interoperating collectionsof scientific tools and models. Such collections, termed "federations",naturally arise in computational frameworks for bioinformatics problems. Programmingmodern scientific simulations and models require more domain expertisethan can be found in one researcher; often the many researchers neededto create the various computational components of a full solution cannot begathered to work as a single controlled software development team. Our approachallows individuals to construct their own components and tools, andthen have them assembled without alteration (and without coordination of theoriginal programmers) into a federation for the larger final computational solutions.We illustrate the methods with two SNP and haplotype analysis toolswritten in Python.
Comparative study of mechanical properties using standard and micro-specimens of base materials Inconel 625, Inconel 718 and Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract To improve innovative joining and deposition technologies for the construction of dissimilar joints, precise knowledge of the local mechanical properties of materials must be obtained. In the present article a comparative study of the tensile properties and fatigue behaviour in case of flat standard and micro-specimens of base materials Inconel 625, Inconel 718 and Ti-6Al-4 V was accomplished. The aim of the study was to develop an efficient method for the investigation of the local mechanical properties by the use of micro-specimens subjected to electro discharge machining treatment and to obtain reliable tensile and fatigue test results. By the miniaturization of specimens a significant effect of roughness on mechanical properties was obtained. By considering a correction for the effective load-bearing cross-section the data obtained from micro-specimens are within 3% error with respect to standard specimen results. The results showed that the proposed technique can be successfully used to determine the tensile and fatigue properties of a small material volume.
Pauci-Immune Crescentic Glomerulonephritis: An ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is a syndrome signified by a precipitous loss of renal function, with features of glomerulonephritis including dysmorphic erythrocyturia and glomerular proteinuria. RPGN is associated with extensive crescent formation, and, thus, the clinical term RPGN is often used interchangeably with the pathologic term crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN). From an immunopathologic standpoint, primary RPGN is divided into pauci-immune GN (PICG), anti-GBM GN, and immune complex GN. PICG, the most common etiology of primary RPGN, refers to a necrotizing glomerulonephritis with few or no immune deposits by immunofluorescence (IF) or electron microscopy (EM). In most patients, pauci-immune CGN is a component of a systemic small vessel vasculitis such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Approximately 90% of patients with PICG have circulating ANCA antibodies, leading to the nomenclature ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Recent research has identified several other antibodies associated with PICG, which is now understood to be a complex spectrum of disease with considerable overlap in terms of clinical phenotype and outcomes. In addition, several genetic and environmental factors have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder. With new prognostic classifications, enhanced understanding of immunopathologic mechanisms, and novel treatment paradigms, clinical and experimental interest in PICG remains high.
Quantum dot based enzyme activity sensors present deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetic model

Nanosensors employing quantum dots (QDs) and enzyme substrates with fluorescent moieties offer tremendous promise for disease surveillance/diagnostics and as high-throughput co-factor assays. Advantages of QDs over other nanoscaffolds include their small size and inherent photochemical properties such as size tunable fluorescence, ease in attaching functional moieties, and resistance to photobleaching. These properties make QDs excellent Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) donors; well-suited for rapid, optical measurement applications. We report enzyme sensors designed with a single FRET donor, the QD donor acting as a scaffold to multiple substrates or acceptors. The QD-sensor follows the concrete activity of the enzyme, as compared to the most common methodologies that quantify the enzyme amount or its mRNA precursor. As the sensor reports on the enzyme activity in real-time we can actively follow the kinetics of the enzyme. Though classic Michaelis-Menten (MM) parameters can be obtained to describe the activity. In the course of these experiments deviations, both decreasing and increasing the kinetics, from the common MM model were observed upon close examinations. From these observations additional experiments were undertaken to understand the varying mechanisms. Different enzymes can present different deviations depending on the chosen target, e.g. trypsin appears to present a positive hopping mechanism while collagenase demonstrates a QD caused reversible inhibition.
Differential absorption radar techniques: water vapor retrievals

Abstract. Two radar pulses sent at different frequencies near the 183 GHz water vapor line can be used to determine total column water vapor and water vapor profiles (within clouds or precipitation) exploiting the differential absorption on and off the line. We assess these water vapor measurements by applying a radar instrument simulator to CloudSat pixels and then running end-to-end retrieval simulations. These end-to-end retrievals enable us to fully characterize not only the expected precision but also their potential biases, allowing us to select radar tones that maximize the water vapor signal minimizing potential errors due to spectral variations in the target extinction properties. A hypothetical CloudSat-like instrument with 500 m by ∼ 1 km vertical and horizontal resolution and a minimum detectable signal and radar precision of −30 and 0.16 dBZ, respectively, can estimate total column water vapor with an expected precision of around 0.03 cm, with potential biases smaller than 0.26 cm most of the time, even under rainy conditions. The expected precision for water vapor profiles was found to be around 89 % on average, with potential biases smaller than 77 % most of the time when the profile is being retrieved close to surface but smaller than 38 % above 3 km. By using either horizontal or vertical averaging, the precision will improve vastly, with the measurements still retaining a considerably high vertical and/or horizontal resolution.
Susceptibility of Onion Growth Stages to Onion Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Damage and Mechanical Defoliation

Interactions between infestations of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, the three growth stages of onion (prebulbing, bulbing, and sizing), and onion yield were investigated in field and greenhouse experiments. Significant negative correlations existed between thrips numbers and yield only during bulbing, although percentage of yield reduction varied considerably between studies. During bulbing stage, a 2–3% yield reduction per 10 thrips was obtained for two field studies. Under greenhouse conditions, 10 thrips per plant resulted in a 7% yield reduction. In an additional study, plants were mechanically defoliated at 0, 30, and 60% levels during the three onion growth stages. This also resulted in yield reduction following damage during bulbing stage.
Trauma-Induced Ethylene Production by Citrus Flowers, Fruit, and Wood

Ethylene is usually produced in those parts of the plant which have the highest auxin content, presumably because the production of the gas is stimulated by auxin (Burg and Burg, 1966). In immature citrus leaves and fruits, high rates of ethylene production are associated with high auxin levels, and in mature citrus leaves and fruits, low rates of ethylene production are associated with low auxin levels (Cooper, et al., 1969). However, injury or infection or chemical treatment causes any plant tissue to increase its production of ethylene. For instance, virus-infected rose leaves and shredded rose leaves (Williamson, 1950), freeze-stressed citrus leaves (Cooper, et al., 1969), and citrus fruit treated with beta (2-(3,5-dimethyl-2-oxo-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxyethyl) glutarimide [cycloheximide] (Cooper and Henry, 1970), all produce more ethylene than healthy or uninjured or untreated tissues.
Interictal epileptiform discharges induce hippocampal–cortical coupling in temporal lobe epilepsy

Interactions between the hippocampus and the cortex are critical for memory. Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) identify epileptic brain regions and can impair memory, but the mechanisms by which they interact with physiological patterns of network activity are mostly undefined. We show in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy that spontaneous hippocampal IEDs correlate with impaired memory consolidation, and that they are precisely coordinated with spindle oscillations in the prefrontal cortex during nonrapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. This coordination surpasses the normal physiological ripple-spindle coupling and is accompanied by decreased ripple occurrence. IEDs also induce spindles during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and wakefulness-behavioral states that do not naturally express these oscillations-by generating a cortical 'down' state. In a pilot clinical examination of four subjects with focal epilepsy, we confirm a similar correlation of temporofrontal IEDs with spindles over anatomically restricted cortical regions. These findings imply that IEDs may impair memory via the misappropriation of physiological mechanisms for hippocampal-cortical coupling, which suggests a target for the treatment of memory impairment in epilepsy.
SCHEME DESIGN ON COMPREHENSIVE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF BOUNDARY NOISE IN POWER PLANT

this article analysed the reason that exceed standard of boundary noise.In according to the characteristic of noise,we proposed the cheme design on comprehensive prevention and control of boundary noise.We designed the noise barrier.we also calculated and predicted the result of noise barrier.
Failing While Doing

As discussed in the last two chapters, a peacekeeping effort can be preordained to fail by predeployment factors such as the way its mandate is written. Once the peacekeepers are deployed, however, the operation enters its most critical phase. When the mission is under way, the causes of and chances for failure are most numerous. The PKO can fail at this stage either because the efforts of the peacekeepers are inadequate or because other factors prevent those efforts from succeeding. Failure can arise either within the UN as an organization or outside it. This chapter will look at the internal factors or how well the peacekeepers do their job. The subsequent two chapters will consider the effect of the external factors that the UN cannot entirely control and the role of humanitarian action and its potential for affecting the outcome of a PKO.
A cross-layer design for large transfers in SDNs

Software Defined Network (SDN) technologies have enabled the introduction of new services such as dynamic Layer-1 (L1) circuits and Layer-2 (L2) virtual circuits (VCs). This work presents a cross-layer design that leverages transport- and link-layer protocols to enable the full use of high-rate circuits/VCs to achieve high-throughput transfers. Three cases are considered: (i) single circuit/rate-guaranteed VC for a single large transfer from a server, (ii) multiple simultaneous large transfers from a server, and (iii) semi-rate-guaranteed VC. Circuit TCP (CTCP) and the Token Bucket Filter (TBF) queueing discipline of the Linux traffic control (tc) utility are recommended for the first case, and parameter selection methods are provided. For the second case, the tc Hierarchical Token Bucket (HTB) discipline is recommended as it supports dynamic additions and deletions of classes without impact on ongoing large-transfer flows using existing classes. For the third case, CTCP is recommended if the large-transfer throughput is the primary concern, while HTCP is recommended if higher consideration is given to other flows.
When shared group membership signifies shared subjective experience: I-sharing and the minimal group paradigm.

ABSTRACTIngroup favoritism is pervasive. It emerges even in the minimal group paradigm, where participants are assigned to novel groups based on seemingly insignificant characteristics. Yet many of the grouping schemes used in minimal group research may imply something significant: namely, that ingroup members will share in-the-moment subjective experience, or I-share. Two studies examine the role of inferred I-sharing in the minimal group paradigm. We found that (1) people inferred that they would I-share with ingroup members more than outgroup members; (2) inferred I-sharing increased ingroup favoritism; and (3) inferred I-sharing accounted for this ingroup favoritism. Moreover, expecting to I-share with the outgroup improved participants’ attitudes toward the outgroup. These results converge with other research suggesting that people favor ingroup members, in part, because they expect to I-share with them.
Perioperative stroke after carotid endarterectomy: etiology and implications.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the procedure of choice for reducing the risk of stroke in both symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenoses. Stroke is associated with significant morbidity and mortality peri-operatively (2–3 %). Our primary aim is to evaluate the etiology of these strokes after CEA and their impact on morbidity by comparing the length of stay in the hospital. A total of 584 patients with documented neurological status evaluations who underwent CEAs were included in the study. Neurophysiological monitoring data was obtained during CEA for carotid stenosis included eight-channel electroencephalography (EEG) and upper extremity somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs). Twenty-one (3.595 %) patients had strokes in the perioperative period and they were more likely to have left-sided surgery (p = 0.008), intraoperative monitoring (IOM) changes (p < 0.001), an intraoperative shunt placed (p = 0.0002) or a hospital stay longer than 5 days (p = 0.0042). Unilateral anterior circulation ischemic stroke were the most common in our series. In a logistic regression model, left-sided surgery was shown to be 4.78 times more likely to be associated with perioperative stroke (1.50–15.27; p = 0.008) while intraoperative shunts were 11.85 times more likely to have strokes (3.97–35.34; p < 0.0001). Patients with stenosis greater than 70 % were 6.67 times less likely to have a stroke (0.04–0.59; p = 0.007). Ischemic anterior circulation strokes are the most common type of post-operative neurological changes in patients undergoing CEA. Intraoperative shunt placement was a strong predictor of perioperative strokes. Since shunts are only placed following intraoperative monitoring changes, SSEPs and EEG can therefore function as a biomarker of cerebral hypo-perfusion.
Die Alleinherrschaft der Wissenschaftsküche

Von 1999 bis 2001 wohnten Kate und ich in New Haven im US-Bundesstaat Connecticut. Sie studierte dort Jura, ich war Physik-Postdoc. Beide Tatigkeiten sind ziemlich anstrengend, und am Freitagabend sasen wir meistens einfach nur in meiner Wohnung und sahen fern.
Roundabout receptor 2 maintains inhibitory control of the adult midbrain

Although no two people are alike, we all share the same basic brain structure. This similarity arises because the same developmental program takes place in every human embryo. Specific genes are activated in a designated sequence to generate the structure of a typical human brain. But what happens to these genes when development is complete – do they remain active in the adult brain? A gene known as Robo2 encodes a protein that helps neurons find their way through the developing brain. Many of these neurons will ultimately form part of the brain’s reward system. This is a network of brain regions that communicate with one another using a chemical called dopamine. The reward system contributes to motivation, learning and memory, and also underlies drug addiction. In certain mental illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia, the dopamine-producing neurons in the reward system work incorrectly or die. To find out whether Robo2 is active in the mature nervous system, Gore et al. used genetic techniques to selectively remove the gene from the reward system of adult mice. Doing so reduced the ability of the dopamine neurons within the reward system to inhibit one another, which in turn increased their activity. This changed the behavior of the mice, making them hyperactive and less able to learn and remember. Cocaine makes normal mice more active; however, mice that lacked the Robo2 gene became less active when given cocaine. Overall, the work of Gore et al. suggests that developmental axon guidance genes remain important in the adult brain. Studying developmental genes such as Robo2 may therefore open up new treatment possibilities for a number of mental illnesses and brain disorders.
Efficacy of Systemic Insecticides for Control of the Invasive Goldspotted Oak Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in California.

From 2009 to 2013, we tested four systemic insecticide formulations and five application methods against the invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in California. The insecticides were evaluated in three experiments: 1) 2009 remedial applications of emamectin benzoate (stem-injection) and imidacloprid (stem-injection and soil-injection); 2) 2009–2012 emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid initially applied at different times during the dormant season with varying injection technologies; and 3) 2013 dinotefuran applied to several tree diameter size classes. Adult leaf-feeding bioassays were used to assess the impact of systemic treatments against A. auroguttatus, whereas enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays determined the quantity of the active ingredient of insecticide residues in foliage. Imidacloprid (experiment 1) persisted at elevated levels in foliage of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Nee, for 1.5 yr following stem injections. Stem injections of emamectin benzoate (experiment 2) sometimes significantly decreased survival in adults fed foliage from treated Q. agrifolia, and both the emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid treatments reduced adult feeding in some trials. Imidacloprid residues in Q. agrifolia and California black oak, Quercus kelloggii Newb., foliage remained at elevated levels (>10 µg/g) ∼2 yr postapplication. In 2013 (experiment 3), dinotefuran residues were highest in foliage collections 2 wk postapplication and greatest in smaller diameter oaks, but insecticide treatment had no effect on survival or frass production by adults fed foliage from treated trees. Systemic injections of emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid applied during the dormant season to uninfested or lightly infested oaks can reduce adult A. auroguttatus survival and maturation feeding.
Clinical implementation of synthesized mammography with digital breast tomosynthesis in a routine clinical practice.

Most published studies evaluating digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) included a separate 2-dimensional full-field digital mammogram (FFDM) for DBT screening protocols, increasing radiation from screening mammography. Synthesized mammography (SM) creates a 2-dimensional image from the DBT source data, and if used in place of FFDM, it reduces radiation of DBT screening. This study evaluated the implementation of SM + DBT in routine screening practice in terms of recall rates, cancer detection rates (CDR), % of minimal cancers, % of node-positive cancers, and positive predictive values (PPV). A multivariate retrospective institutional analysis was performed on 31,979 women who obtained screening mammography (10/2013–12/2015) with cohorts divided by modality (SM + DBT, FFDM + DBT, and FFDM). We adjusted for comparison mammograms, age, breast density, and the interpreting radiologist. Recall type was analyzed for differences (focal asymmetry, asymmetry, masses, calcifications, architectural distortion). SM + DBT significantly decreased the recall rate compared to FFDM (5.52 vs. 7.83%, p < 0.001) with no differences in overall CDR (p = 0.66), invasive and/or in situ CDR, or percentages of minimal and node-negative cancers. PPV1 significantly increased with SM + DBT relative to FFDM (9.1 vs. 6.2%, p = 0.02). SM + DBT did not differ significantly in recall rate or overall CDR compared to FFDM + DBT. There were statistically significant differences in certain findings recalled by screening modality (e.g., focal asymmetries). SM + DBT reduces false positives compared to FFDM, while maintaining the CDR and other desirable audit outcome data. SM + DBT is more accurate than FFDM alone, and is a desirable alternative to FFDM + DBT, given the added benefit of radiation reduction.
A Comparison amongst Face-to-Face, Blended, and Mostly Online Course Options

This talk is based upon the author's observations in 4-secitons of a freshman database 1 course over a two-year period in which students were given the option of attending nearly every class, taking a blended version of the course, or taking it partially online. Attendance was kept for all classes and a comparison of the final grades were tabulated. Later, statistics were gathered on what format of class (online or face-to-face) students took for their second database course. This study only looks at Information Technology majors. This talk is designed to elicit discussion from the audience.
Relationship Between Optic Nerve Head Drusen Volume and Structural and Functional Optic Nerve Damage.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to assess the relationships between optic nerve head drusen (ONHD) volume, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and visual field (VF) loss. METHODS Patients with ONHD and no other ocular or systemic conditions that can affect RNFL or VF were enrolled. Serial enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scans of the optic nerve head (interval between scans, ~30 μm) were obtained from each participant. ONHD volume was calculated for each eye by delineating the ONHD masses in each OCT B-scan using 3-dimensional reconstruction software. RESULTS A total of 47 eyes (28 patients) with ONHD were included (mean age, 57±16 y). ONHD volume varied considerably [0.265±0.227 (range, 0.005 to 0.855)] mm. Linear and quadratic regression analyses demonstrated that ONHD volume is significantly associated with both global average RNFL thickness (linear R=0.531, quadratic R=0.557; P<0.001) and VF mean deviation (linear R=0.519, quadratic R=0.522; P<0.001). ONHD were most prevalent in the nasal quadrant (46 eyes, 98%), followed by superior, inferior and temporal quadrants [35 (74%), 30 (64%), and 16 (34%) eyes respectively]. The proportion of eyes with OCT RNFL defects (81%; 38/47 eyes) was significantly greater than that with VF defects (60%; 28/47 eyes) (P<0.001). RNFL defects were detected in 10 of the 19 eyes with no VF defects. RNFL defects were detected in all 28 eyes with VF defects. CONCLUSIONS ONHD volume generally correlates with structural and functional optic nerve damage.
Electrophysiology of Cranial Nerve Testing: Auditory Nerve.

The electrocochleogram and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) are electrophysiologic signals used to assess the auditory nerve. The electrocohleogram includes the cochlear microphonic, the cochlear summating potential, and the eighth nerve compound action potential. It is used predominantly for hearing assessment and for diagnosis of Meniere disease and auditory neuropathy. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials are used for hearing assessment, diagnosis of dysfunction within the cochlea, the auditory nerve, and the brainstem auditory pathways up to the level of the mesencephalon, and intraoperative monitoring of these structures. The earliest BAEP component, wave I, and the eighth nerve compound action potential reflect the same process-the initial depolarization in the distal auditory nerve. Brainstem auditory evoked potential wave II receives contributions from the region of the cochlear nucleus and from the second depolarization in the distal auditory nerve. Wave III and later components are entirely generated rostral to the auditory nerve. Interpretation of BAEP studies is based on waves I, III, and V; auditory nerve dysfunction is manifested as prolongation of the I-III interpeak interval or absence of waves III and V. Eighth nerve tumors can cause a variety of BAEP abnormalities depending on which structures they affect. Adverse intraoperative BAEP changes can have many etiologies, including direct mechanical or thermal injury of tissue, ischemia (including cochlear ischemia or infarction due to compromise of the internal auditory artery), eighth nerve stretch, systemic or localized hypothermia, and artifactual BAEP changes due to technical factors.
PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS AND ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AFTER PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

It has been established that psychosocial risk factors such as depression, anxiety, type D personality and low socioeconomic status associated with a poor prognosis in coronary artery disease (CAD). However the data about psychosocial risk factors in patients with CAD after percutaneous coronary