cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gaze Direction in a Virtual Environment Via a Dynamic Full-Image Color Effect

For developers of immersive 360-degree virtual environments, directing the viewer's gaze towards Points of Interest (POIs) is a challenge. Limited research exists testing the effectiveness of various gaze direction techniques. However, there is a lack of empirical research evaluating real-time color effects designed to direct the viewer's gaze. We developed a novel VR gaze-directing stimulus using a dynamic real-time color effect and tested its effectiveness in a user study. The stimulus was influenced by color psychology research and chosen by an informal pilot study. Results suggest that the stimulus encouraged participants to direct their gaze back towards POIs. In the majority of subjects who encountered the stimulus, their gaze was successfully directed back to POIs within a few seconds. While the task of holding viewer gaze in VR remains a challenge, this experiment has uncovered new information about the potential of color effect-based VR gaze direction.
Applying gamifications to asynchronous online discussions: A mixed methods study

Abstract Engaging students in online discussions is challenging. This paper presents a mixed methods study using a gamification approach to promote student engagement in online discussions. A total of 70 students were enrolled in this study from an asynchronous online undergraduate level political science course. The study findings suggested that the gamification approach only had positive effects on the students' number of comments and performance in online discussions who were more aware of the gamification approach. However, it appears that the gamification approach failed in promoting students' sense of community. Additionally, students' responses to the interviews and open-ended questions revealed similar results, although more students in the gamified group indicated that the online discussions forced them to think hard. The limited influence of the gamification approach in the current study may be attributed to several factors that related to the facilitation of the gamification approach, the types of badges, and technical issues. Implications and suggestions for future research have been discussed.
The Electrophysiology of Presynaptic Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes With and Without Facilitation: From Electrodiagnostic Findings to Molecular Mechanisms

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a group of inherited disorders of neuromuscular transmission most commonly presenting with early onset fatigable weakness, ptosis, and ophthalmoparesis. CMS are classified according to the localization of the causative molecular defect. CMS with presynaptic dysfunction can be caused by mutations in several different genes, including those involved in acetylcholine synthesis, its packaging into synaptic vesicles, vesicle docking, and release from the presynaptic nerve terminal and neuromuscular junction development and maintenance. Electrodiagnostic testing is key in distinguishing CMS from other neuromuscular disorders with similar clinical features as well as for revealing features pointing to a specific molecular diagnosis. A decremental response on low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) is present in most presynaptic CMS. In CMS with deficits in acetylcholine resynthesis however, a decrement may only appear after conditioning with exercise or high-frequency RNS and characteristically displays a slow recovery. Facilitation occurs in CMS caused by mutations in VAMP1, UNC13A, SYT2, AGRN, LAMA5. By contrast, facilitation is absent in the other presynaptic CMS described to date. An understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms therefore assists the interpretation of electrodiagnostic findings in patients with suspected CMS.
Anthropogenic N deposition alters soil organic matter biochemistry and microbial communities on decaying fine roots.

Fine root litter is a primary source of soil organic matter (SOM), which is a globally important pool of C that is responsive to climate change. We previously established that ~20 years of experimental nitrogen (N) deposition has slowed fine root decay and increased the storage of soil carbon (C; +18%) across a widespread northern hardwood forest ecosystem. However, the microbial mechanisms that have directly slowed fine root decay are unknown. Here, we show that experimental N deposition has decreased the relative abundance of Agaricales fungi (-31%) and increased that of partially ligninolytic Actinobacteria (+24%) on decaying fine roots. Moreover, experimental N deposition has increased the relative abundance of lignin-derived compounds residing in SOM (+53%), and this biochemical response is significantly related to shifts in both fungal and bacterial community composition. Specifically, the accumulation of lignin-derived compounds in SOM is negatively related to the relative abundance of ligninolytic Mycena and Kuehneromyces fungi, and positively related to Microbacteriaceae. Our findings suggest that by altering the composition of microbial communities on decaying fine roots such that their capacity for lignin degradation is reduced, experimental N deposition has slowed fine root litter decay, and increased the contribution of lignin-derived compounds from fine roots to SOM. The microbial responses we observed may explain widespread findings that anthropogenic N deposition increases soil C storage in terrestrial ecosystems. More broadly, our findings directly link composition to function in soil microbial communities, and implicate compositional shifts in mediating biogeochemical processes of global significance.
Experimental and numerical investigation of flexural behavior of hat sectioned aluminum/carbon fiber reinforced mixed material composite beam

Abstract Hybrid Composite laminates have been widely regarded as a family of highly damage tolerant materials with a high weight-saving potential. The main hindrance to full utilization of Hybrid Composite System in the automotive industry is their structural response as compared to monolithic materials like Steel or Aluminum (AL). The main goal of this research is to investigate the stiffness, weight savings, load-carrying capacity, failure Modes of Al/carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CRFP) hybrid composite system and validate the experimental results with computational Model. The multi-material hybrid composite system comprises of single hat section aluminum material adhesively bonded to woven carbon fiber plies by curing them under temperature and pressure. The effect of interface bonding between AL and CFRP layers on flexural behavior of the multi-material hybrid system was studied by developing three different types of specimens. The first category of specimens was manufactured by using epoxy from the prepreg only to provide adhesion between constituents, second ones were developed by using externally applied an extra layer of epoxy between AL-CFRP layers and finally the third type of samples utilizes 3 M adhesive tape to bond the CFRP and Aluminum sheet. The failure modes of these distinct specimens are studied under flexural loading. The effect of metal volume fraction (MVF) on the failure modes of the hybrid composite beam was also studied. It was found that the failure mode changes from rupture in the load-carrying area to gradual deformation as we increase the metal volume fraction in these hybrid composite specimens. Calculations were performed for the weight savings for these hybrid systems with respect to reference aluminum material having the same thickness as that of the multi-material hybrid system. Weight saving of 15–25% is documented for the multi-material hybrid system as compared to the weight of reference Aluminum material system. Stiffness and progressive damage failure result obtained from experimental three-point bending test are validated with the use of LSDYNA Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for specimens using the only epoxy from the prepreg to provide adhesion between constituents and for samples using externally applied an extra layer of epoxy between AL-CFRP layers for adhesion. Explicit finite element results were found in good agreement with the experimental results.
Laminated soil carbonate rinds as a paleoclimate archive of the Colorado Plateau

Abstract Recent work suggests that the C- and O-isotope composition of laminated soil carbonate rinds can provide high-resolution (100 s yr/sample) information about hydrologic processes and vegetation over tens of thousands of years. However, while this archive can potentially provide quantitative reconstructions, most interpretations have thus far been qualitative. In this study, we show how modern soil data and “clumped” isotope paleothermometry can be leveraged to constrain the conditions of rind formation for a sample from the western Colorado Plateau, Utah, USA. We can thus quantitatively interpret rind isotope values as vegetation composition (%C3–plants) and soil water oxygen isotope composition (δ18Osoil–water) over 35–5 ka. We validate the approach by demonstrating consistency between our record and other paleoarchives from the western USA. Laminated soil carbonate rinds therefore represent a new avenue for sub-millennial scale, quantitative investigations of paleoclimatology, paleoecology, archeology, and modeling questions down to the level of individual soils.
Relationship of intraoperative perfusion parameters to the need for immediate extracorporeal support following heart transplantation.

Purpose:We sought to assess the relationship of intraoperative perfusion parameters while on cardiopulmonary bypass, including oxygen delivery (DO2), to the need for ECMO following orthotopic heart...
Diversifying Relevant Phrases.

Diverse keyword suggestions for a given landing page or matching queries to diverse documents is an active research area in online advertising. Modern search engines provide advertisers with products like Dynamic Search Ads and Smart Campaigns where they extract meaningful keywords/phrases from the advertiser's product inventory. These keywords/phrases are representative of a diverse spectrum of advertiser's interests. In this paper, we address the problem of obtaining relevant yet diverse keywords/phrases for any given document. We formulate this as an optimization problem, maximizing the parameterized trade-off between diversity and relevance constrained over number of possible keywords/phrases. We show that this is a combinatorial NP-hard optimization problem. We propose two approaches based on convex relaxations varying in complexity and performance. In the first approach, we show that the optimization problem reduces to an eigen value problem. In the second approach, we show that the optimization problem reduces to minimizing a quadratic form over an l1-ball. Subsequently, we show that this is equivalent to a semi-definite optimization problem. To prove the efficacy of our proposed formulation, we evaluate it on various real-world datasets and compare it to the state-of-the-art heuristic approaches.
Comorbidities and Age Are Associated With Persistent COVID-19 PCR Positivity.

Objectives: The impact of demographics and comorbidities on the duration of COVID-19 nasopharyngeal swab PCR positivity remains unclear. The objective of our analysis is to determine the impact of age, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, comorbidities, and ethnicity on the duration of COVID-19 PCR positivity among hospitalized patients in a large group of hospital. Method: We studied 530 patients from a large hospital system and time to SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA PCR negativity at any-time during hospitalization or following discharge from the hospital was the primary endpoint. We included patients 18 years or older who tested positive for COVID-19 during an inpatient, outpatient, or emergency room visit between February 1, 2020, and April 14, 2020. Results: Overall, 315 (59.4%) of our patient population continued to have a positive SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA PCR 4 weeks after the initial positive test. We found that age>70 years, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, or coronary artery disease are associated with persistent PCR positivity for more than 4 weeks after initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Age, and the presence of co-morbidities should be taken into consideration when interpreting a positive COVID PCR test.
Making the best of it: Adolescents' perceptions of how their home and neighborhood spheres shape their lives

Adolescents’ homes are fundamental components of their living conditions and essential for their everyday life, health, well-being and development. Previous research has focused on how housing affects adolescents through investigating certain aspects of adolescent health and future outcomes. In this qualitative study, we explored low-income family adolescents’ subjective experiences of their homes and in what ways their experiences of housing influenced their everyday lives. Seven participants aged between 12 and 20 years were recruited through a housing project. The participants were interviewed using individual in-depth interviews. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis and organised into four themes: 1) housing features affecting social life and privacy, 2) moving around, 3) the importance of neighbourhood and 4) worries and dreams. The findings show how the housing standards affected adolescents’ social life and privacy. House moves could provide new opportunities but also lead to a lack of continuity in relationships. The neighbourhood was highlighted as a public sphere, providing access to places and friends. Adolescents’ worries and dreams concerning housing conditions are also presented. The results show how housing is central in shaping adolescents’ social relationships, the importance of access to neighbourhood spheres and how adolescents adapt to their situation. The findings further reveal the important underlying processes to facilitate a greater understanding of the role of housing in low-income family adolescents’ lives.
Pollinator communities vary with vegetation structure and time since management within regenerating timber harvests of the Central Appalachian Mountains

Abstract Native pollinator populations across the United States are increasingly threatened by a multitude of ecological stressors. Although the drivers behind pollinator population declines are varied, habitat loss/degradation remains one of the most important threats. Forested landscapes, where the impacts of habitat loss/degradation are minimized, are known to support robust pollinator populations in eastern North America. Within heavily forested landscapes, timber management is already implemented as a means for improving forest health and enhancing wildlife habitat, however, little is known regarding the characteristics within regenerating timber harvests that affect forest pollinator populations. In 2018 and 2019, we monitored insect pollinators in 143 regenerating (≤9 growing seasons post-harvest) timber harvest sites across Pennsylvania. During 1129 survey events, we observed over 9100 bees and butterflies, 220 blooming plant taxa, and collected over 2200 pollinator specimens. Bee and butterfly abundance were positively associated with season-wide floral abundance and negatively associated with dense vegetation that inhibits the growth of understory floral resources. Particularly in late summer, few pollinators were observed in stands >6 years post-harvest, with models predicting five times more bees in 1-year-old harvests than in 9-year-old harvests. Pollinator species diversity was positively associated with floral diversity and percent forb cover, and negatively associated with percent tall (>1 m) sapling cover. These results suggest that regenerating timber harvests promote abundant and diverse pollinator communities in the Appalachian Mountains, though pollinator abundance declined quickly as woody stems regenerated. Ultimately, our findings contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that dynamic forest management producing a mix of age classes would benefit forest pollinator populations in the Central Appalachian Mountains.
Workshop on multimedia information retrieval on The many faces of multimedia semantics

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the First ACM Workshop on The Many Faces of Multimedia Semantics -- MS'07. This symposium is the incarnation of the four Workshops on Multimedia Semantics, organized by us, and held in Sofia (Bulgaria), Varna (Bulgaria), Pisa (Italy), and Chania (Crete, Greece). It is a forum for the presentation of research results on leading-edge issues of multimedia semantics, including multimedia ontologies, emergent semantics, folksonomies, multimedia annotation, multimedia web mining, multimedia data integration and fusion, and many other related topics. The call for papers attracted 21 submissions from Asia, Canada, Europe, Africa, and the United States. The program committee accepted 10 papers that cover a variety of topics, including annotation, video semantics, security, digital rights management, and music. In addition, the program includes a keynote speech by Amit Sheth on Realizing the Relationship Web. We hope that these proceedings will serve as a valuable reference for multimedia semantics researchers and developers.
On the Moral Foundations of Legal Expressivism

Prof. Matthew Adler has argued that expressive harms should not be cognizable by the law. Adler’s consequentialism fails to account for the human need for recognition and the authoritative character of insults that emanate from the state.
Outlook for Ethanol and Conventional Biofuel RINs in 2013 and 2014

The US ethanol industry faces numerous challenges over the next two years. The 2012 drought sharply increased corn prices, so profit margins will be low until least the 2013 corn crops are harvested. A saturated ethanol market means that ethanol mandates that are scheduled to be implemented in the next two years can possibly be met only if ethanol prices are heavily discounted. Thus, profit margins will continue to be low even if production costs fall after the next crop is harvested. In addition, buyers of ethanol can draw on blending credits they have accumulated over the last few years in lieu of ethanol to meet their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). These banked credits are called RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) and allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) track how much renewable fuels are being used. When domestic consumption of ethanol exceeds mandated levels, the surplus RINs can be banked to meet future mandates. This policy brief provides insights into how the next two years will unfold in the ethanol market by focusing on whether the supply of banked RINs will be used in 2013 to help offset current high production costs or in 2014 to help offset low ethanol prices. The guiding principle of the analysis is that owners of banked RINs will use them when they have the greatest value. This principle implies that RINs will be used in 2013 until their 2013 value is equal to their expected value in 2014. The analysis indicates that because of the E10 blend wall and high ethanol production costs, a significant portion of banked RINs will be used in 2013. If, as seems likely, imported sugarcane ethanol is used to meet the portion of the advanced biofuels mandate that is not met by biodiesel meeting its own mandate, then almost all the banked RINs should be used in 2013. This result assumes that corn yields return to trend-line levels in 2014. If sugarcane ethanol is not imported to meet the advanced mandate, then fewer banked RINs will be needed in 2013 to offset heavily discounted ethanol prices. Whether sugarcane ethanol is used or not, the fundamental market forces indicate that RIN prices will be low in both 2013 and 2014. The ability to use banked RINs increases the feasibility of meeting the 2013 and 2014 mandates and is what keeps expected RIN prices low in both years. Low future prices are why conventional biofuel RIN prices are so low today. This result, though, depends on the assumption that heavily discounted ethanol will incentivize significant amounts of additional ethanol consumption from owners of flex fuel vehicles or by an unexpectedly large and rapid movement to use of E15. If this additional consumption does not materialize, then it seems that EPA will have no choice but to waive conventional ethanol mandates in 2014 because mandated consumption will exceed the ability of consumers to use ethanol as a fuel. Such a waiver, were it to occur, would also validate current low RIN prices.
Rotational Surfaces in S^{3} with Constant Mean Curvature

There is a two-parametric family of rotational symmetric CMC surfaces; more precisely, for every real number H and every $$C\ge 2(H+\sqrt{1+H^2})$$ there is a rotational symmetry surface $$\Sigma _{H,C}$$ with mean curvature H. Perdomo (Asian J Math 14:73–108, 2010) showed that for every H between $$\cot \left( \frac{\pi }{m}\right) $$ and $$\frac{m^2-2}{2\sqrt{m^2-1}}$$ there exists an embedded rotational symmetric example with non-constant principal curvatures that is invariant under the cyclic group $$Z_m$$ . Recently Andrews and Li (J Differ Geom 99:169–189, 2015) showed that these embedded CMC tori are the only embedded genus 1 surfaces with CMC on the sphere. In this paper we complete the study of this family of CMC surfaces and we show that for every integer $$m>2$$ , there is a properly immersed example in this family that contains a great circle and is invariant under the cyclic group $$Z_m$$ . We will say that these examples contain the axis of symmetry. We also show that every non-isoparametric surface $$\Sigma _{H,C}$$ is either properly immersed and invariant under the cyclic group $$Z_m$$ for some integer $$m>1$$ or it is dense in the region bounded by two isoparametric tori if the surface $$\Sigma _{H,C}$$ does not contain the axis of symmetry or it is dense in the region bounded by a totally umbilical surface if the surface $$\Sigma _{H,C}$$ contains the axis of symmetry.
Refined Literal Indeterminacy and the Multiplication Law of Sub-Indeterminacies

Abstract. In this paper, we make a short history about: the neutrosophic set, neutrosophic numerical components and neutrosophic literal components, neutrosophic numbers, neutrosophic intervals, neutrosophic hypercomplex numbers of dimension n, and elementary neutrosophic algebraic structures. Afterwards, their generalizations to refined neutrosophic set, respectively refined neutrosophic numerical and literal components, then refined neutrosophic numbers and refined neutrosophic algebraic structures. The aim of this paper is to construct examples of splitting the literal indeterminacy ሺࡵሻ into literal sub-indeterminacies ሺࡵ ,૚ࡵ,...,૛࢘ࡵሻ, and to define a multiplication law of these literal sub-indeterminacies in order to be able to build refined ࡵ െ neutrosophic algebraic structures. Also, examples of splitting the numerical indeterminacy ሺ࢏ሻ into numerical sub-indeterminacies, and examples of splitting neutrosophic numerical components into neutrosophic numerical sub-components are given.
On the minimal embedding field

Let C be a curve of genus g, defined over a finite field Fq, where q = pm for a prime p. Let N be a large integer coprime to p, dividing the order of the Jacobian variety associated to C. Pairings can transport the discrete logarithm problem (DLP) from the curve to a finite field where there are more efficient methods for solving the discrete logarithm. The embedding degree is defined to be the smallest positive integer k such that N divides qk -1. We show that the minimal embedding field is not necessarily Fqk, as is traditionally understood, but rather is FpordNp = FqordNp/m, which can be a field of significantly smaller size. This fact reveals that attacks on the DLP can be dramatically faster than otherwise expected, so a parameter separate from the embedding degree k needs to be used to indicate security.
Iron Regulatory Protein 2 is Involved in Brain Copper Homeostasis

Trace metal homeostasis is tightly controlled in the brain, as even a slight dysregulation may severely impact normal brain function. This is especially apparent in Alzheimer’s disease, where brain homeostasis of trace metals such as copper and iron is dysregulated. As it is known that iron and copper metabolism are linked, we wanted to investigate if a common mechanism could explain the increase in iron and decrease in copper seen in Alzheimer’s disease brain. Amyloid precursor protein has been implicated in copper efflux from the brain. Furthermore, it was shown that iron regulatory proteins, which regulate iron homeostasis, can block amyloid precursor protein mRNA translation. In a correlative study we have therefore compared brain regional copper levels and AβPP expression in mice with a targeted deletion of iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2−/−). Compared with controls, six week old IRP2−/− mice had significantly less brain copper in the parietal cortex, hippocampus, ventral striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus and whole brain, while amyloid precursor protein was significantly upregulated in the hippocampus (p<0.05) and showed a trend toward upregulation in the thalamus (p<0.1). This is the first study to demonstrate that iron regulatory proteins affect brain copper levels, which has significant implications for neurodegenerative diseases.
Toward a Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic

At the global level, the implications of Deep-Dialogue/Critical-Thinking/Emotional-Intelligence/Competitive-Cooperation lead to the need for a global ethic, that is, fundamental ethical principles shared de facto by persons of all religions and ethical systems.
Minor-embedding in adiabatic quantum computation: II. Minor-universal graph design

In Choi (Quantum Inf Process, 7:193---209, 2008), we introduced the notion of minor-embedding in adiabatic quantum optimization. A minor-embedding of a graph G in a quantum hardware graph U is a subgraph of U such that G can be obtained from it by contracting edges. In this paper, we describe the intertwined adiabatic quantum architecture design problem, which is to construct a hardware graph U that satisfies all known physical constraints and, at the same time, permits an efficient minor-embedding algorithm. We illustrate an optimal complete-graph-minor hardware graph. Given a family $${\mathcal{F}}$$ of graphs, a (host) graph U is called $${\mathcal{F}}$$ -minor-universal if for each graph G in $${\mathcal{F}, U}$$ contains a minor-embedding of G. The problem for designing a $${{\mathcal{F}}}$$ -minor-universal hardware graph U sparse in which $${{\mathcal{F}}}$$ consists of a family of sparse graphs (e.g., bounded degree graphs) is open.
Case-based reasoning

Case-based reasoning is one of the fastest growing areas in the field of knowledge-based systems and this book, authored by a leader in the field, is the first comprehensive text on the subject. Case-based reasoning systems are systems that store information about situations in their memory. As new problems arise, similar situations are searched out to help solve these problems. Problems are understood and inferences are made by finding the closest cases in memory, comparing and contrasting the problem with those cases, making inferences based on those comparisons, and asking questions when inferences can't be made. This book presents the state of the art in case-based reasoning. The author synthesizes and analyzes a broad range of approaches, with special emphasis on applying case-based reasoning to complex real-world problem-solving tasks such as medical diagnosis, design, conflict resolution, and planning. The author's approach combines cognitive science and engineering, and is based on analysis of both expert and common-sense tasks. Guidelines for building case-based expert systems are provided, such as how to represent knowledge in cases, how to index cases for accessibility, how to implement retrieval processes for efficiency, and how to adapt old solutions to fit new situations. This book is an excellent text for courses and tutorials on case-based reasoning. It is also a useful resource for computer professionals and cognitive scientists interested in learning more about this fast-growing field.
Education for democracy: Some basic definitions, concepts and clarifications

Many educational theorists and comparativists make assumptions about the relationship between education and democracy that may lead to culturally biased conceptions. First, they frequently limit theory to in-school, micro-level processes and structures, such as particular civics education programs, textbooks, teaching methods, teacher-student social relations, and school atmosphere. Second, they focus on one key concept of democracy – participation – but ignore the equally important concepts of equality and choice. Third, they often conflate micro-level democratic schooling with societal democratization, thereby implying that the presence or absence of a particular practice means that a country is more or less democratic. Broadening the discourse on the relationship between education and democracy to include macro-level processes and institutions such as modernization, mass schooling, equality, and choice shows that education for democracy is much more than is currently conceptualized.
Renaming with k -set-consensus: an optimal algorithm into n + k - 1 slots

Recently Mostefaoui, Raynal, and Travers [1] showed that with the use of k-set-consensus they can strongly rename n processors into the range of 2n–⌈n/k ⌉. That is the overhead is n–⌈n/k ⌉. Here we reduce the range to n+k–1, i.e. we reduce the overhead to k–1. For k=c the improvement in the overhead is O(n). We first argue that such an algorithm using topological embedding does exist. We then come-up with a novel explicit algorithm that does not require explicit embedding. The latter technique employed is of independent importance and interest.
Theory of the Fermi Interaction

The representation of Fermi particles by two-component Pauli spinors satisfying a second order differential equation and the suggestion that in β decay these spinors act without gradient couplings leads to an essentially unique weak four-fermion coupling. It is equivalent to equal amounts of vector and axial vector coupling with two-component neutrinos and conservation of leptons. (The relative sign is not determined theoretically.) It is taken to be "universal"; the lifetime of the μ agrees to within the experimental errors of 2%. The vector part of the coupling is, by analogy with electric charge, assumed to be not renormalized by virtual mesons. This requires, for example, that pions are also "charged" in the sense that there is a direct interaction in which, say, a π0 goes to π- and an electron goes to a neutrino. The weak decays of strange particles will result qualitatively if the universality is extended to include a coupling involving a Λ or Σ fermion. Parity is then not conserved even for those decays like K→2π or 3π which involve no neutrinos. The theory is at variance with the measured angular correlation of electron and neutrino in He6, and with the fact that fewer than 10^-4 pion decay into electron and neutrino.
Constant-Depth circuits for arithmetic in finite fields of characteristic two

We study the complexity of arithmetic in finite fields of characteristic two, $\mathbb{F}_{2^n}$. We concentrate on the following two problems: – Iterated Multiplication: Given $\alpha_1,...,\alpha_t \in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}$, compute α1 ⋯ αt. – Exponentiation: Given $\alpha \in \mathbb{F}_{2^n}$ and a t-bit integer k, compute αk.
Using symmetry features of the surface evolver to study foams

This paper describes the use of various symmetry features, including periodic boundary conditions, mirror boundaries, and rotational symmetry, in the Evolver. As a test case, we use these features to study foams, in particular the equal-volume foams of Kelvin and Weaire-Phelan. To compute the shape and energy of one of these compound surfaces, it is most efficient to work with only the smallest possible fundamental domain.
Biological and bionic hands: Natural neural coding and artificial perception

Our ability to manipulate objects dexterously relies fundamentally on sensory signals originating from the hand. To restore motor function with upper-limb neuroprostheses requires that somatosensory feedback be provided to the tetraplegic patient or amputee. Given the complexity of state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs, and thus the huge state-space they can traverse, it is desirable to minimize the need of the patient to learn associations between events impinging upon the limb and arbitrary sensations. With this in mind, we seek to develop approaches to intuitively convey sensory information that is critical for object manipulation - information about contact location, pressure, and timing - through intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) of primary somatosensory cortex (S1). To this end, we first explore how this information is naturally encoded in the cortex of (intact) non-human primates (Rhesus macaques). In stimulation experiments, we then show that we can elicit percepts that are projected to a specific localized patch of skin by stimulating neurons with corresponding receptive fields. Similarly, information about contact pressure is conveyed by invoking the natural neural code for pressure, which entails not only increasing the activation of local neurons but also recruiting adjacent neurons to signal an increase in pressure. In a real-time application, we demonstrate that animals can perform a pressure discrimination task equally well whether mechanical stimuli are delivered to their native fingers or to a prosthetic one. Finally, we propose that the timing of contact events can be signaled through phasic ICMS at the onset and offset of object contact that mimics the ubiquitous on and off responses observed in S1 to complement slowly-varying pressure-related feedback. We anticipate that the proposed biomimetic feedback will considerably increase the dexterity and embodiment of upper-limb neuroprostheses and will constitute an important step in restoring touch to individuals who have lost it.
Exacerbation of Corneal Scarring in HSV-1 gK Immunized Mice Correlates With Elevation of CD8+CD25+ T Cells in Corneas of Ocularly Infected Mice

We have shown previously that exacerbation of corneal scarring (CS) in HSV-1 glycoprotein K (gK) immunized mice was associated with CD8+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the type and the nature of the immune responses that are involved in the exacerbation of CS in gK-immunized animals. BALB/c mice were vaccinated with baculovirus expressed gK, gD, or mock-immunized. Twenty-one days after the third immunization, mice were ocularly infected with 2 x 10(5) PFU/eye of virulent HSV-1 strain McKrae. Infiltration of the cornea by CD4+, CD8+, CD25+, CD4+CD25+, CD8+CD25+, CD19+, CD40+, CD40L+, CD62L+, CD95+, B7-1+, B7-2+, MHC-I+, and MHC-II+ cells was monitored by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and FACS at various times post-infection (PI). This study demonstrated for the first time that the presence of CD8+CD25+ T cells in the cornea is correlated with exacerbation of CS in the gK-immunized group.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE CASCADE-EXCITON MODEL OF NUCLEAR REACTIONS

Recent developments of the Cascade-Exciton Model (CEM) of nuclear reactions are described. The improved cascade-exciton model as implemented in the code CEM97 differs from the CEM95 version by incorporating new approximations for the elementary cross sections used in the cascade, using more precise values for nuclear masses and pairing energies, using corrected systematics for the level-density parameters, and several other refinements. We have improved algorithms used in many subroutines, decreasing the computing time by up to a factor of 6 for heavy targets. We describe a number of further improvements and changes to CEM97, motivated by new data on isotope production measured at GSI. This leads us to CEM2k, a new version of the CEM code. CEM2k has a longer cascade stage, less preequilibrium emission, and evaporation from more highly excited compound nuclei compared to earlier versions. CEM2k also has other improvements and allows us to better model neutron, radionuclide, and gas production in ATW spalla...
Light-Front Quantization and QCD Phenomena

The light-front quantization of QCD provides an alternative to lattice gauge theory for computing the mass spectrum, scattering amplitudes, and other physical properties of hadrons directly in Minkowski space. Nonperturbative light-front methods for solving gauge theory and obtaining light-front wavefunctions, such as discretized light-front quantization, the transverse lattice, and light-front resolvents are reviewed. The resulting light-front wavefunctions give a frame-independent interpolation between hadrons and their quark and gluon degrees of freedom, including an exact representation of spacelike form factors, transition form factors such as B {yields} {ell}{bar {nu}}{pi}, and generalized parton distributions. In the case of hard inclusive reactions, the effects of final-state interactions must be included in order to interpret leading-twist diffractive contributions, nuclear shadowing, and single-spin asymmetries. I also discuss how the AdS/CFT correspondence between string theory and conformal gauge theory can be used to constrain the form and power-law fall-off of the light-front wavefunctions. In the case of electroweak theory, light-front quantization leads to a unitary and renormalizable theory of massive gauge particles, automatically incorporating the Lorentz and 't Hooft conditions as well as the Goldstone boson equivalence theorem. Spontaneous symmetry breaking is represented by the appearance of zero modes of the Higgs field, leaving the light-frontmore » vacuum equal to the perturbative vacuum.« less
El trickster en el Manuscrito de Huarochirí: los casos de Cuniraya Huiracocha, Huatiacuri y Pariacaca

En este articulo, sostenemos que Cuniraya Huiracocha, Huatiacuri y Pariacaca, en su calidad de sujetos carentes, actuan como tricksters al tomar la figura de huacchas para obtener un objeto de deseo especifico a traves del cual se satisfaga su carencia: Cuniraya Huiracocha desea quedarse con la doncella Cahuillaca, lo cual conduce a la reorganizacion de la fauna andina; Huatiacuri, al incorporarse a un nucleo familiar, prepara la llegada de Pariacaca; y este ultimo, al demostrar su poder y ser reconocido como deidad, busca instaurar y consolidar un orden nuevo regido por el mismo. Sobre esta base, exploramos un plan de salvacion cristiano-andino por el paralelo existente entre Cuniraya y Dios Creador, Huatiacuri y Juan el Bautista, y Pariacaca y Jesus, en el cual comportarse como trickster ocupa un lugar central.
Who has the yam, and who has the knife? Social Action funds and decentralization in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda

This publication, Who has the yam and who has the knife, seeks to illustrate and address the creative tension needed to ensure an equitable distribution of power over the development process, by examining how putting the yam (resources) and the knife (the Financing Agreement) in the hands of the central, and district bureaucracies, and communities respectively can contribute to democratic decentralization. Three Social Action Funds (SAFs) in Africa are examined in this regard - in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. The Community Sub-project Cycle (CPSC), an integral part of the SAFs, is analyzed to show how a demand-driven process with in-built mutual accountability can result in communities realizing their aspirations while remaining accountable to government, and vice versa. The more formal way of capturing the issue would be to ask if governance can be broadened and deepened so that community needs become an intrinsic and measurable part of district and national plans. This"party line"on decentralization is that it is, in general, the way to go - all hindrances to it must be addressed and removed. The question that is very rarely asked is - how does this square with some of the Bank's other dominating approaches, such as Community-Driven Development ? This publication, based on experience from the field, outlines and responds to the challenges posed by this"dual"development. By putting some flesh on the bones of the"party line,"it provokes the intelligence without insulting it, and tells us that often, the real"poverty"is that of ideas and vision.
Comparison of intubation performance by emergency medicine residents using gum elastic bougie versus standard stylet in simulated easy and difficult intubation scenarios

Objective We sought to evaluate the success rate and time to endotracheal intubation by emergency medicine residents with stylet reinforced endotracheal tube (ETT-S) versus intubation with a gum elastic bougie (GEB) in simulated easy and difficult airways on a cadaveric model. Methods The study was a prospective cross-over design using a cohort of 29 emergency medicine residents. A fresh frozen cadaver was used in either standard positioning to facilitate a Cormack Lehane Grade 1 laryngoscopy, or with a hard cervical collar applied a Cormack Lehane Grade 3 laryngoscopy. Each participant then intubated the cadaver in each setting. The primary end-point of our investigation was the time to intubation. Secondary end-points were: success rate of intubation, mean ratings by study participants of perceived ease of intubation for each intubation technique in each simulated degree of difficulty, and overall preference of intubation technique in each simulated degree of difficulty. Results Mean time to intubation in all scenarios ranged from 28.8–116.6 s. Time to intubation was significantly different only when comparing Grade 3 ETT-S to Grade 3 GEB. There was no significant difference in success rate when comparing Grade 1 ETT-S to Grade 1 GEB (P = 0.99) nor Grade 3 ETT-S to Grade 3 GEB (P = 0.21). Conclusion Time to intubation in a simulated grade 3 view was significantly longer in the GEB group versus the ETT-S group. Although the differences in success rates were not statistically significant, there was a trend toward more successful intubations with the GEB in the simulated grade 3 view.
A probabilistic approach to hierarchical model-based diagnosis

Model-based diagnosis reasons backwards from a functional schematic of a system to isolate faults given observations of anomalous behavior. We develop a fully probabilistic approach to model based diagnosis and extend it to support hierarchical models. Our scheme translates the functional schematic into a Bayesian network and diagnostic inference takes place in the Bayesian network. A Bayesian network diagnostic inference algorithm is modified to take advantage of the hierarchy to give computational gains.
Toward Natural Gesture/Speech Control of a Large Display

In recent years because of the advances in computer vision research, free hand gestures have been explored as means of human-computer interaction (HCI). Together with improved speech processing technology it is an important step toward natural multimodal HCI. However, inclusion of nonpredefined continuous gestures into a multimodal framework is a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a structured approach for studying patterns of multimodal language in the context of a 2D-display control. We consider systematic analysis of gestures from observable kinematical primitives to their semantics as pertinent to a linguistic structure. Proposed semantic classification of co-verbal gestures distinguishes six categories based on their spatio-temporal deixis. We discuss evolution of a computational framework for gesture and speech integration which was used to develop an interactive testbed (iMAP). The testbed enabled elicitation of adequate, non-sequential, multimodal patterns in a narrative mode of HCI. Conducted user studies illustrate significance of accounting for the temporal alignment of gesture and speech parts in semantic mapping. Furthermore, co-occurrence analysis of gesture/speech production suggests syntactic organization of gestures at the lexical level.
Xenon-Induced Oscillations

The xenon-induced oscillations in the power level (fundamental mode) and in the power distribution (first harmonic) have been studied for a slab reactor with prompt power reactivity feedback. One-g...
The importance of experiments: Constraints on chondrule formation models

Abstract— We review a number of constraints that have been placed on the formation of chondrules and show how these can be used to test chondrule formation models. Four models in particular are examined: the “X-wind” model (sudden exposure to sunlight <0.1 AU from the proto-Sun, with subsequent launching in a magnetocentrifugal outflow); solar nebula lightning; nebular shocks driven by eccentric planetesimals; and nebular shocks driven by diskwide gravitational instabilities. We show that constraints on the thermal histories of chondrules during their melting and crystallization are the most powerful constraints and provide the least ambiguous tests of the chondrule formation models. Such constraints strongly favor melting of chondrules in nebular shocks. Shocks driven by gravitational instabilities are somewhat favored over planetesimal bow shocks.
Objection-based causal networks

This paper introduces the notion of objection-based causal networks, which resemble probabilistic causal networks except that they are quantified using objections. An objection is a logical sentence and denotes a condition under which a causal dependency does not exist. Objection-based causal networks enjoy almost all the properties that make probabilistic causal networks popular, with the added advantage that objections are, arguably, more intuitive than probabilities.
Own and sibling effects of conditional cash transfer programs : theory and evidence from Cambodia

Conditional cash transfers have been adopted by a large number of countries in the past decade. Although the impacts of these programs have been studied extensively, understanding of the economic mechanisms through which cash and conditions affect household decisions remains incomplete. This paper uses evidence from a program in Cambodia, where eligibility varied substantially among siblings in the same household, to illustrate these effects. A model of schooling decisions highlights three different effects of a child-specific conditional cash transfer: an income effect, a substitution effect, and a displacement effect. The model predicts that such a conditional cash transfer will increase enrollment for eligible children - due to all three effects - but have an ambiguous effect on ineligible siblings. The ambiguity arises from the interaction of a positive income effect with a negative displacement effect. These predictions are shown to be consistent with evidence from Cambodia, where the child-specific program makes modest transfers, conditional on school enrollment for children of middle-school age. Scholarship recipients were more than 20 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in school and 10 percentage points less likely to work for pay. However, the school enrollment and work of ineligible siblings was largely unaffected by the program.