cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualization techniques for genomic data

In order to take full advantage of the newly available public human genome sequence data and associated annotations, biologists require visualization tools that can accommodate the high frequency of alternative splicing in human genes and other complexities. We describe techniques for presenting human genomic sequence data and annotations in an interactive, graphical format, with the aim of providing developers with a guide to what features are most likely to meet biologists' needs. These techniques include: one-dimensional semantic zooming to show sequence data alongside gene structures; moveable, adjustable tiers; visual encoding of the translation frame to show how alternative transcript structure affects encoded proteins; and display of protein domains in the context of genomic sequence to show how alternative splicing impacts protein structure and function.
Leiomyosarcoma of the skin with osteoclast-like giant cells: a case report

Osteoclast-like giant cells have been noted in various malignant tumors, such as, carcinomas of pancreas and liver and leiomyosarcomas of non-cutaneous locations, such as, uterus and rectum. We were unable to find any reported case of a leiomyosarcoma of the skin where osteoclast-like giant cells were present in the tumor. We report a case of a 59-year-old woman with a cutaneous leiomyosarcoma associated with osteoclast-like giant cells arising from the subcutaneous artery of the leg. The nature of the giant cells is discussed in light of the findings from the immunostaining as well as survey of the literature. A rare case of cutaneous leiomyosarcoma with osteoclast-like giant cells is reported. The giant cells in the tumor appear to be reactive histiocytic cells.
Laser–nanostructure interactions for ion production

Interactions between pulsed laser radiation and nanostructured materials, with dimensions ranging from 1 nm to 500 nm, can result in enhanced desorption and ionization of organic and biomolecular adsorbates. When the critical dimensions of the nanostructures fall below the characteristic lengths for the involved transport processes, novel regimes of ion production are observed. Systems with dimensions commensurate with the wavelength of the laser radiation are the basis of photonic ion sources with unique properties, including polarization dependent ion yields and fragmentation. The main characteristics of these systems are often governed by altered modes of transport, e.g., ballistic vs. diffusive, energy confinement, plasmon resonances, and local field enhancements. Some structures offer control over the internal energy and the active fragmentation channels for the produced ions. Emerging applications of photonic ion sources in mass spectrometry benefit from ultrahigh sensitivity, a wide dynamic range for detection and quantitation, and a broad coverage of adsorbates ranging from small organic molecules to biopolymers, as well as to highly complex samples like single cells.
Regulation of human airway epithelial cell IL-8 expression by MAP kinases.

Recent studies indicate that maximal IL-8 protein expression requires activation of NF-κB as well as activation of the MAP kinases ERK, JNK, and p38. However, the precise relationship between NF-κB...
Ectopic expression of the female transformer gene product leads to female differentiation of chromosomally male drosophila

Summary The transformer (tra) gene of Drosophila is necessary for all aspects of female somatic sexual differentiation. tra uses a single set of precursor RNAs to produce female- and non-sex-specific RNAs by alternative splicing. Ectopic expression of the female-specific RNA causes chromosomal males to develop as females, indicative of a linear pathway of regulated genes controlling sex. Genetic and molecular tests with this ectopically expressed gene are consistent with the following order of gene action: X chromosome to autosome ratio → Sex lethal → transformer → transformer-2 → doublesex → intersex → terminal differentiation. Expression of the female-specific tra RNA in tra mutants is sufficient to lead to female differentiation. Expression of the non-sex-specific tra RNA in tra mutants is not sufficient to lead to female differentiation. The tra female-specific activity is not required for female-specific splicing of the tra precursor RNAs.
Concordance between caregiver and child reports of children’s oral health‐related quality of life

Objective: This study sought to assess child-caregiver concordance regarding children’s oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) using the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP). Methods: The sample comprised treatment-seeking children aged 8–15 with pediatric (n = 141), orthodontic (n = 135), and craniofacial (n = 100) needs and their caregivers. Children and their caregivers were queried concerning the child’s Oral health, Functional Well-being, Social/Emotional Well-being, School environment and Self-image. These combined subscales yielded an overall OHRQoL rating. The dyads were distributed at recruitment locations as follows: Montreal (50 pediatric, 13 orthodontic, 15 craniofacial), UMDNJ (45 pediatric, 15 orthodontic, 0 craniofacial), and NYU (46 pediatric, 107 orthodontic, 85 craniofacial). Concordance was assessed with Spearman and intraclass correlations and Kruskal–Wallis testing of categories of agreement. Results: Low to modest rates of agreement between child and caregiver were found for the sample overall. Rates of concordance between child and caregiver varied between clinical groups–craniofacial patients were more likely to rate OHRQoL higher than they were to agree with their caregivers’ ratings. In contrast, pediatric and orthodontic patients were more likely either agree with or rate their OHRQoL lower than their caregivers’ ratings. Conclusion: These findings of child-caregiver concordance using the COHIP supported previous work suggesting the usefulness of obtaining both child and caregiver reports of the child’s QoL.
Counteracting Flow Electrophoresis: A Technique for Separating Biochemicals or Charged Macromolecules

A method for fractionating solutions of charged biochemicals or macromolecules is described. The technique, entitled counteracting flow electrophoresis (CAFE), utilizes parallel electric and fluid flow fields applied within a porous solid barrier to accomplish a separation based on differences in the electrophoretic mobility of the dissolved molecules. A prototypical separation of hemoglobin from bovine serum albumin demonstrated the recovery of a 90+% pure protein with a 20% yield. Improvements in both purity and yield are discussed in terms of barrier characteristics and the intensities of the electrical and flow fields. Barrier characteristics that strongly affect the separation are pore size and thickness.
Exploring Robust Design Capabilities, Their Role in Creating Global Products, and Their Relationship to Firm Performance

With the increasing desire for products suitable for widely varying markets worldwide, this study offers insight into capabilities associated with successful robust design in global product markets. These robust design capabilities (i.e., the possibility for success under varying circumstances or scenarios) are a potential organizational response to rapid change and uncertainty, which also improve the likelihood of product acceptance on a global basis. From literature, executive interviews, and anecdotal evidence, four capabilities associated with robust product design are derived: (1) functional; (2) aesthetic; (3) technological; and (4) quality based. A model is proposed and an empirical test conducted that considers the moderating influence of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between these robust capabilities and firm performance. The findings suggest that the use of robust design capabilities are affected by uncertainty and have an important influence on firm performance and speed to market. Specifically, the product development process tends to be characterized by aesthetic and technological robust design capabilities in more certain environments and functional robust design capabilities in more uncertain environments when seeking to improve firm performance. Alternatively, technological design capabilities in more certain environments and functional design capabilities in more uncertain environments are associated with improved speed to market.
Keratin 19 Epithelial Patterns in Cirrhotic Stroma Parallel Hepatocarcinogenesis

Cirrhotic septa harbor vessels and inflammatory, fibrogenic, and ductular epithelial cells, collectively referred to as the ductular reaction (DR). Lack of the DR in the stromal compartment around hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been documented; however, the relationship of epithelial keratin 19 (K19) structures to progression of intralesional carcinogenesis has not been explored. K19 immunoreactivity in the stromal compartment around 176 nodules in cirrhotic explants was examined. Quantitative differences (P < 0.0001) were manifested in three distinct histologically identifiable patterns: “complex” around cirrhotic nodules (CN), “attenuated” around dysplastic nodules (DN), and “absent” around HCC. Markers of necrosis or apoptosis could not explain the perinodular K19 epithelial loss; however, multicolor immunolabeling for K19, vimentin, E-Cadherin, SNAIL, and fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP-1) demonstrated discrepancies in immunophenotype and cytomorphologic features. Variability of cellular features was accompanied by an overall decrease in epithelial markers and significantly increased fractions of SNAIL- and FSP-1–positive cells in the DR around DN when compared with CN (P < 0.0001). Immunolabeling of transforming growth factor-β signaling components (TGFβR1, SMAD3, and pSMAD2/3) demonstrated increased percentages of pSMAD2/3 around DN when compared with CN (P < 0.0001). These findings collectively suggest marked alterations in cellular identity as an underlying mechanism for the reproducible extralesional K19 pattern that parallels progressive stages of intranodular hepatocarcinogenesis. Paracrine signaling is proposed as a link that emphasizes the importance of the epithelial-stromal compartment in malignant progression of HCC in cirrhosis.
Preventing State Crimes Against Democracy

This article analyzes U.S. vulnerabilities to state crimes against democracy (SCADs). SCADs are actions or inactions by government insiders intended to manipulate democratic processes and undermine popular sovereignty. Watergate and Iran–Contra are well‐known examples of SCADs involving top officials. SCADs in high office are difficult to detect and successfully prosecute because they are usually complex and compartmentalized; investigations are often compromised by conflicts of interests; and powerful norms discourage speculation about corruption in high office. However, liberal democracies can reduce their vulnerability to state political criminality by identifying vulnerabilities proactively and instituting policies for SCAD detection and prevention.
Planning Horizons for the Dynamic Lot Size Model with Backlogging

Planning horizons are developed for the dynamic economic lot site model with backlogging when the marginal production cost is either constant or variable. The inventory holding and backlogging cost functions are assumed to be concave. An efficient forward algorithm generalizes the Eppen-Gould-Pashigian procedure and enables us to place bounds on the optimal production plan should a horizon not be found.
Integral Theory of Quadratic Forms over Local Fields

We conclude this book by introducing the genus and the spinor genus of a lattice on a quadratic space over a global field, and by studying the relation between these two new objects and the class. We shall use these relations to obtain sufficient conditions under which two lattices are in the same class.
A new look at expression templates for matrix computation

We reinterpret the expression templates for matrix computation put forward by other authors in light of functional programming ideas. Existing expression template libraries frequently focus on componentwise operations such as addition at the expense of matrix multiplication. The ideas presented are implemented in a C++ library called LLANO (Lazy Linear Algebraic Numerical Objects).
Structural basis for Na+-sensitivity in dopamine D2 and D3 receptors

To understand the structural basis for the Na+-sensitivity of ligand binding to dopamine D2-like receptors, using computational analysis in combination with binding assays, we identified interactions critical in propagating the impact of Na+ on receptor conformations and on the ligand-binding site. Our findings expand the pharmacologically-relevant conformational spectrum of these receptors.
giant fish, giant otters, and dinosaurs: “apparently irrational beliefs” in a Chipewyan community

Dan Sperber's recent formulations of Rationalism advocate a form of cognitive reductionism in the interpretation of “apparently irrational beliefs” that is contingent upon a linear model of brain functioning analogous to the operations of a computer. This paper considers several nonexistent beings among the Chipewyan, arguing that such reductionism is invalid. As shared forms, their meaning is consistently indeterminate and temporally nonlinear, invalidating the assumptions of a Rationalist approach. [Chipewyan, Northern Athapaskans, rationalist, explanation, representations]
Photochemistry of codeinone derivatives. Asymmetric syntheses of enantiomerically pure 1,13-dihydroxydibenzazonines

Photorearrangement of N-carbomethoxynorcodeinone (1) in the presence of oxalic acid gives the chiral biaryl 3, which is converted to the protostephanine analogue 4b in 70% overall yield.
Body surface Laplacian mapping: modeling and clinical application

The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate effects of torso volume conduction on the body surface Laplacian map (BSLM) compared with the body surface potential map (BSPM) by computer modeling, and to test the applicability of body surface Laplacian mapping to the clinical diagnosis of abnormalities in cardiac electrical activity. Volume conductor effects on simulated BSLMs and BSPMs were compared using a spherical conductor model. BSLMs and BSPMs were obtained and studied experimentally in eight patients with cardiac abnormalities, including left bundle branch block (LBBB), premature ventricular depolarizations, (PVDs), and right ventricular (RV) pacemaker. The modeling and experimental studies demonstrate that torso volume conduction has much less smoothing effect on the BSLM than on the BSPM. Preliminary clinical study demonstrates that BSLMs can resolve and image regional myocardial events and can detect abnormal cardiac conduction patterns with high spatial resolution. >
ANONYMOUS-KEY QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SECURE QUANTUM BIT COMMITMENT

A new cryptographic tool, anonymous quantum key technique, is introduced that leads to unconditionally secure key distribution and encryption schemes that can be readily implemented experimentally in a realistic environment. If quantum memory is available, the technique would have many features of public-key cryptography; an identification protocolthat does not require a shared secret key is provided as an illustration. The possibility is also indicated for obtaining unconditionally secure quantum bit commitment protocols with this technique.
Future Potential of MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Brain Surgery

Magnetic resonance image-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) has surfaced as a viable noninvasive image-guided therapeutic method that integrates focused ultrasound (FUS), the therapeutic component, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the image guidance module, into a real-time therapy delivery system with closed-loop control of energy delivery. The main applications for MRgFUS of the brain are thermal ablations for brain tumors and functional neurosurgery, and nonthermal, nonablative uses for disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) or blood clot and hematoma dissolution by liquification. The disruption of the BBB by FUS can be used for targeted delivery of chemotherapy and other therapeutic agents. MRI is used preoperatively for target definition and treatment planning, intraoperatively for procedure monitoring and control, and postoperatively for validating treatment success. Although challenges still remain, this integrated noninvasive therapy delivery system is anticipated to change current treatment paradigms in neurosurgery and the clinical neurosciences.
Some Comparisons among Quadratic, Spherical, and Logarithmic Scoring Rules

Strictly proper scoring rules continue to play an important role in probability assessment. Although many such rules have been developed, relatively little guidance exists as to which rule is the most appropriate. In this paper, we discuss two important properties of quadratic, spherical, and logarithmic scoring rules. From an ex post perspective, we compare their rank order properties and conclude that both quadratic and spherical scoring perform poorly in this regard, relative to logarithmic. Second, from an ex ante perspective, we demonstrate that in many situations, logarithmic scoring is the method least affected by a nonlinear utility function. These results suggest that logarithmic scoring is superior when rank order results are important and/or when the assessor has a nonlinear utility function. In addition to these results, and perhaps more important, we demonstrate that nonlinear utility induces relatively little deviation from the optimal assessment under an assumption of risk neutrality. These results provide both comfort and guidance to those who would like to use scoring rules as part of the assessment process.
Range from focus

One method for improving the vision system of a robot is to allow the robot to automatically focus its cameras and to use focus as a depth cue. In this paper, the problem of automatic focusing is reduced, by a theoretical analysis of defocus as a wave aberration which attenuates high spatial-frequencies, to the problem of measuring the high spatial-frequency content of an image. The problem of recovering range from focus is treated using a focus criterion function along with knowledge of the lens parameters to solve the lens law for range. The accuracy of the range measurements is approximately 10% of object distances between 1 and 2m.
Decision logic for retreatment of asymptomatic lung cancer recurrence based on positron emission tomography findings.

Purpose : The purpose of the study was to determine if Positron emission tomography (PET) 2-[F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) imaging could detect subclinical local lung cancer recurrence and whether retreatment of such recurrence was feasible and beneficial. Methods and Materials : Twenty patients with biopsy proven lung cancer were studied with Positron emission tomography for the purpose of detecting subclinical lung cancer recurrence over a period of 4.25 years. All patients were treated with external radiation as part or all of their therapy. Twenty patients had baseline PET and computed tomography (CT) studies for comparison with later studies. Surviving patients had a total of 40 sequential PET scans and 35 CT scans. The follow-up interval ranged from 5 to 40 months posttreatment. The differential uptake ratio (DUR) was determined for regions of interest of increased FDG uptake. Results : The median DUR value of the 20 baseline PET studies was 5.59. The DUR value of greater than 3 was empirically selected as being positive for tumor detection. On baseline studies, PET had a 100% correlation with the CT findings in regard to detection of the site of primary tumor involvement. Four of 20 patients showed areas of discordance in the mediastinal and hilar areas on initial PET and CT studies. Seven of 17 patients showed discordant posttreatment PET-CT findings. Two false positive PET studies were due to radiation pneumonitis and one to macrophage glycolysis in tumor necrosis. For detection of asymptomatic tumor recurrence, analysis of sequential PET and CT studies, biopsy results, and the patient's clinical course suggested that PET had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 89.3%, and accuracy of 92.5%. Computerized Tomography was found to have a sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 85%, and accuracy of 82% for detection of such early-stage recurrence. Five patients went on to have retreatment with external irradiation based upon the PET evidence. Four retreated patients had biopsies that corroborated the positive PET findings, and one patient was retreated on the basis of the qualitative appearance of the posttreatment PET study. Two of the five retreated patients remain alive without evidence of tumor to 34 months following initial therapy. Conclusion : Positron emission tomography scanning appears to be effective in detecting and following the progression of recurrent lung cancer. Retreatment of patients with asymptomatic recurrent tumor has resulted in absent or decreased FDG activity. Monitoring of patients with PET may provide prolonged survival in patients who otherwise would fail treatment because of local tumor recurrence.
Integrating Robotic Sensor and Effector Capabilities with Multi-Agent Organizations

Robots possess many eectors and sensors of various capability. It is often dicult, not only to integrate these numerous capabilities, but also to organize them to accomplish a set of goals or tasks. Even more dicult is how to reorganize on the condition that a sensor/eector is damaged or incapacitated during operation. In this paper, we show how a organization-based multi-agent system (OMAS) adapts to control the sensor and eectors within a robot. The OMAS can also be extended to model the sensor and eectors for a team of cooperative robots. The use of integrating sensors/eectors
Programmatic Phenomena, Hermeneutics, and Neurobiology

Contemporary neurobiology presents a rare case in which philosophical attention might further scientific progress. Semantic confusion about the term “program” has led to the suggestion that genes embody a program for the development of the nervous system. It is unlikely, and perhaps impossible, that the events of neural development are isomorphic with the structure of any program. Development of the nervous system is not a programmatic, but a historical phenomenon—like the development of an ecosystem—in which events follow a well-defined sequence in the absence of any program. The analysis of historical phenomena bears a strong epistemological affinity to the activity of hermeneutics—a term originally applied to the interpretation of sacred texts. To avoid logical dilemma, hermeneutics requires in the interpreter a preunderstanding resulting from experience and intuition. The fact of variation in preunderstanding puts in doubt the attainability of objectively valid explanations, particularly in the “soft” sciences that address phenomena of great complexity. The more complex a phenomenon, the more hermeneutic preunderstanding is required by an explanation and the less likely it is that the explanation will have the aura of objective truth. Psychoanalytic theory classically demonstrates this weakness: no critical tests of the theory are possible because the failure of any prediction based on the theory can almost always be retrodictively rationalized by modifying slightly one’s preunderstanding of the phenomenon. Much of neurobiology displays this character. The student of a complex neural network must bring considerable preunderstanding to the task of interpreting its function, so the explanations that are advanced may remain beyond the reach of objective vali¬dation. —The Editor
Pore Structure of Cotton Fabrics Crosslinked with Formaldehyde-Free Reagents

Pore structures of cotton fabric crosslinked with several formaldehyde-free durable press reagents are elucidated, and results are compared with those for the industry standard, DMDHEU (dimethylold...
SiC-Composite First-Wall Design for the ARIES-I Reactor†

The ARIES-I reactor is a 1000-MWe, DT-burning tokamak reactor that combines present-day physics with advanced engineering technology such as high-field superconducting magnets and low-activation Si...
Reference values for the balance error scoring system in adolescents.

AbstractObjectives: Adolescents with mild traumatic brain injury (i.e. concussion) may experience postural stability impairments. The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is widely used in assessment of postural stability after concussion. Despite its common use in adolescents, the BESS lacks reference values in adolescents, limiting its clinical utility. The objective of this study is to report the reference values for the BESS in adolescents and to examine the effect of gender on the BESS scores.Methods: One hundred and ninety-one high school adolescents between the ages of 14–18 (M = 16.1, SD = 1.1) years of age completed the BESS. The effects of gender, age, body mass and height on the performance of BESS were examined. Additionally, the reported reference values for the BESS were stratified by gender.Results: Female participants demonstrated better performance on five of the six BESS conditions as well as the total error score (p < 0.001). No relationships were observed between age and body mass to th...
A Neural Network Approach to an Attitude Heading Reference System

This paper develops a novel sensor fusion system for low-cost inertial measurement units using neural networks. Lowcost strapdown inertial measurement units mainly consist of accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer devices to provide sufficient measurements to determine the orientation of the platform. The noise, drift and environmental effects on these devices heavily influence the outcome of the measurements for each device. Where each individual device cannot yield a proper solution to the orientation problem in all circumstances, sensor fusion will combine the measurements of each device and give a more accurate estimate of the orientation. The results outlined in this paper show that neural networks can be used to provide sensor fusion capabilities. Furthermore it is able to adaptively and intelligently determine the more accurate measurement source in order to estimate the orientation of the platform.
Analysis of Hot Spot Stress and Alternative Structural Stress Methods

There is a growing need for robust finite element based fatigue assessment procedures for welded joints in offshore/marine structures. Although widely accepted in tubular structures, the applications of the conventional hot spot stress (HSS) procedures in plate structures have proven to be problematic in some joint types. There are a series of on-going international efforts that are intended to address some of the issues to improve the consistency of the HSS calculation procedures for plate structures. In this regard, alternative structural stress (SS) procedures that share some similarities to conventional HSS methods have been developed. The SS method has been shown to be effective in calculating structural stresses directly at failure locations such as at weld toes with minimum mesh-sensitivity. In this paper, detailed analysis and assessments of the conventional HSS and the alternative SS procedures are presented. Starting with the fundamental definitions of both HSS and SS parameters, the underlying mechanics associated with the two types of the stress analysis methods will be discussed by considering series of typical joint types, particularly on some of the important stress concentration characteristics that separate tubular joints from plate joints. Then, the necessary and sufficient conditions required for a stress definition relevant to fatigue and its calculation procedures will be demonstrated for both methods. Areas of concerns and improvements for both methods will be demonstrated by using a series of selected joint types typical of those in marine/offshore structures. Finally, the corresponding S-N data will be used to demonstrate the relative effectiveness of HSS and SS methods in consolidating the data from drastically different joint types into a single S-N curve.© 2003 ASME
New developments in transference focused psychotherapy.

This paper will summarize recent clinical developments in the treatment of borderline patients at the Personality Disorders Institute at Cornell. The experiences under review will include the caref...
The Linguistic Development of Students of English as a Second Language in Two Written Genres

This study examined narrative and argumentative essays written over the course of a 4-month semester by 37 students of English as a second language (ESL). The essays were analyzed for development over time and for genre differences. The goal of the study was to conceptually replicate previous studies on genre differences (e.g., Lu, 2011) and on short-term linguistic development in the areas of syntactic complexity, accuracy, lexical complexity, and fluency (e.g., Connor-Linton & Polio, 2014). In addition, the authors wanted to investigate whether native speakers exhibited similar genre differences in order to determine if the ESL students’ genre variations were developmental or related to functional differences between the genres. The results indicate strong genre differences in the area of linguistic complexity. There were limited changes over time on most measures and a notable lack of development in the area of accuracy. Parallel data from native speakers show genre variation on some but not as many of the measures. Although this study was motivated by research design concerns, it also has implications for theory (e.g., the source of genre differences) and pedagogy.
Does Sympathetic Ganglionic Block Prevent Postherpetic Neuralgia?: Literature Review

Background and Objectives. To examine specifically the role of sympathetic block in the prevention of postherpetic neuralgia by its application in the treatment of acute herpes zoster. Methods. Data sources included a Medline search and cross-referencing of articles and text books. A total of 84 references were reviewed. Peer-reviewed articles were selected according to their relevance to the subject and originality. The data were critically analyzed by the author with the specific intention of avoiding bias. Results. The opinion of the medical community is divided on the role of sympathetic block in preventing postherpetic neuralgia because of the lack of controlled trials and the conflicting retrospective reports as to its effectiveness. While many reports promote the early use of sympathetic blocks during acute herpes zoster to prevent postherpetic neuralgia, others deny their value. Conclusions. Considering the degree of uncertainty, and the seriousness of postherpetic neuralgia, sympathetic block in addition to treatment with acyclovir should be considered early during acute herpes zoster. Large controlled trials are needed to provide the necessary scientific evidence.
Building a mobile movie recommendation service by user rating and APP usage with linked data on Hadoop

Movie recommendation systems are important tools that suggest films with respect to users' choices through item-based collaborative filter algorithms, and have shown positive effect on the provider's revenue. Given that mobile Apps are rapidly growing, the recommender is implemented to support web services in frontend Apps. Among those films recommended, users can give ratings and feedback, collecting film information from linked data concurrently. In order to solve cold-start problems, Cluster-based Matrix Factorization is adopted to model user implicit ratings related to Apps usage. Knowing that user rating data processing is a large-scale problem in producing high quality recommendations, MapReduce and NoSQL environments are employed in performing efficient similarity measurement algorithms whilst maintaining rating and film datasets. In this investigation, the system analyzes user feedbacks to evaluate the recommendation accuracy through metrics of precision, recall and F-score rates, while cold-start users make use the system with two MovieLens datasets as main rating reference in the recommendation system.
Assessing effect of dominant land-cover types and pattern on urban forest biomass estimated using LiDAR metrics

Accurate estimates of biomass in urban forests can help improve strategies for enhancing ecosystem services. Landscape heterogeneity, such as land-cover types and their spatial arrangements, greatly affects biomass growth, and it complicates the estimation of biomass. Application of LiDAR data is a typical approach for mapping forest biomass and carbon stocks across heterogeneous landscapes. However, little is known about how urban land uses and pattern impact biomass and estimates derived from LiDAR analysis. In this study, we examined the relationship between LiDAR-derived biomass and dominant land-cover types using field-measured estimates of aboveground forest biomass in an urbanized region of North Carolina, USA. Three objectives drove this research: 1) we examined the local effects of dominant land cover types on urban forest biomass; 2) we identified the spatial scale at which dominant land cover influences biomass estimates; 3) we investigated whether the fine-scale, spatial heterogeneity of the urban landscape contributed to forest biomass. We used multiple linear regression to relate field-measured biomass to LiDAR metrics and land cover densities derived from Landsat and LiDAR data. The biomass model developed from variables derived from LiDAR first returns produced biomass estimates similar to using all LiDAR returns. Although three land-cover types (impervious surface, managed clearings, and farmland) exhibited a negative relationship with biomass, only impervious surface was statistically significant. The biomass model that used impervious surface densities between 100 m and 175 m radial buffers produced the highest adjusted R 2 with lower RMSE values. Our study suggests that impervious surface impacted forest biomass estimates considerably in urbanizing landscapes with the greatest effect between 100 and 175 m from a forest stand. Managed clearing and farmland types negatively impacted biomass estimation albeit not as strongly as impervious surface. Overall, we found that accounting for impervious surface density and its proximity to forest in biomass models may improve urban forest biomass estimates.
Diminution Doctrine: Arbitration's First Amendment Problem

When Congress passed the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), it aimed to end an era of judicial enmity with arbitration. The FAA put arbitration agreements “upon the same footing as other contracts,” ushering in a new era of privatized adjudication. After centuries of invalidation by default, this seemingly faster, cheaper alternative to litigation became widely available. And despite early resistance, the judiciary would ultimately come to embrace, prefer even, the FAA’s “national policy favoring arbitration.” Arbitration is ubiquitous these days. Scarcely confined to contracts between comparably sophisticated commercial actors, arbitration clauses can be found in everything from cell phone contracts to employment applications. Increasing public concern with “forced arbitration” notwithstanding, the U.S. Supreme Court continues to accommodate the FAA’s ever-expanding scope. Once-stalwart defenses against federal encroachment are no match for its “liberal federal policy favoring arbitration agreements.” The FAA has transcended its remedial roots –– transforming arbitration agreements into “super contracts” replete with special rules favoring the enforcement of the formerly unenforceable. But what can be said of the broader public interest in the judicial process? As legal scholars mourn the FAA’s crushing blow to federalism, few have stopped to consider its First Amendment implications. If the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” guarantees a certain degree of judicial functionality, the Court’s arbitration doctrine must ensure at least that level of protection. Diminution doctrine provides an objective framework for such an assessment. By measuring FAA enforcement against three public interests protected by the right to petition –– court access, precedential currency, and judicial review –– diminution doctrine brings into focus constitutional encroachments that contract-based critiques of mandatory arbitration often overlook. This Essay argues that the Court’s arbitration doctrine has so deeply eroded these interests that the FAA in its current form cannot withstand First Amendment scrutiny.
A Brief Overview of Code and Solution Verification in Numerical Simulation

This manuscript is a brief overview of code and calculation verification in computational physics and engineering. Verification is an essential technology to assess the quality of discrete solutions obtained by running simulation codes that solve systems of ordinary or partial differential equations, such as the finite element and finite volume methods. Code verification assesses the extent to which a numerical method is implemented correctly, that is, without any programming mistake (or “bug”) that would adversely affect the quality of computations. The centerpiece of code verification is the formulation of verification test problems that admit exact or manufactured solutions and which are used for comparison with approximate solutions obtained from the simulation software. Solution verification assesses the extent to which the discretization (in time, space, energy, modal basis, etc.) implemented to solve governing equations provides a sufficiently small level of truncation error. The keystone of solution verification is the practice of mesh refinement from which estimates of the (spatial) order of accuracy of the numerical method can be estimated. It is also possible to derive bounds of truncation error produced in the calculation. The discussion is presented in the context of Peter Lax’s 1954 groundbreaking work on the convergence of discrete solutions. It is illustrated with a simple example of one-dimensional advection solver. (Publication approved for unlimited, public release, LA-UR-16-24553, Unclassified.)
Durability of response to dapagliflozin: a review of long-term efficacy and safety

Background: Due to the chronic nature of type 2 diabetes (T2D), it is essential for an anti-diabetic drug to have durable efficacy and a good long-term safety profile. Dapagliflozin is a member of ...
Spatio-Temporal Phenomena in Monolithic Reactors Measured by Combined Spatially-Resolved Mass Spectrometry and Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry

Abstract Measuring the spatiotemporal temperature and reacting species concentrations of a reacting system under realistic conditions is essential to optimize the reactor design and operation. Conventional measurements of the inlet and outlet values provide only a partial picture of the reactor behavior. We describe the novel method coherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (c-OFDR) which provides unparalleled information about the spatiotemporal temperature in a catalytic reactor. c-OFDR launches a laser beam through an optical fiber positioned inside a reactor. The spatial dependence of temperature is determined through the measured spectral shift of reflected scattering light frequency. The advantages of c-OFDR include high spatial and temporal resolution (3 mm and 0.9 Hz), broad operating range (up to 800°C), noninvasive measurement (~ 125 μm OD), stationary, and chemically resistant (gold-coated) sensor. In addition to describing the theory and standard operation of c-OFDR, we demonstrate c-OFDR for several applications involving reaction in a catalytic monolith during both steady-state and transient operation. The combination of c-OFDR with spatially resolved capillary inlet mass spectrometry (SpaciMS) provides detailed characterization of a catalytic reactor under periodic operation. Combined SpaciMS and c-OFDR successfully follow the cyclic lean/rich behavior during temperature programmed oxidation experiments. SpaciMS invasiveness is assessed through systematic measurement of the temperature by c-OFDR and concentration by SpaciMS. In an ideal adiabatic reactor, the temperature peak and complete reactant conversion should occur at the same position. Our experiments enabled generation of a map of operating conditions under which this did not occur which helps identify when the SpaciMS method is invasive.
Prior exposure to corticosterone markedly enhances and prolongs the neuroinflammatory response to systemic challenge with LPS.

Systemic exposure to the inflammagen and bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been widely used to evaluate inflammation and sickness behavior. While many inflammatory conditions occur in the periphery, it is well established that peripheral inflammation can affect the brain. Neuroinflammation, the elaboration of proinflammatory mediators in the CNS, commonly is associated with behavioral symptoms (e.g., lethargy, anhedonia, anorexia, depression, etc.) termed sickness behavior. Stressors have been shown to interact with and alter neuroinflammatory responses and associated behaviors. Here, we examined the effects of the stress hormone, corticosterone (CORT), as a stressor mimic, on neuroinflammation induced with a single injection (2mg/kg, s.c.) or inhalation exposure (7.5 μg/m3) of LPS or polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PIC; 12mg/kg, i.p.) in adult male C57BL/6J mice. CORT was given in the drinking water (200 mg/L) for 1 week or every other week for 90 days followed by LPS. Proinflammatory cytokine expression (TNFα, IL-6, CCL2, IL-1β, LIF, and OSM) was measured by qPCR. The activation of the neuroinflammation downstream signaling activator, STAT3, was assessed by immunoblot of pSTAT3Tyr705. The presence of astrogliosis was assessed by immunoassay of GFAP. Acute exposure to LPS caused brain-wide neuroinflammation without producing astrogliosis; exposure to CORT for 1 week caused marked exacerbation of the LPS-induced neuroinflammation. This neuroinflammatory “priming” by CORT was so pronounced that sub-neuroinflammatory exposures by inhalation instigated neuroinflammation when paired with prior CORT exposure. This effect also was extended to another common inflammagen, PIC (a viral mimic). Furthermore, a single week of CORT exposure maintained the potential for priming for 30 days, while intermittent exposure to CORT for up to 90 days synergistically primed the LPS-induced neuroinflammatory response. These findings highlight the possibility for an isolated inflammatory event to be exacerbated by a temporally distant stressful stimulus and demonstrates the potential for recurrent stress to greatly aggravate chronic inflammatory disorders.
Simple relations for electron temperature and potential in dilute cold plasma flows

This short note presents concise semi-analytical expressions for electron temperature and potential in unsteady dilute cold plasma flows. The analysis is based on the detailed fluid model for electrons. Ionizations and normalized electron number density gradients are neglected, and the transport properties are assumed as local constants. Flow is unsteady and Maxwell's equations are adopted in the analysis. With these treatments, the partial differential equations for unsteady electron temperature and potential degenerate as ordinary differential equations. Along an electron streamline, two simple formulas for unsteady electron temperature and plasma potential are obtained. These formulas offer some insights, for example, the electron temperature and plasma potential distributions along an electron streamline include two exponential functions: one for spatial distance along a streamline and the other for time.
The Program for the Improvement of Academic Achievement in México: Tutorial Relationships as an Imposition of Freedom to Transform the Instructional Core

This article explores the importance of school-level actors in creating educational change. I present an “inside-out” and “counter-hegemonic” policy that built Tutoria networks of learning to trans...
Imaging Transforms for 3D Biomedical Imaging: an Open, Transportable System (3DVIEWNIX) Approach

3DVIEWNIX is a data-, machine-, and application-independent software system, developed and maintained on an ongoing basis by the Medical Image Processing Group. It is aimed at serving the needs of biomedical visualization researchers as well as biomedical end users. We have identified and incorporated in 3DVIEWNIX a set of basic imaging transforms that are required in most visualization, manipulation, and analysis methods. The result is a powerful exploratory environment that provides not only the commonly used standard tools but also an immense variety of others. In addition to visualization, it incorporates a variety of multidimensional structure manipulation and analysis methods. We have tried to make its design as much as possible image-dimensionality-independent to make it just as convenient to process 2D and 3D data as it is to process 4D data. It is based on UNIX, C, X-Window and our own multidimensional generalization of the 2D ACR-NEMA standards for image data representation.
Satisfaction Definitions and Axioms of Infinity in a Theory of Properties With Necessity Operator

The paper gives a theory of intensional objects somewhat along the lines of Montague's higher type intensional logics. The theory is rich enough to deal with the problems of philosophy and linguistics discussed by Montague. It is shown to include its own semantics in a sense analogous to the way ZF has natural set theoretic models for any finite sub-theory. The theory does not quantify over possibilia χ, or over associated essences of χ, nor are these required for its semantics. Strong axioms of infinity are formulated in the framework of the theory.
Modeling techniques for computation of coating flows

Coating flows are fluid flows used to cover surfaces. One example occurs in a photographic film. It consists of several layers of colloidal dispersions, each containing silver halide grains or oil droplets, coated onto a substrate made of transparent polymeric material. Another example occurs in a magnetic tape; here the coating fluid contains magnetic particles. Various methods are used to coat the substrate. On October 25, 1996 Steven J. Weinstein from Eastman Kodak described a typical fluid flow configuration employed in the manufacture of photographic products. He presented a general system of differential equations and boundary conditions governing such flows, and then described some simplifications which can be obtained by asymptotic analysis, taking advantage of extreme aspect ratios in the geometry. He then discussed a specific model of slot flow and explained how his analytical results can be used to analyze the design parameters for the coating device.
THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE “ABC” TYPE PADDY DRYER

Farmers in the villages always face the same problem of how to reduce the moisture content of paddy harvest during harvest and postharvest time, especially in wet season. At the farm level, the grain quality is poor and alternative drying using kerosene fuel is very costly. The objective of this research was to design and evaluate the technical and economical performance of drying paddy using an equipment known as "ABC" dryer. The dryer uses paddy husk as fuel. The research was conducted at Research Institute for Rice over three years (1993/94-1995/96). The result showed that the "ABC" type dryer could reduce the moisture content of 5 tons wet paddy from 22.25% to 15.03% in 9 hours or an average drying rate of 1.05% moisture content per hour, with drying cost of Rp 18 kg-1. Reducing the moisture content further to 11.83% needed 16 hours or average drying rate 0.82% hour-1, with drying cost almost doubled (Rp 32 kg-1). These costs are far below that of kerosene drying, i.e., Rp 30 kg-1 and Rp 60 kg-1 to reach moisture content of 15.03% and 11.83%, respectively. Budget analysis showed that the B/C ratio were 1.57 and 1.84 and the IRR are above 41.26% and 47.42% to reach moisture contents of 15.03% and 11.83%, respectively. The break even points of "ABC" dryer were 130 and 60 tons, respectively. The milling test showed that the milling rice from the "ABC" dryer had better recovery (milling rendement) and rice quality (head rice) was higher than that of from sun-drying.