cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning Efficient Classification Procedures and Their Application to Chess End Games

A series of experiments dealing with the discovery of efficient classification procedures from large numbers of examples is described, with a case study from the chess end game king-rook versus king-knight. After an outline of the inductive inference machinery used, the paper reports on trials leading to correct and very fast attribute-based rules for the relations lost 2-ply and lost 3-ply. On another tack, a model of the performance of an idealized induction system is developed and its somewhat surprising predictions compared with observed results. The paper ends with a description of preliminary work on the automatic specification of relevant attributes.
Cerebral palsy in very preterm infants: new epidemiological insights.

The focus of this review is on new insights from recent epidemiological research on cerebral palsy in preterm infants. These include: 1) a better understanding of issues related to diagnosis and classification; 2) new information about the brain abnormalities underlying cerebral palsy in preterm infants; and 3) a better understanding of biological mechanisms that may underlie previously described epidemiological associations. Ongoing efforts to improve the diagnosis and classification of cerebral palsy have been enhanced by findings from serial examinations of cohorts of very preterm infants. Cranial ultrasonography through the anterior fontanelle of very preterm infants has provided information about grossly evident brain damage, found in about one-half of preterm infants who develop cerebral palsy. Insights into the pathophysiologic basis for certain epidemiologic associations have come from studies of experimental brain damage in animals and clinical studies of neurologic disorders in adults. Much of the current epidemiological research into the causes of cerebral palsy in preterm infants has focused on two potential mechanisms of brain damage. One mechanism involves insufficient cerebral perfusion; the other, cytokine-mediated damage, potentially triggered by events such as maternal infection (e.g., intrauterine or periodontal infection), neonatal infection (e.g., sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis), and neonatal oxygen- or ventilator-induced lung injury. In addition to the preterm infant's increased exposure to such damaging factors, the high frequency of cerebral palsy in these infants might be due, in part, to insufficient levels of developmentally regulated protective substances, such as thyroid hormone and glucocorticoids. Models of causation currently are being investigated using recently developed methods for quantifying, with small quantities of blood, biomolecules that are suspected to either promote or protect against brain damage in the neonate. Clinical investigations now under way can be expected to identify strategies to be tested in clinical trials that could lower the risk of cerebral palsy in very preterm infants.
Optimal nonlinear filters based on the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model

Treats the estimation of the output of interest for a class of nonlinear plants that admit the Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model. Based on such a model, we propose the synthesis of a filter whose estimation error is less than a prescribed fraction of the disturbance, by measure of the Euclidean norm. We also address the optimization of the filter's performance.
High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and cognitive function and dementia risk: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study

Aim Clinical cardiovascular disease is a major risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, less is known about the association of subclinical myocardial damage with cognition and dementia. We sought to examine the associations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) with cognition and dementia. Methods and results Cross-sectional analysis of cognition (baseline 1996–98) and prospective analysis of dementia (follow-up through 2010) in 9472 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T was measured using a novel highly sensitive assay with a lower limit of the blank of 3 ng/L. Cognitive function was assessed by three tests: the delayed word recall test (DWRT), the digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and the word fluency test (WFT). Dementia was defined using ICD-9 codes. Linear regression and Cox models were adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The mean age of participants was 63 years, 59% were female, 21% were black, and 66% had hs-cTnT ≥3 ng/L. In cross-sectional analyses, higher hs-cTnT was associated with lower scores on the DSST ( P -trend < 0.001) and the WFT ( P -trend = 0.002), but not on the DWRT ( P -trend = 0.089). Over a median of 13 years, there were 455 incident dementia hospitalizations. In prospective analyses, higher baseline concentrations of hs-cTnT were associated with an increased risk for dementia hospitalizations overall ( P -trend < 0.001) and for vascular dementia ( P -trend = 0.029), but not for Alzheimer's dementia ( P -trend = 0.212). Conclusion Elevations in baseline concentrations of hs-cTnT were associated with lower cognitive test scores at baseline and increased dementia hospitalization risk during the follow-up. Our results suggest that subclinical myocardial injury is associated with cognition and dementia.
Wild Turkey Prenesting-Resource Selection in a Landscape Managed with Frequent Prescribed Fire

Abstract Forage and nesting cover available to female Meleagris gallopavo (Wild Turkey) prior to nesting can influence nest success. Prescribed burns commonly are conducted during the dormant season in southern Pinus (pine) forests in part to improve vegetation conditions for prenesting Wild Turkeys and reduce risk of fire-related nest failure associated with growing-season burning. However, prescribed burning during the early growing season may provide beneficial food and cover for Wild Turkeys. Therefore, we investigated the influence of fire season and frequency and vegetation characteristics on female Wild Turkey habitat selection during prenesting in a Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) community managed with frequent growing-season prescribed fire in North Carolina. Growing-season fire history was not predictive of prenesting habitat selection. Females selected forest stands burned during the preceding dormant season, edges of non-forested cover, and creek drainages. On our study area, ericaceous shrub...
The Emergence of Educational Psychology

To the scholar or practitioner in any mature discipline, it seems normal and inevitable that the discipline should exist in its current form. But disciplines, like persons, have their own individual histories, and current status reflects accumulated experience for both categories. Psychology and education have origins lost in the mists of history; education in some form is as old as civilization, and Brett’s massive three-volume History of Psychology (1912–1921) barely mentions the 20th century. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe some of the social and academic circumstances of psychology and education that led to the emergence of a new discipline, educational psychology.
DISTRIBUTED TRANSDUCER DESIGN FOR INTELLIGENT STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

Modern structural systems are being designed to meet increasingly stringent performance specifications. Often these specifications require structural optimization and/or the addition of control systems in order to meet system performance measures. In the case of aerospace vehicles such structures will in general be lightweight, compact, and may incorporate structural components which are lightly damped and have low mass density. It is possible for the combined effects of such designs to cause the resulting structure to have slow responses and relatively long decay times which tend to undermine performance objectives and degrade system stability.
Validation of the KOOS, JR: A Short-form Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes Survey

Background Medicare is rapidly moving toward using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for outcomes assessment and justification of orthopaedic and other procedures. Numerous measures have been developed to study knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, many of these surveys are long, disruptive to clinic flow, and result in incomplete data capture and/or low followup rates. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome (KOOS) physical function short-form (KOOS-PS), while shorter, ignores pain, which is a primary concern of patients with advanced knee OA.
Enhanced emission from an ensemble of inverted atoms in the presence of another isotopic species

Abstract The emission flux from a slab of two homogeneously-broadened isotope species ensembles is analyzed. Initially one of the species is coherently nearly all inverted, the atoms of the other species are in the ground state. The slab thickness is less than the wavelength of the resonant transition radiation. In particular, in a narrow band of the slab thickness centered at 237 λ /500, the emission flux from the species mixture for different detunings between the two species resonance frequencies is shown to be greatly enhanced over its value where only a single species is present.
Role of the rpoS Gene in the Survival of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Artificial Seawater and Fish Homogenate

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a foodborne pathogen isolated from coastal waters of the United States and from a variety of seafood, including fish. Seawater represents a nutrient-limiting environment for V. parahaemolyticus. During its persistence in seawater, V. parahaemolyticus is exposed to a variety of environmental stresses, including hyperosmolarity, fluctuations in temperature, and cold stress. The alternate sigma factor of RNA polymerase, designated σs (RpoS), encoded by the gene rpoS has been shown to play a major role in bacterial adaptive responses to adverse environmental conditions. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of rpoS in the survival of V. parahaemolyticus in seawater and fish. A V. parahaemolyticus rpoS mutant was constructed by the insertion of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene cassette within the rpoS gene, and the wild and mutant strains were assayed for their ability to survive in artificial seawater (ASW) at 6 and 18°C and in fish homogenate at 4 and 8°C...
Relationship between Molecular Structure and Electron Transfer in a Polymeric Nitroxyl-Radical Energy Storage Material

In recent years, stable organic radical functional groups have been incorporated into a variety of polymeric materials for use as electrodes within energy storage devices, for example, batteries and capacitors. With the complex nature of the charge-transfer processes in a polymer matrix, the morphologies of the polymer films can have a significant impact on the redox behavior of the organic-based radical. To elucidate possible effects of packing on electron-transport mechanisms, theoretical modeling of the well-characterized cathode material poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy methacrylate) (PTMA) was conducted. Polymer morphologies were modeled using classical molecular dynamics simulations, and subsequently, the electronic-coupling matrix element between each radical site was calculated. Building on a previously derived treatment of diffusion in inhomogeneous materials, an expression for an effective electron diffusion length and an effective electron diffusion rate was derived in terms of an electro...
Neurophysiologische Grundlagen visueller angeborener Auslösemechanismen beim Frosch

An Froschen (Rana esculenta) wurden durch visuelle Schlusselreize verschiedene angeborene Auslosemechanismen in Freilanduntersuchungen gemessen (Beutefang, Fluchtreaktion). Diese verhaltensphysiologisch gewonnenen Befunde sowie die Reaktion von Froschen bei optokinetischer Reizung mit bewegten Schwarz-Weis-Streifenmustern (Birukow) und beim Uberspringen von unbewegten Hindernissen wurden mit neurophysiologischen Resultaten verglichen. Die Verhaltensreaktionen sind von einfachen physikalischen Parametern der visuellen Reize abhangig (Grose, Winkelgeschwindigkeit, Kontrast). Das optische Bild auf der Netzhaut wird durch die Funktion des retinalen neuronalen Netzes in den Entladungsmustern von 4 verschiedenen Klassen von Ganglienzellen „abgebildet“. Bei diesen Abbildungen werden jeweils verschiedene Eigenschaften des visuellen Reizes hervorgehoben. Die Aktivierung retinaler Neurone hangt ab von der Winkelgeschwindigkeit, dem Kontrast, der Winkelgrose der bewegten Reize und ihrer Position im rezeptiven Feld. Die Konstanten in den Funktionen fur die 4 verschiedenen Neuronenklassen unterscheiden sich signifikant (Tabelle 1). Der Vergleich der neurophysiologischen und der verhaltensphysiologischen Befunde (Tabelle 2) ergab, das Attrappen fur visuelle Schlusselreize, die eindeutige Verhaltensreaktionen auslosten, verschiedene retinale Neuronenklassen simultan aktivierten. Damit ist gezeigt, das die Differenzierung zwischen Schlusselreizen und irrelevanten Reizen ein weiteres neuronales Netzwerk (im Tectum opticum) benotigt. Bei der Abbildung des visuellen Reizes in den Entladungsmustern der 4 verschiedenen Neuronenklassen last sich jedoch eine „wahrnehmungskategoriale Ordnung“ erkennen, welche als erste Stufe des AAM interpretiert werden kann.
Role of Computed Tomography and Bronchoscopy in Speech Prosthesis Aspiration

Tracheoesophageal puncture prostheses (TEPPs) are an integral aspect of speech rehabilitation for many patients who have undergone total laryngectomy. Because one flange of the prosthesis sits in the trachea and the other in the esophagus, these devices can be aspirated or swallowed if dislodged. Five cases of prosthesis aspiration that occurred in 4 veterans within a 16-month period are described. The 5 aspirated TEPPs resulted in highly variable clinical presentations ranging from complaints of "lost" TEPPs in asymptomatic patients to near-asphyxiation. Furthermore, the aspirated TEPPs were not reliably demonstrated on chest radiographs, often leading to delayed diagnosis. Aspiration of TEPPs may be more common than formerly recognized, and chest computed tomography or bronchoscopy is indicated in cases of missing TEPPs not demonstrated on plain films.
The target-consumer analysis for the consumer-credit market in china

This paper studies the constant development of consumer-credit market from the angle of the strategic choice.On the basis of analyzing the current situation of our country’s consumptive credit,this paper points out the mass-marketing strategy implementing by the commercial banks can’t meet the consumers’ dynamic and diversified financial demands,the target marketing should be the used to tackle the competition with the foreign banks.Consumers are divided into different types according to consumer analysis.According to the expected income theory,the paper points out the target consumer groups in this market,and researches on the consumption structure,consumption demand,and consumer psychology of different target consumer groups.Finally different consumptive credit products should be offered for different target consumer groups.
Hemoglobin Threshold for Blood Transfusion in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: To evaluate the hemoglobin threshold for red cell transfusion in children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Retrospective ch
Dimensionless model for impedimetric sensing of particle laden droplets in digital microfluidic devices

Microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices miniaturize and automate biological protocols while reducing labor and equipment costs. An automated LOC can be used by operators with little training, provided the device incorporates real-time autonomous feedback to the user. Digital microfluidic (DMF) devices are a LOC platform that can create, move, merge, and mix discrete droplets of fluid through the application of asymmetric electric fields. The geometry of DMF devices also allows for integration of real-time impedimetric feedback without integration of additional sensing components. This investigation presents an analytical model for impedimetric sensing of particle laden droplets in DMF devices. The proposed model is based on an equivalent circuit that contains particles of a general size and vertical distribution. Since the proposed model provides an analytical formulation, it can be used to identify dimensionless parameters that govern the impedimetric response of the system. These parameters include: measurement frequency, local area fraction, dimensionless particle size, and the ratios of electrical properties of the particles and the surrounding fluid. The model was used to predict impedimetric response of particle laden droplets in DMF devices. Impedance increased monotonically with volume fraction regardless of particle orientation. This increase was more rapid for horizontally distributed particles than vertically distributed particles. The model also predicts that particle concentration and measurement frequency can be used to independently control sensitivity and saturation of the impedance measurements to changes in electrical properties of the fluid that may occur due to chemical reactions in the droplet.
A Brief History of the Chemehuevi Indians

The Chemehuevi were originally a branch of the Southern Paiute who, prior to the middle of the nineteenth century, ranged over the Mohave Desert hunting and gathering. At the invitation or upon the...
Optimal Gate Size Selection for Standard Cells in a Library

Standard cell libraries provide designers with a fixed set of well characterized logic blocks. As designs are pushed for high performance, low area, and low power, it is essential to have a, good standard cell library that can help achieve these goals. As gate sizing is crucial to timing, the number of gate sizes (drive strengths) available for each of the primitives is an important factor to be considered. While an infinite granularity of gate sizes is preferable to get the best entitlement, it is often impractical due to the huge cost associated with developing and maintaining libraries. It is therefore essential to find ways to achieve the best performance, power and area, with a, reasonable library size. In this paper we focus on the problem of finding out the optimal ratio of gate sizes to be selected. 65nm libraries were used for validating the claims on a real design and the results are presented in this paper
Robustness analysis of sparsity based tumor localization under tissue configuration uncertainty

Knowing the exact position of the tumor is a very critical prerequisite in radiation therapy. Since the position of the tumor changes because of respiration or patient movements, a real-time tumor tracking method must be applied during the process of radiation therapy in order to deliver a sufficient dose of radiation to the tumor region without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. In this paper, we develop a novel tumor positioning method based on spatial sparsity and then we investigate the sensitivity of this method to the uncertainty of tissue configuration. The proposed method is easier to implement, non-iterative, faster and more accurate compared to common magnetic transponder based approaches. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated in two different cases: (1) when the tissue configuration is perfectly determined (acquired beforehand by MRI or CT) and (2) when there are some uncertainties about the tissue boundaries. The results demonstrate the satisfactory accuracy and high performance of the proposed method, even when the tissue boundaries are imperfectly known.
Developing Socially Responsible Leaders in Academic Settings.

This chapter begins the exploration of what leadership education is through examining the relationship between educational involvement and academic autonomy in the development of socially responsible leaders.
Development of a reduced chemical mechanism targeted for a 5-component gasoline surrogate: A case study on the heat release nature in a GCI engine

Abstract Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI) is a promising engine operating mode that can reduce maximum pressure rise rate (MPRR) without knock tendency and better control the combustion phasing compared to the Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) by using a late direct-injection (DI). In this study, a 107-species reduced mechanism and a 207-species skeletal mechanism were developed using the Computer Assisted Reduction Mechanism (CARM) and validated under engine conditions for a newly developed 5-component surrogate for a Haltermann 437 certification gasoline (AKI = 93). Then, 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with an optimized grid size determined by a grid convergence study were performed with the 107-species reduced mechanism and the 5-component certification gasoline surrogate. Two experimental boosted GCI cases with similar, moderate MPRR and heat release parameters, but different second DI timings (−52° aTDC and −5° aTDC), were validated and analyzed. For the −52° aTDC DI case, the combustion can be interpreted as a partially sequential auto-ignition due to the competition between the charge cooling effect and the equivalence ratio (ϕ)-sensitive effect of the stratified mixture, which is responsible for mitigating the MPRR. For the −5° aTDC DI case, the combustion can be decoupled into a partially sequential auto-ignition and a subsequent non-premixed combustion by the DI fuel near top dead center in the compression stroke. The MPRR is relaxed through the slow, mixing-limited combustion between the injected fuel and the premixed mixture.
“Lovely to me”: An immigrant's daughter's critical self-reflexivity research journey

This paper chronicles my reflections as a child of immigrants of color and activist scholar when working with and for (immigrant) communities of color. I examine the importance of humility and to engage in critical self-reflexivity in research. Later I illustrate how I incorporated my own community cultural wealth through my mother’s assistance and support in building rapport with immigrant parents in the research.
Comparison of Ultrasound-Accelerated versus Pigtail Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for the Treatment of Acute Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism.

Abstract Purpose To compare the technical and clinical effectiveness of ultrasound-accelerated endovascular thrombolysis (USAT) versus pigtail catheter–directed thrombolysis (PCDT) for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods A single-center retrospective study of patients treated with USAT or PCDT for acute massive or submassive PE between January 2010 and December 2016 was performed by reviewing electronic medical records. Sixty treatments were reviewed (mean patient age, 56.7 y ± 14.6), including 52 cases of submassive PE (21 treated with USAT, 31 with PCDT) and 8 cases of massive PE (3 treated with USAT, 5 with PCDT). Endpoints included pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), Miller PE severity index, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) dose, infusion duration, procedural variables, and complications. Results Demographics, PE severity, and right:left ventricular diameter ratios were similar between groups. USAT and PCDT significantly reduced mean PAP (reductions of 7.4 mm Hg [ P = .002] and 8.2 mm Hg [ P P P P = .47 and P = .15, respectively). Procedure ( P P = .001) times were significantly longer in the USAT group. The USAT group underwent fewer sessions (2.2 ± 0.6 vs 2.4 ± 0.6; P = .17) with shorter infusion times (23.9 h ± 8.8 vs 30.4 h ± 12.6; P = .065) and a lower total dose of TPA (27.1 mg ± 11.3 vs 30.4 mg ± 12.6; P = .075) compared with the PCDT group, but the differences were not significant. Complications ( P = .07) and 30-day mortality rates ( P = .56) were not significantly different between groups. Conclusions USAT and PCDT demonstrated comparable effectiveness and safety in the treatment of patients with acute PE.
Perceptions of the 2011 ACGME duty hour requirements among residents in all core programs at a large academic medical center

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented revisions to resident duty hour requirements (DHRs) in 2011 to improve patient safety and resident well-being. Perceptions of DHRs have been reported to vary by training stage and specialty among internal medicine and general surgery residents. The authors explored perceptions of DHRs among all residents at a large academic medical center. The authors administered an anonymous cross-sectional survey about DHRs to residents enrolled in all ACGME-accredited core residency programs at their institution. Residents were categorized as medical and pediatric, surgery, or other. In total, 736 residents representing 24 core specialty residency programs were surveyed. The authors received responses from 495 residents (67%). A majority reported satisfaction (78%) with DHRs and believed DHRs positively affect their training (73%). Residents in surgical specialties and in advanced stages of training were significantly less likely to view DHRs favorably. Most respondents believed fatigue contributes to errors (89%) and DHRs reduce both fatigue (80%) and performance of clinical duties while fatigued (74%). A minority of respondents (37%) believed that DHRs decrease medical errors. This finding may reflect beliefs that handovers contribute more to errors than fatigue (41%). Negative perceived effects included diminished patient familiarity and continuity of care (62%) and diminished clinical educational experiences for residents (41%). A majority of residents reported satisfaction with the 2011 DHRs, although satisfaction was significantly less among residents in surgical specialties and those in advanced stages of training.
Highly Tunable Hollow Gold Nanospheres: Gaining Size Control and Uniform Galvanic Exchange of Sacrificial Cobalt Boride Scaffolds

In principle, the diameter and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) frequency of hollow metal nanostructures can be independently adjusted, allowing the formation of targeted photoactivated structures of specific size and optical functionality. Although tunable SPRs have been reported for various systems, the shift in SPR is usually concomitant with a change in particle size. As such, more advanced tunability, including constant diameter with varying SPR or constant SPR with varying diameter, has not been properly achieved experimentally. Herein, we demonstrate this advanced tunability with hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs). HGNs were synthesized through galvanic exchange using cobalt-based nanoparticles (NPs) as sacrificial scaffolds. Co2B NP scaffolds were prepared by sodium borohydride nucleation of aqueous cobalt chloride and characterized using UV–vis, dynamic light scattering, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Careful control over the size of the Co2B scaffold and its galv...
I say thee ‘neigh’: Rescued equids are optimistic in a judgment bias test

Abstract Changes in the affective state of neglected or abused animals can be difficult to quantify relative to physical improvements following rescue. Judgment bias as a measure of affective state was assessed in 8 horses and 2 donkeys that differed in their care history (abused/neglected or nonabused/non-neglected, hereafter described as rescued/nonrescued). On each training trial, a single bucket was presented at 1 of 2 locations; one that always contained food (reward) and another that never contained food (nonreward), and the latency to approach within 1 m of the bucket was recorded. Once differential responding to the 2 locations was established, buckets were presented at ambiguous locations (spatially intermediate between the reward and nonreward locations). Both groups approached the middle location with intermediate latencies. However, care history moderated the difference in latencies to respond to the reward versus the ambiguous locations. In fact, rescued equids approached the ambiguous locations more quickly than the nonrescued equids did, although there was no difference in approach to the reward stimulus. These results suggest that prior poor treatment at the hands of humans does not induce lasting pessimistic judgment biases, but further work is needed to examine changes in judgment bias following neglect or abuse.
Solid nuclei and liquid droplets: A parallel treatment for 3 phase systems

For solid phase self assembly into crystals or large diameter polymers, the presence of a liquid-liquid demixing transition has been known to have an accelerating effect on the nucleation process. We present a novel approach to the description of accelerated nucleation in which the formation of solid phase aggregates and liquid-like aggregates compete as parallel pathways to formation of dense phases. The central idea is that the small aggregates that would ultimately form the liquid phase are sufficiently labile to sample the configurations that would form the solid, so that the growing cluster begins as a liquid, and switches into growth as a solid when the aggregates have equal free energies. This can accelerate the reaction even when the liquid-demixed state is thermodynamically unfavorable. The rate-limiting barrier is therefore the energy at which there is a transition between liquid and solid, and the effective nucleus size is then concentration independent, even though for both nucleated demixing and nucleated crystallization, the nucleus size does depend on concentration. These ideas can be expressed in a chemical potential formalism that has been successfully used in nucleation of sickle hemoglobin, but not to our knowledge previously employed in describing LLD processes. The method is illustrated by considering existing data on Lysozyme.
Problems with More than One Variable

Almost all useful optimization problems have more than one design variable, so it’s important to understand methods that work for any number of variables. Conveniently, some of these methods are just extensions of single-variable methods. The methods in this chapter are not hard to implement and some equivalent functions are available in MATLAB. We will focus on two variable problems since they can be represented using surface or contour plots. However, methods that work for two design variables generally work for any larger number of design variables as well.
Mechanical Properties of a Nanostructured Poly (KAMPS)/aragonite Composite

The mechanical properties of a new poly(KAMPS)/aragonite composite are investigated. The composite is fabricated using biomimetic pathways and formed entirely from dilute aqueous solutions. Nanorods of aragonite are formed within a matrix of poly(KAMPS)-based polyelectrolyte and a nanostructred material with rod widths of 120nm and polymer-filled spacings of 10-20nm is created. Nanoindentation is used to measure mechanical properties of the composite material. The elastic modulus of 44GPa and hardness of 2.8GPa are found similar to that of nacre and exhibit a hardening mechanism at the nanoscale. The new biomimetic composite h as application in the biomedical and dental fields.
p-adic Galois Representations and pro-p Galois Groups

We study the intimate interactions between the theory of p-adic Galois representations and the structure of pro-p Galois groups. In particular, information passes in both directions. Algebraic geometry, for instance in the guise of elliptic curves and modular forms, yields naturally occurring Galois representations, whereas on the other side, co-homological techniques and variants on class field theory tell us about the generators and relations of the pro-p Galois groups. In the case of pro-p extensions ramified at (primes above) p, this combination works together rather well to elucidate the structure of the set of Galois representations. In the case of pro-p extensions unramified at p,both sides are poorly understood, but there is the fundamental conjecture of Fontaine—Mazur claiming that such representations should have finite image (since algebraic geometry can produce no others). This has very interesting consequences for the corresponding pro-p Galois groups, possibly producing a new family of just-infinite pro-p groups.
Middle- and Upper-Middle-Class Parent Action for Urban Public Schools: Promise or Paradox?

Background/ContextRecent trends suggest that middle-class parents may be a growing constituency in urban public schools and districts. Within the burgeoning literature on the middle class in urban ...
Efficient Multi-Keyword Ranked Search over Encrypted Data for Multi-Data-Owner Settings

The availability of high-performance computing platforms, large storage devices, and high- speed communications have boosted the popularity of cloud computing. Users exploit these capabilities by using the cloud as a repository for their data and sharing these data with others. However, since the cloud is usually owned and operated by private companies, storing sensitive data in the cloud servers raises privacy concerns. To address these concerns, privacy-preserving keyword search schemes have been developed. Nevertheless, most of the existing schemes are either inefficient for multi-data- owner settings or designed for single-data-owner settings, and becomes insecure and inefficient when used for multi-data-owner. This paper proposes an efficient multi-keyword ranked search scheme over encrypted data for multi-data-owner settings. The proposed scheme allows each data owner and each user to have a distinct key, and allows the server to efficiently search the files of different data owners using one encrypted query sent by the user. Our privacy analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme can preserve the privacy of the data owners and users. In addition, our extensive performance evaluations demonstrate that our scheme is much more efficient than existing approaches in the literature.
Dynamics of a threshold shock sensor: Combining bi-stability and triboelectricity

Abstract A proof of concept of a triboelectric threshold shock sensor and its characterization are presented. Shock sensors are used in many applications in the automotive, shipping and other industries, mainly to determine if acceleration thresholds are met. Many shock sensors are only mechanical, so the only way to know if the threshold has been reached is to physically check the device. There are noticeable advantages of using triboelectric transduction and bi-stability to create a shock sensor. By combining a buckled-beam structure and a triboelectric generator, we created a proof of concept of a tunable threshold shock sensor. The sensor generates a voltage peak only if the base acceleration is beyond a threshold. In addition, the sensor produces voltage proportional to the base acceleration beyond the threshold acceleration. This means the output signal provides more information about the strength of the shock that the device experiences. The sensor concept is illustrated for a threshold shock of 3.26g, but the threshold can be tuned by increasing the compressive axial force of the buckled beam. Increasing this axial force increases the threshold shock the sensor can detect. Thus, the combined system is a tunable threshold shock sensor with enhanced functionality. We presented a mathematical model that captures important observations of the experiments and can be used as a design tool for more precise, high-resolution triboelectric shock sensors.
Transition into Motherhood: Pregnant Daughters’ Responses to Their Mothers:

The author presents pregnant daughters’ reports about how their mothers influenced their own identities as mothers. Analysis of qualitative interview data suggested that mother–daughter relationshi...
Network Protocol Security: A Linear Bitwise Protocol Transformation

Companies are investing in network traffic analysis. Understanding protocols for network security is an extremely essential component to maintaining secure networks. Research trends are four fold: on reverse engineering protocols from network traces, on protocol specification, on protocol verification and on application protocol descriptions. There has not been much, if any, work on transforming protocols into full linear representations. Our research is motivated to discover a technique to cleanly understand, define, analyze, symbolize, diffuse, and categorize a set of protocols without requiring any dependencies. Our network protocol transformation research is being used in network security, networking assurance, network testing, and network emulation. New protocols are being defined every day across the globe. A linear transformation technique captures protocol behavior at a symbolic bitwise level without any machine dependencies making it an attractive solution at large to analyze, examine and specify network traffic anomalies.
Moderatoren im Institutionalisierungsprozess

Nachdem das vorherige Kapitel eine Operationalisierung des Institutionalisierungsprozesses geliefert hat, nimmt dieses Kapitel eine Prazisierung der Kontextfaktoren vor, die als Moderatoren einen Einfluss auf den Institutionalisierungsprozess haben. Diese Prazisierung ist vor allem notwendig, da die bisherigen Ausfuhrungen von allgemeiner Natur waren, sodass sie im Prinzip auch fur andere Formen kollektiven Handelns, andere gesellschaftliche Teilbereiche und andere institutionelle Ordnungen gultig sind. Deshalb dient dieses Kapitel dazu, dem Status von Interessenorganisationen als spezifische Organisationen und den Spezifika von Onlinekommunikation als Teil der Digitalisierung gerecht zu werden.
Neurotoxicities associated with checkpoint inhibitors: Two case reports and a review of the literature

We report a case of nivolumab-induced delayed-onset aseptic meningitis and a case of limbic encephalitis and peripheral nerve palsy with toxicity relapse 6 months after initial presentation. The atypical presentations contribute to our knowledge of these rare events and reinforce the necessity for vigilant monitoring and a multidisciplinary treatment approach.
Electronic passivation of PbSe quantum dot solids by trimethylaluminum vapor dosing

Abstract The inherent instability of PbSe quantum dot (QD) thin films in ambient atmospheric conditions presents a significant challenge to their use in devices. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, the electronic passivation of epitaxially-fused PbSe QD superlattices (epi-SLs) by trimethylaluminum (TMA) vapor dosing was studied. TMA dosing immobilizes loosely bound mobile adsorbates and passivates states on the surface of the QDs. X-ray photoelectron spectra of QD films prepared by dip coating show an aluminum surface concentration of
EU Law in Populist Times: Crises and Prospects

EU Law in Populist Times: Crises and Prospects analyzes the sovereignty-sensitive EU law that has emerged over the past decade—in economic policy, human migration, internal security, and constitutional fundamentals (rule-of-law policies to combat democratic backsliding). These are legal areas at the heart of state sovereignty, over which the EU’s prerogatives accelerated following the multiple crises that hit beginning in 2009. They are also EU policies that occupy center stage in the acrimonious debates that have emerged between European establishment parties and populist political forces, precisely because of the huge economic, social, and constitutional stakes involved in reaching into core state functions. In other words, both theoretical and political reasons drive the book to take on the broad sweep of sovereignty-sensitive law—the new EU law is categorically different from the old, technocratic regulatory law of the single market; and the new EU law is extraordinarily important because of the bitter, some would say, existential political debate between establishment parties and populist forces that it has catalyzed. Drawing on contributions by an eminent group of legal scholars and policymakers, the subject-specific sections of the book afford a cutting-edge account of the law, normative debates, and future reform possibilities in each of the hot-button areas. My introduction and conclusion take a step back, and tease out the institutional and legal dynamics that cut across the different areas of sovereignty-sensitive law and that point to common normative challenges. In the introduction, I set up the subject-specific chapters by examining the spillover process responsible for the EU’s metamorphosis from free trade organization to a quasi-federal entity with power over state spending (economic policy), the territorial belonging of people (human migration), their safety (internal security), and the essential aspects of liberal democracy (constitutional fundamentals). In the conclusion, I identify three legitimacy challenges that have emerged across the board—for law, because of the legal complexity generated by spillover into sovereignty-sensitive law; for rights, because of the difficulty of obtaining access to justice in the European Court of Justice to bring fundamental-rights challenges to EU policies; for democracy because of the intergovernmental and bureaucratic processes that have sidelined the European Parliament in the governance of these policy areas. I point to common forms of legal innovation that can be applied across the different policy areas to address these normative shortcomings.
Text Classification and Tagging of United States Army Ground Vehicle Fault Descriptions in Support of Data-Driven Prognostics

The manner in which a prognostics problem is framed is critical for enabling its solution by the proper method. Recently, data-driven prognostics techniques have demonstrated enormous potential when used alone, or as part of a hybrid solution in conjunction with physics-based models. Historical maintenance data constitutes a critical element for the use of a data-driven approach to prognostics, such as supervised machine learning. The historical data is used to create training and testing data sets to develop the machine learning model. Categorical classes for prediction are required for machine learning methods; however, faults of interest in US Army Ground Vehicle Maintenance Records appear as natural language text descriptions rather than a finite set of discrete labels. Transforming linguistically complex data into a set of prognostics classes is necessary for utilizing supervised machine learning approaches for prognostics. Manually labeling fault description instances is effective, but extremely time-consuming; thus, an automated approach to labelling is preferred. The approach described in this paper examines key aspects of the fault text relevant to enabling automatic labeling. A method was developed based on the hypothesis that a given fault description could be generalized into a category. This method uses various natural language processing (NLP) techniques and a priori knowledge of ground vehicle faults to assign classes to the maintenance fault descriptions. The core component of the method used in this paper is a Word2Vec word-embedding model. Word embeddings are used in conjunction with a token-oriented rule-based data structure for document classification. This methodology tags text with user-provided classes using a corpus of similar text fields as its training set. With classes of faults reliably assigned to a given description, supervised machine learning with these classes can be applied using related maintenance information that preceded the fault. This method was developed for labeling US Army Ground Vehicle Maintenance Records, but is general enough to be applied to any natural language data sets accompanied with a priori knowledge of its contents for consistent labeling. In addition to applications in machine learning, generated labels are also conducive to general summarization and case-by-case analysis of faults. The maintenance components of interest for this current application are alternators and gaskets, with future development directed towards determining the RUL of these components based on the labeled data.
Targeting oxidative stress with amobarbital to prevent intervertebral disc degeneration: Part I. in vitro and ex vivo studies.

Abstract BACKGROUND Mounting evidence that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) suggests that therapies targeting oxidative stress may slow or prevent disease progression. PURPOSE The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of amobarbital (Amo) on the mitochondria of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells under tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide (tBHP)-induced oxidative stress or in NP tissues under oxidative stress from tissue injury as a means of identifying therapeutic targets for IDD. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING We tested the effects inhibiting mitochondria, a major source of oxidants, with Amo in NP cells subjected to two different forms of insult: exposure to tBHP, and physical injury induced by disc transection. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant known to protect NP cells, was compared to the complex I inhibitor, Amo. METHODS NP cells were pre-treated for 2 hours with Amo, NAC, or both, and then exposed to tBHP for 1 hour. Apoptosis, necrosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assessed using confocal microscopy and fluorescent probes (Annexin V, propidium iodide, and MitoSox Red, respectively). The activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) involved in oxidative stress responses were interrogated by confocal imaging of immunofluorescence stains using phospho-specific antibodies to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Mitochondrial function was assessed by imaging JC-1 staining, a probe for membrane potential. RESULTS Amo was modestly more protective than NAC by some measures, while both agents improved mitochondrial function and lowered tBHP-induced apoptosis, necrosis, and ROS production. Activation of MAPK by tBHP was significantly suppressed by both drugs. Physically injured IVDs were treated immediately after transection with Amo or NAC for 24 hours, and then stained with dihydroethidium (DHE), a fluorescent probe for ROS production. Immunofluorescence was used to track the expression of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that induces the expression of antioxidant genes. Amo and NAC significantly reduced ROS production and increased Nrf2 expression. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the progression of IDD may be forestalled by Amo via protection of NP cells from oxidative stress following IVD injury. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This study will define the extent to which a novel, minimally invasive procedure targeting oxidative stress in NP cells can augment surgical interventions intended to retard IVD degeneration.
Abstract 213: Hematoma-infiltrating Macrophages Transition From Inflammatory to Reparative Programs in Patients After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) causes rapid recruitment of circulating leukocytes to the injury; however, the roles of these cells in disease progression and repair in the brain are poorly understo...
Polarization Over Vaccination: Ideological Differences in Twitter Expression About COVID-19 Vaccine Favorability and Specific Hesitancy Concerns

Vaccine hesitancy has been a growing public health issue, but during COVID-19, understanding vaccine hesitancy and promote vaccine favorability takes on a troubling immediacy. With the growing poli...