cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of mother's voice in the organization of brain function in the newborn

Newborn infants prefer the sound of the maternal voice within the first two days after birth. This early preference may be based on prenatal experience. The mother's voice is reported to be the most intense acoustical signal measured in the amniotic environment. Data showing the ability of the newborn to demonstrate voice preferences are presented. We have also investigated the response of the perinatal autonomic nervous system to speech sound stimulation. Both the newborn and fetus show heart rate decelerations in response to speech sounds. This cardiorespiratory attentional response occurs during sleep when sensory stimulation is probably influencing perinatal brain development. Early experience with voice has both acute and enduring effects on the developing brain. These effects have ramifications for the development of the auditory system, as well as for later social and emotional development. Further speculation and discussion on the form, function and assessment of newborn responsiveness to voice will be offered.
Effect of SiO2 on Densification and Microstructure Development in Nd:YAG Transparent Ceramics

This paper examines the influence of SiO2 doping on densification and microstructure evolution in Nd3xY3−3xAl5O12 (Nd:YAG) ceramics. Nd:YAG powders were doped with 0.035–0.28 wt% SiO2 and vacuum sintered between 1484° and 1750°C. 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance showed that Si4+ substitutes onto tetrahedrally coordinated Al3+ sites. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed no grain boundary second phases for all silica levels in samples sintered at 1600°–1750°C. Coarsening was limited by a solute drag mechanism as suggested by cubic grain growth kinetics and transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy observations of increased Nd3+ concentration near grain boundaries. Increasing SiO2 content increased both densification and grain growth rate and led to increasingly coarsening-dominated sintering trajectories. Fine-grained ( 82% real in-line transmission) ceramics were produced by sintering 0.035 wt% SiO2-doped ceramics at 1750°C for 8 h. Coarse-grained (18 μm), transparent samples were obtained with 0.28 wt% SiO2-doped Nd:YAG when sintered at 1600°C for 8 h.
Does investment call the tune? Empirical evidence and endogenous theories of the business cycle

Theories of the business cycle can be classified into two main groups, exogenous and endogenous, according to the way they explain economic fluctuations – either as responses of the economy to factors that are external (exogenous shocks) or as upturns and downturns of the economic system internally generated (by endogenous factors). In endogenous theories, investment is generally a key variable to explain the dynamic status of the economy. This essay examines the role of investment in endogenous theories. Two contrasting views on how changes in investment and profitability push the economy towards expansion or contraction are represented by the insights of Kalecki, Keynes, Matthews and Minsky versus those of Marx and Mitchell. Hyman Minsky claimed that investment ‘calls the tune’ to indicate that investment is the only variable not determined by other variables, so that future profits, investment and the dynamic status of the economy are determined by current investment and investment in the near past. However, this hypothesis does not appear to be supported by available empirical data for 251 quarters of the US economy. Statistical evidence rather supports the hypothesis of causality in the direction of profits determining investment and, in this way, leading the economy towards boom or bust.
Structural Consequences of Cyclophilin A Binding on Maturational Refolding in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Capsid Protein

of the capsid (CA) domain of the precursor polyprotein, Pr55 Gag . Even when prevented from interacting with CyP A, Pr55 Gag still forms particles that proceed to mature into morphologically wild-type virions, suggesting that CyP A influences a postassembly event. The nature of this CyP A influence has yet to be elucidated. Here, we show that while CyP A binds both Gag and mature CA proteins, the two binding interactions are actually different. Tryptophan 121 (W121) in CyP A distinguished the two proteins: a phenylalanine substitution (W121F) impaired binding of mature CA protein but not of Gag. This indicates the occurrence of a maturationdependent switch in the conformation of the Pro-rich loop. A structural consequence of Gag binding to CyP A was to block this maturational refolding, resulting in a 24-kDa CA protein retaining the immature Pro-rich loop conformation. Using trypsin as a structure probe, we demonstrate that the conformation of the C-terminal region in mature CA is also a product of maturational refolding. Binding to wild-type CyP A altered this conformation, as indicated by a reduction in the accessibility of Cys residue(s) in the region to chemical modification. Hence, the end result of binding to CyP A, whether the Pro-rich loop is in the context of Gag or mature CA protein, is a structurally modified mature CA protein. The postassembly role of CyP A may be mediated through these modified mature CA proteins.
The Biomechanical and Physiological link between Archery Techniques and Performance

In this study, biomechanical and physiological analyses (via electromyography (EMG)) were used to predict the accuracy of non-archers. This study was designed to provide evidence that biomechanical strain and associated muscular fatigue will result in unnecessary muscular activation that can be reduced by technique selection. Correct selection can result in increased non-archer accuracy. To accomplish this, a group of sixteen participants were given basic training using two string grip positions and four standard stance postures. The participant(s) performance (measured in FITA score) were recorded and analyzed. It was determined that the less physically straining techniques would result in higher subject performance. Hence, physiological and biomechanical techniques can be used to accurately make predictions (pertaining to grip type and archer stance) on non-archer performance. Specifically, selection of the thumb grip (least straining) and the even stance (least straining) were found to result in the hi...
Theorem on resistive networks

A theorem on (m+1) terminal resistive networks is stated. As a consequence, an (m+1)terminal network may be considered an m dimensional, strongly Ptolemaic metric space. Furthermore, the restrictions on the n×n open-circuit-impedance matrix Z of a resistive n port based on m+1 terminals, are at the most quadratic in entries Zpq of Z.
In-situ measurement of wirebond strain in electrically active power semiconductors

Thermal-mechanical displacement/strain in power semiconductor devices is investigated using electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI). Validated models for thermal-mechanical strain are key to improving reliability of power electronics modules. ESPI is a non-contact optical technique capable of providing surface displacement measurements with sub-micron resolution. The significant contribution of this paper is a methodology by which wirebond displacement/strain can be measured in an active device. Simultaneous in- and out-of-plane measurements are combined to accurately measure the displacement field across the wirebond interface, while decoupling thermal-mechanical deformation not related to wirebond strain (such as base plate thermal expansion). Experimental results verify the electrical-loss-driven thermal-mechanical displacement/strain in an electrically active discrete IGBT switching at 5 kHz.
Probabilistic Behavior of Water-Quality Loads

A theoretical model is introduced for describing the mechanistic and probabilistic structure of observations of streamflow Q, concentration C, and constituent loads L. The model has application to many water-quality management problems including load estimation, water-quality monitoring network design and total maximum daily load assessment. The statistical behavior of streamflow, concentration, and load is described and expressions are derived for the coefficient of variation of daily concentrations and loads assuming a bivariate lognormal model. The model provides a first-order approximation to continuous empirical observations of C, Q, and L from four watersheds in the Great Lakes Region. The utility of the model is demonstrated by quantifying the amount of "spurious" correlation between load and discharge, by documenting factors which influence bias in water-quality load estimates and those which give rise to increased/decreased variability in water-quality loads and concentrations.
Cognitive Status Impacts Age-Related Changes in Attention to Novel and Target Events in Normal Adults

In this study, the authors investigated the relationship between the cognitive status of normal adults and age-related changes in attention to novel and target events. Old, middle-age, and young subjects, divided into cognitively high and cognitively average performing groups, viewed repetitive standard stimuli, infrequent target stimuli, and unique novel visual stimuli. Subjects controlled viewing duration by a button press that led to the onset of the next stimulus. They also responded to targets by pressing a foot pedal. The amount of time spent looking at different kinds of stimuli served as a measure of visual attention and exploratory activity. Cognitively high performers spent more time viewing novel stimuli than cognitively average performers. The magnitude of the difference between cognitively high and cognitively average performing groups was largest among old subjects. Cognitively average performers had slower and less accurate responses to targets than cognitively high performers. The results provide strong evidence that the link between engagement by novelty and higher cognitive performance increases with age. Moreover, the results support the notion of there being different patterns of normal cognitive aging and the need to identify the factors that influence them.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in the design of controlled‐release beads with acetaminophen as model drug

Relationships between pharmacodynamics (drug concentration and effect) and pharmacokinetics were used to develop an oral, controlled-release-bead dosage form. Reported pharmacodynamic data were used with pharmacokinetic curves to identify effective therapeutic drug concentrations for optimum therapy for a drug with a "deep tissue" effective compartment. The commonly used, over-the-counter, non-narcotic, analgesic-antipyretic acetaminophen (APAP) was used as the model drug. Data reported in the literature were used to compare analgesic and antipyretic efficacy. Computer simulations were performed with MAXSIM (version 3.01) to suggest a zero-order drug release useful for a 12-h, oral, sustained-dosage form for antipyretic therapy in children, on the basis of current pediatric dosing of APAP. Coated APAP beads with the desired release rate were then developed with fluid-bed coating technology.
Predicting child fatalities among less-severe CPS investigations

Abstract This research is focused on the discovery of variables distinguishing Child Protective Services (CPS) maltreatment-related fatality cases from non-fatality CPS cases. Using only the cases that did not initially present severe features, information from CPS investigations prior to a child fatality was compared to information from investigations that did not result in a fatality. Logistic regression was used to distinguish less-severe non-fatality cases from less-severe fatality cases. Findings resulted in three categories of predictive indicators: 1) more actionable and indicative of reduced risk, 2) mostly more actionable and indicative of increased risk, and 3) less actionable and indicative of increased risk. Implications for the field in terms of risk assessment, practices, and training are discussed, as are the implications for future research.
Estimates for the potential accuracy required in realistic protein folding simulations and structure recognition experiments

Background We have recently addressed the problem of the potential accuracy required for protein folding simulations using a combination of theoretical considerations and lattice model simulations. In the present study, we combine the previously developed theoretical formalism with the law of corresponding states proposed recently by Onuchic, Wolynes and collaborators and obtain estimates for the potential accuracy required for computational studies of a small helical protein. Results Our estimates suggest that effective energies of interaction between amino acid residues could be measured with an error around ± 330 cal mol –1 for a resulting inaccurate potential still appropriate for structure recognition experiments, where the native conformation must remain the global energy minimum. For an ab initio folding simulation, where the energy of the native conformation must be sufficient to balance the entropy of the denatured state at a temperature at which the dynamics of the system are fast, the permissible error depends on the simulation temperature and can be as high as ± 120 cal mol –1 . Conclusion The results indicate that potentials do not need to be extremely accurate in order to be useful in computational studies. Results from different groups can be interpreted as an indication that available potentials are too inaccurate for ab initio simulations but not far from the permissive limit required for structure recognition.
Plasma antioxidant capacity in response to diets high in soy or animal protein with or without isoflavones

Background: Several clinical trials have suggested that soy intake decreases oxidative stress. Soy isoflavones have antioxidant properties in vitro, but results of supplementation in clinical trials are inconclusive. Objective:The objective was to evaluate the independent effects of soy protein and soy-derived isoflavones on plasma antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of oxidative stress. Design: Forty-two hypercholesterolemic (LDL cholesterol 3.36 mmol/L) subjects aged 50 y were provided with each of 4 diets in random order in a crossover design. Diets varied in protein source (10% of energy, soy or animal) and isoflavone content (trace or 50 mg/1000 kcal) and were consumed for 42 d each. Plasma antioxidants, protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant performance, LDL oxidizability, and urinary F2-isoprostanes were measured at the end of each dietary phase. Results: Plasma antioxidant concentrations were not significantly different, regardless of dietary treatment, except for isoflavones, which were higher after isoflavone supplementation (P 0.0001). Although plasma total antioxidant performance was 10% higher with soy protein intake, regardless of dietary isoflavones (P 0.0003), soy protein did not significantly affect most individual markers of oxidative stress (LDL oxidizability, urinary F2isoprostanes, malondialdehyde, or protein carbonyls in native plasma). However, soy protein was associated with modestly lower concentrations of protein carbonyls in oxidized plasma. There was no significant effect of isoflavones on LDL oxidation, urinary F2isoprostanes, or protein carbonyl groups, although, paradoxically, the plasma malondialdehyde concentration was significantly higher after the isoflavone-rich diets (P 0.04). Conclusions: Diets relatively high in soy protein or soy-derived isoflavones have little effect on plasma antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of oxidative stress. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:43–9.
Ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1) possessing malignant hyperthermia mutation R615C exhibits heightened sensitivity to dysregulation by non-coplanar 2,2′,3,5′,6-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 95)

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility is conferred by inheriting one of >60 missense mutations within the highly regulated microsomal Ca(2+) channel known as ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1). Although MH susceptible patients lack overt clinical signs, a potentially lethal MH syndrome can be triggered by exposure to halogenated alkane anesthetics. This study compares how non-coplanar 2,2',3,5',6-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 95), a congener identified in environmental and human samples, alters the binding properties of [(3)H]ryanodine to RyR1 in vitro. Junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was isolated from skeletal muscle dissected from wild type pigs ((Wt)RyR1) and pigs homozygous for MH mutation R615C ((MH)RyR1), a mutation also found in humans. Although the level of (Wt)RyR1 and (MH)RyR1 expression is the same, (MH)RyR1 shows heightened sensitivity to activation and altered regulation by physiological cations. We report here that (MH)RyR1 shows more pronounced activation by Ca(2+), and is less sensitive to channel inhibition by Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), compared to (Wt)RyR1. In a buffer containing 100nM free Ca(2+), conditions typically found in resting cells, PCB 95 (50-1000nM) enhances the activity of (MH)RyR1 whereas it has no detectable effect on (Wt)RyR1. PCB 95 (2microM) decreases channel inhibition by Mg(2+) to a greater extent in (MH)RyR1 (IC(50) increased nine-fold) compared to (Wt)RyR1 (IC(50) increased by 2.5-fold). PCB95 reduces inhibition by Ca(2+) two-fold more with (MH)RyR1 than (Wt)RyR1. Our data suggest that non-coplanar PCBs are more potent and efficacious toward (MH)RyR1 than (Wt)RyR1, and have more profound effects on its cation regulation. Considering the important roles of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) in regulating Ca(2+) signals involving RyR channels, these data provide the first mechanistic evidence that a genetic mutation known to confer susceptibility to pharmacological agents also enhances sensitivity to an environmental contaminant.
Effects of Starch Moisture on Properties of Wheat Starch/Poly(Lactic Acid) Blend Containing Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanate

Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate was found to improve the interfacial interaction between poly(lactic acid)(PLA) and granular starch. The objective of this research was to study the effect of starch moisture content on the interfacial interaction of an equal-weight blend of wheat starch and PLA containing 0.5% methylenediphenyl diisocyanate by weight. Starch moisture (10% to 20%) had a negative effect on the interfacial binding between starch and PLA. The tensile strength and elongation of the blend both decreased as starch moisture content increased. At 20% moisture level, the starch granules embedded in the PLA matrix were observed to be swollen, resulting in poor strength properties and high water absorption by the blend.
Innovation and Institutions: Rethinking the Economics of U.S. Science and Technology Policy

The U.S. promotes and produces innovation through a wide range of interdependent institutions, ranging from the grant of an intellectual property right to the direct funding of research. The justification for using multiple instruments is intuitively rather simple: no single institution would efficiently supply all classes of innovations. Why this intuitively simple explanation holds true in theory and practice is a much more difficult question. The answer depends in part on what type of "good" innovation is and in part on how amenable certain types of innovation are to certain forms of institutional provision. To put it more concretely, (1) innovation is a public good that acts as an input for producing a wide range of dependent goods, private to public, including more innovation; (2) various forms of innovation market failure arise, often depending on the type of dependent good that the innovation is expected to produce; and (3) certain institutions are better suited for correcting certain forms of innovation market failure. A comprehensive understanding of each of these aspects of innovation allows one to address the theoretical yet practical policy questions of what the appropriate "mix" of institutions is (or might look like) and whether the current system is doing well at providing the efficient amount of innovation. This paper integrates the dynamic nature of the innovative process with classic economic theory of public goods and investment decision making. The focus is generally on the ex ante considerations that precede public or private investment in research. Innovations are classified in terms of their expected uses. The underlying purpose of this paper is to formulate a framework for evaluating science and technology policy and for determining what form of government institution is best targeted for particular classes of innovation. Parts I (A Model of Innovation), II (The Market for Innovation), and III (Institutional Innovation) develop an analytical framework for innovation policy. There are three foundational themes explored: (1) the nature of innovation itself, (2) the innovation market, and (3) institutions. Innovation and the innovation market must be clearly understood for an assessment of institutions to proceed, and the institutions themselves must be well understood for any comparison to be meaningful. To ground the theoretical analysis in an existing legal regime, Part IV analyzes the Mixed Incentive System for Publicly Funded Researchers created by the Bayh-Dole Act, in which intellectual property rights and government support are jointly used to promote, produce, and commercialize federally funded research results.
Pushing the Frequency Envelope using Ultra-fast SiGe HBTs With f_T / fmax Above 200 GHz

High-speed optical network applications require high performance bipolar transistors that provide jitter-free operation. Over the last several years, SiGe HBTs have made significant strides in performance, surpassing that of the GaAs or InP HBT based technologies that are currently in production. In addition, the ability to seamlessly integrate these SiGe HBTs with high-performance CMOS and passives provides a power-performance advantage at a much reduced cost and higher yields, making SiGe BiCMOS as the technology of choice for a wide range of communication IC applications. In this paper we present the status, challenges, and future directions for the development and integration of ultra-fast SiGe HBTs with fT / fmax surpassing 200GHz.
Direct estimation of articulatory kinematics from real-time magnetic resonance image sequences

A method of rapid, automatic extraction of consonantal articulatory trajectories from real-time magnetic resonance image sequences is described. Constriction location targets are estimated by identifying regions of maximally-dynamic correlated pixel activity along the palate, the alveolar ridge, and at the lips. Tissue movement into and out of the constriction location is estimated by calculating the change in mean pixel intensity in a circle located at the center of the region of interest. Closure and release gesture timings are estimated from landmarks in the velocity profile derived from the smoothed intensity function. We demonstrate the utility of the technique in the analysis of Italian intervocalic consonant production. Index Terms: speech production, real-time MRI, consonant articulation, tongue shaping, articulatory phonology
Dielectric properties measurements of brown and white adipose tissue in rats from 0.5 to 10 GHz.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays an important role in whole body metabolism and with appropriate stimulus could potentially mediate weight gain and insulin sensitivity. Although imaging techniques are available to detect subsurface BAT, there are currently no viable methods for continuous acquisition of BAT energy expenditure. Microwave (MW) radiometry is an emerging technology that allows the quantification of tissue temperature variations at depths of several centimeters. Such temperature differentials may be correlated with variations in metabolic rate, thus providing a quantitative approach to monitor BAT metabolism. In order to optimize MW radiometry, numerical and experimental phantoms with accurate dielectric properties are required to develop and calibrate radiometric sensors. Thus, we present for the first time, the characterization of relative permittivity and electrical conductivity of brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissues in rats across the MW range 0.5-10GHz. Measurements were carried out in situ and post mortem in six female rats of approximately 200g. A Cole-Cole model was used to fit the experimental data into a parametric model that describes the variation of dielectric properties as a function of frequency. Measurements confirm that the dielectric properties of BAT (er = 14.0-19.4, σ = 0.3-3.3S/m) are significantly higher than those of WAT (er = 9.1-11.9, σ = 0.1-1.9S/m), in accordance with the higher water content of BAT.
Error-Resilient Video Encoding Using Parallel Independent Signature Processing

Soft errors resulting from encoding video sequences on unreliable hardware can create significant artifacts in decoded video sequences, contributing to extreme video quality degradation. Modern systems are required to operate under increasingly challenging constraints, including smaller feature sizes and lower operating voltage, increasing the likelihood of soft errors in the video encoding hardware. These conditions are of particular concern for energy-limited battery-operated systems since they may be required to operate in nonideal environments and/or continue operating with a practically depleted energy source. The proposed parallel independent signature processing design performs error detection and mitigation in video encoding hardware, enabling a graceful degradation of quality when encoding by using unreliable hardware. The effects of soft errors are minimized by preventing the error propagation normally associated with errors in encoded video sequences. This allows for the recovery of quality when errors are present in the video encoding system. Conventional video encoding techniques are designed to handle worst case error rates by increasing gate sizes and/or increasing the operating voltage of the system. Such designs have error-rate limits, and when these limits are reached, the systems tend to fail catastrophically, resulting in an unrecoverable signal. The proposed design allows for single upset events to translate into single transient artifacts in a decoded video sequence.
ELBOW ROOM FOR SELF-DEFENSE

This essay contrasts two approaches to permissible self-defensive killing. The first is the forfeiture approach; the second is the elbow room for self-defense approach. The forfeiture approach comes in many versions — not all of which make prominent use of the word “forfeiture.” However, all versions presume that the permissibility of X killing Y (when X must kill Y in order to prevent herself from being unjustly killed) depends entirely on there being some feature of Y in virtue of which Y has become liable to be killed, that is, in virtue of which Y has forfeited or lost or been stripped of his right not to be killed. Different versions of the forfeiture approach advance different claims about what feature of Y will render Y liable to being killed by X. I criticize versions of this approach offered by Thomson, Otsuka, and McMahan and argue that the shared deep error is the presumption that the permissibility of X’s action turns entirely on some feature of Y. In focusing entirely on Y, the forfeiture approach fails to take seriously X’s right of self-defense. In contrast, the elbow room for self-defense approach starts with an explication of a plausible right of self-defense and maintains that a proper explication of Y’s right not to be killed must make moral elbow room from X’s exercise of this right. Within the elbow room approach, Y’s liability to being killed is based upon X’s right of self-defense rather than the permissibility of X’s killing Y being based upon Y’s forfeiture.
Influences of Direct-Fed Load at Low Voltage Side of Three-Winding Transformer on Techno-Economical Performance of Medium Voltage Distribution Network

In existing models to estimate the scale of high-and medium-voltage power network,it s normally assumed that the main transformers of HV substations are two-winding transformers,however in 220 kV substations their main transformers are mostly three-winding transformers,so the direct-fed loads at their low-voltage side will influence on both layouts and scales of 110 kV substations.For this reason,a model to estimate the scale of high-and medium voltage network,in which the influence of direct-fed load at low-voltage side of three-winding transformer is taken into account,is built.On this basis,the influences of direct-fed loads at low voltage side of 220/110/10 kV and 220/110/20 kV three-winding transformers on the techno-economical performances of 220/110/10 kV,220/110/20 kV and 220/20 kV schemes for newly built urban areas and those for renewal urban areas are analyzed respectively.Analysis results show that for renewal urban areas,the conclusion that adopting voltage grade 20 kV for low-voltage network can bring optimal techno-economical performance,which is obtained under the condition that the direct-fed load of low-voltage side of three-winding transformer is not taken into account,could be no more tenable.
Generating Evil Test Strings for Regular Expressions

Regular expressions are a powerful string processing tool. However, they are error-prone and receive little error checking from the compiler as most regular expressions are syntactically correct. This paper describes EGRET, a tool for generating evil test strings for regular expressions. EGRET focuses on common mistakes made by developers when creating regular expressions and develops test strings that expose these errors. EGRET has found errors in 284 out of 791 regular expressions. Prior approaches to test string generation have traversed all possible paths in the equivalent nondeterministic finite state automaton leading to the generation of too many strings. EGRET keeps the set of test strings to a manageable number: Fewer than 100 test strings were generated for 96% of the regular expressions, a manageable 307 test strings were generated for the most complex regular expression.
Locally Advanced Cancers

In the setting of locally advanced, unresectable, and recurrent tumors, radiation therapy may be used for palliation of pain, bleeding, ulceration, and drainage.
Co-management as a Catalyst: Pathways to Post-colonial Forestry in the Klamath Basin, California

Co-management frameworks are intended to facilitate sustainable resource management and more equitable power sharing between state agencies and Indigenous communities. However, there is significant debate about who benefits from co-management in practice. This article addresses two competing perspectives in the literature, which alternately portrays co-management as an instrument for co-optation or for transformation. Through a case study of co-management negotiations involving the Karuk Tribe and the U.S. Forest Service in the Klamath Basin of Northern California, this study examines how Indigenous communities use co-management to build greater equity in environmental decision-making, despite its limitations. The concept of pivot points is developed to describe how Indigenous communities like the Karuk Tribe are simultaneously following existing state policies and subverting them to shift federal forest management. The pivot point analytic demonstrates one mechanism by which communities are addressing Indigenous self-determination goals and colonial legacies through environmental policy and management.
The Air as a Decolonial Critique of Being in César Calvo’s Las tres mitades de Ino Moxo y otros brujos de la Amazonía

Daly analyzes Peruvian Cesar Calvo’s novel Las tres mitades de Ino Moxo (1981) to argue that the moving air, and not a stable place, is his decolonial starting point for being and knowing. Air begins the novel as an invisible container that facilitates a web of relationships between shamans, their seekers, humans, other species, the material, the immaterial, memories, hallucinations, and multiple temporalities. As Calvo argues, the air holds “other knowledges and other worlds,” that in Daly’s reading, present decolonial outsides to the “lettered city” and the linear temporality of Western modernity. Daly also underscores the potential of partial alliances between Calvo and the feminist philosopher of air, Luce Irigaray, via her comparative reading.
Effects of Percutaneous Sacroplasty on Pain and Mobility in Sacral Insufficiency Fracture.

OBJECTIVE Sacral insufficiency fracture (SIF) contributes to severe low back pain. Prolonged immobilization resulting from SIF can cause significant complications in the elderly. Sacroplasty, a treatment similar to vertebroplasty, has recently been introduced for providing pain relief in SIF. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical short-term effects of percutaneous sacroplasty on pain and mobility in SIF. METHODS This study is conducted prospectively with data collection. Sixteen patients (3 men and 13 women) with a mean age of 77.5 years (58 to 91) underwent sacroplasty. Patients reported visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10) and Oswestry disability index (ODI; 0-100%) scores. VAS and ODI scores were collected preoperatively and again at one day, one month, and three months postoperatively. Questionnaires measuring six activities of daily living (ADLs) including ambulating, performing housework, dressing, bathing, transferring from chair, and transferring from bed were collected. Ability to perform ADLs were reported preoperatively and again at three months postoperatively. RESULTS The mean preoperative VAS score (mean±SD) of 7.5±0.8 was significantly reduced to 4.1±1.6, 3.3±1.0, and 3.2±1.2 postoperatively at one day, one month, and three months, respectively (p<0.01). The mean ODI score (%) also significantly improved from 59±14 preoperatively to 15.5±8.2 postoperatively at one month and 14.8±8.8 at three months (p<0.01). All ADL scores significantly improved at three months postoperatively (p<0.01). CONCLUSION Percutaneous sacroplasty alleviates pain quickly and improves mobility and quality of life in patients treated for SIF.
MRCNN: A stateful Fast R-CNN

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) perform on par or better than humans for image classification. Hence efforts have now shifted to more challenging tasks such as object detection and classification in images, video or RGBD. Recently developed region CNNs (R-CNN) such as Fast R-CNN [7] address this detection task for images. Instead, this paper is concerned with video and also focuses on resource-limited systems. Newly proposed methods accelerate R-CNN by sharing convolutional layers for proposal generation, location regression and labeling [12][13][19][25]. These approaches when applied to video are stateless: they process each image individually. This suggests an alternate route: to make R-CNN stateful and exploit temporal consistency. We extend Fast R-CNNs by making it employ recursive Bayesian filtering and perform proposal propagation and reuse. We couple multi-target proposal/detection tracking (MTT) with R-CNN and do detection-to-track association. We call this approach MRCNN as short for MTT + R-CNN. In MRCNN, region proposals that are vetted via classification and regression in R-CNNs — are treated as observations in MTT and propagated using assumed kinematics. Actual proposal generation (e.g. via Selective Search) need only be performed sporadically and/or periodically and is replaced at all other times by MTT proposal predictions. Preliminary results show that MRCNNs can economize on both proposal and classification computations, and can yield up to a 10 to 30 factor decrease in number of proposals generated, about one order of magnitude proposal computation time savings and nearly one order magnitude improvement in overall computational time savings, for comparable localization and classification performance. This method can additionally be beneficial for false alarm abatement.
Endovascular Iliocaval Stent Reconstruction for Inferior Vena Cava Filter-Associated Iliocaval Thrombosis: Approach, Technical Success, Safety, and Two-Year Outcomes in 120 Patients.

Abstract Purpose To report technical success, outcomes, and patency of iliocaval stent reconstruction for inferior vena cava (IVC) filter–bearing iliocaval thrombosis. Materials and Methods A total of 120 patients with 123 IVC filters and symptomatic iliocaval thrombosis underwent stent reconstruction. Mean patient age was 55 years (range, 19-88 y). Filters included 70 (57%) retrievable and 53 (43%) permanent filters. Symptoms included lower extremity swelling or pain (n = 93), ulcers (n = 8), phlegmasia (n = 7), back pain (n = 5), shortness of breath (n = 4), worsening renal function (n = 2), and stenosis identified during translumbar catheter placement (n = 1). Clinical success was defined as decrease in clinical, etiology, anatomy, and pathophysiology (CEAP) score of at least 1; resolution of presenting symptoms; or normalization of renal function in patients with juxtarenal or suprarenal thrombosis on presentation. Technical aspects of reconstruction, technical success, complications, 6-month clinical response, and 6-, 12-, and 24-month primary, primary-assisted, and secondary stent patency rates were recorded. Results Stent reconstruction was technically successful in all 120 patients, 63 of whom (53%) underwent thrombolysis. Thirty filters (24%) were retrieved, and 93 (76%) were excluded with stent placement across the indwelling filter. Six minor and 2 major complications occurred. Clinical success was achieved in 115 patients (96%) at 6 months. Six-, 12-, and 24-month primary iliocaval stent patency rates were 96.4%, 94.8%, and 87.2%, respectively. Twenty-four month primary-assisted and secondary patency rates were 90.3% and 94.2%, respectively. Conclusions Iliocaval stent reconstruction is an effective treatment for filter-associated thrombosis with 100% technical success and 96% clinical success at 6 months. Technical and clinical outcomes in patients who underwent filter retrieval versus filter exclusion were similar.
Protection Mechanism of Al-Rich Epoxy Primer on Aluminum Alloy 2024-T3

The active aluminum-rich primer (AlRP) was invented and developed at NAVAIR to sacrificially protect aluminum alloys and steels from corrosion. The Al pigments (Al-Zn-In) in AlRP were fabricated from a sacrificial anode alloy, which has a lower open-circuit potential than common aluminum alloys. However, initial results indicated that AlRP undergoes severe self-corrosion. Therefore, the Al pigments were pretreated in a trivalent chromium passivation (TCP) bath to reduce the self-corrosion rate. The objectives of this study are to understand the anti-corrosion properties of AlRP on aluminum alloy 2024-T3 substrate and to evaluate the effect of TCP treatment on the Al pigment particles. The polarization curves of AA2024-T3 and active aluminum alloy (Al-Zn-In) show that TCP-treated active aluminum alloy has lower corrosion potential than AA2024-T3 and thus would sacrificially protect it. The AlRPs were exposed in an accelerated exposure test, GMW14872. Exposed samples were then examined using scanning electr...
Differential Compound Prioritization via Bi-Directional Selectivity Push with Power

Effective in silico compound prioritization is critical to identify promising candidates in the early stages of drug discovery. Current methods typically focus on compound ranking based on one single property, for example, activity, against a single target. However, compound selectivity is also a key property that should be deliberated simultaneously so as to reduce the likelihood of undesired side effects of future drugs. In this paper, we present a novel machine learning based differential compound prioritization method dCPPP. This dCPPP method learns compound prioritization models that rank active compounds well, and meanwhile, preferably rank selective compounds higher via a bi-directional push strategy. The bidirectional push is enhanced with push powers that are determined by ranking difference of selective compounds over multiple bioassays. Our experiments demonstrate that the dCPPP achieves an overall 19.221% improvement on prioritizing selective compounds over baseline models.
Analysis of Bacterial Amino Acids

Two major classes of amino acid containing polymers in bacteria are proteins and cell wall peptidoglycan (PG). Prokaryotic proteins contain various proportions of 20 common L-amino acids. These proteins have regulatory or catalytic functions and are involved in various binding and transport functions in bacterial membranes. Bacterial exotoxins are also proteins. The polypeptide sidechains and cross-links of peptidoglycan contain both L- and D-amino acids, including several unusual amino acids not found in proteins. The variety of amino acids present in microorganisms makes their detection and identification valuable for differentiating and identifying isolated bacteria.1–3 Amino acids are also useful as chemical markers for detecting, without prior culture, the presence of bacteria in complex matrices such as mammalian body fluids and tissues.4–6
Mediating Mechanisms of Strain and Delinquency

This chapter discusses the mediating mechanism of negative emotions and examines empirical support in the existing literature. This chapter also highlights my research findings showing that negative relations with parents, teachers, and peers correlated with various negative emotions, which in turn, were linked to varied delinquent outcomes. The findings in my test of an integrated model of strain, social control, social learning, and delinquency are also discussed, showing that strains affect delinquency through reducing social control and fostering social learning of crime. This holds true for both general Chinese youth and demographic groups of gender, age cohort, and family socio-economic status (SES).
Model reduction via balancing, and connections with other methods

This paper starts with a rather philosophical viewpoint on the concepts of modeling, model reduction, and randomness. The theory of open-loop deterministic balancing is introduced as a particular implementation of a model reduction scheme. The discussion focusses on the choice of the criterion. Thus motivated, it is shown that similar ideas can be employed in the reduction of optimally controlled systems under the presence of noise, leading to the LQG-balanced realizations. This connects to the stochastic balanced realizations. Finally, different stochastic realization algorithms are cast in the common framework of the RV-coefficient, and the deeper geometric significance of this measure is explored.
Estimated Breast Cancer Risk Reduction with Weight Loss: Implications in Dietetic Practice

Obesity in women can involve predominantly abdominal fat deposition (android) or deposition on the buttocks and thighs (gynoid). Upper body fat localization has been associated with an increased risk of breast and endometrial cancers. The aim of this study was to determine whether calorie reduction and weight loss altered body fat distribution, preferentially reducing abdominal obesity and thus theoretically reducing cancer risk. Anthropometric parameters were determined in 189 apparently healthy, overweight women between ages 21–75. The study demonstrated that 64.2% with at least 4.5 kg weight loss decreased their upper body fat localization as measured by a reduction in suprailliac:thigh skinfold ratios (p ≤ 0.001) and other skinfold thickness indicative of upper body fat reduction such as suprailliac (p ≤ 0.001), subscapular (p ≤ 0.002) and abdomen (p ≤ 0.001) skinfolds. The reduction in estimated cancer risk based on a previously generated multiple logistic regression model was 45% after a 4.5 kg weight loss or more. Greater weight loss further reduced upper body fat localization and estimated breast cancer risk based on this model.
Mechanical Properties of LaRCTM-IA and ULTEM® Melt-Extruded Fibers and Melt-Pressed Films

LaRCTM-IA, the polyimide prepared with 3,4′-oxydianiline (3,4′-ODA) and oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), is useful as a film, coating, adhesive, and composite matrix. The high temperature capability and fire-resistance of polyimides also makes them attractive candidates for textile fibers for a variety of uses in the automotive, chemical, and aerospace industries. This research describes for the first time the melt-spinning of phthalic anhydride endcapped LaRCTM-IA and the effects of processing conditions on the mechanical properties of slightly-drawn fibers. Average draw ratios varied from 1 to 3.9. Tensile strengths ranged from 103 to 159 MPa; moduli ranged from 2.80 to 3.21 GPa; elongations at break ranged from 14 to 103%. For comparison, tensile properties of compression-molded films prepared at the same temperatures are also reported. Melt-extruded fibers and melt-pressed films of another thermoplastic, ULTEM®, were also fabricated. ULTEM® fibers exhibited tensile strengths ranging from 138 to 207 MPa for average draw ratios of 4.5 to 10.3. Moduli ranged from 2.70 to 3.22 GPa. Elongations at break ranged from 47 to 111%.
Performance analysis of the reserve capacity policy for dynamic VM allocation in a SaaS environment

Abstract We consider a periodic-review provision scheme with constant inspection intervals for allocating dynamically virtual machines (VMs) in a Software-as-a Service (SaaS) environment. At each interval, we determine how many virtual machines (VMs) to provisioned or de-provision using a simple heuristic referred to as the reserve capacity policy, since it maintains a fixed reserve capacity of VMs. We analyze the performance of the reserve capacity policy within the context of a periodic-review provision scheme using a Markov Chain embedded at the inspection intervals. We assume a single stream of jobs with each job requiring a single VM. Jobs arrive in a Poisson fashion and the execution time of a job in a VM is exponentially distributed. We calculate the probability distribution of the number of customers in the system, the number of in-service VMs, the utilization, and the queue-length distribution of the waiting customers. The embedded Markov Chain is solved numerically. For cases where the underlying transition matrix is very large, we have proposed approximations and showed that they have a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 2%.
Cross-validation in MLP Training

It is well known that system models which have too many parameters (with respect to the number of measurements) do not generalize well to new measurements. For instance, an autoregressive (AR) model can be derived which will represent the training data with no error by using as many parameters as there are data points. This would generally be of no value, as it would only represent the training data. Criteria such as the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) [Akaike, 1974, 1986] can be used to penalize both the complexity of AR models and their training error variance. In feedforward nets, we do not currently have such a measure. In fact, given the aim of building systems which are biologically plausible, there is a temptation to assume the usefulness of indefinitely large adaptive networks. In contrast to our best guess at Nature’stricks, manmade systems for pattern recognition seem to require nasty amounts of data for training. In short, the design of massively parallel systems is limited by the number of parameters that can be learned with available training data. It is likely that the only way truly massive systems can be built is with the help of prior information, e.g., connection topology and weights that need not be learned [Feldman et al., 1988]. Learning theory [Valiant, 1984; Pearl, 1978] has begun to establish what is possible for trained systems. Order-of-magnitude lower bounds have been established for the number of required measurements to train a desired size feedforward net [Baum & Haussler, 1988]. Rules of thumb suggesting the number of samples required for specific distributions could be useful for practical problems. Widrow has suggested having a training sample size that is 10 times the number of weights in a network (“Uncle Berllie’s Rule”) [Widrow, 1987].