cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forest management, restoration, and designer ecosystems: Integrating strategies for a crowded planet

As the global human population increases, the demand to conserve, restore, create, and sustainably manage ecosystems will increase as well. Forested ecosystems are of particular interest because of the biodiversity they support and their diverse values to people. Developments in conservation, restoration forestry, and in the study of designer ecosystems provide a diverse set of tools with which to pursue sustainable forestry goals. Nonetheless, we suggest that sustainable forestry can only be achieved by fully considering ecological, economic, and social needs in landscapes. This will require a clear realization of the trade-offs in site-specific management approaches and a multifaceted, landscape-scale perspective for evaluation of sustainability criteria. We propose collaborative creation of Sustainable Forestry Portfolios as a means to encourage the breadth of thinking required to guide sustainable forest management. We discuss 3 examples of Sustainable Forestry Portfolios with relevance to different settings in the future: 1) the Triad Approach, 2) Forest Landscape Restoration, and 3) Urban Forestry. In all settings, sustainable forestry is not solely a technical problem, but a challenge that must be met through a multidimensional perspective, interdisciplinary collaboration, and with active engagement of the people that live and work in the landscape.
Inequalities and Prospects: Ethnicity and Legal Status in the Construction Labor Force After Hurricane Katrina

The arrival of Latino immigrant workers and the weakening of federal labor regulations after Hurricane Katrina raised concerns about labor conditions and workers’ rights. We carried out a survey of workers at 212 randomly selected addresses in the city of New Orleans, successfully interviewing 212 out of 351 workers approached (40% refusal rate). Workers were asked about their demographic, employment, and health characteristics, as well as violations of human rights they may have experienced. The survey was supplemented with in-depth qualitative interviews with Latino workers and key informants in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our study showed that Latino workers, particularly undocumented workers, experienced lower wages, more nonpayment of wages and/or overtime wages, and fewer worker protections than non-Latino workers. The poorer treatment of Latino and undocumented workers is thought to reflect employers’ perception of them as a disposable labor force. Indeed, few of the workers who arrived after Katrin...
Outage capacity of maximum ratio transmission based multicellular MIMO systems with power control

We analyze the performance of multicellular MIMO systems in flat Rayleigh fading. The channel model includes lognormal shadowing and path loss along with power control, resulting in a statistical model for user powers. Consistent with practical scenarios, the cochannel interference is categorized into two groups: intracell interference from users within the same cell as the desired user and intercell interference from outer cell users. We derive a compact, easily computable closed form outage probability expression in the form of finite sums. This expression allows for simpler and faster analysis of various MIMO configurations. It has been shown that using antennas on the receiver side results in better performance since transmit diversity does not combat interference from same cell users.
Effects of synthetic thymosin-alpha 1 and its analogs on fertilizability of human sperm: search for a biologically active, stable epitope.

Thymosin-αl (Tαl) and six Ted analogs were synthesized to study structure-function relationships and to search for the biologically active and stable epitope(s) that would have clinical application in the treatment of male infertility. Four of these analogs were prepared by modification/substitution of N- and C-terminal amino acids of Tal peptide, and the other two analogs were fragments having only N-16 amino acids (N-terminal) or C-14 amino acids (C-terminal), respectively, of the Tal peptide. Tal and these six analogs were tested for their effects on human sperm penetration rates in the sperm penetration assay (SPA). Tal significantly (p <. 0001) increased the penetration rates in SPA, with the strongest enhancing effect at 0.5 (ig/100 μL concentration. Of the six analogs tested only two, Tal-GIy-NH2 and Tal-Cl4, retained the enhancing effects in SPA. None of the analogs decreased the penetration rates or affected sperm motility compared to control. The enhancing activity resides primarily in an epitop...
Occupational Values, Role Orientations, and Work Settings: the Case of Pharmacy

The theoretical model positing that the occupational institution of business is based on pecuniary and extrinsic values while professions are predicated on altruistic service values is tested using...
Control of Equilibrium Position and Stiffness Through Postural Modules.

Abstract If muscles are viewed as spring-like torque generators, then the integral of torque with respect to joint angle is the potential energy of that muscle. An energy function for the musculoskeletal system can be defined by summing the energy contribution of each muscle and the potential energy stored in the limb. Any local minimum in this energy landscape is a possible equilibrium position for the limb. The gradient of this function with respect to joint angles is a torque field, and the task of postural control is to find a set of muscle activations to produce a desired field. We consider one technique by which this approximation may be achieved: A postural module is defined as a synergy of muscles that produce a class of torque functions that converge at a constant equilibrium position, but whose stiffness at this position varies as a function of activation of the postural module. For a single-joint system, we show that through control of two such modules it is possible to produce any stiffness at...
A search for the signature of microquasars in the cosmic ray iron spectrum measured by TIGER

In a recent paper Heinz and Sunyaev suggest that relativistic jets observed in microquasars might result in narrow features in the energy spectra of heavy cosmic rays with ≈1 to ≈10 GeV/nuc. They further argue that such features might be observable if there has been one or more microquasars nearby within the last few million years. We report preliminary results of a search for evidence of such features using data from a 32-day balloon flight of the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER). Although this flight took place near solar maximum, calculations of the broadening effects of solar modulation indicate that a narrow feature of sufficient intensity should still be observable. An energy spectrum for iron with high statistical significance has been derived from ≈100,000 Fe events in the energy range from about 2.5 to 10 GeV/nuc. Although our preliminary results do not reveal any obvious features, we will discuss the possibility of observing such features with TIGER and other instruments.
Arts policy research for the next 25 years: a trajectory after Patrons Despite Themselves

This article was presented at the symposium dedicated to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Patrons Despite Themselves: Taxpayers and Arts Policy (Feld et al., 1983), held by the Association for Cultural Economics International, Boston, June 2008. It considers “big questions” in arts policy that promise intellectual and social payoff if approached in the spirit that animated the effort behind Patrons Despite Themselves, with special attention to issues that economists might illuminate, namely: (1) Waste of resources; (2) A workable business model for digital media; (3) Increasing the value created through amateur participation; (4) Withdrawal of elites, especially economic elites, from their historic participation in arts governance and support; and (5) Fragmentation of collective patrimony. The associated questions are the same in each case: Why is this happening? Is there a market failure or equity justification for government action? What policies would help?
Single-molecule biophysics: at the interface of biology, physics and chemistry

Single-molecule methods have matured into powerful and popular tools to probe the complex behaviour of biological molecules, due to their unique abilities to probe molecular structure, dynamics and function, unhindered by the averaging inherent in ensemble experiments. This review presents an overview of the burgeoning field of single-molecule biophysics, discussing key highlights and selected examples from its genesis to our projections for its future. Following brief introductions to a few popular single-molecule fluorescence and manipulation methods, we discuss novel insights gained from single-molecule studies in key biological areas ranging from biological folding to experiments performed in vivo.
Shared Response Preparation for Pursuit and Saccadic Eye Movements

Tracking a single target in the visual world requires coordination between pursuit and saccadic eye movements. The constraints imposed on pursuit and saccade decisions by visual processing and response preparation are difficult to compare because latency differences between the two movements provide different amounts of visual sampling time. The present study compares pursuit and saccade decisions when visual processing was directly manipulated. Human observers were asked to select between two stationary stimuli presented simultaneously at two different locations based on which had the higher contrast. The stimuli were presented for a brief, variable interval and then occluded by masks. Because the masks moved horizontally and were offset vertically, subjects were obliged to make both pursuit and saccadic eye movements to track the mask covering the target stimulus. For each of the exposure durations, we constructed oculometric curves for pursuit and saccades. We found that both systems had similar oculometric thresholds and response biases. The initial pursuit decisions differed from the subsequent saccade decisions on 1-13% of the trials but were the same more often than predicted by independent mechanisms. Moreover, pursuit reversed direction on discordant trials, so that the pursuit decision always matched that of the saccade by the time the saccade was started. These results support the view that, in addition to overlap in early visual areas and the final motor pathways, the pursuit and saccadic systems share processing at the level of response preparation. This shared processing may help ensure the coordination of pursuit and saccadic eye movements in selecting a single target.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Determines Sensitivity to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor–Induced Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Cells

Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibit malignant cell growth and induce apoptosis through unknown mechanisms. Here, we report that the expression status of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein determines the relative sensitivity of colon cancer cells to HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis. HCA-7 cells (expressing wild-type beta-catenin and APC proteins) are more sensitive to apoptosis induced by HDAC inhibitors valproic acid (VPA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid than SW620 or HT-29 cells (both expressing mutant APC). When wild-type APC protein was expressed using an inducible expression system, HT-29 cells became sensitive to apoptosis in response to VPA. Conversely, knocking down of endogenous APC protein by small interfering RNA (siRNA) blocked VPA-induced apoptosis in HCA-7 cells. APC mediated VPA-induced apoptosis through down-regulation of survivin. The level of survivin protein decreased in HCA-7 and HT-29/APC cells, but not in SW620 and HT-29/beta-Gal cells after VPA treatment. Whereas knocking down of survivin by siRNA sensitized SW620 cells to VPA-induced apoptosis, overexpression of survivin blocked VPA-induced apoptosis in HCA-7 cells. Down-regulation of survivin transcription occurred through changes in GSK-3beta/beta-catenin/Tcf-4 signaling molecules. VPA also induced proteasome-mediated degradation of survivin protein in HCA-7 cells. Furthermore, we have shown that APC mutation-mediated resistance to apoptosis can be overcome by cotreatment with Flavopiridol, which promotes survivin degradation. These results suggest that APC is a critical determinant of HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells and survivin is a potential target to enhance apoptotic response to HDAC inhibitors.
Two examples of parallel programming without concurrency constructs (PP-CC)

Parallelization is the process of converting a sequential program into a parallel form. It is recognized that a general solution needs to incorporate user knowledge and hence there is a need for a programming interface for parallelization. Speculative parallelization divides a program into possibly parallel tasks and runs them in parallel if they produce the same output as the original program. A run-time system monitors the execution for conflicts and reverts to sequential execution if needed. Previous studies have developed various programming primitives [1, 3, 6, 8, 9,11]. Unlike parallel constructs, many of these new primitives are hints and can be wrong. We call them parallelization hints. They mark parallelism but do not change the output of a program. This short paper discusses the constraints and opportunities of parallelization hints. The main points are summaried below. The first two mean lower performance, while the next two may mean better programmability and more parallelism, compared to programming not using hints.
Subjective results of nonoperatively treated, acute, isolated posterior cruciate ligament injuries

Purpose: To evaluate subjective results obtained prospectively of patients who had acute isolated posterior cruciate ligament injuries. Type of study: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Between 1983 and 2001, 271 patients who were seen for an acute, isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury were asked to enroll in a long-term study (grade 1, n=100; grade 1.5, n=43; grade 2, n=128). Patients were evaluated using a modified Noyes subjective knee survey (mailed yearly), an activity survey (since 1998), and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Survey (since 2000). Results: The most recent modified Noyes survey was obtained from 215 patients at a mean time of 7.8 years after injury (range, 1 to 18 years), and the mean total score was 85.6 ±15.0 points. IKDC subjective scores were obtained from 85 patients at a mean time of 8.8 years after injury, and the mean score was 82.7 ± 16.0 points. There was a statistically significant correlation between the IKDC subjective score and the modified Noyes total score ( R 2 = .56426, P Conclusions: Subjective scores of patients with acute, isolated PCL injuries were independent of grade of PCL laxity and mean scores did not decrease with time from injury. No identifiable characteristics were identified that would help determine which patients with isolated PCL injuries would have deteriorating knee function. Level of evidence: Level I, Prospective Prognostic Study.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug Approval Summaries: Imatinib Mesylate, Mesna Tablets, and Zoledronic Acid

The purpose of this report is to summarize information on drugs recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Three drugs have recently been approved: Gleevec ™ (imatinib mesylate) at a starting dose of 400 or 600 mg daily for the treatment of malignant unresectable and/or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors; Mesnex ® (mesna) tablets as a prophylactic agent to reduce the incidence of ifosfamideinduced hemorrhagic cystitis, and Zometa ® (zoledronic acid) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and for patients with documented bone metastases from solid tumors, in conjunction with standard antineoplastic therapy. Prostate cancer should have progressed after treatment with at least one hormonal therapy. The recommended dose and schedule is 4 mg infused over 15 minutes every 3-4 weeks. These three drugs represent three different types of drug approval: Gleevec is an accelerated approval and supplemental new drug application (NDA); Mesnex tablets represent an oral formulation of a drug approved 14 years ago as an intravenous formulation, and Zometa represents a standard NDA for a noncytotoxic, supportive-care drug. Information provided includes rationale for drug development, study design, efficacy and safety results, and pertinent literature references. The Oncologist 2002;7:393-400
Seasonal Effects of Habitat on Sources and Rates of Snowshoe Hare Predation in Alaskan Boreal Forests.

Survival and predation of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) has been widely studied, yet there has been little quantification of the changes in vulnerability of hares to specific predators that may result from seasonal changes in vegetation and cover. We investigated survival and causes of mortalities of snowshoe hares during the late increase, peak, and decline of a population in interior Alaska. From June 2008 to May 2012, we radio-tagged 288 adult and older juvenile hares in early successional and black spruce (Picea mariana) forests and, using known-fate methods in program MARK, evaluated 85 survival models that included variables for sex, age, and body condition of hares, as well as trapping site, month, season, year, snowfall, snow depth, and air temperature. We compared the models using Akaike’s information criterion with correction for small sample size. Model results indicated that month, capture site, and body condition were the most important variables in explaining survival rates. Survival was highest in July, and more generally during summer, when alternative prey was available to predators of hares. Low survival rates coincided with molting periods, breeding activity in the spring, and the introduction of juveniles to the sample population in the fall. We identified predation as the cause of mortality in 86% of hare deaths. When the source of predation could be determined, hares were killed more often by goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) than other predators in early successional forest (30%), and more often by lynx (Lynx canadensis) than other predators in black spruce forest (31%). Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) represented smaller proportions of hare predation, and non-predatory causes were a minor source (3%) of mortality. Because hares rely on vegetative cover for concealment from predators, we measured cover in predation sites and habitats that the hares occupied and concluded that habitat type had a greater influence on the sources of predation than the amount of cover in any given location within a habitat. Our observations illustrate the vulnerability of hares to predators in even the densest coniferous habitat available in the boreal forest, and indicate strong seasonal changes in the rates and sources of predation.
An Alternative Approach to “Identification of Unknowns”: Designing a Protocol to Verify the Identities of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria

Microbiology courses often include a laboratory activity on the identification of unknown microbes. This activity consists of providing students with microbial cultures and running biochemical assays to identify the organisms. This approach lacks molecular techniques such as sequencing of genes encoding 16S rRNA, which is currently the method of choice for identification of unknown bacteria. A laboratory activity was developed to teach students how to identify microorganisms using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and validate microbial identities using biochemical techniques. We hypothesized that designing an experimental protocol to confirm the identity of a bacterium would improve students’ knowledge of microbial identification techniques and the physiological characteristics of bacterial species. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria were isolated from the root nodules of Medicago truncatula and prepared for 16S rRNA PCR analysis. Once DNA sequencing revealed the identity of the organisms, the students designed experimental protocols to verify the identity of rhizobia. An assessment was conducted by analyzing pre- and posttest scores and by grading students’ verification protocols and presentations. Posttest scores were higher than pretest scores at or below p = 0.001. Normalized learning gains (G) showed an improvement of students’ knowledge of microbial identification methods (LO4, G = 0.46), biochemical properties of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (LO3, G = 0.45), and the events leading to the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbioses (LO1&2, G = 0.51, G = 0.37). An evaluation of verification protocols also showed significant improvement with a p value of less than 0.001.
Ag/YBa2Cu3O7-x Powder Generation by Aerosol Decomposition

YBa2Cu3O7-x (123) powders containing silver have been prepared by aerosol decomposition. Metal nitrate solution droplets were decomposed at temperatures above and below the melting point of the Ag-O eutectic. In both cases, the Ag was present as a separate grain attached to YBa2Cu3O7-x. Individual aerosol particles had dimensions of 50 – 1000 nm. Grain sizes of Ag and 123 crystallites within these particles were 10 to 100 nm. Larger 123 grain sizes could be obtained by varying the reactor operating conditions. The powders provide a source of material for generation of YBa2Cu3O7-x/Ag ceramics with smaller Ag and 123 grain sizes and more uniform composition than can be obtained by other methods.
Something old, something new.

Greetings from the Annual PDA meeting! Over 1000 people gathered for the annual connection between science, people, and regulation that is the hallmark of the PDA. It was a time of learning about the new next-generation parenterals based on cell therapy, while continuing to build on the knowledge
Version-updating of management system for energy measurement center (station)

The paper introduced the initial reasons of 'Rules for the Examination of the Service of Legal Metrological Verification' JJF1069-2003 updates to the version 2007 and the differences between them.The version 2007 is much better conformity with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 'General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories' and ISO9001:2000 'Quality management system-Requirements'.
Study on virulence genotypes and bio-film formation of Entero-aggregative Escherichia coli

Objective:To study the association of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli(EAggEC) virulence genes and bio-film formation.Methods: Biofilm formation test was used to screen EAgg EC and PCR was used to detect Agg R,AAT(CVD432),agga(Aggregative fimbria I),aafa(AAF/II),agg3a(AAF/III),pilS(Type IV pilus),pet(Plasmid-encoded toxin),eastA(EAggEC heat-stable toxin) genes and the relation between bio-film formation and virulence genes was analyzed.Results: Bio-film formation test can be used for screening of EAgg EC,which can be classified by virulence genotyping.Conclusion: Biofilm formation test is useful to screen Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli(EAggEC),and it has correlation with every virulence gene to varying degrees.
Individual differences in face-looking behavior generalize from the lab to the world

Recent laboratory studies have found large, stable individual differences in the location people first fixate when identifying faces, ranging from the brows to the mouth. Importantly, this variation is strongly associated with differences in fixation-specific identification performance such that individuals' recognition ability is maximized when looking at their preferred location (Mehoudar, Arizpe, Baker, & Yovel, 2014; Peterson & Eckstein, 2013). This finding suggests that face representations are retinotopic and individuals enact gaze strategies that optimize identification, yet the extent to which this behavior reflects real-world gaze behavior is unknown. Here, we used mobile eye trackers to test whether individual differences in face gaze generalize from lab to real-world vision. In-lab fixations were measured with a speeded face identification task, while real-world behavior was measured as subjects freely walked around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus. We found a strong correlation between the patterns of individual differences in face gaze in the lab and real-world settings. Our findings support the hypothesis that individuals optimize real-world face identification by consistently fixating the same location and thus strongly constraining the space of retinotopic input. The methods developed for this study entailed collecting a large set of high-definition, wide field-of-view natural videos from head-mounted cameras and the viewer's fixation position, allowing us to characterize subjects' actually experienced real-world retinotopic images. These images enable us to ask how vision is optimized not just for the statistics of the "natural images" found in web databases, but of the truly natural, retinotopic images that have landed on actual human retinae during real-world experience.
Public support in the United States for elective oocyte cryopreservation

Objective To determine whether public support for oocyte cryopreservation (OC) exists and if support varies by demographic factors. Design Cross-sectional electronic survey. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) A nationally representative sample based on age, sex, and race of 1,064 people in the United States recruited by the company SurveyMonkey. Interventions(s) Completion of an online questionnaire. Main Outcome Measure(s) Supporters of OC for various indications were compared with participants who were neutral or in opposition by means of log binomial regression to calculate risk ratios. Statistical models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, including sex, race, age, income, sexual orientation, education, marital status, state political party affiliation, and history of being a parent. Result(s) OC for cancer patients was the indication most supported (89%), followed by delayed childbearing for career advancement (72%), current lack of a partner (63%), and insufficient funds for child rearing (58%). Despite considerable support for OC, only 37% agreed employers should fund egg freezing for employees. Older age was associated with lower support for all indications of OC. Younger age, single status, never being a parent, identifying as a sexual minority, and atheist/agnostic religion were associated with the survey taker personally considering OC. Compared with women, men demonstrated lower support for women undergoing OC for "lack of a male partner," and for future use of cryopreserved oocytes without being married. Conclusion(s) In a nationally representative sample, the majority of respondents support elective OC. The indication for OC was associated with significant differences in support.
The key role of microRNA-34a in the reduction of sirtuin-1 in COPD

Background: Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), a NAD + -dependent Class III protein deacetylases, known as a putative anti-ageing enzyme, has been shown to be down-regulated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is characterized by the accelerated ageing of the lung, associated with increased oxidative stress. Both SIRT1 protein and mRNA are reduced in COPD but the mechanisms for this reduction are unknown. Aims: To identify the role of miR-34a, a microRNA previously linked to reduced SIRT1 function, in the regulation of SIRT1 expression in response to oxidative stress. Methods: Protein levels were determined by western blotting and mi/mRNA expression by real-time PCR. Luciferase assays assessed miRNA binding. Results: miR-34a was elevated in peripheral lung samples from patients with COPD (P 2 O 2 (100µM) reduced both SIRT1 mRNA and protein (n=5, P Conclusions: Our results indicate that miR-34a is induced by oxidative stress, suggesting a potential new mechanism by which increased oxidative stress in lungs of COPD patients may reduce SIRT1 expression. Funding: Wellcome trust Programme Grant.
Building a Research Assistant Management Platform utilizing natural language processing

As the largest navy in the world, the United States Navy must quickly retrieve and communicate information across the globe in order to protect the country and its allies. As the amount of information that analysts must sort through grows exponentially, this creates a more difficult environment for extracting useful and relevant data. This problem of information complexity in research is present in other disciplines, creating a demand for a system to increase both effectiveness and efficiency of research. In this paper, we propose a system, the Research Assistant Management Platform (RAMP), to assist analysts in their duties in retrieving relevant maritime information. The platform is a realization of a proof of concept utilizing a database backend for storage of Requests for Intelligence, real-time updating topic models for document similarity and thematic analysis, and an intuitive front-end user interface with built-in work-flow operations such as saving and model visualizations. The system provides effective information retrieval and an integration of a previously fragmented multi-step process into one research platform. The prototype uses surrogate data which is contextually and structurally similar to metadata which would be seen by analysts. With this data, the system was evaluated based on user testing and the determined relevance of the displayed results from a query. The final topic model consists of fifty topics which allow analysts to improve their responses and learn from the existing corpus of RFIs. To the best of our knowledge, the implementation of an integrated research platform in this context is a novel application and although presented in the context of maritime research, this platform is generalizable to other commercial and academic uses.
Starting and Stopping the Ventilator for Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Decisions to institute and to discontinue mechanical ventilatory support of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are medical decisions based on the doctrine of informed consent. Legal and ethical conflicts have needlessly interfered with good medical judgment in making and carrying out these decisions.
Determination of Hydroxyurea in Serum or Plasma Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Hydroxyurea is an antineoplastic drug, which is also widely used in the treatment of sickle cell disease. Various methods including colorimetry, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are available for the assay of hydroxyurea. In the gas chromatography method described, the drug is extracted from serum, plasma, or urine using ethyl acetate and phosphate buffer (pH 6). The organic phase containing drug is separated and dried under a stream of nitrogen. After trimethylsilyl derivatization, samples are analyzed using GC-MS. Quantitation of the drug in a sample is achieved by comparing responses of the unknown sample to the responses of the calibrators using selected ion monitoring. Tropic acid is used as an internal standard.
A scalable sequential principal component analysis algorithm (SeqPCA) with application to user access control analysis

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a powerful tool for data exploration and dimensionality reduction, and has broad applications in customer behavior and feedback mining. With the recent breakthroughs in big data technology, PCA becomes even more prevalent in large-scale data mining and business analytics, especially in online customer behavior analysis. However, with the rapidly growing volume of data sets, there also exist challenges when PCA is applied to these areas. For example, computing the principal components and determining the best number of components to extract under limited computational resources are two fundamental yet challenging tasks. In this article, we introduce an algorithm called Sequential PCA (SeqPCA), which is able to conduct PCA sequentially on large data sets. With this technique, data analysts can determine the optimal number of components to extract without recomputing PCA many times. This algorithm is applied to the user access control analysis of the internal websites of a large company, and numerical results show that the algorithm has superior performance and enables real-time analysis of large user behavior data.
Black Cinematic Gesture and the Aesthetics of Contagion

Anna Rose Holmer’s 2015 feature film debut, The Fits, advances the stakes of black performance, particularly in relation to the critical interrogation of the loss of gesture in the history of cinem...
Clock and data recovery systems

High-Speed Serial IO (HSIO) have, more than ever, become a critical ingredient in high performance communication systems. As the link data rate increases, the HSIO designer is tasked with optimizing Performance, Power Consumption, Reliability and Cost. ➢ Advanced equalization techniques, clocking and timing recovery solutions, are all fundamental ingredients in this optimization strategy.
The Assimilation of Knowledge

Those who, like Husserl, talk about consciousness usually mean not consciousness but its contents. Consciousness may be here defined as the qualitative correlate of controlled perception. Consciousness itself is a quality; it is ultimately simple and it is unanalyzable. That which has no parts cannot be analyzed into them.
Mouse Cremaster Muscle Allograft Model

The use of intravital microscopy in experimental transplantation research has been popular for decades. Siemionow et al. have reported several in vivo studies on the microcirculation of allograft rejection and ischemia/ reperfusion injury using a rat cremaster muscle model. In these studies, the cremaster muscle was used not only as a free flap, but also incorporated into hind-limb allografts as part of the composite tissue. As a result, a pattern of leukocyte trafficking, and sequence of hemodynamic changes were established during the acute rejection of composite tissue allografts. Rat model however, presents certain obstacles. Genetically engineered transgenic and knock-out rat strains are not readily available. Also, number of monoclonal antibodies and reagents are limited in rats. To overcome those limitations, we developed mouse cremaster muscle allograft model. In this chapter, you will find relevant technical details, advantages, and challenges of the model.
Spectrum of Cribriform Proliferations of the Prostate: From Benign to Malignant.

Context.— The presence of cribriform glands/ducts in the prostate can pose a diagnostic challenge. Cribriform glands/ducts include a spectrum of lesions, from benign to malignant, with vastly diffe...
Glucose metabolism dysregulation at the onset of mental illness is not limited to first episode psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim To compare the differences of glucose metabolism outcomes between treatment-naive, patients with first episode psychosis (FEP) and mood disorders. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of glucose intolerance in treatment-naive, first episode patients with severe mental illnesses (SMIs). Results We identified 31 eligible studies. Compared to healthy controls, FEP group have higher insulin and insulin resistance levels, and both groups have higher glucose tolerance test results. No significant differences were found in glucose metabolism outcomes between FEP and mood disorder groups. Conclusions Our results highlight impaired glucose metabolism at the onset of SMIs, suggesting both patients with psychosis and mood disorders are high-risk groups for diabetes development.
The state of percussion research in musical acoustics: How we got here and where it is going

Drums are among the most ancient of all musical instruments and have been found in nearly all cultures across the world. This work covers a selection of major investigations of the acoustics of percussion instruments by a variety of scientists throughout history. Ernst Chladni’s efforts to characterize the vibration of plates are well known in acoustics and often replicated by students in the laboratory. Other scientists who made early contributions to the understanding of percussion instruments include Lord Rayleigh and C. V. Raman. Rayleigh’s observations of the acoustics of the kettledrum and bells represented only a fraction of his contributions to acoustics. Raman, who is remembered more for his work in spectroscopy, made detailed studies of the traditional Indian drum, the tabla. Modal analysis techniques used to investigate the acoustics of percussion instrument have evolved significantly in recent years. A brief review of current modal analysis techniques for studying percussion instruments is pre...
Characterization of Electrospray Ionization (ESI) Parameters on In-ESI Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange of Carbohydrate-Metal Ion Adducts

The conformations of glycans are crucial for their biological functions. In-electrospray ionization (ESI) hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a promising technique for studying carbohydrate conformations since rapidly exchanging functional groups, e.g., hydroxyls, can be labeled on the timeframe of ESI. However, regular application of in-ESI HDX to characterize carbohydrates requires further analysis of the in-ESI HDX methodology. For instance, in this method, HDX occurs concurrently to the analyte transitioning from solution to gas-phase ions. Therefore, there is a possibility of sampling both gas-phase and solution-phase conformations of the analyte. Herein, we differentiate in-ESI HDX of metal-adducted carbohydrates from gas-phase HDX and illustrate that this method analyzes solvated species. We also systematically examine the effects of ESI parameters, including spray solvent composition, auxiliary gas flow rate, sheath gas flow rate, sample infusion rate, sample concentration, and spray voltage, and discuss their effects on in-ESI HDX. Further, we model the structural changes of a trisaccharide, melezitose, and its intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding in solvents with different compositions of methanol and water. These molecular dynamic simulations support our experimental results and illustrate how an individual ESI parameter can alter the conformations we sample by in-ESI HDX. In total, this work illustrates how the fundamental processes of ESI alter the magnitude of HDX for carbohydrates and suggest parameters that should be considered and/or optimized prior to performing experiments with this in-ESI HDX technique.
Supramolecular Luminescent Sensors

There is great need for stand-alone luminescence-based chemosensors that exemplify selectivity, sensitivity, and applicability and that overcome the challenges that arise from complex, real-world media. Discussed herein are recent developments toward these goals in the field of supramolecular luminescent chemosensors, including macrocycles, polymers, and nanomaterials. Specific focus is placed on the development of new macrocycle hosts since 2010, coupled with considerations of the underlying principles of supramolecular chemistry as well as analytes of interest and common luminophores. State-of-the-art developments in the fields of polymer and nanomaterial sensors are also examined, and some remaining unsolved challenges in the area of chemosensors are discussed.
A More Comprehensive History of the New Theory of Reference

This essay continues the effort of some previous essays to present a more accurate history of the origins of the New Theory of Reference. The “New Theory of Reference” is typically used by philosophers in different ways; for example, sometimes it is used to refer to a theory that essentially includes the historical chain theory of reference. But the consequence of this is that Kaplan, Perry, Salmon, Marcus, Wettstein, Almog and many others commonly identified with this theory are excluded. The “New Theory of Reference”, which is used as a name or referentially used definite description, can be used to refer to many different ideas and in this essay I use it in the following narrow and broad senses.
An Architecture Design of Distributed Intelligent Power System Stability Control System

This paper comprehensively considers the demand of the future power grid and the current power grid for the stability control system. Starting from the main links of the security and stability control systems such as communication, information and terminal, and finally establishes a distributed intelligent stability control system architecture based on the terminal interconnection. Key technologies such as node redundancy, collaborative work, network topology, and terminal access are also described.
Queering BIM: A Changing Narrative to Digital Objects

The use of building information modeling (BIM) for architectural design assumes precision and coordination of data. Outcomes prioritize constructability, assigning a stereotypically “straight” pers...
Betting on CPR: a modern version of Pascal’s Wager

Many patients believe that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is more likely to be successful than it really is in clinical practice. Even when working with accurate information, some nevertheless remain resolute in demanding maximal treatment. They maintain that even if survival after cardiac arrest with CPR is extremely low, the fact remains that it is still greater than the probability of survival after cardiac arrest without CPR (ie, zero). Without realising it, this line of reasoning is strikingly similar to Pascal’s Wager, a Renaissance-era argument for accepting the proposition for God’s existence. But while the original argument is quite logical—if not universally compelling—the modern variant makes several erroneous assumptions. The authors here present a case of a patient who unwittingly appeals to Pascal’s Wager to explain his request for maximal treatment, in order to highlight the crucial divergences from the original Wager. In understanding the faulty assumptions inherent in the application of Pascal’s Wager to code status decisions—and identifying the underlying motivations which the Wager serves to confirm—providers can better ensure that the true values and preferences of patients are upheld.
0EISUA: Zero Effort Indoor Secure User Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) systems implement by verifying at least two factors. A factor can be one or more of something a user knows (password, or phrase), something a user possesses (smart card, or smartphone), something a user is (fingerprint, or iris), something a user does (keystroke), or somewhere a user is (location). In a conventional 2FA system, a user is required to interacts (e.g., typing a passcode) in order to implement the second layer of authentication, which is not very user-friendly. Nowadays, smart devices (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) can receive signals from different radio frequency technologies within range. As these devices move among networks (Wi-Fi access points, cell phone towers, etc.), they receive broadcast messages, some of which can be used to collect information. This information can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as establishing a connection, sharing information, locating devices, and, most appropriately, identifying users in range. The principal benefit of broadcast messages is that the devices can read and process the embedded information without being connected to the broadcaster. Moreover, the broadcast messages can be received only within a range of the wireless access point sending the broadcast, thus inherently limiting access to those devices in close physical proximity and facilitating many applications dependent on that proximity. In this paper, 0EISUA is proposed, a zero-effort two-factor authentication scheme based on something that is in the user’s environment (ambient access points). In our research, data from the broadcast messages are utilized to implement the second authentication factor by determining whether two devices are proximate or not to ensure that they belong to the same user, in a way that requires zero interaction from the user. The new proposed system introduced in this paper is experimentally tested.
Response speed measurements on the psychomotor vigilance test: how precise is precise enough?

STUDY OBJECTIVES The psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) is frequently used to measure behavioral alertness in sleep research on various software and hardware platforms. In contrast to many other cognitive tests, PVT response time (RT) shifts of a few milliseconds can be meaningful. It is, therefore, important to use calibrated systems, but calibration standards are currently missing. This study investigated the influence of system latency bias and its variability on two frequently used PVT performance metrics, attentional lapses (RTs ≥500 ms) and response speed, in sleep-deprived and alert participants. METHODS PVT data from one acute total (N = 31 participants) and one chronic partial (N = 43 participants) sleep deprivation protocol were the basis for simulations in which response bias (±15 ms) and its variability (0-50 ms) were systematically varied and transgressions of predefined thresholds (i.e. ±1 for lapses, ±0.1/s for response speed) recorded. RESULTS Both increasing bias and its variability caused deviations from true scores that were higher for the number of lapses in sleep-deprived participants and for response speed in alert participants. Threshold transgressions were typically rare (i.e. <5%) if system latency bias was less than ±5 ms and its standard deviation was ≤10 ms. CONCLUSIONS A bias of ±5 ms with a standard deviation of ≤10 ms could be considered maximally allowable margins for calibrating PVT systems for timing accuracy. Future studies should report the average system latency and its standard deviation in addition to adhering to published standards for administering and analyzing the PVT.
Speaking like a scientist: A multiple case study on sketch and speak intervention to improve expository discourse:

PurposeThis descriptive multiple case study examined the effects of a contextualized expository strategy intervention on supported and independent note-taking, verbal rehearsal, and reporting skill...
Scott T. Cummings and Erica Stevens Abbitt, eds. The Theatre of Naomi Wallace: Embodied Dialogues

ABSTRACT: Drawing together contributions by scholars and practitioners as well as Wallace herself, The Theatre of Naomi Wallace analyses and celebrates the playwright’s many achievements.