cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flight Test Comparison of Different Adaptive Augmentations for Fault Tolerant Control Laws for a Modified F-15 Aircraft

This report describes the improvements and enhancements to a neural network based approach for directly adapting to aerodynamic changes resulting from damage or failures. This research is a follow-on effort to flight tests performed on the NASA F-15 aircraft as part of the Intelligent Flight Control System research effort. Previous flight test results demonstrated the potential for performance improvement under destabilizing damage conditions. Little or no improvement was provided under simulated control surface failures, however, and the adaptive system was prone to pilot-induced oscillations. An improved controller was designed to reduce the occurrence of pilot-induced oscillations and increase robustness to failures in general. This report presents an analysis of the neural networks used in the previous flight test, the improved adaptive controller, and the baseline case with no adaptation. Flight test results demonstrate significant improvement in performance by using the new adaptive controller compared with the previous adaptive system and the baseline system for control surface failures.
Exploring college major choice and middle school student behavior, affect and learning: what happens to students who game the system?

Choosing a college major is a major life decision. Interests stemming from students' ability and self-efficacy contribute to eventual college major choice. In this paper, we consider the role played by student learning, affect and engagement during middle school, using data from an educational software system used as part of regular schooling. We use predictive analytics to leverage automated assessments of student learning and engagement, investigating which of these factors are related to a chosen college major. For example, we already know that students who game the system in middle school mathematics are less likely to major in science or technology, but what majors are they more likely to select? Using data from 356 college students who used the ASSISTments system during their middle school years, we find significant differences in student knowledge, performance, and off-task and gaming behaviors between students who eventually choose different college majors.
Creating Knowledge Collaboratively With Female Sex Workers: Insights From a Qualitative, Feminist, and Participatory Study

This article reflexively engages substantive, epistemological, methodological, and ethical issues that surfaced during a feminist, qualitative, and participatory research project with 6 adult female sex workers in Seattle, Washington. Given the intersubjective researcher-participant relationship within participatory forms of inquiry, personal and professional roles and boundaries were often obscure, fluid, and minimally defined. Consequently, issues of power, those personal and institutional, facilitated intriguing tensions that captured this researcher's attention. Central to the issues explored in this article are significant tensions between collaborative, reflexive, community research and academic modes and structures. In-depth individual dialogue sessions provided opportunities to both explore and create knowledge collaboratively with sex workers about their experiences from their perspectives. A spontaneous interpretive focus group created an opportunity for the participants, working in diverse aren...
Availability of and ease of access to calorie information on restaurant websites.

Objective Offering calories on restaurant websites might be particularly important for consumer meal planning, but the availability of and ease of accessing this information are unknown. Methods We assessed websites for the top 100 U.S. chain restaurants to determine the availability of and ease of access to calorie information as well as website design characteristics. We also examined potential predictors of calorie availability and ease of access. Results Eighty-two percent of restaurants provided calorie information on their websites; 25% presented calories on a mobile-formatted website. On average, calories could be accessed in 2.35±0.99 clicks. About half of sites (51.2%) linked to calorie information via the homepage. Fewer than half had a separate section identifying healthful options (46.3%), or utilized interactive meal planning tools (35.4%). Quick service/fast casual, larger restaurants, and those with less expensive entrees and lower revenue were more likely to make calorie information available. There were no predictors of ease of access. Conclusion Calorie information is both available and largely accessible on the websites of America’s leading restaurants. It is unclear whether consumer behavior is affected by the variability in the presentation of calorie information.
Development of In Vitro-Matured Oocytes from Porcine Preantral Follicles Following Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

The objective of this study was to assess fertilization and embryonic development following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of oocytes from porcine preantral follicles matured in vitro. Also, another aim was to describe actin filament distribution during fertilization and embryonic development of those oocytes after ICSI as one of the factors assessed. Preantral follicles isolated from prepubertal porcine ovaries were cultured in a system that supports follicular development. After in vitro maturation, the oocytes were fertilized by ICSI or conventional fertilization in vitro (IVF). Actin filaments of the fertilized oocytes and embryos produced by ICSI or IVF were stained by rhodamine-phalloidin and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. ICSI resulted in 64% fertilization of porcine preantral follicle oocytes matured in vitro. Of those, 51% of the fertilized oocytes cleaved and 21% developed to the blastocyst stage. No significant differences in percentages of oocyte fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst formation were observed between ICSI and IVF (53%, 45% and 16%, respectively). Actin filament distribution during fertilization and embryonic development of ICSI- or IVF-fertilized oocytes from porcine preantral follicles was similar to that of oocytes derived from antral follicles and fertilized by standard IVF. These results indicate that oocytes from porcine preantral follicles matured in vitro following ICSI can undergo fertilization and subsequent embryonic development.
Autonomic Contribution to Blood Pressure and Metabolism in Obesity

Obesity is associated with alterations in the autonomic nervous system that may contribute to the increase in blood pressure and resting energy expenditure present in this condition. To test this hypothesis, we induced autonomic withdrawal with the ganglionic blocker trimethaphan in 10 lean (32+/-3 years) and 10 obese (35+/-3 years) subjects. Systolic blood pressure fell more in obese compared with lean subjects (-17+/-3 versus -11+/-1 mm Hg; P=0.019) because of a greater decrease in total peripheral resistance (-310+/-41 versus 33+/-78 dynes/sec/cm(-5); P=0.002). In contrast, resting energy expenditure decreased less in obese than in lean subjects, (-26+/-21 versus -86+/-15 kcal per day adjusted by fat-free mass; P=0.035). We confirmed that the autonomic contribution to blood pressure was greater in obesity after including additional subjects with a wider range of blood pressures. Systolic blood pressure decreased -28+/-4 mm Hg (95% CI: -38 to -18.0; n=8) in obese hypertensive subjects compared with lean (-9+/-1 mm Hg; 95% CI: -11 to -6; n=22) or obese normotensive subjects (-14+/-2 mm Hg; 95% CI: -18 to -10; n=20). After removal of autonomic influences, systolic blood pressure remained higher in obese hypertensive subjects (109+/-3 versus 98+/-2 mm Hg in lean and 103+/-2 mm Hg in obese normotensive subjects; P=0.004) suggesting a role for additional factors in obesity-associated hypertension. In conclusion, sympathetic activation induced by obesity is an important determinant to the blood pressure elevation associated with this condition but is not effective in increasing resting energy expenditure. These results suggest that the sympathetic nervous system could be targeted in the treatment of obesity-associated hypertension.
Minimum Sidelobe Levels for Linear Arrays

A method of finding the optimum sidelobe-minimizing weights for an arbitrary linear array is derived that holds for any scan direction, beamwidth, and type of antenna element used. Optimum linear array positions are then determined via the particle swarm optimization method. Hence, the two together can give a global bound on antenna array performance with regards to sidelobe minimization. Results are presented for linear arrays of 2-6 elements for different scan angles, beamwidths and antenna elements.
Food odors trigger Drosophila males to deposit a pheromone that guides aggregation and female oviposition decisions

Animals use olfactory cues for navigating complex environments. Food odors in particular provide crucial information regarding potential foraging sites. Many behaviors occur at food sites, yet how food odors regulate such behaviors at these sites is unclear. Using Drosophila melanogaster as an animal model, we found that males deposit the pheromone 9-tricosene upon stimulation with the food-odor apple cider vinegar. This pheromone acts as a potent aggregation pheromone and as an oviposition guidance cue for females. We use genetic, molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches to show that 9-tricosene activates antennal basiconic Or7a receptors, a receptor activated by many alcohols and aldehydes such as the green leaf volatile E2-hexenal. We demonstrate that loss of Or7a positive neurons or the Or7a receptor abolishes aggregation behavior and oviposition site-selection towards 9-tricosene and E2-hexenal. 9-Tricosene thus functions via Or7a to link food-odor perception with aggregation and egg-laying decisions.
The Institutionalization of Conflict: Jury Acquittals

Legal systems, like other social systems, sometimes adjust to the circumstances of human life otherwise than through the procedures for controlled change explicitly built into them. One primary way is through the institutionalization of powers, rights, privileges, and duties that engender conflict for individuals who must reach their decisions with respect to such powers, rights, privileges, and duties. A prime example is the jury role in acquittals. The obligation to defer to the court's instructions, while binding on the juror, exists side by side with a protected power and privilege to override that obligation. The result is the legitimated interposition of the juror's judgment between the consequences of the court's instructions and the fate of the defendant. There follows the possibility of a justified departure from rules by agents acting in role, a possibility that may serve social ends of major significance.
Relative immunogenicity of ß-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, and a model acid whey product

Abstract The relative immunogenicities of bovine s-lactoglobulin (s-LG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using a rat model system. ELISAs were developed to quantify antibody titers in Sprague-Dawley rats injected intraperitoneally with dosages of s-LG ranging from 0.01 to 1000 μg, and dosages of BSA ranging from 0.1 to 1000 μg. Primary IgG and IgE responses to BSA increased with increasing dosage of BSA, with a minimum of 100 and 1000 μg (respectively) necessary for responses significantly (P 0.05). The results of this study may aid in developing operating parameters for affinity absorption methods that selectively remove allergenic proteins from milk or acid whey.
The Great War, the Russian Civil War, and the Invention of Big Science

ArgumentThe revolutionary transformation in Russian science toward the Soviet model of research started even before the revolution of 1917. It was triggered by the crisis of World War I, in response to which Russian academics proposed radical changes in the goals and infrastructure of the country’s scientific effort. Their drafts envisioned the recognition of science as a profession separate from teaching, the creation of research institutes, and the turn toward practical, applied research linked to the military and industrial needs of the nation. The political revolution and especially the Bolshevik government that shared or appropriated many of the same views on science, helped these reforms materialize during the subsequent Civil War. By 1921, the foundation of a novel system of research and development became established, which in its most essential characteristics was similar to the U.S. later phenomenon known as “big science.”
High-temperature, low-modulus adhesive attach for large-area thin-film processing on silicon and alumina tiles

The fabrication of high-density interconnect structures typically involves sequential processing of alternate layers of thin organic dielectric materials and conducting copper lines. With the continued push toward low-cost fabrication, large-area processing of thin-film materials is being aggressively pursued by the electronic packaging industry. The objective of the ongoing work at Georgia Tech is to develop innovative materials, models, and processing techniques to facilitate large-area processing of alumina and silicon tiles. As the alumina and silicon tiles are commercially available in smaller dimensions, a palletization approach has been developed to facilitate large-area processing. In the palletization approach, alumina and silicon tiles are attached to re-usable glass pallets with an in-house developed thermally-stable, reworkable, and highly-compliant adhesive.
A novel near-field terahertz imaging probe for biological imaging

We report a resonant frequency-domain terahertz (THz) near-field probe setup and its application in imaging a slice of a mouse brain slice and the leaf of a dwarf umbrella tree. In our probe setup, we coupled the waveguide output of a terahertz Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) system to feed a horn antenna and then used the horn antenna to excite a sharp iron or Teflon tip. The tip transforms and concentrates the Transverse Electric (TE) mode waves of the horn to longitudinal electric fields (LE) at the metallic or Teflon tip for stronger interaction with a sample. The spatial resolution of the probe setup (from spread with an iron and a Teflon tip function measurements) were 445 μm (at 0.8375 THz) and 230 μm (at 1.0422 THz), respectively.
Probing the Energetic Distribution of Injected Electrons at Quantum Dot–Linker–TiO2 Interfaces

We have used steady-state and time-resolved emission measurements to characterize interfacial electron transfer, or electron injection, from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to molecularly linked TiO2 nanoparticles. Electrons were injected from both band-edge and trap states on relatively fast ( 10–8 s) time scales. The quantum yield of electron injection from trap states decreased as the trap-state distribution was shifted, by varying excitation energy, to lower energies. This effect probably arose from a driving-force dependence of the rate constant for electron injection. In contrast, the quantum yield of electron injection from band-edge states was independent of excitation energy. Our results highlight the key role of trapped carriers in interfacial charge-transfer processes of QDs and the influence of the energies and densities of trap states on the efficiencies of such processes.
Structure of the Malpighian Tubule Muscle of the American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana,,

Two parallel and closely apposed muscles, each about 5 to 10 μ in diameter are wrapped helically around each malpighian tubule in Periplaneta americana (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattidae). They arise from a network of fibers at the base of the tubule, and extend to its knoblike distal end. The muscles are paralleled and closely accompanied by a trachea. The muscle fibers are striated, with sarcomere units 5 μ long. The Z lines, and A and I bands can be identified, but are somewhat zig-zag in appearance, and not sharply distinct. No H band could be seen. Invaginations of the sarcolemma form a T-system which joins the sarcoplasmic reticulum to form dyads. In cross section, myosin filaments are surrounded by a variable number of irregularly arranged actin filaments. Although the ratio of actin filaments to myofilaments is about 7:1, many of the former are shared among myofilaments so that each of the latter is surrounded by about 12 actin filaments. Mitochondria are confined to longitudinal channels in the central core of the muscle, and to concentrically arranged sarcoplasmic ridges which are on the side of the muscle away from the malpighian tubule epithelium. No evidence of nerves associated with the muscles was found along the distal length of the tubule.
Antipeptide Monoclonal Antibodies to Defined Fibrinogen Aα Chain Regions: Anti-Aα 487-498, a Structural Probe for Fibrinogenolysis

The fibrinogen αC domain (Aα 220-610) is one of the earliest targets attacked by plasmin following fibrinolytic system activation. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to defined sequences within the αC domain provide the opportunity to explore the structure-function relationships involved in plasmin's interaction with its Aα chain substrate at greater resolution and can serve as reagents with potential clinical use for detecting fibrinogenolysis in vivo. The MoAb F-104 was raised against a multiple antigenic peptide derivative modelled after the hydrophilic 12-residue sequence corresponding to Aα 487-498 within the αC domain. A sensitive solution phase competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for MoAb F-104 that can be applied for the direct measurement of intact fibrinogen (purified or plasma; ED50%≈5 pmol Aα chain equivalents/mL), with negligible cross-reactive interference from peptide cleavage products released by plasmin from the COOH-terminal end of the Aα chain (<3%). Immunoblotting and ELISA studies to characterize the fate of the F-104 epitope during fibrinogenolysis in vitro indicated a rapid loss of fibrinogen-associated immunoreactivity that reflected the heterogeneity of plasmin cleavage sites within the αC domain; cleavage at the 493-494 arg-his bond destroyed the F-104 epitope, while cleavage at other sites released it in an altered, inaccessible, conformation within the structure of 35- to 40-kD and 17.5- to 18-kD Aα chain degradation products. Application of the F-104 ELISA to monitor the course of Aα chain proteolysis in a small study population of patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction (n = 14) showed that the loss of fibrinogen-associated F-104 immunoreactivity was a very early marker (within 15 to 30 minutes) of in vivo fibrinogenolysis. Additional data obtained suggest that MoAb F-104 may have promise as a reagent for evaluating the creation of an effective lytic state early during therapy, information that could help determine the need for further clinical intervention. Thus, these studies illustrate a rational, targeted, approach towards the development of a novel antifibrinogen MoAb whose application as a structural probe for the region Aα 487-498 in vitro and in vivo can provide new insights into the various molecular forms of fibrinogen that circulate under physiologic conditions and in disease.
Recent Advances in Ring-opening Metathesis Polymerization(ROMP) of Dicyclopentadiene

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization(ROMP) of cycloolefins has emerged as a powerful tool for macromolecular engineering,among which the ring-opening metathesis polymerization(ROMP) of dicyclopentadiene(DCPD) gains widespread interest recently.An overall discussion about the catelysts used in the ROMP of DCPD,most of which are transition-metal complexes,is done in this paper.
Bacterial profile of ground beef made from carcass tissue experimentally contaminated with pathogenic and spoilage bacteria before being washed with hot water, alkaline solution, or organic acid and then stored at 4 or 12°C

The long-term effectiveness of several beef-carcass surface-tissue (BCT) wash interventions on the microbiology of ground beef produced from this tissue was determined. BCT was inoculated with bovine feces containing one of two different levels (ca. 4 or 6 log CFU/ml) of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria innocua, Salmonella typhimurium, and Clostridium sporogenes. The BCT was then subjected to one of several treatment washes: 2% (vol/vol) DL-lactic acid (LA), 2% (vol/vol) acetic acid (AA), 12% (wt/vol) trisodium phosphate (TSP), hot water (HW; 74 +/- 2 degrees C at the tissue surface), or water (WW; 32 +/- 2 degrees C at the tissue surface). A control group was left untreated. After treatments, BCT was held at 4 degrees C for 24 h and then ground. The ground beef was packaged and incubated at 4 degrees C for 21 days or 12 degrees C for 3 days. AA-treated samples held at 12 degrees C for 3 days yielded significantly lower aerobic plate counts than the control and also yielded the lowest levels of pseudomonads when compared to other sample groups. After being held at 4 degrees C for 21 days or 12 degrees C for 3 days, samples treated with antimicrobial compounds had lower or no detectable (< 1 CFU/g) levels of E. coli O157:H7, L. innocua, S. typhimurium, and C. sporogenes than beef treated with a WW or the control. Ground beef produced from tissue treated with HW yielded lower populations of these bacteria when compared to WW or untreated control beef, but the populations were generally higher than those observed in any of the antimicrobial chemical-treated samples. These trends continued throughout all storage conditions over time. Results from this study indicate that the use of carcass interventions, especially antimicrobial compounds, presently available to the slaughter industry will lower bacterial counts in ground beef.
Rapid Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Activation by Tobacco Smoke Modulates Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

While cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and for acute cardiovascular events, the toxic components of tobacco smoke (TS) and mechanisms producing cardiovascular dysfunction are unknown. Exposure to TS increases inflammation, thrombosis, and oxidation of LDL cholesterol and we have previously found that TS exposure activates several inflammatory genes in vascular cells. To address the mechanisms of TS-induced proatherosclerotic effects, we derived an immortalized line of mouse cardiac microvascular endothelial (MMCEC) cells by transfection of primary cells with lentiviral vectors encoding genes for telomerase and SV40 T antigen. These MMCEC grow indefinitely while retaining a normal endothelial phenotype, show contact inhibition, display EC markers such as PECAM, VE-cadherin, and von Willebrand factor, and develop an inflammatory phenotype when stimulated with cytokines. In response to interleukin-1β (IL-1 β), MMCEC induce cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and produce prostaglandins; these effects are enhanced by a saline extract of TS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Increased COX-2 expression accompanies atherosclerosis, while its prostaglandin products favor cell proliferation and decrease apoptosis. Moreover, β-catenin, a key component of cell-cell interactions, and a coactivator of the TCF/LEF (T-cell transcription factor/lymphoid enhancer binding factor) family of transcription factors, is also increased in atherosclerotic plaques. We therefore studied how TS exposure affected the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. IL-1 β and TS each stimulated β-catenin translocation from the plasma membrane to the nucleus of MMCEC within 1–2 hr, but addition of TS to cells exposed to IL-1 β stimulated translocation within minutes shown by confocal microscopy and western blotting. The enhanced β-catenin translocation induced by IL-1 β/TS was linked with rapid phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase 3β, which in turn decreased phosphorylation of β-catenin, preventing its proteosomal degradation. Conversely, when GSK3β, which stabilizes β-catenin, was blocked, COX-2 was induced. If β-catenin expression in MMCEC was directly inhibited by transfection of cells with short interfering RNA (siRNA) induction of COX-2 expression and prostaglandin production by IL-1 β/TS was markedly diminished. In addition, LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, and AG1478, an EGFR inhibitor, also blocked IL-1 β/TS induced Akt phosphorylation, β-catenin translocation and COX-2 expression, as did selective inhibitors of p38 MAPK and MEK-1. Our data, using a novel endothelial cell model, demonstrate that the PI3K/GSK-3β regulated β-catenin pathway is important for COX-2-related proinflammatory and proatherosclerotic effects of tobacco smoke on vascular cells and indicate the interrelated signaling pathways involved. TS-related effects may similarly modulate other proatherosclerotic genes.
Man and His Life — World

The human lifeworld (Lebenswelt) is now a central theme of continental thought. It has been touched on by many philosophers in our Western history, but has been clearly focused and illumined only in our own time by the phenomenological investigations of different thinkers, working in different national traditions from different points of view. In spite of these differences, certain common insights have been achieved. In this paper I shall try to summarize and to interpret these insights, paying special attention to two such investigations, one in Germany, the other in France. I shall also comment on certain basic questions now arising from this recent study of a long neglected topic, the human Lebenswelt.
THE PREVALENCE OF SUBCLINICAL LOWER EXTREMITY PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE IN MEXICAN AMERICANS: RESULTS FROM THE CAMERON COUNTY HISPANIC COHORT STUDY

Background: The prevalence of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Mexican Americans (MA) is poorly characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of subclinical PAD in a sample of MA adults. Methods: The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort is a prospective
CONTROL SYSTEMS CURRICULA IN THE UNITED STATES: RESULTS OF TWO RECENT SURVEYS

Abstract In this paper we report the results of two recent surveys on control systems curricula in the United States. The surveys focused on control education within departments of electrical and mechanical engineering. There are only two schools in the United States that offer degree programs in control systems outside of regular engineering departments. The surveys included data on required and elective courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. They also included considerable information on textbooks used in control systems courses, which, however, is not reproduced in this report.
Athletic Injuries -- A Discussion of Muscles

(1935). Athletic Injuries -- A Discussion of Muscles. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 28-31.
Evaluating the feasibility of phrenoesophagopexy during hiatal hernia repair in sleeve gastrectomy patients.

Abstract Background Both hiatal hernias (HH) and morbid obesity significantly contribute to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which increases the risk for esophagitis and esophageal cancer. Therefore, concomitant HH repair is recommended during bariatric surgery procedures. Unfortunately, recurrence of HH after repair is not uncommon and the optimal surgical technique has yet to be established. Objective To evaluate the feasibility of recreating the phrenoesophageal ligaments by adding phrenoesophagopexy to HH repair during sleeve gastrectomy. Setting Independent, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Methods Retrospective chart review of all patients with a body mass index ≥35 kg/m 2 who underwent a combined sleeve gastrectomy and HH repair between January 2010 and December 2014 by a single surgeon at a single institution. Demographic data and 30-day postoperative complications rates were obtained. Results There were 106 patients evaluated. Mean age was 50.8 ± 12.5 years, mean body mass index was 45.8 ± 7.1 kg/m 2 , and 87% were female. Mean operative time was 112 ± 24.5 minutes, and mean length of stay was 1.9 ± .7 days. The 30-day complication rate was .94% (1 gastric sleeve leak) and there were no deaths. Six patients (5.7%) required emergency department evaluation, and 5 (4.7%) required readmission for abdominal pain (2), dysphagia/dehydration (1), esophagitis (1), or gastric sleeve leak (1), which required reoperation. Conclusion The addition of an interrupted phrenoesophagopexy for HH repair during sleeve gastrectomy appears to be a feasible technique with low 30-day morbidity and mortality rates. Long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate the efficacy in reducing HH recurrence rates.
On the feasibility of profiling internet users based on volume and time of usage

In this paper, we address the issue of profiling users over the Internet using meta-data logs derived from network flow data (hence preserving a high degree of privacy). In this broader context, we specifically aim to empirically demonstrate that Internet volume and time of usage of humans do exhibit repeatable behavior over time. In our experimental study, Internet usage statistics of octets and duration (collected via privacy-preserving NetFlow records) of 66 student subjects in a college campus was recorded for a month. Subsequently, using state-of-the-art statistical techniques, we demonstrate how the Internet usage of any particular subject is highly-correlated with usage of the same subject over multiple time scales, while simultaneously being distinct from usage of other subjects. We derive interesting and practically useful trends on the relationship between the degree of distinguishability and the window time chosen to do the profiling. We also present discussions on the practical applications of this new study.
Who’s on Top? Expanding What Counts as Legitimate Thought: A Philosophical Argument for the Inclusion of the Other (Lovern)

This chapter focuses on Lovern’s use of Western logic to create an argument requiring curriculum and student voice inclusion. The chapter creates the argument by looking at the foundations of Western logic and epistemology. The concepts are given to allow those not involved in Philosophy to gain a basic understanding and to establish a Western paradigm–based argument for the inclusion of global knowledge systems. The argument contends that the use of global epistemologies not only creates a more democratic classroom, but offers effective ways to solve the problems established in Western hierarchical dichotomies.
Impact of cooperative adaptive cruise control on multilane freeway merge capacity

Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) allows vehicles to exchange real-time operational information wirelessly, enabling vehicles to travel in strings with shorter than normal time gaps betwee...
Virus-Resistant Crops and Trees

Plant viral and other plant microbial diseases cause significant economic losses every year and limit food supplies worldwide. To control viral diseases, we can use a variety of strategies, including various forms of genetic resistance. Genetic resistance can be manipulated to control viruses by exploiting a natural eukaryotic defense system called RNA interference or gene silencing. This system can be additionally exploited to control insect vectors of viruses, broadening the impact of transgenic technologies. An overview on plant defense, plant viruses and integration of transgenic technologies in virus resistant crops is given in this chapter.
Technical Alternatives in Performing Deep Brain Stimulator Implantation

Traditional methods of deep brain stimulator (DBS) implantation utilize a rigid, head mounted stereotactic frame to deliver electrodes to the intended brain target. New surgical navigation systems have provided the substrate for the development of frameless DBS delivery techniques that now provide a viable alternative to frame-based implantations, and may have advantages for both the surgical team and the patient. Intraoperative MR imaging and purely image-guided implantation may represent the next generation of implantation strategies.
The Metalanguage λprolog and Its Implementation

Stimulated by concerns of software certification especially as it relates to mobile code, formal structures such as specifications and proofs are beginning to play an explicit role in computing. In represent- ing and manipulating such structures, an approach is needed that pays attention to the binding operation that is present in them. The language λProlog provides programming support for a higher-order treatment of abstract syntax that is especially suited to this task. This support is realized by enhancing the traditional strength of logic programming in the metalanguage realm with an ability for dealing directly with binding structure. This paper identifies the features of Prolog that endow it with such a capability, illustrates their use and and describes methods for their implementation. Also discussed is a new realization of Prolog called Teyjus that incorporates the implementation ideas presented.
Physics of Amorphous-Silicon Alloys

It has long been known that there are often two paths from the liquid to the solid state, depending on the rate of cooling. At temperatures above the melting point, Tm, a sufficient concentration of higher energy local configurations are accessible that the structure cannot withstand shear stresses and behaves like a fluid. If the temperature is reduced slowly, a first-order transition occurs at Tm to a state with lower energy and entropy that resists finite shear stresses and thus retains its shape. The structure then ordinarily exhibits a long-range periodicity which reflects the chemical nature of the constituent atoms, and the material is called a crystal. For simple materials, the crystal represents the absolute minimum energy arrangement, and thus is the stable phase at very low temperatures. However, for complex alloys, it often represents a compromise between the optimal chemical bonding and the strain energy. When such an alloy is cooled rapidly, a different series of processes can then take place. Since first-order phase transitions entail finite entropy changes, they require a finite time to occur.
Coordinate status consultation - A strategy for instructional improvement

College and university instructional development programs frequently rely on seminars and workshops as methods for assisting faculty. Group formats alone are unlikely to provide the individual assistance faculty need to explore problems in their unique teaching environments. An alternative approach is coordinate status consultation in which a faculty member and teaching improvement consultant collaborate to address the faculty member’s concerns. The faculty member brings his knowledge of his content area and his teaching environment to the relationship. The consultant provides his expertise in examining teaching concerns and facilitating change. This paper defines coordinate status consultation, summarizes its conceptual bases, describes the major phases in the consultation process, and provides an example to illustrate its use.
Molecular genetics of inversion 16 leukemia: implications for leukemogenesis

The M4Eo subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has distinctive bone marrow morphology characterized by the presence of dysplastic eosinophils with abnormal granulation. This distinct subtype of acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML or AML-M4) is predictive of a more favorable outcome with longer remission duration and survival following appropriate chemotherapy [1,2]. The original descriptions of this entity were reported in association with the chromosome 16 abnormalities inversion(16)(p13;q22), translocation (16;16)(p13;q22), and deletion (16)(q22) [1,3,4], referred to hereafter as inv(16), t(16;16), and del(16q), respectively. Thus a cytogenetic-clinicopathologic association was described between M4Eo and these chromosomal abnormalities. The association is not exclusive, however, with many examples of inv(16) now described in the setting of other AML subtypes such as M2 and M5 as well as myelodysplastic syndrome [5,6]. Some important recent work has been the cloning of the breakpoints associated with inv(16) and t(16;16) and the identification of the genes associated with those chromosome alterations. The steps of that process will be reviewed here, as will the development of molecular genetic tools and procedures which that work has made available to diagnostics. We will then consider the biological and clinical implications of a deletion that has been shown to have occurred in some inv(16) patients.
National trends in hospitalizations and outcomes in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Background Numerous studies have shown conflicting results regarding the natural history and outcomes with alcoholic cardiomyopathy (AC). Hypothesis Determining the trends in hospitalization among patients with AC and associated outcomes will facilitate a better understanding of this disease. Methods We conducted our analysis on discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) from 2002 through 2014. We obtained data from patients aged ≥18 years with diagnosis of "Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy." Death was defined within the NIS as in-hospital mortality. By using International Classification of Disease-9th edition-Clinical Modification (ICD-9CM) diagnoses and diagnosis-related groups different comorbidities were identified. Results We studied a total of 45 365 admissions among patients with AC. The absolute number of admissions decreased from 2002 to 2014 (3866-2834 admissions). In-hospital mortality was variable throughout study duration without a clinically relevant trend (Mean 4.5%, range 3.6%-5.6%). The patients were mostly male (87%) and Caucasian (50.5%). Commonest age groups involved were 45-59 years (46.7%) followed by 60-74 years (29.2%). Trends in associated comorbidities such as smoking, drug abuse, depression, and hypertension increased over the same time period. Among all admissions, almost half were for cardiovascular etiologies (48.9%) and heart failure (≈24%) was the commonest reason for hospital admission. Conclusion While the overall admissions among patients with AC decreased over time, the proportion of patients with high-risk characteristics such as smoking, depression, and drug abuse increased. Patients aged 45 and older were largely affected and cardiovascular etiologies predominated among causes for admission.
“Racist Propaganda”: discursive Negotiations on YouTube of Perceived Anti-White Racism in South Korea

This article analyzes YouTube comments about a Munhwa Broadcasting Company report that White “expatriates” in South Korea called xenophobic and racist. The research is important because there is a paucity of scholarship on White discourse outside the West and because there is limited work on YouTube as a space to articulate and negotiate discourses about racism. This is despite the increasingly complex flows of people and discourse around the globe. In this article, I argue that YouTube acted as a site of ideological negotiation in which Orientalist discourses were advanced under the cover of color-blind racism. Many of the YouTube comments framed Korea as xenophobic and racist, and even for self-identified White commenters sympathetic to the report, they did not challenge the construction of Korea as racist or the normative belief in postracism.
Women and mass consumer society in postwar France

Introduction 1. Consumers for the nation: women, politics, and citizenship 2. The productivity drive in the home and gaining comfort on credit 3. For better and for worse: marriage and family in the consumer society 4. 'Can a man with a refrigerator make a revolution?': redefining class in the postwar years 5. The salon des arts menagers: learning to consume in postwar France Epilogue.
Game-Enhanced L2TL

In this chapter, I explore the theory, design, and implementation of formal game-enhanced L2TL. The first part presents the concepts of pedagogical mediation and supplemental or wraparound materials. The second part presents three approaches that can be applied when evaluating and selecting vernacular games for L2 learning use: to consider its affordances, its CALL appropriateness, and learner-player preferences. The third part presents six frameworks for the design of pedagogical mediation: gaming literacies, game discourses and functions, game dynamics, narrativization, experiential learning, and bridging activities. The chapter concludes with a practical guide to game-enhanced L2 learning project design and implementation, including outlines of sample projects.
A Differential-geometric Approach for Globally Solving a Non-convex, Discontinuous Depth Estimation Problem for Plenoptic Camera Images

In this paper, we address the problem of estimating a scene’s three-dimensional geometry from plenoptic camera images. Existing approaches for this problem have emphasized the development of sharpness and contrast measures for distinguishing between in-/out-of-focus image regions. The ways in which these measures are aggregated can yield erroneous, localized distance fluctuations, though. To deal with such fluctuations, post-processing smoothing techniques can be applied. However, they may remove fine-scale, non-erroneous depth structures and edges. Here, we propose a non-convex, discontinuous cost-function that simultaneously combines and regularizes sharpness and contrast so that valid depth transitions are better preserved. We implicitly convert this function into one that is continuous and (quasi-)convex by optimizing it on the non-positively-curved Riemannian manifold of depth maps with a learned metric.
Health Care Resource Distribution of Texas Counties With High Rates of Leg Amputations.

Abstract Background Lower extremity amputation rates associated with peripheral arterial disease in Texas are high and vary disproportionately among different populations. We sought to assess the impact of socioeconomic status and health care resource distribution on the geographic prevalence of lower extremity amputation in Texas counties. Materials and methods We collated 2005-2009 data on all 254 Texas counties. The primary outcome was the number of nontraumatic lower extremity amputations. Population-adjusted regressions identified factors that could explain increasing amputation rates. Results We identified 33 counties with population-weighted amputation rates in the highest 25%. These counties had higher rates of diabetes, larger populations of people categorized as black, fewer health care resources, and lower health care utilization. In the presence of more emergency room visits, dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility decreased total amputations. In counties with more than 70% rural communities, additional primary care providers also significantly decreased amputations per 100,000 residents (mean difference = −0.12, 95% confidence interval: −0.23, −0.0008). Conclusions Policy-driven strategic health care resource allocation at the local level may benefit patients in high-need, low-resource areas and promote a reduction in amputations.
Requests Prediction in Cloud with a Cyclic Window Learning Algorithm

Automatic resource scaling is one advantage of cloud systems. Cloud systems are able to scale the number of physical machines depending on user requests. Therefore, accurate request prediction brings a great improvement in cloud systems' performance. If we can make accurate requests prediction, the appropriate number of physical machines that can accommodate predicted amount of requests can be activated and cloud systems will save more energy by preventing excessive activation of physical machines. Also, cloud systems can implement advanced load distribution with accurate requests prediction. We propose a prediction model that predicts probability distribution parameters of requests for each time interval. Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and Local Linear Regression (LLR) are used to implement this algorithm. An evaluation of the proposed algorithm is performed with the Google cluster-trace data. The prediction is achieved in terms of the number of task arrivals, CPU requests, and memory resource requests. Then the accuracy of prediction is measured with Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE) and Normalized Mean Squared Error (NMSE).
Cerebrovascular Accident in a Patient with Left Ventricular Assist Device and Therapeutic INR: Should Left Atrial Appendage Be Routinely Closed?

Introduction Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a destination therapy (DT) is considered one of the main therapeutic strategies in patients with end-stage CHF. Postoperative (post-op) a-fib can develop in LVAD patients placing them at risk of developing cerebrovascular accident (CVA) from left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus. We present a case of LVAD patient with a new post-op a-fib who developed embolic CVA from LAA thrombus despite having therapeutic INR. In addition, we discuss whether LAA should be precautionary closed during LVAD implantation to prevent such complication. Case A 64-year-old female with a medical history of advanced ischemic HFrEF (EF 10-15%) status post-LVAD as DT, postoperative a-fib, uncontrolled DM II who presented with slurred speech and left-sided weakness. Last known well time was 16 hours ago. CT head showed hypodensity in the right centrum semiovale figure 1A. CT angiogram head showed a filling defect in the right middle cerebral artery figure 1B. The patient was diagnosed with acute embolic ischemic CVA. She did not have a-fib before her LVAD. However, during her post-op day 2, she developed a new onset-afib requiring amiodarone and digoxin besides warfarin. She was maintained on therapeutic INR post-LVAD except for a period of sub-therapeutic INR of 14 days that was bridged with LMWH figure 1C. TEE revealed LAA thrombus figure 1D which was identified as the embolic source. Physical therapy (PT) worked with the patient in the hospital and after being discharged. She continued to follow up at the HF clinic with gradual functional improvement. Discussion The patient's LDH post-LVAD remained at its post-op range between 603 and 952 U/L without peaking, other acute hemolysis indices were negative, and LVAD did not give any alarm. All of that excluded LVAD thrombus as a culprit and confirmed that the LAA thrombus was the CVA source. It was felt that if LAA closure was done during the patient's LVAD surgery, it would have prevented her CVA. However, the absence of previous a-fib, embolic CVA, or venous thromboembolic event at the time of surgery did not give the surgical team any hint to consider the LAA closure. Conclusion Patients with LVAD and therapeutic INR remain at risk of forming a thrombus in the LAA and having cardio-embolic CVA. Pending further research focused on cardio-embolic profiling, the role of LAA closure during LVAD implantation surgery should be considered on a case-to-case basis.
Microbes as biomarkers and targets in pancreatic cancer.

The presence and prognostic relevance of the intratumoural microbiota in pancreatic cancer, and the roles of intratumoural bacteria in oncogenesis and therapeutic response are beginning to be elucidated. The feasibility of characterizing intratumoural microbial communities from paraffin-embedded tissues has now been validated, providing greater opportunities for retrospective research. Prospective studies are also needed to test the efficacy of rational approaches combining microbial modulation with chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy.