cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the optical properties of twisted bilayer photonic crystals

We demonstrate a photonic analog of twisted bilayer graphene that has ultra-flat photonic bands and exhibits extreme slow-light behavior. Our twisted bilayer photonic device, which has an operating wavelength in the C-band of the telecom window, uses two crystalline silicon photonic crystal slabs separated by a methyl methacrylate tunneling layer. We numerically determine the magic angle using a finite-element method and the corresponding photonic band structure, which exhibits a flat band over the entire Brillouin zone. This flat band causes the group velocity to approach zero and introduces light localization, which enhances the electromagnetic field at the expense of bandwidth. Using our original plane-wave continuum model, we find that the photonic system has a larger band asymmetry. The band structure can easily be engineered by adjusting the device geometry, giving significant freedom in the design of devices. Our work provides a fundamental understanding of the photonic properties of twisted bilayer photonic crystals and opens the door to the nanoscale-based enhancement of nonlinear effects. The twisted bilayer photonic crystals have near-zero group velocity over the Brillouin zone and provide access to light localization that is far out of the reach of conventional photonic crystals.
A Physics-Based Finite-State Abstraction for Traffic Congestion Control

This paper offers a finite-state abstraction of traffic coordination and congestion in a network of interconnected roads (NOIR). By applying mass conservation, we model traffic coordination as a Markov process. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is applied to control traffic congestion through the boundary of the traffic network. The optimal boundary inflow is assigned as the solution of a constrained quadratic programming problem. Additionally, the movement phases commanded by traffic signals are determined using receding horizon optimization. In simulation, we show how traffic congestion can be successfully controlled through optimizing boundary inflow and movement phases, commanded by traffic signals at junctions of an NOIR.
Identification of Self-Excited Systems Using Discrete-Time, Time-Delayed Lur'e Models

This paper considers system identification for systems whose output is asymptotically periodic under constant inputs. The model used for system identification is a discrete-time Lur'e model consisting of asymptotically stable linear dynamics, a time delay, a washout filter, and a static nonlinear feedback mapping. For sufficiently large scaling of the loop transfer function, these components cause divergence under small signal levels and decay under large signal amplitudes, thus producing an asymptotically oscillatory output. A leastsquares technique is used to estimate the coefficients of the linear model as well as the parameters of a piecewise-linear approximation of the feedback mapping.
Odds ratios are far from "portable"-A call to use realistic models for effect variation in meta-analysis.

Abstract Objective Recently Doi et al. argued that risk ratios should be replaced with odds ratios in clinical research. We disagreed, and empirically documented the lack of portability of odds ratios, while Doi et al. defended their position. In this response we highlight important errors in their position. Study design and setting We counter Doi et al.’s arguments by further examining the correlations of odds ratios, and risk ratios, with baseline risks in 20,198 meta-analyses from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Results Doi et al.’s claim that odds ratios are portable is invalid because 1) their reasoning is circular: they assume a model under which the odds ratio is constant and show that under such a model the odds ratio is portable; 2) the method they advocate to convert odds ratios to risk ratios is biased; 3) their empirical example is readily-refuted by counter-examples of meta-analyses in which the risk ratio is portable but the odds ratio isn't; and 4) they fail to consider the causal determinants of meta-analytic inclusion criteria: Doi et al. mistakenly claim that variation in odds ratios with different baseline risks in meta-analyses is due to collider bias. Empirical comparison between the correlations of odds ratios, and risk ratios, with baseline risks show that the portability of odds ratios and risk ratios varies across settings. Conclusion The suggestion to replace risk ratios with odds ratios is based on circular reasoning and a confusion of mathematical and empirical results. It is especially misleading for meta-analyses and clinical guidance. Neither the odds ratio nor the risk ratio is universally portable. To address this lack of portability, we reinforce our suggestion to report variation in effect measures conditioning on modifying factors such as baseline risk; understanding such variation is essential to patient-centered practice.
Altered Cerebellar Oscillations in Parkinson's Disease Patients during Cognitive and Motor Tasks

Abstract Structural and functional abnormalities in the cerebellar region have been shown in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Since the cerebellar region has been associated with cognitive and lower-limb motor functions, it is imperative to study cerebellar oscillations in PD. Here, we evaluated cerebellar electroencephalography (EEG) during cognitive processing and lower-limb motor performances in PD. Cortical and cerebellar EEG were collected from 74 PD patients and 37 healthy control subjects during a 7-second interval timing task, 26 PD patients and 13 controls during a lower-limb pedaling task, and 23 PD patients during eyes-open/closed resting conditions. Analyses were focused on the mid-cerebellar Cbz electrode and further compared to the mid-occipital Oz and mid-frontal Cz electrodes. Increased alpha-band power was observed during the eyes-closed resting-state condition over Oz, but no change in alpha power was observed over Cbz. PD patients showed higher dispersion when performing the 7-second interval timing cognitive task and executed the pedaling motor task with reduced speed compared to controls. PD patients exhibited attenuated cue-triggered theta-band power over Cbz during both the interval timing and pedaling motor tasks. Connectivity measures between Cbz and Cz showed theta-band differences, but only during the pedaling motor task. Cbz oscillatory activity also differed from Oz across multiple frequency bands in both groups during both tasks. Our cerebellar EEG data along with previous magnetoencephalography and animal model studies clearly show alterations in cerebellar oscillations during cognitive and motor processing in PD.
Unilateral Ground Contact Force Regulations in Thruster-Assisted Legged Locomotion

In this paper, we study the regulation of the Ground Contact Forces (GRF) in thruster-assisted legged locomotion. We will employ Reference Governors (RGs) for enforcing GRF constraints in Harpy model which is a bipedal robot that is being developed at Northeastern University. optimization-based methods and whole body control are widely used for enforcing the no-slip constraints in legged locomotion which can be very computationally expensive. In contrast, RGs can enforce these constraints by manipulating joint reference trajectories using Lyapunov stability arguments which can be computed much faster. The addition of the thrusters in our model allows to manipulate the gait parameters and the GRF without sacrificing the locomotion stability.
An exploration of the black hole entropy in Gauss–Bonnet gravity via the Weyl tensor

Various proposals for gravitational entropy densities have been constructed from the Weyl tensor. In almost all cases, though, these studies have been restricted to general relativity, and little h...
Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment Fatalities in a National Pediatric Inpatient Database

Child maltreatment (CM) is recognized as a major public health concern, and an important number of children suffer injuries related to abuse and neglect which result in death. Objective: We sought to identify risk factors for CM fatalities among hospitalized children that can provide clinicians with information to recognize …
Comments on “A Gibbs Sampler for a Class of Random Convex Polytopes”

We would like to congratulate the authors for their contribution to this longstanding open problem in mathematical statistics. Their clever implementation of MCMC to obtain simplex-based Dempster–S...
Parameterized neural ordinary differential equations: applications to computational physics problems

This work proposes an extension of neural ordinary differential equations (NODEs) by introducing an additional set of ODE input parameters to NODEs. This extension allows NODEs to learn multiple dy...
Securing Smart Homes via Software-Defined Networking and Low-Cost Traffic Classification

IoT devices have become popular targets for various network attacks due to their lack of industry-wide security standards. In this work, we focus on the classification of smart home IoT devices and defending them against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The proposed framework protects smart homes by using VLAN-based network isolation. This architecture includes two VLANs: one with non-verified devices and the other with verified devices, both of which are managed by a SDN controller. Lightweight, stateless flow-based features, including ICMP, TCP and UDP protocol percentage, packet count and size, and IP diversity ratio, are proposed for efficient feature collection. Further analysis is performed to minimize training data to run on resource-constrained edge devices in smart home networks. Three popular machine learning models, including K-Nearest-Neighbors, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machines, are used to classify IoT devices and detect different DDoS attacks based on TCP-SYN, UDP, and ICMP. The system’s effectiveness and efficiency are evaluated by emulating a network consisting of an Open vSwitch, Faucet SDN controller, and flow traces of several IoT devices from two different testbeds. The proposed framework achieves an average accuracy of 97%in device classification and 98% in DDoS detection with average latency of 1.18 milliseconds.
Changes in influenza and other respiratory virus activity during the COVID-19 pandemic-United States, 2020-2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (e.g., cessation of global travel, mask use, physical distancing, and staying home) reduced transmission of some viral respiratory pathogens (1). In the United States, influenza activity decreased in March 2020, was historically low through the summer of 2020 (2), and remained low during October 2020-May 2021 (<0.4% of respiratory specimens with positive test results for each week of the season). Circulation of other respiratory pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), common human coronaviruses (HCoVs) types OC43, NL63, 229E, and HKU1, and parainfluenza viruses (PIVs) types 1-4 also decreased in early 2020 and did not increase until spring 2021. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) circulation decreased in March 2020 and remained low through May 2021. Respiratory adenovirus (RAdV) circulated at lower levels throughout 2020 and as of early May 2021. Rhinovirus and enterovirus (RV/EV) circulation decreased in March 2020, remained low until May 2020, and then increased to near prepandemic seasonal levels. Circulation of respiratory viruses could resume at prepandemic levels after COVID-19 mitigation practices become less stringent. Clinicians should be aware of increases in some respiratory virus activity and remain vigilant for off-season increases. In addition to the use of everyday preventive actions, fall influenza vaccination campaigns are an important component of prevention as COVID-19 mitigation measures are relaxed and schools and workplaces resume in-person activities.
Cross-dataset reproducibility of human retinotopic maps.

Abstract Population receptive field (pRF) models fit to fMRI data are used to non-invasively measure retinotopic maps in human visual cortex, and these maps are a fundamental component of visual neuroscience experiments. Here, we examined the reproducibility of retinotopic maps across two datasets: a newly acquired retinotopy dataset from New York University (NYU) (n = 44) and a public dataset from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) (n = 181). Our goal was to assess the degree to which pRF properties are similar across datasets, despite substantial differences in their experimental protocols. The two datasets simultaneously differ in their stimulus apertures, participant pool, fMRI protocol, MRI field strength, and preprocessing pipeline. We assessed the cross-dataset reproducibility of the two datasets in terms of the similarity of vertex-wise pRF estimates and in terms of large-scale polar angle asymmetries in cortical magnification. Within V1, V2, V3, and hV4, the group-median NYU and HCP vertex-wise polar angle estimates were nearly identical. Both eccentricity and pRF size estimates were also strongly correlated between the two datasets, but with a slope different from 1; the eccentricity and pRF size estimates were systematically greater in the NYU data. Next, to compare large-scale map properties, we quantified two polar angle asymmetries in V1 cortical magnification previously identified in the HCP data. The NYU dataset confirms earlier reports that more cortical surface area represents horizontal than vertical visual field meridian, and lower than upper vertical visual field meridian. Together, our findings show that the retinotopic properties of V1, V2, V3, and hV4 can be reliably measured across two datasets, despite numerous differences in their experimental design. fMRI-derived retinotopic maps are reproducible because they rely on an explicit computational model of the fMRI response. In the case of pRF mapping, the model is grounded in physiological evidence of how visual receptive fields are organized, allowing one to quantitatively characterize the BOLD signal in terms of stimulus properties (i.e., location and size). The new NYU Retinotopy Dataset will serve as a useful benchmark for testing hypotheses about the organization of visual areas and for comparison to the HCP 7T Retinotopy Dataset.
Stochastic reverse isoperimetric inequalities in the plane

In recent years, it has been shown that some classical inequalities follow from a local stochastic dominance for naturally associated random polytopes. We strengthen planar isoperimetric inequalities by attaching a stochastic model to some classical inequalities, such as Mahler’s Theorem, and a reverse Lutwak–Zhang inequality, the polar for $$L_p$$ centroid bodies. In particular, we obtain the dual counterpart to a result of Bisztriczky–Boroczky.
Phloem transport limitation in Huanglongbing affected sweet orange is dependent on phloem-limited bacteria and callose

Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is a phloem-limited disease which disrupts citrus production in affected areas. In HLB-affected plants, phloem sieve plate pores accumulate callose, and leaf carbohydrate export is reduced. However, whether HLB causes a reduction in carbohydrate phloem translocation speed, and the quantitative relationships among callose, CLas population, and phloem translocation are still unknown. In this work, a procedure was developed to concurrently measure sugar transport, callose deposition, and relative pathogen population at different locations throughout the stem. Increasing quantities of CLas genetic material were positively correlated with quantity and density of callose deposits, and negatively correlated with phloem translocation speed. Callose deposit quantity was position- and rootstock dependent, and were negatively correlated with phloem translocation speed, suggesting a localized relationship. Remarkably, callose accumulation and phloem translocation disruption in the scion was dependent on rootstock genotype. Regression results suggested that the interaction of Ct values and number of phloem callose depositions, but not their size or density, explained the effects on translocation speed. Sucrose, starch, and sink 14C label allocation data support the interpretation of a transport pathway limitation by CLas infection. This work shows that the interaction of local accumulation of callose and CLas affect phloem transport. Further, the extent of this accumulation is attenuated by the rootstock and provides important information about the disease mechanism of phloem-inhabiting bacteria. Together, these results constitute the first example of a demonstrated transport limitation of phloem function by a microbial infection.
Multi-Agent Active Search using Realistic Depth-Aware Noise Model

The active search for objects of interest in an unknown environment has many robotics applications including search and rescue, detecting gas leaks or locating animal poachers. Existing algorithms often prioritize the location accuracy of objects of interest while other practical issues such as the reliability of object detection as a function of distance and lines of sight remain largely ignored. Additionally, in many active search scenarios, communication infrastructure may be unreliable or unestablished, making centralized control of multiple agents impractical. We present an algorithm called Noise-Aware Thompson Sampling (NATS) that addresses these issues for multiple ground-based robots performing active search considering two sources of sensory information from monocular optical imagery and depth maps. By utilizing Thompson Sampling, NATS allows for decentralized coordination among multiple agents. NATS also considers object detection uncertainty from depth as well as environmental occlusions and operates while remaining agnostic of the number of objects of interest. Using simulation results, we show that NATS significantly outperforms existing methods such as information-greedy policies or exhaustive search. We demonstrate the real-world viability of NATS using a pseudo-realistic environment created in the Unreal Engine 4 game development platform with the AirSim plugin.
In Defense of the Indefensible: A Very Naive Approach to High-Dimensional Inference

A great deal of interest has recently focused on conducting inference on the parameters in a high-dimensional linear model. In this paper, we consider a simple and very naive two-step procedure for this task, in which we (i) fit a lasso model in order to obtain a subset of the variables, and (ii) fit a least squares model on the lasso-selected set. Conventional statistical wisdom tells us that we cannot make use of the standard statistical inference tools for the resulting least squares model (such as confidence intervals and p-values), since we peeked at the data twice: once in running the lasso, and again in fitting the least squares model. However, in this paper, we show that under a certain set of assumptions, with high probability, the set of variables selected by the lasso is identical to the one selected by the noiseless lasso and is hence deterministic. Consequently, the naive two-step approach can yield asymptotically valid inference. We utilize this finding to develop the naive confidence interval, which can be used to draw inference on the regression coefficients of the model selected by the lasso, as well as the naive score test, which can be used to test the hypotheses regarding the full-model regression coefficients.
Piezo1 ion channels inherently function as independent mechanotransducers.

Cells can sense a range of mechanical forces both inside and outside the body, such as the stroke of a fingertip or the filling of a lung. Pores on the surface of the cell called Piezo channels open up in response to this pressure. This allows ions to flood in to the cell and trigger a series of biochemical reactions that alter the cell’s behavior. Piezo channels have a unique bowl-like structure that transforms the shape of the cell surface around them, potentially affecting how nearby proteins behave. Previous research had suggested that these channels might be unevenly distributed across the cell surface, and were predicted to modify each other’s behaviors when tightly packed together. This cooperative response would have a significant impact on how cells sense mechanical force. To investigate if this was the case, Lewis and Grandl studied a mouse cell called Neuro2A which naturally produces Piezo ion channels. In the experiment, pressure was applied to different parts of the cell and the electric current generated by ions moving across the surface was recorded: the higher the electrical activity, the more ion channels present. This showed that Piezo channels are randomly distributed across the cell surface and do not tend to cluster together. The same Neuro2A cells were then engineered to produce up to one hundred times more Piezo proteins. Despite the channels being more densely packed together, how they responded to mechanical force remained the same. These results suggest that Piezo channels act independently and are not influenced by close proximity to one another. Lewis and Grandl propose that this property may ensure that all parts of the cell surface react to mechanical force in the same way. Further work is needed to see if this finding applies to other cell types that produce Piezo proteins.
Detecting Braess Routes: An Algorithm Accounting for Queuing Delays With an Extended Graph

The Braess paradox is a counter-intuitive phenomenon whereby adding roads to a network results in higher travel time at equilibrium. In this paper we present an algorithm to detect the occurrence of this paradox in real-world networks with the help of an improved graph representation accounting for queues. The addition of queues to the network representation enables a closer match with real data. Moreover, we search for routes causing this phenomenon (‘Braess routes’) rather than links, and advocate removing such routes virtually from navigation systems so that the associated links can continue to serve other routes. Our algorithm relies on a convex optimization problem utilizing Beckmann potentials for road links as well as queues, and results in a route reconfiguration with reduced delay. We assume the availability of historical data to build the optimization model. We also assume the existence of a centralized navigation system to manage the routing options and remove the Braess routes. The theoretical solution demonstrates up to 12% delay reduction in a network from Montgomery County, Maryland. We validate the improvement with simulations.
On Submodular Prophet Inequalities and Correlation Gap.

Prophet inequalities and secretary problems have been extensively studied in recent years due to their elegance, connections to online algorithms, stochastic optimization, and mechanism design problems in game theoretic settings. Rubinstein and Singla developed a notion of combinatorial prophet inequalities in order to generalize the standard prophet inequality setting to combinatorial valuation functions such as submodular and subadditive functions. For non-negative submodular functions they demonstrated a constant factor prophet inequality for matroid constraints. Along the way they showed a variant of the correlation gap for non-negative submodular functions. In this paper we revisit their notion of correlation gap as well as the standard notion of correlation gap and prove much tighter and cleaner bounds. Via these bounds and other insights we obtain substantially improved constant factor combinatorial prophet inequalities for both monotone and non-monotone submodular functions over any constraint that admits an Online Contention Resolution Scheme. In addition to improved bounds we describe efficient polynomial-time algorithms that achieve these bounds.
Luminous solar neutrinos. II. Mass-mixing portals

Solar neutrinos can be efficiently upscattered to MeV-scale heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) within the Earth's mantle. HNLs can then decay to electron-positron pairs leading to energy deposition inside large volume detectors. In this paper, we consider mass-portal upscattering of solar neutrinos to HNLs of mass $20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}\ensuremath{\ge}{m}_{N}\ensuremath{\ge}2{m}_{e}$. The large volume of the Earth compensates for the long decay length of the HNLs leading to observable rates of $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ in large volume detectors. We find that searches for mantle-upscattered HNLs can set novel limits on mixing with third-generation leptons, $|{U}_{\ensuremath{\tau}N}|$ for masses in the MeV regime; sensitivity to mixing with first- and second-generation leptons is not competitive with existing search strategies.
Fully Nonlinear Equations with Applications to Grad Equations in Plasma Physics

In this paper we generalize an equation studied by Mossino and Temam, to the fully nonlinear case. This equation arises in plasma physics as an approximation to Grad equations, which were introduced by Harold Grad, to model the behavior of plasma confined in a toroidal vessel. We prove existence of a $W^{2,p}$-viscosity solution and regularity up to $C^{1,\alpha}(\overline{\Omega})$ for any $\alpha<1$(we improve this regularity near the boundary). The difficulty of this problem lays on a right hand side which involves the measure of the superlevel sets, making the problem nonlocal.
Highly Sensitive Bi-conically Tapered Fiber Sensor with Wavelength-dependent Sensitivity

We studied the dependence of sensitivity of a biconically tapered optical fiber sensor on the wavelength of light used, and experimentally demonstrated refractive index sensitivity of about 11000 nm/RIU at nearly 1570 nm. Based on our theoretical analysis, we predict that tapered fiber refractive index sensors with sensitivities exceeding 50000 nm/RIU can be developed. We attribute the enhanced sensitivity mainly to the nonlinear variation of the difference in mode propagation constants with wavelength. Such ultrahigh sensitivity combined with low cost and simplicity for tapered fiber refractive index sensors makes them good candidates for numerous sensing applications in medical diagnosis, food safety, environmental monitoring, and biodefense. © 2020 The Author(s)
Influence Tuning: Demoting Spurious Correlations via Instance Attribution and Instance-Driven Updates

Among the most critical limitations of deep learning NLP models are their lack of interpretability, and their reliance on spurious correlations. Prior work proposed various approaches to interpreting the black-box models to unveil the spurious correlations, but the research was primarily used in human-computer interaction scenarios. It still remains underexplored whether or how such model interpretations can be used to automatically “unlearn” confounding features. In this work, we propose influence tuning—a procedure that leverages model interpretations to update the model parameters towards a plausible interpretation (rather than an interpretation that relies on spurious patterns in the data) in addition to learning to predict the task labels. We show that in a controlled setup, influence tuning can help deconfounding the model from spurious patterns in data, significantly outperforming baseline methods that use adversarial training.
A Model-Agnostic Method for PMU Data Recovery Using Optimal Singular Value Thresholding

This paper presents a fast model-agnostic method for recovering noisy Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) data streams with missing entries. The measurements are first transformed into a page matrix, and the original signals are reconstructed using low-rank matrix estimation based on optimal singular value thresholding. Two variations of the recovery algorithm are shown- a) an offline block-processing method for imputing past measurements, and b) an online method for predicting future measurements. Information within a PMU channel (temporal correlation) as well as from different PMU channels in a network (spatial correlation) are utilized to recover degraded data. The proposed method is fast, and needs no explicit knowledge of the underlying system model or measurement noise distribution. Performance of the recovery algorithms is illustrated using simulated measurements from the IEEE 39-bus test system as well as real measurements from an anonymized U.S. electric utility. Extensive numeric tests show that the original signals can be accurately recovered in the presence of additive noise, consecutive data drop as well as simultaneous data erasures across multiple PMU channels.
To Deconvolve, or Not to Deconvolve: Inferences of Neuronal Activities using Calcium Imaging Data.

BACKGROUND With the increasing popularity of calcium imaging in neuroscience research, choosing the right methods to analyze calcium imaging data is critical to address various scientific questions. Unlike spike trains measured using electrodes, fluorescence intensity traces provide an indirect and noisy measurement of the underlying neuronal activities. The observed calcium traces are either analyzed directly or deconvolved to spike trains to infer neuronal activities. When both approaches are applicable, it is unclear whether deconvolving calcium traces is a necessary step. METHODS In this article, we compare the performance of using calcium traces or their deconvolved spike trains for three common analyses: clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), and population decoding. RESULTS We found that (1) the two approaches lead to diverging results; (2) estimated spike trains, when smoothed or binned appropriately, usually lead to satisfactory performances, such as more accurate estimation of cluster membership; (3) although estimate spike train produce results more similar to true spike data than trace data, we found that the PCA results from trace data might better reflect the underlying neuronal ensembles (clusters); and (4) for both approaches, decobability can be improved by using denoising or smoothing methods. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our simulations and applications to real data suggest that estimated spike data outperform trace data in cluster analysis and give comparable results for population decoding. In addition, the decobability of estimated spike data can be slightly better than that of calcium trace data with appropriate filtering / smoothing methods. CONCLUSION We conclude that spike detection might be a useful pre-processing step for certain problems such as clustering; however, the continuous nature of calcium imaging data provides a natural smoothness that might be helpful for problems such as dimensional reduction.
Influence of engineered interfaces on residual stresses and mechanical response in metal matrix composites

Because of the inherent coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the fiber and matrix within metal and intermetallic matrix composite systems, high residual stresses can develop under various thermal loading conditions. These conditions include cooling from the processing temperature to room temperature as well as subsequent thermal cycling. As a result of these stresses, within certain composite systems, radial, circumferential, and/or longitudinal cracks have been observed to form in the fiber-matrix interface region. A number of potential solutions for reducing this thermally induced residual stress field have been proposed recently. Examples of some potential solutions are high CTE fibers, fiber preheating, thermal anneal treatments, and engineered interfaces (e.g. a compensating/compliant layer concept or the graded layer concept). In the strict sense, an engineered interface is one that provides a compromise between the various pertinent chemistry and mechanics issues for the applicat...
Case Suspension and Binary Complement Structure in French

Adopting the theoretical framework of the minimalist program, this study of syntactic limitations on complement configuration investigates the link between thematic external arguments and case. Using evidence from pronominal, psychological experiencer, and inalienable constructions, it argues that both accusative and dative are structural cases in French and that this duality is reflected in a parallel limit on argument projection. Larson’s single complement hypothesis, which allows a maximum of two internal arguments, provides the theoretical justification for this proposal. The testing ground for the binary hypothesis is a group of nonthematic subject constructions involving undative as well as unaccusative verbs, linking, according to Burzio’s generalization, case suspension and lack of an internal argument. The investigation of these constructions and those involving partitive case provides not only a theoretically significant contribution to our understanding of grammar, but also a motivated explanation for a number of empirical problems in French.
Accommodating Clients with Disabilities on the WAIS-III and WMS

Publisher Summary Clinicians are bound by two imperatives when they conduct assessments: the need to follow standardized administration practices and the need to alter standardized practices when assessing individuals with disabilities. Historically, research and recommendations for accommodations have directed clinicians to eliminate construct-irrelevant variance but failed to invoke the equally important imperative of retaining construct representation in the assessment. This chapter focuses on the elaboration of these competing imperatives—reducing construct-irrelevant variance while maintaining construct representation—and suggested a decision-making procedure for clinicians to follow when determining whether and how to accommodate clients with disabilities. The chapter also reviews research using the Wechsler scales with individuals who have disabilities. The reviews suggest four general conclusions. Although these conclusions have reasonable support from the research, it is essential to note that there are significant limitations to the strength of these conclusions for guiding clinical practice with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and Wechsler Memory Scale-III.
Ocupar el verso y acomodarse

Visitacion del hoy. Oscar Torres Duque. Premio Nacional de Poesia / Ministerio de Cultura, Bogota, 1998, 139 pags.
Decoupling from the East Toward the West? Analyses of Spillovers to the Baltic Countries

This paper uses VAR models to examine the magnitude and sources of growth spillovers to the Baltics from key trading partners, as well asfrom the real effective exchange rate (REER). Our results show there are significant cross-country spillovers to the Baltics with those from the EU outweighing spillovers from Russia. Shocks to the REER generally depress growth in the Baltics, and this intensifies over time. We also find that financial and trade channels dominate the transmission of spillovers to the region which partly explains the realization of downside risks to the Baltics from the global slowdown.
Illuminating Texts : Naomi Shihab Nye and her Palestinian-Influenced Writings

n her poetry and in her stories Nye uses our senses to take us to people and experiences that we would otherwise never know: the strange becomes familiar, the stranger becomes a friend. She shows us that beyond all the distinctions we make between ourselves and "the others" there is always the daily activity that makes life: the tree that needs climbing, the stone to throw, the bread to bake.
Foreign Investment Fluctuations and Emerging Market Stock Returns: The Case of Mexico

We investigate the economically and statistically significant positive correlation between monthly foreign purchases of Mexican stocks and Mexican stock returns. We find that a 1 percent of market capitalization surprise foreign inflow is associated with a 13 percent increase in Mexican stock prices. We explore whether this correlation might be explained by permanent reductions in conditional expected returns resulting from expansion of the investor base along the lines modeled by Merton (1987), or correlations with other factors causing returns, price pressures, or positive feedback strategies by foreign investors, and conclude that the available evidence is consistent with the base-broadening hypothesis.
Impact of Psychiatric Disorders

Important bidirectional relationships exist between sleep-related breathing disorders and various psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia), with both types of conditions highly prevalent in the general population. Within the complex clinical spectrums of these diseases, psychiatric illnesses may complicate the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and impact treatment compliance; psychiatric medications can affect sleep and worsen the severity of sleep apnea; and SDB can adversely impact both the outcome and management of mental illnesses. Effective recognition and treatment of both conditions becomes imperative for optimal clinical management of each condition.
Clues to the Virulence of H5N1 Viruses in Humans

Why is H5N1 avian influenza so virulent? Genomic analysis of various isolates suggests that, in addition to two known surface proteins, a third previously unnoticed sequence in a small viral protein may contribute to virulence.
Magnetic susceptibility of Cs 2 Cr Cl 5 .4 H 2 O: Interplay of exchange and crystal-field effects

The single-crystal susceptibilities of ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$Cr${\mathrm{Cl}}_{5}$.4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O are reported over the temperature interval 40 mK\char22{}4.2 K. Long-range magnetic ordering is found to occur at 0.185\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 K. Successful data analysis has been carried out in terms of a spin $S=\frac{3}{2}$ Heisenberg linear-chain antiferromagnet with crystal-field and exchange energies of comparable magnitude; the resulting parameters are ${g}_{z}=1.98$, ${g}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}=1.95$, $\frac{D}{{k}_{B}}=\ensuremath{-}0.16$ K, $\frac{E}{{k}_{B}}=\ensuremath{-}0.05$ K, and $\frac{J}{{k}_{B}}=\ensuremath{-}0.045$ K.
Social learning and cumulative innovations in a networked group

We used a simple problem-solving game task to study imitation and innovation in groups of participants. Guesses were composed of multiple elements with linear and interactive effects on score, and score feedback was provided after each of a number of rounds. Participants were allowed to view and imitate the guesses of others during each round, and the visibility of score information accompanying others' guesses was manipulated in two conditions. When scores were not visible, social learning was impeded; participants were less efficient in their searching of the problem space and achieved lower performance overall. When scores were visible, results indicated a more equitable sharing of exploration among participants within groups as a result of selective imitation and cross-participant cumulative innovations, which were associated with higher performance.
Serotonin2 receptors mediate respiratory recovery after cervical spinal cord hemisection in adult rats

The aim of the present study was to specifically investigate the involvement of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT2)] receptors in 5-HT-mediated respiratory recovery after cervical hemisection. E...
De novo assembly of ultra-deep sequencing data

Life scientists and bio-informaticians have struggled with insufficient amount of sequencing data since the beginning of Sanger sequencing in the seventies. As a consequence, most of the de novo assembly methods that have been proposed are designed to deal with low coverage sequencing and unbalanced depth of coverage. The situation is now about to change. The cost of sequencing has been decreasing so much that it is interesting to think about the possibility to have "as much sequencing data as we want". When the sequencing will be so cheap that scientists can decide about their desired depth of coverage without being worried about cost, the following question arises: assuming today's sequencing error rate, does higher depth of coverage necessarily lead to a better quality assembly? In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that current state-of-the-art assemblers are unable to handle ultra-deep (i.e., 1,000-10,000x) depth of coverage. We then propose a new method to build high quality assemblies from ultra-deep sequencing data. Our approach is based on "data slicing": we split a large dataset into "slices", then assemble each slice individually using a off-the-shelves assembler. Our tool then merges optimally the individual assemblies. Experimental results show that our method can improve significantly the quality of the assemblies, when compared to the assemblies of the individual slices.
Violence as fetish: Geography, Marxism, and dialectics

The study of violence has increasing academic purchase. However, the academic treatment of violence imparts an ontological status that masks violence from critical scrutiny. We argue for the social...
Chiral chromium(III) and ruthenium(III) complexes of salicylaldimine ligands

Abstract Tris(N-(R- or S-)α-phenylethyl-5-nitrosalicylaldiminato)chromium(III) and tris(N-S-α-benzylethyl-5-nitrosalicylaldiminato)rutheniurn(III) have been prepared, and two diastereomers for each complex have been isolated. Relative configurations of the Cr(III) diastereomers and their Co(III) analogs, which were reported previously, are assigned from a comparison of CD spectra and chromatographic behavior. Assignments of configuration of the Ru(III) diastereomers relative to the analogous Co(III) and Cr(III) diastereomers are based on the similarity of chromatographic behavior for these species. Empirical relationships among low-energy CD bands for Co(III), Cr(III), and Ru(III) salicylaldimine complexes believed to have the same configuration are discussed and predictions of absolute configuration of diastereomers in this series are made from stereoselectivity observations.
Inappropriate use of naloxone in cancer patients with pain

Opioid overdose is rarely the primary cause of altered mental status in cancer patients receiving opioid therapy. The inappropriate administration of naloxone to reverse an abnormal mental status can cause severe withdrawal symptoms and pain. To illustrate this problem, we report the case of a patient inappropriately treated with naloxone and the results of a retrospective review of the medical records of 15 consecutive patients with cancer treated with naloxone in the emergency department over a 5-month period. We offer guidelines for a more thoughtful approach to the management of patients with cancer who present with encephalopathy.
Immersive 3D Environment for Remote Collaboration and Training of Physical Activities

In this paper we present a framework for immersive virtual environment intended for remote collaboration and training of physical activities. Our multi-camera system performs full-body 3D reconstruction of human user(s) in real time and renders their image in the virtual space allowing remote users to interact. The paper features a short overview of the technology used for the capturing and reconstruction. Some of the applications where we have successfully demonstrated use of the system in combination with the tele-immersive virtual environment are described. Finally, we address current drawbacks with regard to data capturing and networking and provide some ideas for future work.
Neutral axis as damage sensitive feature

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is the process of continuously or periodically measuring structural parameters and the transformation of the collected data into information on real structural conditions. The centroid of stiffness is a universal parameter and its position in a cross-section can be evaluated for any load-carrying beam structure as the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen loads. Thus, a change in the position of the neutral axis within a cross-section can indicate a change in the position of the centroid of stiffness, i.e., unusual structural behaviors. This paper proposes a novel monitoring method based on deterministic and probabilistic determination of the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen conditions. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is potentially applicable to a large variety of beam-like structures. Data from two existing structures were used to validate the method and assess its performance: Streicker Bridge at Princeton University and the US202/NJ23 highway overpass in Wayne, NJ. The results show that the neutral axis location is varying even when damage is not present. Reasons for this variation are determined and the accuracy in the evaluation assessed. This paper concludes that the position of the neutral axis can be evaluated with sufficient accuracy using static and dynamic strain measurements performed on appropriate time-scales and indicates its potential to be used as a damage sensitive feature.
The Effect of Meals on the Electrocardiogram and the Ballistocardiogram in Patients with Angina Pectoris

The effect of meals on the electrocardiogram and the ballistocardiogram was studied in 59 patients with angina of effort. Approximately one-fourth of the group showed a 0.5 to 1.0 mm. depression of the S-T segment, while the normal controls did not show this change. Premature ventricular contractions and inversion of the T wave were found more frequently in patients with angina following meals than in normal individuals. The patients with angina were unable to increase the cardiac output significantly following meals as compared to normal individuals. It is suggestetd that these findings may prove to be of value in evaluating cardiac function in patients with angina.
Rotordynamic Bearing Dampers for Cryogenic Rocket Engine Turbopumps

It is a common practice for cryogenic turbomachines to utilize stiffly mounted bearings due to the incapability of providing significant damping with conventional methods and designs. With no damping available, the historical motive behind this design practice was to elevate all critical speeds above the maximum running speed. The desire for higher energy density has raised the running speeds of rocket engine turbopumps very near, or even above, the first three critical speeds. A companion paper gives experimental evidence that accurate prediction of these critical speeds with the turbopump rotor on ball bearings with stiff supports is not practically possible. The feasibility of applying a metal mesh damper with soft supports in a cryogenic engine is investigated. To date the focus has been on cryogenic experimental tests, rotordynamic simulations, and possible bearing support design schemes to justify the incorporation of a metal mesh bearing support in a liquid rocket engine fuel turbopump. Success of the design is dependent on the amount of damping that the damper retains at cryogenic temperatures and its ultimate effect on fuel turbopump rotordynamics, especially subsynchronous instability.