cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Additive–subtractive phase-modulated electronic speckle interferometry: analysis of fringe visibility

Fringe-visibility issues of additive–subtractive phase-modulated (ASPM) electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) are explored. ASPM ESPI is a three-step method in which additive-speckle images are acquired rapidly in an analog fashion in every frame of a video sequence, a speckle phase modulation is intentionally introduced between frames, and a digital subtraction of consecutive pairs of additive-speckle images is performed. We show that this scheme has the good high-frequency noise immunity associated with additive-ESPI techniques as well as the good fringe visibility associated with subtractive-ESPI techniques. The method has better fringe visibility than can be obtained with purely additive ESPI and also does not suffer from the fringe distortions that can occur with subtractive ESPI in the presence of high-frequency noise. We show that even if full speckle decorrelation were to occur between the two additive speckle images that are to be subtracted, the visibility of ASPM ESPI fringes can be made to approach unity by suitable adjustment of the reference-to-object beam-intensity ratio.
Shape Description With a Space Variant Sensor: Algorithms for Scan-path, Fusion and Convergence Over Multiple Scans

The authors discuss three algorithms related to the blending of a single scene from multiple frames acquired from a space-variant sensor. Given a series of space-variant contour-based scenes with different fixation points, they show how to fuse these into a single multiscan view, which incorporates the information present in the individual scans. They demonstrate an (attentional) algorithm which recursively examines the current knowledge of the scene in order best to choose the next fixation point in terms of focusing attention on regions of maximum boundary curvature. They discuss a simple metric for evaluating convergence over a scan path. This may be used to compare the performance of various attentional algorithms. They discuss their work in light of both machine and biological vision. >
Constantine and consensus

The church historian Socrates Scholasticus tells a story about an encounter during the Council of Nicaea between the emperor Constantine and the schismatic bishop Acesius. On learning that Acesius's dispute had nothing to do with the Creed or the date of Easter—the two major issues under debate at that Council—Constantine asked, “For what reason then do you separate yourself from communion with the rest of the Church?” Acesius replied that his sect objected to the relative leniency with which other Christians had treated those who had cracked under the empire-wide persecutions of the third century. He then “referred to the rigidness of that austere canon which declares, that it is not right that persons who after baptism have committed a sin, which the sacred Scriptures denominate ‘a sin unto death’ be considered worthy of participation in the sacraments.” Whereupon, Socrates continues, the emperor said to him, “Place a ladder, Acesius, and climb alone into heaven.”
Cyclic Breathing Simulations: Pressure Outlet Boundary Conditions Coupled With Resistance and Compliance

A patient-specific non-uniform pressure outlet boundary condition was developed and used in unsteady simulations of cyclic breathing in a large-scale model of the lung airway from the oronasal opening to the terminal bronchioles. The computational domain is a reduced-geometry model, in which some airway branches in each generation were truncated, and only selected paths were retained to the terminal generation. To characterize pressure change through airway tree extending from the truncated outlets to pulmonary zone, virtual airways represented by extended volume mesh zones were constructed in order to apply a zero-dimensional airway resistance model. The airway resistances were prescribed based on a precursor steady simulation under constant ventilation condition. The virtual airways accommodate the use of patient-specific alveolar pressure conditions. Furthermore, the time-dependent alveolar pressure profile was composed with the physiologically accurate pleural pressure predicted by the whole-body simulation software HumMod, and the transpulmonary pressure evaluated based on lung compliance and local air volume change. To investigate airway flow patterns of healthy and diseased lungs, unsteady breathing simulations were conducted with varying lung compliances accounting for healthy lungs, and lungs with emphysema or interstitial fibrosis. Results show that the simulations using this patient-specific pressure boundary condition are capable of reproducing physiologically realistic flow patterns corresponding to abnormal pulmonary compliance in diseased lungs, such as the hyperventilation in lungs with emphysema, and the demand of more mechanic work for breathing in lungs with fibrosis.© 2015 ASME
Functional identification of the central projections of afferent renal nerves.

The central integration of cardiovascular reflexes produced by activation of renal sensory mechanisms was examined by studying arterial pressure and regional blood flow responses to electrical stimulation of the renal afferent nerves. Spinal transection, rostral to the entry into the cord of renal afferent projections, abolished the cardiovascular response consisting of an a fall in arterial pressure, mesenteric vasoconstriction and vasodilation in the hindquarters. Several supraspinal structures at medullary, midbrain and forebrain levels were identified by lesion studies to be important for the reflex responses. Lesion of NTS abolished the hindquarter vasodilator response but left the mesenteric vasoconstrictor response intact. Lesions of the parabrachial complex produce similar effects whereas lesions in the periventricular preoptic region of hypothalamus abolished mesenteric vasoconstriction and left hindquarter vasodilation unaffected. These studies demonstrate that cardiovascular reflexes elicited b...
Chest radiograph after fluoroscopic guided line placement: No longer necessary

Abstract Purpose Historically, a chest radiograph was obtained after central line placement in the operating room. Recent retrospective studies have questioned the need for this radiograph. The prevailing current practice at our center is to order chest radiograph only for symptomatic patients. This study examines the outcomes of selective chest radiography after fluoroscopic guided central line placement. Methods After obtaining institutional review board approval, a single institution retrospective chart review of patients undergoing central venous catheter placement by the pediatric surgery or interventional radiology service between January 2010 and July 2014 was performed. Outcome measures included CXR within 24h of catheter placement, reason for chest radiograph, complication, and complication requiring intervention. Results In the study population 622 catheters were placed under fluoroscopy. A chest radiograph was performed in 118 (19%) patients within 24h of the line placement with 25 (4%) of these patients being symptomatic in the recovery room. One patient required chest tube for shortness of breath and pleural effusion. Four symptomatic patients (0.6%) were found to have a pneumothorax, none of which required chest tube placement. There were no re-operations because of mal-position of the catheter. In the 504 patients with no postoperative chest x-ray, there were no adverse outcomes. At our institution the current average charge of a chest radiograph is $283, thus we produced savings of $142,632 for the study period without adverse events. Conclusion After placement of central venous catheter under fluoroscopic guidance, a chest radiograph is unlikely to be helpful in an asymptomatic patient.
GIS-based geomorphologic study of Presque Isle Peninsula, a compound lacustrine barrier-spit system along the south-central Lake Erie margin

Abstract The Presque Isle peninsula is a sandy barrier-spit system situated along the south-central Lake Erie coast. This investigation focuses on landform succession along its eastern terminus, where nautical charts and aerial images chronicle morphologic change over the last century. A conceptual framework of this recent terrain evolution provides a blueprint for understanding the process–landform interactions responsible for constructing the compound peninsula over the late Holocene. Presque Isle is compartmentalized into four distinct en echelon strandplains, each comprised of multiple beach ridges of similar orientations, heights and spacing. These strandplain segments are separated by topographically prominent ridgelines that extend across the width of the peninsula and obliquely truncate landward paleoshorelines. The processes responsible for this landform juxtaposition are exemplified by recent spit growth and decay along Presque Isle's eastern terminus, where net lateral accretion has extended the peninsula by ~ 0.8 km 2 since the early 1900s. Truncation of newly formed ridge morphologies here since the 1990s provides a reference frame for understanding broader peninsular evolution, as reflected in Presque Isle's morphological segmentation. Episodes of spit accretion and low-elevation beach-ridge formation sequentially construct strandplains with little internal heterogeneity in way of beach-ridge spacing and height. Net-depositional episodes are subsequently punctuated by extensive erosion and the formation of high-elevation ridgelines at oblique angles to paleoshorelines. While this process is demonstrated over the recent ~ 100 years as a function of human-altered coastal hydrodynamics and sediment-supply reductions, potential linkages between older erosive landforms and major lake-level transgressions are inferred and could potentially be elucidated upon continued research.
Abstract 3: Il-10 Regulated Mir-375 Enhances Endothelial Progenitor Cell Mediated Myocardial Repair And Survival After Myocardial Infarction.

We hypothesized that IL-10 regulates miR-375 signaling in EPCs to enhance their survival and function in ischemic myocardium after MI. miR-375 knock down EPC were transplanted intramyocardially after induction of MI. Mice receiving EPC treated with miR-375 inhibitor showed increased number of GFP+EPCs retention that was associated with reduced EPC apoptosis in the myocardium. The engraftment of EPC into the vascular structures and the associated capillary density was significantly higher in miR-375-treated mice. The above findings further correlated with reduced infarct size, fibrosis and enhanced LV function (echocardiography) in miR-375 knock down EPC group as compared to scrambled EPC. Our in vitro studies revealed that the knockdown of miR-375 enhanced EPC proliferation, migration; tube formation ability and inhibited cell apoptosis, while the up-regulation of miR-375 with the mimic had the opposite effects. In addition, we found that miR-375 negatively regulates the expression of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) by directly targeting the 3'UTR of the PDK1 transcript. Interestingly, EPC isolated from IL-10-deficient mice has elevated basal levels of miR-375 and exhibited poor proliferation and tube formation ability where as miR-375 knock down in EPC isolated from IL-10 deficient mice attenuated these effects. Furthermore, transplantation of miR-375 knock down IL-10 deficient EPC after MI resulted in attenuated cardiac functions compared to scramble IL-10 deficient EPCs. Taken together, our studies suggest that IL-10 regulated miR-375 enhances EPC survival and function, associated with efficient myocardial repair via activation of PDK-1/AKT signaling cascades.
Presleep thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs in subjects of insomnia with or without depression: Implications for cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia in Indian context.

Background: Presleep thoughts may vary between patients of insomnia with or without depression. They are important for cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), but they have never been systemically examined in Indian population. Materials and Methods: Patients with insomnia (>1 month) who were willing to undergo CBT-I were included in this study after obtaining informed consent. They were requested to fill a sleep diary and return after 15 days. At the time of intake, diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorders was made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - IV-Text Revision. They were encouraged to provide information regarding presleep thoughts through open-ended and then, close-ended questions. Dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs about sleep were assessed with Hindi version of dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes scale-brief version. Hindi version of insomnia severity index was used to assess the severity of insomnia. Subjects were divided into two-groups - insomnia without depression (I) and insomnia with major depressive disorder (I-MDD+). Statistical Analysis: It was done with the help of SPSS v 21.0. Descriptive statistics was calculated. Proportions between groups were tested with Chi-square analysis and categorical variables were compared using independent sample t-test. Results: This study included a total of 63 subjects, out of which 60% were women. Mean age of the whole group was 41.7 ± 11.8 years. About 40% of all the subjects were diagnosed as having I-MDD+. Forty-one percent of the subjects had clinically significant anxiety. Both groups - I and I-MDD+ had comparable proportion of female subjects (χ2 = 0.002; P = 0.96) and there was no difference regarding precipitating factors for insomnia (χ2 = 0.97; P = 0.61). They were also comparable with regards to sleep-related measures, themes of presleep thoughts, and dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep and insomnia severity. Major themes of presleep thoughts included family issues and health issues. Only a small proportion had recurrent thoughts related to insomnia and its consequences. Conclusion: Insomnia is a co-morbid illness with depression and it needs to be separately addressed during therapy. CBT-I should include the element of problem-solving technique, especially when we are dealing with the Indian population.
Draft Genome Sequence of an Invasive Streptococcus agalactiae Isolate Lacking Pigmentation

ABSTRACT This report provides the whole-genome sequence of Streptococcus agalactiae isolate GB00037 isolated from a newborn in Calgary, Canada. This serotype V isolate is unique because it lacks pigment production previously shown to be critical for S. agalactiae virulence.
Improving Undergraduate Student Performance on the Littlefield Simulation

This paper reports the results of an experiment to improve the performance of undergraduate business students at a large public university on the widely used team-based Littlefield management simulation. Results show that structured pre-and post-simulation team assignments significantly improved performance as measured by the percentage of teams with ending cash balances higher than the "Do Nothing" team that serves as a benchmark. Furthermore, the combination of an individual quiz administered before the simulation, and the structured team assignments resulted in the largest and most statistically significant improvement over the standard unstructured post-simulation assignment alone.
Immediate recall as a function of grammatical structure and mode of presentation

Immediate written recall of nonsense strings was studied in a 3 by 2 factorial design: structure (none, morphology, morphology and syntax) and mode of presentation (vertical and horizontal). Each S recalled a string to criterion of two errorless trials in at least 10 trials. Measures of recall indicated facilitation by structure in both modes of presentation. Multiple comparisons revealed no differences between the two levels of structure. Serial position of first written response differentiated modes of presentation in the unstructured condition.
Discourse of a Mormon Ally in Supervision

Counselors-in-training (CIT) who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also referred to as the Mormon Church) may face internal dissonance when counseling clients who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). This article explores the experience of a self-identified Mormon CIT who was supervised over the course of one semester by a lesbian-identified supervisor while developing as an LGB ally. Critical discourse analysis methodology was conducted to investigate the supervisory experience. In conclusion, suggestions for ally development during supervision are discussed.
Casting out Nines Revisited

The splendid computational check known as "casting out 9's" has fallen into disuse in our schools. This is hardly surprising in view of the current obsession, at the elementary level, with outmoded computational algorithms at the expense of any real mathematical understanding. Indeed it is our experience that most university students have no idea what the phrase "casting out 9's" means. Easily accessible discussions are rare in contemporary literature; however, they may be found in [1], [3], [4], and [6]. The history of the topic may be found in [5]. Before explaining the significance of casting out nines, let us establish the notation which will be used in this note.
Analysis of SSCP for Cotton Differentially Expressed Genes Related to Fiber Development

Single-strand conformation polymorphism(SSCP) is an easy and sensitive technique that detects mobility shifts of single stranded DNA fragments due to conformational differences using non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.A total of 162 primer pairs were designed for genes that were differentially expressed among cotton interspecific introgression lines for yield and fiber quality traits.Eight genotypes were selected from the cultivated tetraploid cotton including four genotypes of G.hirsutum and four of G.barbadense.A total of 146 primer pairs amplified a clear,strong and single band each from the genomic DNA when assayed by 1.5% agarose gels.Using the SSCP analysis,54 primer pairs yielded 116 polymorphic loci among the four genotypes of G.hirsutum,while 45 pairs yielded 111 polymorphic loci among the four genotypes of G.barbadense.The SSCP polymorphism was much higher between the two species where a total of 79 pairs produced 260 polymorphic markers.Meanwhile,36 pairs yielded polymorphism between G.barbadense and G.hirsutum.The polymorphic SSCP markers grouped the eight genotypes into two species groups(G.barbadense and G.hirsutum),as expected.The results showed that SSCP technique can detect high polymorphism in cultivated tetraploid cotton.
Impacts of Implementation of Household Step Tariff on Power Supply Enterprises and Measures

The NDRC's decision to introduce the stepped price for the residential electricity consumption has aroused widespread attention in China's society and will also set new requirements on power supply companies.Based on interpretations of the new policy,this study preliminarily analyzes possible impacts of the policy on the power supply companies in terms of the metering system,metering reading management,accounting management,system operation and business operation management and puts forward some technical and managerial measures for power supplies companies to respond to the possible changes.
Intrauterine transfusion: A cooperative study

Data from 15 medical centers in the United States on 1,097 intrauterine transfusions performed on 607 sensitized, Rh-negative obstetric patients were compiled and evaluated. There were 206 (34 per cent) infants salvaged by the intrauterine transfusion. The criteria for performing an intrauterine transfusion were strict, but varied with the week of gestation and previous obstetric history. The time of the initial transfusion is critical. Initial transfusions performed prior to 25 weeks’ gestation were technically difficult and the salvage rate was low. Ninety-two per cent of the salvaged fetuses received their initial transfusion after 25 weeks’ gestation. The most frequent complications associated with intrauterine transfusions were premature labor (30 per cent) and premature rupture of the membranes (12 per cent). If spontaneous labor had not occurred, delivery was effected by 35 to 36 weeks’ gestation.
HIV infection and intravenous drug users. Implications for emergency services.

Summary HIV-I infection among IVDUs is increasing at a rapid rate in the U.S. Because many Emergency Departments experience many visits from patients with this risk factor, the impact on emergency services can be considerable. Because many of these patients currently have asymptomatic infection, knowledge of clinical presentations of HIV-I infection is valuable, as the Emergency Department may be the site for the initial presentation of complications related to HIV-I. Finally, Emergency Departments may play a vital role in preventing further progression of this deadly and destructive disease among this risk group.
AlGaAs/GaAs DH and InGaP/GaAs DH grown by MOCVD on flexible metal substrates

High quality, epitaxial, AlGaAs and InGaP thin films have been grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on flexible metal substrates using buffered GaAs on ion-beam textured epitaxial templates. The grown AlGaAs and InGaP films exhibit strong (00I) orientation and sharp in-plane texture. We also report preliminary developments on AlGaAs/GaAs and InGaP/GaAs double heterostructures (DH) to measure minority carrier life-time of GaAs thin films grown using MOCVD. Deposition of undoped AlGaAs was done on flexible GaAs/Ge template with a target Al concentration of 10–40 %, at different growth temperatures (650−800 oC) and 20 Torr process pressure. We have observed minority carrier lifetime of greater than 2 ns for GaAs films grown at 650 oC and sandwiched between Al 0 .2Ga 0 . 8 As DH grown at 750 oC. Deposition of lattice matched updoped In 0 . 48 Ga 0 . 52 P/GaAs is also in progress. Epitaxial AlGaAs and InGaP can be further utilized in the fabrication of flexible low-cost III-V solar cells on metal substrates.
Prediction of breast cancer risk based on flow-variant analysis of circulating peripheral blood B cells

Identifying women at high risk for breast cancer can trigger a personal program of annual mammograms and magnetic resonance imaging scans for early detection, prophylactic surgery, or chemoprevention to reduce the risk of cancer. Yet, current strategies to identify high-risk mutations based on sequencing panels of genes have significant false-positive and false-negative results, suggesting the need for alternative approaches. Flow-variant assays (FVAs) that assess the effects of mutations in the double-strand break (DSB) repair genetic pathway in lymphoblastoid cells in response to treatment with radiomimetic agents were assessed for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy both alone and as part of a logistic regression classification score. In turn, these assays were validated in circulating B cells and applied to individuals with personal and/or family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. A three-FVA classification score based on logistic regression had 95% accuracy. Individuals from a breast cancer–positive cohort with affected family members had high-risk FVA classification scores. Application of a classification score based on multiple FVAs could represent an alternative to panel sequencing for identifying women at high risk for cancer. Genet Med advance online publication 16 March 2017
Framing Ferguson: Fox News and the construction of US racism:

In August 2014, police officer Darren Wilson shot unarmed Michael Brown, sparking months of protests in Ferguson, Missouri and other American cities and capturing worldwide media attention. This ar...
Beyond the Abortion Wars: A Way Forward for a New Generation

In the interest of full disclosure, Charles Camosy and I blog for catholicmoraltheology.com, where we share an interest in doing exactly the kind of important thing he does in this book: bring toge...
A Data-Driven Approach for Driving Safety Risk Prediction Using Driver Behavior and Roadway Information Data

Future roadways will have a mix of autonomous and automated vehicles with regular vehicles that require human operators. To ensure the safety of all the road users in such a network, it is necessary to enhance the performance of the present Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) for lower classes of vehicles. Real-time driving safety risk prediction is an essential element of an ADAS. In this paper, we propose a novel data-driven approach to predict traffic safety risk that can be customized for individual drivers by including driver-specific variables. In particular, we have used the elastic net regularized multinomial logistic regression and data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) naturalistic driving study to build the predictive models. This paper rigorously examines the variables in the data set and performs data preparation and feature engineering steps to enhance the prediction performance with respect to model predictors. The model produces good results, and model adaptation/extensions for further improvements are discussed in the conclusion section. Two versions of the model are presented according to the level of warnings that the model can generate based on driving conditions. This paper provides a brief overview of the potential applications of the work.
Prostate Cancer Screening: Time to Question How to Optimize the Ratio of Benefits and Harms

The editorialist discusses Tsodikov and colleagues' findings and advocates for a shift in focus, from whether screening with prostate-specific antigen testing provides benefit to how to implement s...
A Peridynamic Model of Fracture Mechanics with Bond-Breaking

We present a new formulation of a peridynamic model for brittle fracture that incorporates a properly defined bond-breaking rule which leads to a dynamic system of time-dependent differential integral equations having both spatial nonlocal/nonlinear interactions and temporal memory/history dependence. The dynamic system is shown to be well-posed through rigorous mathematical analysis. Its effectiveness in simulating crack propagation in a two dimensional brittle material is also demonstrated.
Numerical stabilities study of a decomposed compact method for highly oscillatory Helmholtz equations

Abstract This paper concerns numerical stabilities of a decomposed compact finite difference method for solving Helmholtz partial differential equation problems with large wave numbers. Radially symmetric transverse fields and standard polar coordinates are considered. A decomposition is implemented to remove the anticipated singularity in the transverse direction. Compact scheme structures are introduced in the transverse direction to raise the accuracy for laser and subwavelength optical computations. It is proven that, while the highly accurate compact algorithm shies away from the conventional stability in the von Neumann sense, it is asymptotically stable with index one. Additionally, a discussion on theoretical and numerical stabilities for this method is presented. Numerical experiments further demonstrate the high reliability of the scheme when implemented in highly oscillatory optical self-focusing wave propagation simulations.
Characteristics of Abusive Parents and Abused Children

In any area of science, and certainly in the study of human behavior, there is a series of progressive steps that characterize our level of understanding of a phenomenon. The first and most basic step toward understanding a behavioral problem is being able to describe it. Once we are able to describe accurately the characteristics of the problem or phenomenon, we can then develop a theoretical or conceptual model to account for what is observed. Finally, based on an adequate conceptual model, it is possible to generate specific predictions and interventions concerning the problem in which we are interested.
Extramembranous Structure in Mycoplasmas

The murein sacculus surrounds the inner membrane of most prokaryotes giving shape and stability to the organism (Costerton and Irvin, 1981). It is composed of peptidoglycan, a polymer of carbohydrates and amino acids. In Chlamydia, the outer surface is composed of a rigid, disulfide-interlocked protein layer which replaces the function of the peptidoglycan layer. In these organisms, the degree of cross-linking coincides with differentiation from a metabolically inactive, extracellular elementary body to a metabolically active, pleomorphic, intracellular reticulate body (Hackstadt et al., 1985). Mollicutes, however, lack cell walls, peptidoglycan and protein matrices (Plackett, 1959). Their single membrane must serve to separate cytoplasmic components from the environment, provide shape, and prevent lysis under changing environmental conditions. In this respect their membrane more closely resembles eukaryotic membranes than other eubacteria. It is a single cholesterol-containing phospholipid bilayer to which is attached or embedded a variety of proteins and carbohydrates. The exact nature of the outer surface of mycoplasmas, except for the protein component which has been studied extensively in many species, is not known, and variations occur as a consequence of environmental or genetic changes (Rosengarten and Wise, 1990; Watson et al., 1988).
Pharmacotherapy in the Critically Ill Child with Acute Kidney Injury

Several commonly used medications in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are potentially toxic to the kidney. The kidney plays a major role in determining the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of a multitude of medications that are commonly used in the PICU. As such, dosing of these medications needs to be adjusted in critically ill children with acute kidney injury. Renal replacement therapy can affect the drug levels of commonly used medications in the PICU.
Volume-Pressure Hysteresis of the Lungs

Recoil due to tissue elastic forces and surface tension are the principal mechanisms which counter balance the inflating transpulmonary pressure of the lungs. The stress-strain properties of the elastic elements and surface tension-area relationships of surfactant are not sufficient to describe the mechanical behavior of the lungs because of the complex arrangement of the alveoli and alveolar ducts (Figure 1.).
Regularity of Lossy RSA on Subdomains and Its Applications

We build on an approach of Kiltz et al. (CRYPTO ’10) and bring new techniques to bear on the study of how “lossiness” of the RSA trapdoor permutation under the φ-Hiding Assumption (φA) can be used to understand the security of classical RSA-based cryptographic systems. In particular, we show that, under φA, several questions or conjectures about the security of such systems can be reduced to bounds on the regularity (the distribution of the primitive e-th roots of unity mod N) of the “lossy” RSA map (where e divides φ(N)). Specifically, this is the case for: (i) showing that large consecutive runs of the RSA input bits are simultaneously hardcore, (ii) showing the widely-deployed PKCS #1 v1.5 encryption is semantically secure, (iii) improving the security bounds of Kiltz et al. for RSA-OAEP. We prove several results on the regularity of the lossy RSA map using both classical techniques and recent estimates on Gauss sums over finite subgroups, thereby obtaining new results in the above applications. Our results deepen the connection between “combinatorial” properties of exponentiation in \(\mathbb{Z}_\emph{N}\) and the security of RSA-based constructions.
The intermediary roles of foundations in the policy process: building coalitions of interest

The role of philanthropic foundations in the policy process is largely hidden and thus significantly under conceptualized. In this paper, we argue that several key characteristics of foundations serve as advantages for them to play an intermediary role in different stages of the policy process. By leveraging their independent resources, credibility, and strategic giving, they are able to build coalitions of interest to advance and secure preferred policy alternatives through agenda setting, policy diffusion, and coordinating implementation efforts. We provide evidence for this intermediary role through two qualitative case studies, (1) the Pew Charitable Trust’s efforts to promote universal pre-kindergarten, 2002–2012, and (2) multiple foundations’ role in supporting extended foster care in California, 2008–2012. In both cases, we find that foundations wielded significant political power within policy communities by serving as central hubs of information, facilitating coordinated action, incentivizing action, and connecting diverse actors. This allows them to play a crucial, yet veiled, role in attempts to advance policy change. This phenomenon may be welcomed for supporting evidence-based policymaking and capacity building, but is troubling in regards to transparency and accountability.
Sensor Placement and Detection Coverage for Spectrum Sharing in the 3.5 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission rules for operation in the 3.5 GHz band require that an Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) system detect the presence of a federal incumbent shipborne radar in order to protect it from harmful interference. Thus, ESC operators have to deploy ESC sensors along the coasts to comply with the rules. We formulate the ESC sensor deployment problem as a coverage problem where ESC sensors need to cover a predefined geometric area inside which radar may experience harmful interference. Using propagation models and radar parameters, we compute antenna lobe patterns for different beamwidths and detection thresholds of the ESC sensors. These patterns are then used to cover the geometric area such that both outage and excess coverage areas are minimized. We present a greedy algorithm and apply it to Dynamic Protection Areas currently being defined for the coasts of the contiguous United States. We evaluate its performance in terms of some key metrics important to the federal incumbent as well as commercial operators.
Knockout validation of antibodies to Ki67: a marker for cellular proliferation

At Abcam, providing a high level of validation has always been a priority and our strategies are constantly evolving as new technologies are developed. The recent knockout (KO) validation initiative, made possible through a partnership with Horizon Discovery and the use of their CRISPR/Cas9 KO cell lines, addresses both antibody specificity and reproducibility on a large scale. Ki67 is a proliferation marker and determining its expression levels has prognostic and predictive values in cancer (1–5). Hence, it is critical that antibodies used to target Ki67 are highly specific. This study demonstrates the evolving strategies used in our laboratory to validate antibodies to Ki67. The use of a human haploid cell lines where Ki67 expression has been knocked out has unequivocally identified antibodies that bind specifically to Ki67. Utilising this technology has enabled KO validation of antibodies and, at the time of abstract submission, there are over 650 KO validated antibodies on our catalogue. It is our hope that by using this technique we can help to raise industry standards and contribute to the generation of reproducible research.
Nature and Exercise Interact to Influence Perceived Restorativeness

Abstract We examined whether activity and the environment in which it occurred interacted to influence perceived restorativeness. One hundred eighty-one participants were randomly assigned to one o...
13 – Conductive textiles

With the rapid development of flexible electronics, conductive textiles are becoming important building blocks for wearables in broad applications. Different from conventional textiles, conductive textiles require fabrics to have a basic wearable function as well as electrical conductivity. Conductive textiles have been used in applications such as antistatic, electromagnetic (EM) shielding, and e-textiles. In this chapter, we introduce the fundamental principles of conductive textiles and review recent developments of advanced conductive coating technologies and their applications in antistatic, EM shielding, and e-textiles.
Thermal-Aware Servers for Real-Time Tasks on Multi-Core GPU-Integrated Embedded Systems

The recent trend in real-time applications raises the demand for powerful embedded systems with GPU-CPU integrated systems-on-chips (SoCs). This increased performance, however, comes at the cost of power consumption and resulting heat dissipation. Heat conduction interferes the execution time of tasks running on adjacent CPU and GPU cores. The violation of thermal constraints causes timing unpredictability to real-time tasks due transient performance degradation or permanent system failure. In this paper, we propose a thermal-aware server framework to safely upper bound the maximum temperature of GPU-CPU integrated systems running real-time sporadic tasks. Our framework supports variants of real-time server policies for CPU and GPU cores to satisfy both thermal and timing requirements. In addition, the framework incorporates two mechanisms, miscellaneous-operation-time reservation and pre-ordered scheduling of GPU requests, which significantly reduce task response time. We present analysis to design thermal-server budget and to check the schedulability of CPU-only and GPU-using sporadic tasks. The thermal properties of our framework have been evaluated on a commercial embedded platform. Experimental results with randomly-generated tasksets demonstrate the performance characteristics of our framework with different configurations.
Impact of thermally modified wood on mechanical properties of mortar

Abstract In this study, the impact of partially replacing sand with sustainable and renewable biomass such as ground wood chips on the mechanical properties of mortar is investigated. The effect of thermal treated biomass on strength properties is also studied. Compared to the mortar containing untreated ground wood chips, those containing highly or lightly torrefied ground wood chips were found to have higher flexural strength and compressive strength due to the enhanced bonding between the wood chips and paste matrix. Although all the tested mortars with ground wood chips have lower strength than the mortar without any wood chips, their flexural toughness and toughness indices were found to be comparable or higher than the controlled mortar, indicating better energy absorption capacity and post-peak behavior.
Impact of Training on Use of Debriefing for Meaningful Learning

Abstract Background Because of the significant learning demonstrated through debriefing, regulatory bodies have recommended that all debriefers receive training in a debriefing method. However, it is unknown how this training impacts debriefing implementation with students. Methods The Debriefing for Meaningful Learning Inventory was used to measure the application of Debriefing for Meaningful Learning (DML) of 234 debriefers with prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students. Results Statistically significant differences were found, based on the type of training received. Debriefing for Meaningful Learning implementation improved with each additional training source. Conclusions This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of training on how trained debriefers implement DML during debriefing.
Incidence of isolated para-aortic lymph node metastasis in early stage endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objective To investigate the incidence of isolated para-aortic lymph node (PaLN) metastasis among patients with stage I endometrial cancer and negative pelvic lymph nodes. Methods The National Cancer Database was accessed and patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 with an endometrial carcinoma limited to the uterus who underwent extensive pelvic lymphadenectomy (defined as at least 10 lymph nodes removed), had negative pelvic lymph nodes, and underwent PaLN sampling/dissection (with at least 5 lymph nodes removed) were selected for further analysis. Comparisons were made with the chi-square test while a binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of isolated PaLN metastasis. Results A total of 14398 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified. Median patient age was 63 years (IQR: 13). Most patients had endometrioid histology (79.8%) and stage IA disease (68.8%). The median number of pelvic LNs removed and examined was 18 (IQR: 10). The median number of PaLN removed and examined was 8 (IQR:5). The overall rate of isolated PaLN metastasis was 1.6%. By binary logistic regression presence of lymphovascular space invasion (OR: 5.38 95% CI: 3.99, 7.24) and substage IB (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.54, 2.73) were associated with the presence of isolated PaLN metastasis. Conclusions Isolated PaLN in the absence of pelvic lymph node metastasis is extremely rare among patients with stage I endometrial cancer even in the presence of high risk characteristics.
Analyzing Afrique: one dance and three methods

Undergraduate research papers offer a difficult challenge for students to demonstrate primary and secondary research skills, knowledge of dance practices and their histories, and clarity of written...
Other-Than-Human Persons, Mishipishu, and Danger in the Late Woodland Inland Waterway Landscape of Northern Michigan

Other-than-human persons and the role they play in transforming social, economic, and ideological material realities is an area of expanding interest in archaeology. Although the Anishinaabeg were an early and vital focus of cultural anthropological studies on nonhumans given their significant relationships with other-than-human persons, known to them as manitou, emerging archaeologies advancing this topic are not largely centered on ancestral Anishinaabeg sites and artifacts. This article analyzes a set of nonvessel ceramic artifacts from Late Woodland archaeological sites in the Inland Waterway in northern Michigan, which are interpreted to be ceramic renderings of manitou. I argue that these were manitou-in-clay, vibrant relational entities that are brought into being for and through use in ceremonial perspective practices related to Mishipishu—a complexly powerful, seductive, and dangerous nonhuman being known as the head of all water spirits. I contextualize the making and breaking of Mishipishu manitou-in-clay as acts of petition by hunter-fishers who had been seduced by this manitou in dreams, as they headed out on necessary but high-risk early-spring resource harvesting in the inland lakes of the Inland Waterway. This case advances insights into how relationships with other-than-human persons were coproductive of the world in the northern Great Lakes region during the Late Woodland period.
Marijuana Use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Understanding the Prevalence and the Potential Pitfalls

Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease experiment with marijuana for symptom control. Marijuana may help reduce abdominal pain but does not control inflammatory bowel disease related inflammation. Patients should discuss their marijuana use with their providers and continue appropriate medications if considering marijuana.
Evaluation of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus survival and growth during cooling of hams cured with natural-source nitrite

ABSTRACT Growing consumer demand for clean-label "natural" products has encouraged more meat processors to cure meat products with natural sources of nitrate or nitrite such as celery juice powder. One challenge for these producers is to identify safe cooling rates in products cured with celery juice powder where extended cooling could allow growth of pathogens. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently added guidelines for stabilization of meat products cured using naturally occurring nitrites based on control of Clostridium spp. However, a knowledge gap exists for safe cooling rates that prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, potential postlethality contaminants, in naturally cured ham. The study was conducted to investigate the temperature profiles of naturally cured hams of typical sizes during refrigerator cooling and to determine the behavior of S. aureus and L. monocytogenes on ham during these cooling periods. Whole hams (14 lb [6,300 g]), half hams (6 lb [2,700 g]), and quarter hams (3 lb [1,400 g]) were slowly cooked in a smokehouse until internal temperatures reached a minimum of 140°F (60°C) and then were immediately transferred into a walk-in cooler (38°F [3.3°C]). Cooling times for hams of all sizes were within the requirements for cured products but not for uncured products. Worst-case scenarios of postprocessing surface contamination were simulated by inoculating small naturally cured ham samples with S. aureus or L. monocytogenes. These inoculated hams were then cooled under controlled conditions of 130 to 45°F (54.4 to 7.2°C) for 720 to 900 min. By the end of cooling, small decreases (0.5 to 0.6 log CFU/g) were found for each inoculum. These findings may help small ham processors evaluating production and quality control methods to determine whether recommended concentrations of natural curing agents used to prevent growth of clostridial pathogens may also prevent growth of other pathogens during meat cooling. HIGHLIGHTS
Impacts of remotely sensed environmental drivers on coral outplant survival

Globally, coral reefs are degrading due to a variety of stressors including climate change and pollution. Active restoration is an important effort for sustaining coral reefs where, typically, coral fragments are outplanted onto degraded reefs. Coral outplants, however, can experience mortality in response to a range of stressors. We pair results of outplant monitoring observations with satellite‐based measurements of multiple oceanographic variables to estimate the relative importance of each driver to coral outplant survival. We find that when considering mean environmental conditions experienced by outplants during the monitoring period, particulate organic carbon (POC) levels are most important in determining outplant survival, with certain levels of POC beneficial for outplants. Sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) are also important determinants of outplant survival, where survival is greatest in regions with minimal or slightly negative anomalies. Survival also increases with increasing distance to land, likely due to a reduction in negative ridge‐to‐reef effects on coral outplants. When considering the range (min–max) of environmental conditions experienced during the monitoring period, large fluctuations in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and POC are most important in determining outplant survival. Increasing outplant depth can help to counter the negative impacts of large fluctuations in environmental variables. We find that a variety of remotely sensed oceanographic variables have significant impacts on survival and should be considered in coral restoration planning to help evaluate potential restoration sites and ultimately maximize coral outplant survival.
Women as Force and Reason: Dunayevskaya, Marx, and Revolutionary Subjectivity

This chapter explores the link between Marx’s theory of “Revolution in Permanence” and Raya Dunayevskaya’s discussion of the role of women in deepening the content of struggle of radical movements. In many of her writings on women revolutionaries, Dunayevskaya points to women as “force and reason” emphasizing their role as both revolutionary activists and theoreticians who challenge not only traditionally capitalist relations, but also exploitative and alienating gender relations. Dunayevskaya consistently pointed to the need to uproot all oppressive relations that exist under capitalism in order to build a new society that is truly inclusive of all. This significantly expands on Marx’s notion of the revolutionary subject that is both an activist and a theorist. I argue that this understanding of women’s participation in radical movements as “force and reason” is essential to understanding radical social movements both of the past and the present.
A Far Infrared Bolometer at 0.10 °K

The performance of a Ge bolometer cooled to 0.10°K is discussed. A detector responsivity of 1.1 × 107 V W−1 and NEP of 5 × 10−16 W Hz− 1/2 are expected. A single-cycle He dilution refrigerator with no moving parts is also described.