cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interior-point ℓ 2 -penalty methods for nonlinear programming with strong global convergence properties

We propose two line search primal-dual interior-point methods for nonlinear programming that approximately solve a sequence of equality constrained barrier subproblems. To solve each subproblem, our methods apply a modified Newton method and use an l2-exact penalty function to attain feasibility. Our methods have strong global convergence properties under standard assumptions. Specifically, if the penalty parameter remains bounded, any limit point of the iterate sequence is either a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) point of the barrier subproblem, or a Fritz-John (FJ) point of the original problem that fails to satisfy the Mangasarian-Fromovitz constraint qualification (MFCQ); if the penalty parameter tends to infinity, there is a limit point that is either an infeasible FJ point of the inequality constrained feasibility problem (an infeasible stationary point of the infeasibility measure if slack variables are added) or a FJ point of the original problem at which the MFCQ fails to hold. Numerical results are given that illustrate these outcomes.
The problem of ontotheology: Complicating the divide between philosophy and theology

This paper examines the problem of ontotheology as it was defined by Martin Heidegger, and how it has subsequently been approached by those philosophers and theologians who have followed in his wake. It argues that Heidegger’s initial analysis of the onto-theological condition was mistaken by its presumption of a radical divide between philosophy and theology. Furthermore, many of the key thinkers who have followed after Heidegger have merely reinscribed this supposed divide between thought and faith, rather than genuinely questioning the terms Heidegger thought self-evident. The result, even among some of the most radical and influential contemporary thinkers such as Emmanuel Levinas, John Caputo, and Jean-Luc Marion, has been a contemporary philosophy deprived of questions of faith and a theology unaccountable to its place in the world. In response to this shortcoming of contemporary philosophical and theological thought, Jacques Derrida has approached the problem of ontotheology from the dual perspective of both thought and faith, and thereby, has provided a new path of thought beyond the problem of ontotheology and towards a renewed appreciation for the possibilities for a genuine philosophical theology.
Modular ETO Voltage Source Converter Enables Low Cost FACTS Controller Applications

Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) are critical element that can transform a passive grid to an active one through advanced power management of grid voltage, reactive power and power flow. However, wide spread use of FACTS is limited by the state-of-the-art power electronics technology that is still being considered less reliable for the utility industry. In this paper, a megawatt modular voltage source converter (VSC) based on the emerging emitter turn-off (ETO) thyristor and heat pipe cooling system is introduced. Together with a modular controller technology, the modular VSC enables deployment of low cost FACTS controllers while improving the controller power density, dynamic performance, and reliability
Contrasting the Microbiomes From Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Importance Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is the persistent inflammation of the sinus and nasal passages lasting over 3 months. The etiology of CRS is not well understood. Objective To obtain insights into the disease process, we contrasted the microbiome and immune response from patients with CRS and healthy controls. Design, Setting, and Participants A case vs control design was used. Samples were collected in the operating room in an institutional hospital or clinic. Thirty patients with CRS and 12 healthy controls undergoing surgery were recruited. Main Outcomes and Measures The microbiome was analyzed by deep sequencing of the bacterial 16S and fungal 18S ribosomal RNA genes. Immune response was measured by quantification of 30 different cytokines by multiplexed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immune cells in the lavage were identified by flow cytometry. The immune response of peripheral blood leukocytes to the lavage microbiota was assessed by interleukin (IL)-5 enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Results While quantitative increase in most bacterial and fungal species was observed in patients with CRS relative to controls, the microbiomes of patients with CRS were qualitatively similar to the controls. Because these results indicated that bacteria and fungi are not triggering CRS, we undertook a more detailed characterization of the immune response. Patients with CRS had increased levels of the following cytokines: IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, and IL-13, along with increased levels of eosinophils and basophils in the lavage. Importantly, peripheral blood leukocytes isolated from patients with CRS responded to control lavage samples (ie, to commensals) to produce IL-5. In contrast, the same lavage sample evoked no IL-5 production in leukocytes from healthy controls. Conclusions and Relevance These findings support the theory that in some cases CRS results from an immune hyperresponsiveness to commensal organisms.
Reproductive biology of two commercially exploited skates, Raja binoculata and R. rhina, in the western Gulf of Alaska

This study provides the first detailed information on the reproductive biology of two large and abundant eastern North Pacific Ocean skate species: big skate (Raja binoculata) and longnose skate (Raja rhina). Skates were collected in the western Gulf of Alaska during 2005 and 2006 after a targeted fishery for these two species developed around Kodiak Island, Alaska; both species are also taken as by-catch to other fisheries. A total of 307 females (20.1–183.3 cm TL) and 138 males (19.5–143.7 cm TL) R. binoculata, and 354 females (18.1–145.0 cm TL) and 318 males (21.1–135.8 cm TL) R. rhina were collected. Female R. binoculata were found to attain first (e.g., smallest individual) maturity at 125.8 cm TL and 50% at 148.6 cm TL. Males were found to attain first and 50% maturity at 124.0 and 119.2 cm TL, respectively. No gravid female R. binoculata, with egg cases in utero, were encountered during the study. Female R. rhina were found to attain first and 50% maturity at 102.2 and 113.1 cm TL, respectively. Gravid female R. rhina, with egg cases in utero, were recorded throughout the sampling period. Males attained first maturity at 101.0 cm TL and 50% maturity at 102.9 cm TL. Histological analysis did not reveal significant changes in spermatocyst production for either species during the sampling period. Both species appear to be reproductively active year-round as no seasonal cycle was evident. This study provides new and essential information on the reproductive biology of these two commercially targeted skate species. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electronic phase-noise suppression in diode lasers

It is shown that active current feedback reduces phase noise in diode lasers by between a factor of 1000 and 30 in the 0–250 Hz region.
Multimodal Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Effective and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as its prodromal stage (i.e., mild cognitive impairment (MCI)), has attracted more and more attention recently. So far, multiple biomarkers have been shown to be sensitive to the diagnosis of AD and MCI, i.e., structural MR imaging (MRI) for brain atrophy measurement, functional imaging (e.g., FDG-PET) for hypometabolism quantification, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for quantification of specific proteins. However, most existing research focuses on only a single modality of biomarkers for diagnosis of AD and MCI, although recent studies have shown that different biomarkers may provide complementary information for the diagnosis of AD and MCI. In this paper, we propose to combine three modalities of biomarkers, i.e., MRI, FDG-PET, and CSF biomarkers, to discriminate between AD (or MCI) and healthy controls, using a kernel combination method. Specifically, ADNI baseline MRI, FDG-PET, and CSF data from 51 AD patients, 99 MCI patients (including 43 MCI converters who had converted to AD within 18 months and 56 MCI non-converters who had not converted to AD within 18 months), and 52 healthy controls are used for development and validation of our proposed multimodal classification method. In particular, for each MR or FDG-PET image, 93 volumetric features are extracted from the 93 regions of interest (ROIs), automatically labeled by an atlas warping algorithm. For CSF biomarkers, their original values are directly used as features. Then, a linear support vector machine (SVM) is adopted to evaluate the classification accuracy, using a 10-fold cross-validation. As a result, for classifying AD from healthy controls, we achieve a classification accuracy of 93.2% (with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 93.3%) when combining all three modalities of biomarkers, and only 86.5% when using even the best individual modality of biomarkers. Similarly, for classifying MCI from healthy controls, we achieve a classification accuracy of 76.4% (with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 66%) for our combined method, and only 72% even using the best individual modality of biomarkers. Further analysis on MCI sensitivity of our combined method indicates that 91.5% of MCI converters and 73.4% of MCI non-converters are correctly classified. Moreover, we also evaluate the classification performance when employing a feature selection method to select the most discriminative MR and FDG-PET features. Again, our combined method shows considerably better performance, compared to the case of using an individual modality of biomarkers.
EVIDENCE FOR EARLY TESTIS HORMONE SECRETION IN THE RAT FROM A STUDY OF THE EPIDIDYMIS1

THE EARLIEST PERIOD at which testis hormone secretion is first demonstrable in the rat has not been established. Incidental observations made on the colony of rats bred in this laboratory (Moore, 1930; Price, 1936) by using as an indicator the secretion granules in the secretory epithelium of seminal vesicles indicate that hormone secretion is evident by about the 35th day of post-natal life. Secretory cells of the ventral prostate show light areas in the cytoplasm at still earlier ages, and in the adult male these are adequate to demonstrate the presence of testis hormone. Price (1936), however, showed that these light areas develop in the prostate of a male, castrated on the first day of life, although the prostate was smaller than normal and the appearance of light areas was delayed to some extent (day 12 in normal; day 17 in castrates); she suggested these findings indicate an influence from adrenal androgens (Price, 1939; Howard, 1937; Burrill, 1939).
Application of the EM algorithm for the multitarget/multisensor tracking problem

An important problem in surveillance and reconnaissance systems is the tracking of multiple moving targets in cluttered noise environments using outputs from a number of sensors possessing wide variations in individual characteristics and accuracies. A number of approaches have been proposed for this multitarget/multisensor tracking problem ranging from reasonably simple, though ad hoc, schemes to fairly complex, but theoretically optimum, approaches. In this paper, we describe an iterative procedure for time-recursive multitarget/multisensor tracking based on use of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. More specifically, we pose the multitarget/multisensor tracking problem as an incomplete data problem with the observable sensor outputs representing the incomplete data, whereas the target-associated sensor outputs constitute the complete data. Target updates at each time use an EM-based approach that calculates the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate of the target states, under the assumption of appropriate motion models, based on the outputs of disparate sensors. The approach uses a Markov random field (MRF) model of the associations between observations and targets and allows for estimation of joint association probabilities without explicit enumeration. The advantage of this EM-based approach is that it provides a computationally efficient means for approaching the performance offered by theoretically optimum approaches that use explicit enumeration of the joint association probabilities. We provide selected results illustrating the performance/complexity characteristics of this EM-based approach compared with competing schemes.
Green roofs as a means of pollution abatement

Green roofs involve growing vegetation on rooftops and are one tool that can help mitigate the negative effects of pollution. This review encompasses published research to date on how green roofs can help mitigate pollution, how green roof materials influence the magnitude of these benefits, and suggests future research directions. The discussion concentrates on how green roofs influence air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, carbon sequestration, longevity of roofing membranes that result in fewer roofing materials in landfills, water quality of stormwater runoff, and noise pollution. Suggestions for future directions for research include plant selection, development of improved growing substrates, urban rooftop agriculture, water quality of runoff, supplemental irrigation, the use of grey water, air pollution, carbon sequestration, effects on human health, combining green roofs with complementary related technologies, and economics and policy issues.
Structure–Function Analysis of the DNA Translocating Portal of the Bacteriophage T4 Packaging Machine

Tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses consist of a structurally well conserved dodecameric portal at a special 5-fold vertex of the capsid. The portal plays critical roles in head assembly, genome packaging, neck/tail attachment, and genome ejection. Although the structures of portals from phages φ29, SPP1, and P22 have been determined, their mechanistic roles have not been well understood. Structural analysis of phage T4 portal (gp20) has been hampered because of its unusual interaction with the Escherichia coli inner membrane. Here, we predict atomic models for the T4 portal monomer and dodecamer, and we fit the dodecamer into the cryo-electron microscopy density of the phage portal vertex. The core structure, like that from other phages, is cone shaped with the wider end containing the "wing" and "crown" domains inside the phage head. A long "stem" encloses a central channel, and a narrow "stalk" protrudes outside the capsid. A biochemical approach was developed to analyze portal function by incorporating plasmid-expressed portal protein into phage heads and determining the effect of mutations on head assembly, DNA translocation, and virion production. We found that the protruding loops of the stalk domain are involved in assembling the DNA packaging motor. A loop that connects the stalk to the channel might be required for communication between the motor and the portal. The "tunnel" loops that project into the channel are essential for sealing the packaged head. These studies established that the portal is required throughout the DNA packaging process, with different domains participating at different stages of genome packaging.
Approach to derivation of SIR-C science requirements for calibration

An attempt at determining the science requirements for polarimetric calibration for SIR-C is reported. A model describing the effect of miscalibration is presented, followed by an example showing how to assess the calibration requirements specific to an experiment. The effects of miscalibration on some commonly used polarimetric parameters are also discussed. It is shown that polarimetric calibration requirements are strongly application dependent. In consequence, the SIR-C investigators are advised to assess the calibration requirements of their own experiment. A set of numbers summarizing SIR-C polarimetric calibration goals is given. >
Climate and life-history evolution in evening primroses (Oenothera, Onagraceae) : A phylogenetic comparative analysis

Evolutionary ecologists have long sought to understand the conditions under which perennial (iteroparous) versus annual (semelparous) plant life histories are favored. We evaluated the idea that aridity and variation in the length of droughts should favor the evolution of an annual life history, both by decreasing adult survival and by increasing the potential for high seedling survival via reduced plant cover. We calculated phylogenetically independent contrasts of climate with respect to life history in a clade of winter-establishing evening primroses (sections Anogra and Kleinia; Oenothera; Onagraceae), which includes seven annuals, 12 perennials, and two variable taxa. Climate variables were quantified from long-term records at weather stations near collection localities. To explicitly account for phylogenetic uncertainty, contrasts were calculated on a random sample of phylogenetic trees from the posterior distribution of a Bayesian analysis of DNA sequence data. Statements of association are based on comparing the per- tree mean contrast, which has a null expectation of zero, to a set of per-tree mean contrasts calculated on the same trees, after randomizing the climate data. As predicted, increased annual aridity, increased annual potential evapo- transpiration, and decreased annual precipitation were associated with transitions to the annual habit, but these trends were not significantly different from the null pattern. Transitions to the annual habit were not significantly associated with increases in one measure of aridity in summer nor with increased summer drought, but they were associated with significantly increased maximum summer temperatures. In winter, increased aridity and decreased precipitation were significantly associated with transitions to the annual habit. Changes in life history were not significantly associated with changes in the coefficient of variation of precipitation, either on an annual or seasonal (summer vs. winter) basis. Though we cannot attribute causality on the basis of a correlational, historical study, our results are consistent with the idea that increased heat and drought at certain times of the year favor the evolution of the annual habit. Increased heat in summer may cause adult survival to decline, while increased aridity and decreased precipitation in the season of seedling recruitment (winter) may favor a drought-avoiding, short-lived annual strategy. Not all of the predicted patterns were observed: the capability for drought-induced dormancy may preclude change in habit in response to summer drought in our study group.
Documenting students' faulty schema and misconceptions about combinations and permutations

STEM educators have devoted increasing attention to discrete mathematics in recent years due, in part, to its strong connections with subjects like computer science, probability and statistics, and business management. Combinatorics problems, in particular, while useful for modeling concrete situations, are often considered to be tricky for students. To develop a better understanding of students' conceptions regarding problems involving permutations and combinations, a secondary data analysis using a grounded theory approach was performed on transcripts of student interviews obtained during an earlier study. Participants had recently completed a college-level discrete mathematics course with a passing grade. Analysis focused on answering two research questions: 1) What patterns of responses do students generate while producing solutions to combinatorics word problems? 2) What underlying conceptual ideas lead to these patterns?
The Social Medium Is the Message.

Robots are being considered for applications where they serve as proxies for humans interacting with another human,such as emergency response, hostage negotiation, and healthcare. In these domains, the human (“dependent”) is connected to multiple other humans (“controllers”) via the robot proxy for long periods of time. The dependent may want to interact with humans but also to engage the robot as a medium to the World Wide Web. In the future, medical personnel may use the robot for victim assistance and comfort while the rescue team plans and monitors extrication. Other applications include healthcare, where the robot is the link between a patient and a medical provider for intermittent,routine interactions, and hostage negotiation, where police may use a bomb squad robot to talk with and build rapport with the suspect while the SWAT team uses the robot’s sensors to build and maintain situation awareness.Under funding from the National Science Foundation, we are finishing the first year of investigating verbal and nonverbal communication strategies for robots who are serving as proxies for multiple humans interact with the humans who are dependent on them. Our work posits that such a robot would occupy a novel social medium position according to the Computers as Social Actors (CASA) model [Nass,Steuer, and Tauber1994] [Reeves and Nass1996]. Given that teleoperated robots are treated socially, it is unlikely that a rescue robot would be treated as a pure medium even if playing music or videos. Likewise, the limitations of autonomy and the interactions of specialists with the dependent prevent the robot from being a true social actor. Instead, social actor and pure medium are two extremes on the agent identity spectrum, with a social medium occupying a middle position.A social medium would be perceived as a loyal, helpful “go between” who is an advocate for the dependent, rather than a device for accomplishing the goals of multiple controllers(medical specialist, structural engineer, rescue operations official, etc.). To explore the social medium identity,we have built a physical prototype of a Survivor Buddy and are creating autonomous affective behaviors and a social medium toolkit to explore human-robot interaction.
Effects of fatty acids on BK channels in GH3cells

Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels in GH3 cells are activated by arachidonic acid (AA). Because cytosolic phospholipase A2 can produce other unsaturated free fatty acids (FFA), we examined the effects...
Effects of crystalline environment on pyrimidine free-radical formation. Barbital crystal polymorphs and sodium barbital.

SummaryThe effects of crystalline environment on radiation-induced free radicals in a model system of pyrimidines (barbital I, II, IV, and sodium barbital) were investigated. The characteristics of the stable room-temperature radical were determined by e.s.r. spectroscopy. Single-crystal studies were performed on barbital I and IV. The major free radical in all four species is formed by an ethyl abstraction from C5. The unpaired spin density was 0·4 in all cases. A reorientation of the free radical in the crystal structure was observed in barbital I. An increase in radical yield was observed in sodium barbital (G=0·41) as compared to barbital I and II (G=0·17). Maximum radical concentrations were comparable in sodium barbital and barbital I and slightly lower in barbital II. These radical characteristics, together with the known crystal structures of the model system, indicate the relative importance of intermolecular crystalline environment parameters to solid-state free radical formation.
Experience Modulates the Reproductive Response to Heat Stress in C . elegans via Multiple Physiological Processes

Natural environments are considerably more variable than laboratory settings and often involve transient exposure to stressful conditions. To fully understand how organisms have evolved to respond to any given stress, prior experience must therefore be considered. We investigated the effects of individual and ancestral experience on C. elegans reproduction. We documented ways in which cultivation at 15°C or 25°C affects developmental time, lifetime fecundity, and reproductive performance after severe heat stress that exceeds the fertile range of the organism but is compatible with survival and future fecundity. We found that experience modulates multiple aspects of reproductive physiology, including the male and female germ lines and the interaction between them. These responses vary in their environmental sensitivity, suggesting the existence of complex mechanisms for coping with unpredictable and stressful environments.
Functional nausea and vomiting.

BACKGROUND There is a group of patients who have unexplained chronic nausea and/or vomiting. In the past these patients were labelled as having psychogenic vomiting. However, there is little evidence that such a condition exists. Rather, these patients usually have a functional gastrointestinal disorder (functional nausea and vomiting). OBJECTIVE This article describes the three important syndromes in adults that clinicians need to recognise: cyclic vomiting syndrome, functional vomiting, and chronic idiopathic nausea. DISCUSSION Cyclic vomiting syndrome presents with stereotypical episodes of acute nausea and vomiting that may be severe. Patients are generally well between attacks. Cannabis use can cause a similar syndrome. Patients may respond to antimigraine therapy or low dose tricyclic antidepressant treatment. Functional vomiting is rare and presents with more frequent vomiting episodes. Rumination needs to be distinguished from functional vomiting by careful history taking. Tricyclic antidepressants are also useful in functional vomiting whether or not there is associated depression. Chronic idiopathic nausea refers to patients with bothersome nausea occurring several times a week usually not associated with vomiting. Its treatment is poorly defined but a trial of antidepressant therapy anecdotally can be helpful.
Numerical approximations of optimal portfolios in mispriced asymmetric Lévy markets

Abstract We present numerical approximations of optimal portfolios in mispriced Levy markets under asymmetric information for informed and uninformed investors having logarithmic preference. We apply our numerical scheme to Kou (2002) jump-diffusion markets by deriving analytic formulas for the first two derivatives of the underlying portfolio objective function which depend only on the Levy measure of the jump-generating process. Optimal portfolios are then simulated using the Box–Muller algorithm, Newton’s method and incomplete Beta functions. Convergence dynamics and trajectories of sample paths of optimal portfolios for both investors are presented at different levels of information asymmetry, mispricing, horizon, asymmetry in the Kou density, jump intensity, volatility, mean-reversion speed, and Sharpe ratios. We also apply the proposed Newton’s algorithm to compute optimal portfolios for investors in Variance Gamma markets via instantaneous centralized moments of returns.
The clinical significance of 8q24/MYC rearrangement in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chromosome 8q24/MYC rearrangement is associated with Burkitt lymphoma and some aggressive B-cell lymphomas, but is rare in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We here report a cohort of 20 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with 8q24/MYC rearrangement, 3 detected at time of initial diagnosis and 17 acquired after a median interval of 48 months. At the time when 8q24/MYC arrangement was detected, 18 patients had B-symptoms, 17 had lymphadenopathy, and 17 had splenomegaly. Histologically, typical chronic lymphocytic leukemia morphology was seen in six patients, increased prolymphocytes in nine and Richter's transformation in five patients. Eighteen patients had karyotypic information available that showed t(8;v) in a complex karyotype in 12 patients and in a non-complex karyotype in 6 patients. Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed MYC rearrangement in 17/17 patients. All patients required therapy after 8q24/MYC rearrangement was detected. At last follow-up, five of six patients with a non-complex karyotype were alive after a median of 74 months (10~143 months) from the detection of 8q24/MYC rearrangement. In contrast, 10 of 12 patients with a complex karyotype died with a median survival of 5.5 months. We conclude that 8q24/MYC rearrangement in chronic lymphocytic leukemia is rare and often acquired during the course of disease. If it is presented in a complex karyotype, it is often associated with Richter's transformation, refractory to therapy and an aggressive clinical course; on the other hand, if it is present in a non-complex karyotype, patients often respond to risk-adapted therapies and achieve remission.
The transfluxor

In a recent paper the authors have announced a novel device showing that completely new switching and storing functions can be performed by employing magnetic cores with two or more apertures, (Magnetic circuits using multiaperature cores have also been reported elsewhere.) instead of the conventional single-aperture cores, thereby creating a number of distinct flux paths via the legs of the core. The new device operates by the controlled transfer of flux from leg to leg in the magnetic circuit and was consequently named "transfluxor."
Field-Extremum Model for Short-Range Contributions to Hydration Free Energy

The performance in describing hydration free energies of a broad class of neutral, cationic, and anionic solutes is tested for the recently proposed FESR (Field-Extremum Short-Range) implicit solvation model for interactions between the solute and nearby water molecules, as taken in conjunction with the previously developed SS(V)PE (Surface and Simulation of Volume Polarization for Electrostatics) dielectric continuum model for long-range interactions with bulk water. The empirical FESR model mainly describes solute-water hydrogen bonding interactions by correlating them with the maximum and minimum values of the electric field produced by the solute at the surface of the cavity that excludes solvent. A preliminary report showed that, with only four adjustable parameters, the FESR model, in conjunction with SS(V)PE, can produce hydration energies comparable to the best analogous efforts in the literature that utilized many more parameters. Here, the performance of the FESR model is more fully documented in several respects. The dependence on the underlying quantum mechanical method used to treat the internal electronic structure of the solute is tested by comparing uncorrelated Hartree-Fock to correlated density functional calculations and by comparing a modest sized to a large basis set. The influence of cavity size is studied in connection with an isodensity contour construction of the cavity. The sensitivity of the results to the parameters in the FESR model is considered, and it is found that the dependence on the electric field strength is quite nonlinear, with an optimum exponent consistently in the range of 3 to 4. Overall, it is concluded that the FESR model shows considerable utility for improving the accuracy of implicit models of aqueous solvation.
OPTIMAL SELECTION OF SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES TO MINIMIZE BUILDING OPERATIONAL COSTS

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the national annual energy consumption, 72% of electricity consumption, 13% of water consumption, 39% of all carbon footprint, and 30% of the total waste output in the United States. These negative environmental and economic impacts have motivated many owners to explore various sustainability measures in their buildings, including (a) energy efficient devices such as LED and fluorescent lighting, HVAC systems, ground-source heat pumps, hand dryers, vending machines, refrigerators, and water heaters; (b) renewable energy equipment such as solar panels and wind turbines; and (c) water saving plumbing fixtures such as efficient faucets, urinals, and toilets. These sustainability measures can improve building performance in terms of energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and longer life cycle. Despite higher initial costs, in most cases, these sustainability measures can payback these costs due to their lower energy and water consumption. Due to the large combination of options and the payback period, decision makers are often faced with the challenges of which option(s) to select because of limited budgets. This paper presents an optimization model that is designed to identify an optimal selection of building sustainability measures that are capable of minimizing the annual operational costs of the building while complying with a limited upgrade budget. The optimization model analyzes the replacement of building fixtures and equipment with more energy and water efficient alternatives in order to reduce building operational costs. The optimization analysis accounts for the initial replacement cost, maintenance cost, operational costs, energy and water savings, discount rate, payback period, and functional performance. An application example of a public building is used to illustrate the capabilities of the developed optimization model and verify its results.
Use of the cockpit-transformed simulator for testing of proposed algorithms of pilot's control actions during aircraft maneuvering support system

Paper continues the previous researches, which deal with the design of specialized mobile adaptive training/simulation system (SpMATS) for modern multiregime aircraft and its implementation for pilot’s control actions during maneuvering support system (PSS) algorithms testing. Paper reminds the main ideas, general structure and some features of SpMATS, and also discloses its possibilities for different algorithms proposed for future on-board utilization research. The main part concerns the results of implementation, verification and semi-natural testing of PSS algorithms on different stages of flight on board of combat aircraft within the frame of SpMATS utilization, and evaluates PSS’s helpfulness and effectiveness. Introduction It’s well known that the active search of new approaches and methods of flight simulation and pilots’ preparation is the distinctive feature of modern stage of aircraft (a/c) utilization. However obtaining of appreciable results is impossible without the new approaches and consecutive introduction of science and engineering achievements in the process of practical decision of the delivered problem. One of the most perspective means for such purposes it’s considered the built-in into onboard equipment and integrated with it means providing simulations and trainings on airfield parking called embedded training. But the built-in simulation/training equipment is an aircraft subsystem (hardware and software) not necessarily integrated into onboard equipment that exists as additional mode of operation. E.g. SpMATS’ was created as a specialized cockpit transformed simulator of “built-in” type. Initially it was intended for simulation and training of a complex of problems of multi-regime a/c application in a cabin of real a/c, which is under a current but without engines switching on=. But besides flight control and weapon application skills training SpMATS’s adaptive object-oriented software can provide a semi-natural research of new
Eighteen Forty-Eight, or the History of Death:

This article offers a metahistorical examination of the concept of history through readings of contemporary and subsequent accounts of the 1848 Revolution in France. The year 1848 has persistently thrown the category of history into question – not historical events, but the very notion of history itself. I would argue, however, that the Revolution’s historical significance lies, paradoxically, in the very possibility that it was not a historical event, or, more precisely, in the ambiguity of its historical status. Through readings of contemporary accounts of the February 1848 events in Paris and theoretical texts by Kant, Michelet, Marx and Derrida, this article argues that the possibility of historical meaning is conceptually rooted in the finitude of human mortality. This finitude – and its attendant meanings – are, however, troubled by the notion of ghosts and the troubling materiality of corpses, both of which played important psychological roles in reactions to the 1848 Revolution in Paris.
Design Approach for Robust UHF RFID Tag Antennas Mounted on a Plurality of Dielectric Surfaces [Antenna Designer's Notebook]

A design approach is presented for passive UHF RFID tag antennas to function efficiently when mounted on a wide variety of dielectric materials of arbitrary thickness. It is well understood that the presence of materials can detune an antenna by shifting its operational band. It is therefore important to design tags that can accommodate such a shift in frequency due to material effects. In this paper, we propose a way to modify existing classical tag designs to enable them to operate over a wide range of materials (3 <; e r <; 13 ) and arbitrary thickness. Experimental results showed that when compared to commercially available tags, the modified tags achieved better performance when mounted on a wide range of materials.
Detemination of Costustootin Uighur Medicine Jinsuokunduer Tablet by HPLC

Objective:To develop a method for the determination of costustoot in uighur medicine JinSuoKunDuEr Tablets.Method:HPLC method was adopted in which the separation of costustoot was performed on YMC-Pack ODS-A AA12S05-1506WT A-312(150 mm×6.0I.D.,S-5 μm,12 nm)column;the mobile phase was composed of methanol-water(65∶35),with a flow rate of 1.0 mL · min-1 and detection wavelength at 225 nm.Result: Costunolide were linear in the range of 0.03-0.07 g · L-1(r=0.999 5);the average recovery was 99.31% with RSD of 0.62%.Dehydrocostus lactone was linear in the range of 0.06-0.14 g·L-1(r=1),the average recovery was 99.33% with RSD of 0.69%.Conclusion: The method was simple,accurate and repeaable,and it can be used for quality control of this preparation.
Optimizing Wrapper-Based Feature Selection for Use on Bioinformatics Data.

High dimensionality (having a large number of independent attributes) is a major problem for bioinformatics datasets such as gene microarray datasets. Feature selection algorithms are necessary to remove the irrelevant (not useful) and redundant (contain duplicate information) features. One approach to handle this problem is wrapper-based subset evaluation, which builds classification models on different feature subsets to discover which performs best. Although the computational complexity of this technique has led to it being rarely used for bioinformatics, its ability to find the features which give the best model make it important in this domain. However, when using wrapper-based feature selection, it is not obvious whether the learner used within the wrapper should match the learner used for building the final classification model. Furthermore, this question may depend on other properties of the dataset, such as difficulty of learning (general performance without feature selection) and dataset balance (ratio of minority and majority instances). To study this, we use nine datasets with varying levels of difficulty and balance. We find that across all datasets, the best strategy is to use one learner (Naive Bayes) inside the wrapper regardless of the learner which will be used outside. However, when broken down by difficulty and balance levels, our results show that the more balanced and less difficult datasets work best when the learners inside and outside the wrapper match. Thus, the answer to this question will depend on properties of the dataset.
Application of Various Techniques in Localizing Retained Testes in Horses Before Cryptorchidectomy

Abstract Thorough clinical evaluation of cryptorchid horses and localizing the retained testis before surgery has great clinical value. Doing so will minimize unnecessary complications and prolonged anesthesia time from exploratory surgery in search of a retained testis in horses or the necessity to repeat invasive surgical procedures using a different approach. Heavy sedation and placement in stocks is recommended before the clinical evaluation. After the visual inspection of the inguinal region for the presence of previous surgeries, percutaneous inguinal ultrasound examination is often performed to visualize the testis or epididymis retained in the inguinal canal or at the external inguinal ring. The caudal abdomen and lateral aspect of the flank can also be systemically scanned in search for abdominal testes. Some veterinarians prefer to perform the palpation per rectum of all cryptorchid horses to determine if the vas deferens is entering the vaginal ring. This method helps in distinguishing between complete abdominal and incomplete abdominal cryptorchidism, but does not allow for the determination of the exact location of the retained testis. To visualize and measure retained testes, transrectal ultrasonography can be used. Since the majority of abdominal testes in stallions are found near the vaginal rings or urinary bladder, the ventral abdomen is scanned in a sweeping, medial to lateral, motion. The ultrasonographic tracing of the ampulla of the vas deferens per rectum is the author's preferred method of detecting retained testes in horses. More than one diagnostic method is often used in the most challenging cases.
Spheres of Speakability: Old and New Discursive Modes

The first chapter discussed the pendulum between abstractness and the seemingly new arena of interaction that is informed by the set of rules known from similar non-abstract sites of Holocaust memory, which determine a form of search and improvisation in the Holocaust Memorial and in most cases then deemed as having failed. In other words, the forms of action which work in and around other sites of Holocaust memory are found time and again to not match this one. This is why a visit to the memorial seems to call for improvisation. However, since the rules are not shared by all, improvisation also does not provide the solution to the question of how to act with Holocaust memory in this site, or how it can act as a mirror to a similar ethical question around Holocaust memory in general.
Seven Forms of Nonviolence for Peace Research: A Conceptual Framework

Nonviolence is a much more fascinating and complex field than is generally realized, especially since, like so many other subjects, its boundaries are expanding. The basic idea is that violence against human beings is unacceptable because, among many other reasons, it begets more violence in return, and this produces social instability. By contrast, nonviolence seeks to overcome oppression and injustice by convincing the perpetrators that there is a better way to maintain human relations. Also, there is a growing view of nonviolence of the need to create the institutions that enable people to live together peaceably.
Acute Visual Loss.

Acute visual loss is a frightening experience, a common ophthalmic emergency, and a diagnostic challenge. In this review, the author focusses on the diagnosis of transient monocular blindness and visual loss due to infarction of the retina and/or the optic nerve—the ocular parallel of cerebral stroke.
The structure and function of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MazF-mt6 toxin provide insights into conserved features of MazF endonucleases

Toxin-antitoxin systems are ubiquitous in prokaryotic and archaeal genomes and regulate growth in response to stress. Escherichia coli contains at least 36 putative toxin-antitoxin gene pairs, and some pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis have over 90 toxin-antitoxin operons. E. coli MazF cleaves free mRNA after encountering stress, and nine M. tuberculosis MazF family members cleave mRNA, tRNA, or rRNA. Moreover, M. tuberculosis MazF-mt6 cleaves 23S rRNA Helix 70 to inhibit protein synthesis. The overall tertiary folds of these MazFs are predicted to be similar, and therefore, it is unclear how they recognize structurally distinct RNAs. Here we report the 2.7-A X-ray crystal structure of MazF-mt6. MazF-mt6 adopts a PemK-like fold but lacks an elongated β1-β2 linker, a region that typically acts as a gate to direct RNA or antitoxin binding. In the absence of an elongated β1-β2 linker, MazF-mt6 is unable to transition between open and closed states, suggesting that the regulation of RNA or antitoxin selection may be distinct from other canonical MazFs. Additionally, a shortened β1-β2 linker allows for the formation of a deep, solvent-accessible, active-site pocket, which may allow recognition of specific, structured RNAs like Helix 70. Structure-based mutagenesis and bacterial growth assays demonstrate that MazF-mt6 residues Asp-10, Arg-13, and Thr-36 are critical for RNase activity and likely catalyze the proton-relay mechanism for RNA cleavage. These results provide further critical insights into how MazF secondary structural elements adapt to recognize diverse RNA substrates.
Multimodal autoencoder: A deep learning approach to filling in missing sensor data and enabling better mood prediction

To accomplish forecasting of mood in real-world situations, affective computing systems need to collect and learn from multimodal data collected over weeks or months of daily use. Such systems are likely to encounter frequent data loss, e.g. when a phone loses location access, or when a sensor is recharging. Lost data can handicap classifiers trained with all modalities present in the data. This paper describes a new technique for handling missing multimodal data using a specialized denoising autoencoder: the Multimodal Autoencoder (MMAE). Empirical results from over 200 participants and 5500 days of data demonstrate that the MMAE is able to predict the feature values from multiple missing modalities more accurately than reconstruction methods such as principal components analysis (PCA). We discuss several practical benefits of the MMAE's encoding and show that it can provide robust mood prediction even when up to three quarters of the data sources are lost.
Implementing Keytruda/Pembrolizumab Testing in Clinical Practice

This Commentary addresses the FDA approval of pembrolizumab and the changes necessary in clinical practice to identify patients who would benefit from such treatment.
Substance Use in Military and Veteran Populations

Drug and alcohol use can affect the military and veteran population in unique ways. The culture of the armed forces has an impact on substance abuse rates, which vary from the civilian population and show divergent patterns of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. In addition, the impact of substance use on the life of a service member or veteran can have consequences that affect not only his or her immediate ability to serve but also his or her connections and benefits long after separation from service. While there are extensive resources available to assess and treat substance use disorders, stigma and career implications can impact utilization of these options and make it more challenging to navigate the care continuum. Continued efforts are being made to improve the accessibility and quality of care offered to our military and veteran populations, with better integration of services, greater access to care, and confidential access to treatment services. Understanding the challenges and impact of substance abuse in the military will assist healthcare providers seeking to serve our nation’s veterans.
Modeling factors that regulate cell cooperativity in the zebrafish posterior lateral line primordium

Abstract Collective cell migration is an integral part of organismal development. We consider migration of the zebrafish primordium during development of the posterior lateral line, a sensory system that detects water movement patterns. Experiments have shown that the chemokine ligand CXCL12a and its receptors CXCR4b and CXCR7b are key players for driving migration of the primordium, while FGF signaling helps maintain cohesion. In this work, we formulate a mathematical model of a laser ablated primordium separated into two smaller cell collectives: a leading collective that responds to local CXCL12a levels and a trailing collective that migrates up a local FGF gradient. Our model replicates recent experimental results, while also predicting a “runaway” behavior when FGF gradient response is inhibited. We also use our model to estimate diffusion coefficients of CXCL12a and FGF in the lateral line.