cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robustness to Uncertainty: An Alternative Perspective in Realizing Uncertainty in Modeling Deflection of Reinforced Concrete Structures

This paper describes an alternative perspective in evaluating of computational models for predicting deflection of cracked reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The concept of robustness to uncertainty in modeling input parameters is introduced in addition to the classical perspective of modeling accuracy. A new method to quantify robustness to uncertainty is proposed and applied to the problem of modeling deflection of RC structures. Monte Carlo simulation is used for uncertainty propagation in serviceability calculations. The propagation of random uncertainties in deflection of a continuous one-way RC slab is examined. We introduce a method for the practical use of the proposed robustness metric by considering the reliability analysis. A cracked plane frame model to simulate deflection of the RC slab was adopted. We show that by considering a threshold of uncertainty in predicted deflection, the robustness to uncertainty in model inputs for different deflection prediction models can be evaluated. Our investigation proves that a tradeoff between model robustness and model accuracy exists in modeling deflection of RC structures.
Paleowind velocity and paleocurrents of pluvial Lake Manly, Death Valley, USA

Pluvial lake deposits are found throughout western North America and are frequently used to reconstruct regional paleoclimate. In Death Valley, California, USA, we apply the beach particle technique (BPT) of Adams (2003), Sedimentology, 50, 565–577 and Adams (2004), Sedimentology, 51, 671–673 to Lake Manly deposits at the Beatty Junction Bar Complex (BJBC), Desolation Canyon, and Manly Terraces and calculate paleowind velocities of 14–27 m/s. These wind velocities are within the range of present-day wind velocities recorded in the surrounding area. Sedimentary structures and clast provenance at Desolation Canyon and the Manly Terraces indicate sediment transport from north to south. Lake level, based on the elevation of constructional features, indicates that the hill west of the BJBC was an island and that the BJBC spits formed during simple lake regression. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the present wind regime (velocity and direction) formed the pluvial Lake Manly features.
Impact Damage Resistance of Random Fiber Reinforced Automotive Composites

Low-energy impact characteristics of four different random E-glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic and thermosetting matrix composites are studied. Low-energy impact causes dent on the impacted side and surface cracks on the unimpacted side of all four composites. The damage size, maximum impact load, deflection at the maximum load and tup velocity dissipation of the four composites are compared. The residual tensile strength of the impact-damaged composites is also determined as a function of the input impact energy.
Transcription profile of a human breast cancer cell line expressing MMTV-like sequences

Background It has been postulated that inflammation caused by certain viruses might result in cancer. Recently, it was shown that childhood lymphoblastic leukemia, breast and ovarian cancers express an interferon-related signature, providing support for this notion. We have previously shown that 38% of the sporadic breast cancers contain MMTV-like env gene sequences. To find out if the presence and expression of MMTV-like sequences correlated with an inflammatory phenotype, we have compared the expression profile of two sublines of MCF-7 cells, one containing the MMTV-like sequences (env+), the other one lacking them (env-).
Statistical properties of logarithmically transformed speckle

In synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image processing and analysis, the logarithmic transform is often employed to convert the multiplicative speckle model to an additive noise model. However, this nonlinear operation totally changes the statistics of SAR images. In this communication, we first review the statistical properties of speckle noise in both the intensity and the amplitude formats. Then, we derive the probability density functions, the mean values, and the variances to characterize the log-transformed speckle. Finally we discuss the problems introduced by the logarithmic transform on statistical analysis of SAR images. The statistical models developed in this communication will facilitate subsequent SAR image processing tasks based on the additive noise model.
The Hague Convention: Pros, Cons and Potential

This revised speech describes the Hague Convention’s significance both in terms of the law on the books and the law on the ground. The Convention’s language advanced child rights in international law to the protection of international adoptive homes. However the Convention has been misinterpreted and misused so that it has actually functioned to date to destroy children’s opportunities for adoption. The future remains open for the Convention to serve as it was intended by the framers to expand international adoption as an option for unparented children.
The Aging Heart

Aging results in progressive deteriorations in the structure and function of the heart and is a dominant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death in Western populations. Although the phenotypes of cardiac aging have been well characterized, the molecular mechanisms of cardiac aging are just beginning to be revealed. With the continuously growing elderly population, there is a great need for interventions in cardiac aging. This article will provide an overview of the phenotypic changes of cardiac aging, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes, and will present some of the recent advances in the development of interventions to delay or reverse cardiac aging.
Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown Characteristics of Low-k Dielectric (SiOC) Over a Wide Range of Test Areas and Electric Fields

Time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of low-k dielectrics is reported for fully integrated carbon-doped silica dielectric (SiOC, keff=2.9) at wafer level over a wide range of area and electric-field test conditions at 105degC. In addition, long-term package level TDDB data were taken at 105degC for over 2 years on integrated comb-serpent test structures. The field acceleration parameter (gamma=4.5 plusmn 0.5 cm/MV) was found to be approximately independent of area (over 4 decades of area) and over a wide range of field (1.5-6.0 MV/cm), respectively. TDDB data, taken over long periods, agree well with predictions based on more rapid wafer-level TDDB testing. The low-k TDDB data suggest that, while the time-to-failure is a strong function of area and field, the time-to-failure physics does not vary greatly for fully integrated SiOC films as both the area and field are scaled. Furthermore, the fact that gamma is approximately constant (independent of area and applied E-field) indicates that silica-based low-k dielectric TDDB follows closely a thermochemical E-model for all areas and fields examined.
Experimental Philosophy, Clinical Intentions, and Evaluative Judgment

Recent empirical work on the concept of intentionality suggests that people’s assessments of whether an action is intentional are subject to uncertainty. Some researchers have gone so far as to claim that different people employ different concepts of intentional action. These possibilities have motivated a good deal of work in the relatively new field of experimental philosophy. The findings from this empirical research may prove to be relevant to medical ethics. After all, the intentions of medical professionals are widely considered to be important in the ethical assessment of their actions. For example, in the debate over palliative sedation for terminally ill patients, it is often said that it is permissible for a clinician to administer a potentially lethal dose of pain medication to a patient, provided that he or she by doing so intends only to relieve the patient’s suffering and does not intend to kill or hasten the death of the patient. This idea—that it can be permissible to bring about a foreseen but unintended effect (the patient’s death), although it would not be permissible to intend to bring about this same effect—is central to the principle of double effect (PDE), which has found expression in both the law and the professional codes of medical organizations. Notwithstanding this point, over the past decade or so, a number of writers have challenged the value of focusing on the intentions of clinicians when considering questions of ethically permissible conduct. They have claimed that clinical intentions are often equivocal and multiple. They also have claimed that clinicians frequently have difficulty identifying what their intentions are in a given case. In light of the importance that intention plays in medical ethics, it is surprising that no research has been done to identify causes or psychological factors that might help to explain this uncertainty over intentions in clinical reasoning. In this article, we address this issue head on. We first describe a study we conducted on intention ascription. Drawing on recent work in experimental philosophy, we investigated the possibility that the ascription of intentions to clinical actors in clinical settings is influenced by prior judgments about the goodness or badness of the consequences of the action in question. Our study was modeled on experimental studies in other contexts that have shown that people, when presented with a range of scenarios, are more likely to classify a side effect of an action as intended if the side effect is negative or reflects poorly on the actor than if it is positive or reflects well on the actor. We investigated whether this asymmetry in intention ascriptions was also present among physicians who were asked to ascribe intentions to clinical actors in certain well-defined clinical scenarios. After describing the study and its results, we discuss its implications for medical ethics.
Put-call parity, the triple contract, and approaches to usury in medieval contracting

In this article we use put-call parity to show that ambiguity about ownership played a role in medieval businessmen's efforts to circumvent the Catholic Church's usury restrictions. That ambiguity created fertile ground for a financial innovation, the triple contract, that allowed some merchants to accomplish a kind of regulatory arbitrage. We also show that medieval clerics and merchants appear to have had at least an intuitive grasp of put-call parity, and that this insight shaped the Catholic Church's approach to medieval business contracts, and usury, nearly five centuries before put-call parity was described in the scholarly literature.
Writing to the Trial Judge – For Affidavits

Practical advice for preparing affidavits that a judge can read quickly and easily: put a boldface summary up front, use headings, create neat documents.
Regular open sets

The purpose of this section is to discuss one more example of a Boolean algebra. This example, the most intricate of all the ones so far, is one in which the elements of the Boolean algebra are subsets of a set, but the operations are not the usual set-theoretic ones, so that the Boolean algebra is not a field of sets. Artificial examples of this kind are not hard to manufacture; the example that follows arises rather naturally and plays an important role in the general theory of Boolean algebras.
Changes in plasma glucose and insulin levels induced by adrenergic agents in normal and alloxan-diabetic rats.

SummaryIsoproterenol-induced insulin release in fed normal rats and hypergly-cemia in fed alloxan diabetic rats were inhibited by pretreatment with propranolol. Moreover, salbutamol, another /8-adrener-gic stimulant, appears to have some insulin releasing activity in the fed normal rat although its glucose mobilizing activity seems to be preponderant. Epinephrine and nor-epinephrine, on the other hand, have weak or no insulin releasing activity acutely and are more potent hyperglycemic agents than isoproterenol in the fed normal rat. These results suggest that insulin release by isoproterenol and by salbutamol in normal rats can attenuate the hyperglycemic activity of these β-adrenergic receptor agonists.Suppression of insulin release by treatment with alloxan discloses the substantial glucose mobilizing effects of isoproterenol in the rat.The authors are grateful to Dr. Mary A. Root of Eli Lilly and Co. for a generous gift of protamine zinc insulin, Dr. R. O. Davies of Ayerst Laboratories for a generous ...
Challenges in the Management of the Open Abdomen

First described more than 60 years ago, the open abdomen has now become a relatively common entity in surgical ICUs. Although the indications for an open abdomen have evolved since the original description of the damage control laparotomy, the goal remains to provide an unstable or critically ill patient time to correct their physiologic derangements. Temporary abdominal closure is thus used as a bridge to definitive repair and closure. Unfortunately, the open abdomen is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and recent studies have suggested an overuse of the technique. Once the decision is made to proceed with an open abdomen, multiple options exist for temporary abdominal closure. The hope is to obtain definitive closure shortly thereafter in an attempt to reduce potential complications including intra-abdominal infection or enteroatmospheric fistula. Options for temporary closure range from the Bogota bag to vacuum-assisted techniques; a combined technique of sequential fascial closure w...
Wood Chemical Composition as Related to Properties of Handsheets Made from Loblolly Pine Refiner Groundwood

Burst and tear strengths of handsheets made from 48 pulps disk-refined from chips of varying chemical composition decreased with increasing extractive content after the independent effects of fiber morphology were specified. This result was attributed to lessened bond strength caused by reduced surface tension forces and blocking of reactive sites on the fiber surfaces.
The library and the academic resource center: Building and supporting programs, services and resources collaboratively at a new university

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the library’s on-going relationship with the academic resource center (ARC), and how over the past two years, there have been new services and programs thriving as a result of this collaboration. The paper presents three case studies that demonstrate the library’s collaboration with the ARC and assesses the opportunities and challenges in working with this department in a new university. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this paper is to explore three case studies on how the library collaborated with the ARC in supporting students. The case studies explore the opportunities for partnerships in developing innovative services, programs and resources. Librarians are integral members of the ARC and are embedded in this community by providing support to the department as well. Findings – The paper finds that collaborations between the library and the ARC are mutually beneficial: academic libraries may consider partnering with tutoring centers to create synergies...
Recruitment in the Coronary Drug Project and the Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study

Both the Coronary Drug Project (CDP) and the Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study (AMIS) were successfully able to recruit adequate members of postmyocardial infarction patients to long-term multicenter clinical trials in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Aggressive efforts to achieve the recruitment within an acceptable time limit were found to be neccessary. A direct approach to the general public via the mass media and painstaking search of hospital records proved to be the most effective methods. Referral from physicians was not an effective way to recruit participants for the most part. Both the general public and the medical profession are generally supportive of this type of research.
The microbiotics of the human body

--Our bodies are home to complex microbial communities. --In most samples, a greater microbial diversity is revealed by using culture-independent, molecular techniques than by conventional methods. --The composition of the human-associated microbiota differs in each individual, and at each anatomical site within an individual. --The intestinal colonization of newborn infants seems to be driven by environmental factors and random processes, rather than by the composition of the parent's microbial communities. --A set of fraternal twins showed almost identical microbial communities. --Investigating the composition of the human-associated microbiota will enable us to better understand the role of commensals in health and disease.
Statistical Location Detection

We present a unified stochastic localization approach that allows a wireless sensor network to determine the physical locations of its nodes with moderate resolution, especially indoors. The area covered by the wireless sensor network is partitioned into regions; the localization algorithm identifies the region where a given sensor resides. The localization is performed using an infrastructure of stationary clusterheads that receive beacon packets periodically transmitted by the given sensor. The localization algorithm exploits the statistical characteristics of the beacon signal and treats the localization problem as a multi-hypothesis testing problem. We provide an asymptotic performance guarantee for the system and use this metric to determine the optimal placement of the infrastructure nodes. The placement problem is NP-hard and we leverage special-purpose algorithms from the theory of discrete facility location to solve large problem instances efficiently. We also show that localization decisions can be taken in a distributed manner by appropriate collaboration of the clusterheads. The approach is validated in a Boston University testbed.
Ultrasonic Visualization and Therapeutic Computer Controlled System

During the last two years at the Fortune-Fry Research Laboratories of the Indianapolis Center for Advanced Research, a major effort has been applied in developing an automated computer controlled multi-purpose ultrasound system. The system offers multi-fold advantages since it is potentially useful for real time monitoring and controlling of ultrasound instruments and image information acquisition. Particularly, the automated system provides an easy interaction in real time between a physician and the visualization/therapeutic equipment through the assistance of a minicomputer. Presently the described system is in use on a routine clinical research basis, especially, for brain scanning and some very selective brain irradiation procedures.
Modeling and Management of Non-Bibliographic Entities in Library and Archives Metadata. A Report of the ALCTS CaMMS Heads of Cataloging Interest Group, American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. Boston, January 2016

The Heads of Cataloging Interest Group (IG) convened during the 2016 Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association in Boston. Approximately 110 persons were in attendance. Two speakers were...
Stricture location predicts swallowing outcomes following endoscopic rendezvous procedures.

Objectives/hypothesis Complete pharyngoesophageal strictures may be encountered by the otolaryngologist as a consequence of radiation/chemoradiotherapy therapies for head and neck cancer. A combined anterograde and retrograde dilation procedure (rendezvous procedure) has proven to be a useful surgical intervention in these cases. We assess the long-term swallowing outcomes of this patient cohort including gastrostomy tube (G-tube) reliance, swallowing quality of life, and variables that contribute to improved swallowing outcomes. Study design Retrospective chart review. Methods A retrospective chart review of 18 consecutive patients treated with rendezvous procedures between April 2007 and May 2015 was carried out. Data were collected from chart review and follow-up telephone calls including demographics, surgical/postoperative course details, and Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) (swallowing quality of life) scores. Results The completion rate of the procedure was 83% (15 completed/3 procedures aborted). Average follow-up was 22 months. Thirteen of 15 (86.7%) achieved an oral diet, and 7/15 (46.7%) had their G-tube removed. G-tube-independent (GTI) patients had an average stricture length of 2.33 cm and an average distance from the incisors of 17.4 cm compared to G-tube dependent-(GTD) patients who had an average stricture length of 2.63 cm and 14.6 cm mean distance from the incisors (P = .66 and .0343, respectively). Final EAT-10 scores averaged 20.1 in GTI patients and 33.8 in GTD patients (P = .022). Stricture/incisor distance and EAT-10 scores demonstrated a moderate to strong negative correlation (r = -0.67). Conclusions Following the endoscopic rendezvous procedure, swallowing outcomes and G-tube status is related to the distance of the stricture from the incisors. Level of evidence 2b Laryngoscope, 127:1388-1391, 2017.
Myeloablative Intravenous Busulfan/Fludarabine Conditioning Does Not Facilitate Reliable Engraftment of Dual Umbilical Cord Blood Grafts in Adult Recipients.

Abstract Bone marrow conditioning with the combination of myeloablative doses of intravenous busulfan (IVBu) with fludarabine (Flu) has gained wide acceptance as a viable alternative to the conventional busulfan and cyclophosphamide combination. When followed by transplantation with peripheral blood stem cells from matched related or unrelated donors, IVBu/Flu facilitates reliable engraftment with reduced toxicity (Blood . 2004; 104:857). Whether this combination provides sufficient immunosuppression to facilitate engraftment of partially matched umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts has yet to be reported. Ten patients with median age of 41 years (range 21–54 years) were enrolled in an IRB approved clinical trial with a primary endpoint to assess donor engraftment. Stopping rules were constructed to prevent graft failure from exceeding 20%. Disease characteristics include AML; CR1-1pt, CR2-3pts, MDS-4pts, CML-2pts. Seven of 10 patients had high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities. Conditioning consisted of fludarabine 40mg/m2 daily × 4 days and intravenous busulfan 130mg/m2 once daily × 4 days. Six patients received the drugs sequentially, and 4 concurrently. GvHD prophylaxis was provided by tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. The cord blood grafts were at least 4 of 6 HLA-matched with the recipient and 3 of 6 HLA matched between grafts (low resolution class I, high resolution class II). The median combined cryopreserved total nucleated cell dose was 3.5 × 107/kg recipient body weight (range 2.1 to 4.4 × 107/kg). Engraftment of one or both UCB grafts was detected in only 4 of 10 recipients resulting in premature closure of the study as per graft failure stopping rules. None of the patients with donor engraftment achieved full donor chimerism and all ultimately died of relapsed disease. Of the 6 patients that experienced primary graft failure, 5 underwent second transplants (1 autologous, 4 haploidentical). One haploidentical and one autologous graft recipient remain alive and disease free 18 months and 13 months post transplant, respectively. In summary, 5 of 10 patients died of relapsed disease and 3 patients from treatment-related toxicity. Busulfan pharmacokinetic measurements were performed on the first and fourth dose. Interdose PK variability between day 1 and 4 was less than 15%. The mean and median AUCs were 4181 and 4195 μmol-min, respectively (range, 2634–5279 μmol-min). These levels are comparable to what has been previously reported for once daily IVBu dosing. We conclude that the myeloablative conditioning regimen of once daily IVBu with Flu provides insufficient immunosuppression to allow for engraftment of a partially matched umbilical cord blood graft.
Advances in Technology: Blood-sampling at depth. Focus on “Development of an animal-borne blood sample collection device and its deployment for the determination of cardiovascular and stress hormones in submerged phocid seals”

A new automated blood sampler for seals is only the third such device developed for research with higher marine vertebrates.
Comparison of fusion cross sections for the B 10 + O 16 and C 12 + N 14 systems

The fusion cross sections for the $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ + $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ + $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ systems are compared for bombarding energies up to 18 MeV/nucleon. The energy spectra, angular distributions, and relative yields of the evaporation residues are analyzed in terms of simple kinematic considerations and Hauser-Feshbach calculations. Simultaneous determinations of mass, charge, and energy and two particle coincidence measurements at ${E}_{{14}_{\mathrm{N}}}=13$ MeV/nucleon support the identification of evaporation residues based on inclusive measurements of $Z$ and $E$ alone. The gross characteristics of the residues are consistent with the main process being complete fusion followed by equilibrium decay. The excitation functions of the $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ + $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ + $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ systems show significant differences which cannot be explained in terms of simple macroscopic models. At the highest bombarding energies the fusion cross sections decrease as $\frac{1}{{E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}}$ for both systems and are consistent with a maximum angular momentum limit of $\ensuremath{\sim}27\ensuremath{\hbar}$.
Viscous Flow in Heavy-Ion Collisions from RHIC to LHC

We present a systematic hydrodynamic study of the evolution of hadron spectra and their azimuthal anisotropy from the lowest collision energy studied at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), p s = 7:7A GeV, to the highest energy reachable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), p s = 5500A GeV [4]. The energy dependence of the flow observables are quantitatively studied for both the Monte-Carlo Glauber and Monte-Carlo Kharzeev-Levin-Nardi (MC-KLN) models. For MC-Glauber model initial conditions with= s = 0:08, the di erential charged hadron elliptic flow v ch (pT; p s) is found to exhibit a very broad maximum in the region 39 p s 2760A GeV. For MC-KLN initial conditions with= s = 0:2, a similar “saturation” is not observed up to LHC energies. We emphasize that this “saturation” of elliptic flow arises from the interplay between radial flow and elliptic flow which shifts with p s depending on the fluid’s viscosity. By generalizing the definition of spatial eccentricity to isothermal hyper-surface, we also calculate "x on the kinetic freeze-out surface at di erent collision energies.
Leading from the Top in Supply Chain Management: Deconstructing to Improve

The purpose of the study informed by Lewin’s theoretical model of organizational change will be to ascertain leadership assumptions and the barriers to effective supply chain management decisions. The supply chain management field is fundamentally focused on interrelated functional linkages which are dependent on each other. Leaders within the supply chain are responsible for the planning and management of all activities involved in achieving the organization’s objectives. This includes planning, organizing, providing direction, and exercising control over organizational resources, material and human capital. However, a review of the literature reveals a considerable gap in the literature regarding leadership assumptions and how organizational leaders refine goals for organizational success in the supply chain field. This study seeks to explore selected leadership propositions aimed at gaining a clearer understanding on deconstructed leadership assumptions and how organizational leaders use the knowledge gained to inform supply chain management decisions. Primary data collection will involve interviews guided by Moustakas’s framework of analysis and a supplemental quantitative survey to understand the experiences and perceptions of participants. The results of this study could challenge leaders within supply chain networks to pursue value-added organizational decisions through development of individual strengths, and revitalized self-assumptions by introducing an established common vision model. The results of this study could provide the opportunity to improve commitment to supply chain management and the partnership necessary to facilitate integrated collaboration.
A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT: IDENTIFYING A MECHANISM TO IMPROVE HEALTH LITERACY AMONG ADULTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

Very few adults can recall their congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnoses. The Adult Congenital Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology created a “Passport” to assist with patients’ recall of their CHD diagnoses. The “Passport” does not ensure it will remain with the
Managing Public Communication Strategies in Accelerated Highway Construction Projects

An increase in traveling demands has urged state transportation agencies (STAs) to shorten highway construction project duration, using a variety of accelerated construction techniques and strategi...
Sexual Development During the Second Year of Life

The psychological events of the second year of life are of critical significance for subsequent development in the major sectors of personality functioning. The dominance of oral phase behavior is gradually superceded by anal phase organization, and by the last quarter of the second year, the early genital phase comes into view.
Analysis of a multi-axial quantum informed ferroelectric continuum model: Part 1—uncertainty quantification:

The uncertainty of phenomenological parameters governing fourth- and sixth-order Landau energy functions and electrostrictive coupling of ferroelectric single crystals is analyzed for lead titanate...
Charcoal Hemoperfusion: Georgetown University Hospital Experience

At Georgetown University Hospital, interest in charcoal hemoperfusion as a means of facilitating toxin removal from blood has shown a doubled peaked history. After the pioneering work of Yatzidis, et al (1) in 1965 in the treatment of barbiturate poisoning, DeMyttenaere, Maher, and Schreiner in 1967 demonstrated the effectiveness of charcoal hemoperfusion in the treatment of glutethimide overdosage in dogs (2). Unfortunately, because of the significant and potentially life threatening dangers of thrombocytopenia and charcoal embolization, charcoal hemoperfusion was not pursued as an attractive therapeutic modality for toxin removal in clinical practice.
Semantic Visual Abstraction for Face Recognition

In contrast to the one-dimensional structure of natural language, images consist of two- or three-dimensional structures. This contrast in dimensionality causes the mapping between words and images to be a challenging, poorly understood and undertheorized task. In this paper, we present a general theoretical framework for semantic visual abstraction in massive image databases. Our framework applies specifically to facial identification and visual search for such recognition. It accommodates the by now commonplace observation that, through a graph-based visual abstraction, language allows humans to categorize objects and to provide verbal annotations to shapes. Our theoretical framework assumes a hidden layer between facial features and the referencing of expressive words. This hidden layer contains key points of correspondence that can be articulated mathematically, visually or verbally. A semantic visual abstraction network is designed for efficient facial recognition in massive visual datasets. In this paper, we demonstrate how a two-way mapping of words and facial shapes is feasible in facial information retrieval and reconstruction.
Shorter time between seizure onset and radiotracer injection improves ictal SPECT localization in pediatric patients with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy

536 Objectives Determination of a seizure focus in pharmacologically intractable epilepsy can guide surgical intervention. The ability of ictal SPECT to identify epileptogenic cortex may be related to the timing of radiotracer injection relative to seizure onset. This study investigated the relationship between this time interval and SPECT localization. Methods EEG and ictal SPECT studies for 95 pediatric patients with pharmacologically intractable focal epilepsy, age 1 - 20 years (mean = 10.2, SD = 5.4 years), who underwent ictal brain SPECT were retrospectively reviewed. EEG findings were used to identify seizure onset time and to determine the time interval until radiotracer injection. Brain SPECT was performed with 99mTc-ECD or 99mTc-HMPAO. The time between electrographic seizure onset and radiotracer injection was compared to localization by SPECT. Results Of the 95 patients, 60 had SPECT localization to a specific lobe or smaller region while 35 did not localize. Based on their respective distributions of injection times, 70% of positive localizations were associated with injection times = 30 seconds (median = 35 seconds). Overall, the injections times in positive and negative SPECT localizations were statistically distinct (p Conclusions Early radiotracer injection results in a higher rate of seizure focus localization by ictal SPECT. There may be an injection timing window of about 20 seconds from electrographic seizure onset, in which positive localization is probable. Injection delay beyond 30 seconds significantly decreases the likelihood of SPECT localization.
Rhetoric, Demons, and the Poisoner’s Tongue in Judaism and Early Christianity

Abstract Judaism and Christianity share toxicological traditions with the eastern and Greco-Roman world as well as developing traditions of their own. They utilized or prohibited them according to their religious traditions. This become apparent when exploring their commentaries on scripture and their noncanonical literature, as well as their canonical writings that make up the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Both Jews and Christians were aware of venomous animals, medicinal plants, poisons, contraceptives, and abortifacients. Their knowledge is demonstrated in story-telling, moral debates, rhetoric and invective, practical applications, and even tales of the diabolic and demonic.
Effects of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and Green Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Extracts on Sensory Properties and Shelf-Life of Fresh Pork Sausage during Long-Term Frozen Storage and Subsequent Retail Display

The quality attributes of whole hog fresh pork sausages (28% fat) formulated with combinations of rosemary extract (R: 1500, 2000, 2500 ppm), green tea extract (G: 100, 200, 300 ppm), and synthetic antioxidants (approximately 0.02% BHA, BHT, and propyl gallate based on fat %) were evaluated after 0.5, 3, and 6 mo at –20°C followed by simulated retail display (3 ± 1°C) for up to 21 d. R and G delayed lipid oxidation across all frozen storage periods. The TBARS were reduced (P < 0.05) in treatments with higher amounts of R compared with the control (synthetic antioxidants only) after 6 mo of frozen storage. Volatile lipid oxidation products, including 2,4-decadienal were less abundant (P < 0.05) in sausages with higher concentrations of R following 3 mo of frozen storage. Greater concentrations of combined R and G extracts resulted in increased (P < 0.05) redness and yellowness and decreased (P < 0.05) lightness after 6 mo of storage. Higher concentrations of R enhanced (P < 0.05) chroma and slowed (P < 0.05) discoloration throughout 14 d of retail display after 3 and 6 mo of storage. Addition of R and G resulted in greater (P < 0.05) consumer acceptability than the control, which displayed spoilage and detectable rancidity by d 7 following 6 mo of storage in comparison to approximately 14 d for treatments with G and R. Pork, nutmeg, ginger, spice complex, and rosemary aromas were highest (P < 0.05) in sausages with increased concentrations of R following 0.5 and 3 mo of storage. Increasing green tea concentration reduced the intensities of ginger, copper-herbal, rancid, off-flavor and off-odor descriptors (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of R and G enhanced the shelf-life of fresh pork sausages throughout 6 mo of frozen storage and helped maintain their quality during retail display for up to 14 d.
House Prices and Consumption in the United States

I estimate the house price elasticity of consumption using panel data for households in the United States for the years 1999–2013. I find that the average house price elasticity of consumption is positive but modest and varies by age. However, when measuring the elasticity separately for households who are credit constrained, I find that households with a high loan‐to‐value mortgage have a much larger house price elasticity of consumption of about 0.2. I also find that poor hand‐to‐mouth households consume more than others when their house price increases while wealthy hand‐to‐mouth ones do not.
Comparison of multidimensional swarm embedding techniques by potential fields

Multidimensional embedding is a technique useful for characterizing spectral signature relations in hyperspectral images. However, such images consist of disjoint similar spectral classes that are spatially sensitive, thus presenting challenges to existing graph embedding methods. In this chapter, the multidimensional embedding techniques are interpreted by the potential fields method, where a sum of attraction and repulsion potential functions is minimized to find optimal energy configuration of embedding. Repulsion dominates at short distances, thereby emphasizing local relations. On the other hand, attraction dominates at long distances, stressing global relations. The formulations capture long-rangeand short-range-distancerelated effects often associated with living organisms and help to establish algorithmic properties that mimic mutual behavior for the purpose of dimensionality reduction. Widely used tSNE (stochastic neighbor embedding) and its variations are compared in terms of the potential field methods and their sources of weakness are discussed. As part of the evaluation, the embedding maps are visualized, their trajectories are plotted, and their semisupervised classifications are conducted for image scenes acquired by multiple sensors at various spatial resolutions over different types of objects.
Efficiency Improvement of a Dual-input LLC Converter for PV Applications using Burst-mode Control Strategy

Although LLC resonant converter is well-known for its high efficiency, its light load efficiency still cannot meet the ever-growing market requirements. This paper applies a burstmode (pulse-skipping) control strategy to improve the light load efficiency of a dual-input LLC resonant converter which interfaces with two PV panels. This topology is a dual half-bridge LLC circuit with four active switches. A phase-shift pulse width modulation (PWM) control is employed to implement independent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for each PV panel and suitable burst-on time for each load condition is selected to maximize the efficiency of burst-mode operation. The switching frequency and phase shift are varied to control the converter voltage gain. Zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) is realized in all switches over the entire range of source voltage and load conditions. A 200-W prototype was setup to verify the proposed control strategy. The input voltage range was selected to be 25 V to 45 V with an output voltage regulated at 200 V DC. Experimental results show that the proposed burst-mode control strategy can significantly improve the converter light load efficiency by around 6% maximum and waveforms match the simulation results fairly well.
Myocardial Cut-off Sign is a Sensitive and Specific Cardiac Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sign to Distinguish Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysms From True Aneurysms.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the myocardial cut-off sign, assess its ability to distinguish left ventricular pseudoaneurysms (LV PSAs) from true aneurysms (LVAs), and compare its performance with other imaging findings and quantitative measurements used to differentiate LV PSAs from LVAs. Materials and methods This retrospective single-center study identified patients with preoperative cardiac computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surgically confirmed LVAs or LV PSAs over a 10-year period. Seventeen LV PSAs (11 MRI, 6 CT) and 18 LVAs (10 MRI, 8 CT) were included. The myocardial cut-off sign was objectively a >50% decrease in aneurysm sac wall thickness measured at 1 cm from the aneurysmal neck (measurements at 2 cm were also assessed) and subjectively an abrupt "cut-off" of myocardium for the aneurysm sac for PSA compared with a gradual tapering of sac wall thickness for LVA. Two radiologists independently evaluated images for the subjective presence of this sign. Results The myocardial cut-off sign was 91% sensitive and 97% specific when measured 1 cm from the aneurysm neck. When measured at 2 cm from the neck, the sign was 100% sensitive and 69% specific. Subjective analysis of whether the myocardium appeared "cut-off" was 94% to 100% sensitive and 78% to 94% specific with excellent agreement for both PSA (κ=0.94) and LVA (κ=0.83). Conclusions The myocardial cut-off sign on cardiac CT and MRI is a sensitive and specific finding of LV PSA. Specificity is improved with objective measurements compared with subjective assessment (97% vs. 78% to 94%). This sign may help radiologists distinguish between LV PSAs and LVAs.
Solidarity in Greece and the Management of Difference

After the imposition of austerity measures in response to the Greek debt crisis, and the subsequent refugee crisis of 2015, Greece has emerged as a site for experiments in and demonstrations of both internal and transnational forms of “solidarity.” International activists and volunteers have sought to demonstrate solidarity with Greece and Greeks. Meanwhile, the presence of refugees in Greece has generated extensive citizens’ initiatives and responses, through which many Greek nationals themselves—even under the burden of austerity—have sought to show solidarity with refugees. This chapter explores the multiple and sometimes conflicting meanings of solidarity with and in Greece and the dilemma of confronting and managing difference that simultaneously haunts and constitutes such initiatives.
Wildland fire as an atmospheric source of viable microbial aerosols and biological ice nucleating particles.

The environmental sources of microbial aerosols and processes by which they are emitted into the atmosphere are not well characterized. In this study we analyzed microbial cells and biological ice nucleating particles (INPs) in smoke emitted from eight prescribed wildland fires in North Florida. When compared to air sampled prior to ignition, samples of the air-smoke mixtures contained fivefold higher concentrations of microbial cells (6.7 ± 1.3 × 104 cells m-3) and biological INPs (2.4 ± 0.91 × 103 INPs m-3 active at temperatures ≥ -15 °C), and these data significantly positively correlated with PM10. Various bacteria could be cultured from the smoke samples, and the nearest neighbors of many of the isolates are plant epi- and endophytes, suggesting vegetation was a source. Controlled laboratory combustion experiments indicated that smoke emitted from dead vegetation contained significantly higher numbers of cells, INPs, and culturable bacteria relative to the green shrubs tested. Microbial viability of smoke aerosols based on formazan production and epifluorescent microscopy revealed no significant difference in the viable fraction (~80%) when compared to samples of ambient air. From these data, we estimate each fire aerosolized an average of 7 ± 4 × 109 cells and 2 ± 1 × 108 biological INPs per m2 burned and conclude that emissions from wildland fire are sources of viable microbial aerosols to the atmosphere.
Heart rate monitoring improves clinical assessment during 6-min walk.

Right ventricular (RV) function is a predictor of outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is likely an indirect measure of RV function during exercise, but cha...
The Human Right to Education: Definition, Research and Annotated Bibliography

The role and function of education cannot be emphasized enough. Education enhances and develops human abilities, consciousness, identity, integrity, potential, and even power. However, no literature or other instrument comprehensively and consistently defines education. This inconsistent approach to the human right to education is more harmful than beneficial. Numerous international instruments, articles, treatises, and national laws relating to the human right to education have been drafted and published since World War II. International law has been used to pierce state sovereignty to protect a state’s citizens against the abusive use of state powers. Accordingly, research in this field to protect the human right to education has become diversified, complicated, and interdisciplinary. Research has focused on outcomes or contexts of education, applying a wide variety of theories including human capital theories, theories of consciousness-raising, and Neo-Weberian and non-Marxist theories. Further, international instruments should be considered holistically, including treaties, international custom, general principles of law, cases, and soft law from various intergovernmental and nongovernmental organization reports and documents. Domestic laws, including state law and local ordinances, should also be considered because the legal right to education is applied and implemented differently among different states. Considering a wide variety of international instruments and literature, this Article will seek to provide a comprehensive and consistent definition of the human right to education. This Article will also provide an annotated bibliography of various sources which can facilitate the research of scholars and practitioners in this field. A list of primary source instruments, including domestic laws of selective countries, is also introduced.
“I’m Better Off on my Own”: Understanding How a Tutorial’s Medium Affects Physical Skill Development

The shift towards distance learning brought forth by the pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of teaching physical skills at a distance. With the emergence of new augmented and connected mediums, new opportunities arise for transferring physical skills that have resisted traditional documentation methods. However, there lacks a framework that allows tutorial authors to capitalize on a new medium’s unique affordances rather than remediating existing tutorial conventions. Our work analyzes a body of tutorials rendered in various mediums for centering clay on a pottery wheel — a foundational skill that exemplifies the difficulties of physical skill transfer. Through the lens of McLuhan’s “The Medium is the Message” we synthesize a taxonomy of medium conventions and themes derived from analyzing a body of centering tutorials and observation of how a tutorial’s medium affects how learners develop physical skills. We leverage our findings to motivate design recommendations to inform how new mediums can support material practices.
Krankheit durch fehlende Vielfalt

Im 19. Jahrhundert wurde die Welt wiederholt von Choleraausbruchen heimgesucht. Die erste Pandemie begann im Jahr 1816 in Indien und dehnte sich nach China aus, wo mehr als 100.000 Menschen daran starben. Eine zweite Pandemie brach im Jahr 1829 aus und verbreitete sich zunachst in ganz Europa.