cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a transcutaneous energy transmission system using a series resonant converter

A full-bridge, zero-voltage-switched, series resonant converter which transfers 12-48 W of power (regulated voltage) across a large, variable air gap has been designed and built. This converter can power an artificial heart through intact skin by utilizing a transformer with an air gap of 1-2 cm between the primary winding and the secondary winding. The secondary winding would be implanted under the skin, and the primary would be placed on top of the secondary outside the body. The steady-state operation of an experimental transcutaneous power supply has been accurately predicted by theoretical analysis. The small-signal behavior of a transcutaneous DC-DC converter has been characterized. This task has been accomplished by applying already existing theory for a series resonant converter to this application. The small-signal behavior is also verified by experimental measurements. A control loop has been designed to ensure stability and optimum regulator performance. >
Myocardial infarction in patients with normal patent coronary arteries as visualized by cinearteriography

Myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteriographic findings is rare. Three patients are presented who had typical clinical and laboratory findings of acute myocardial infarction and normal coronary arteriograms. Two patients were male, 16 and 24 years old, respectively, and 1 was female, aged 36 years. None had major predisposing factors to precocious coronary atherosclerosis. Thrombocytosis was considered to be the etiologic factor in 1 male patient; no etiologic factor could be traced in the other male patient; estrogen therapy may be considered as the cause of the myocardial infarction in the female patient.
Repeated administration of aripiprazole produces a sensitization effect in the suppression of avoidance responding and phencyclidine-induced hyperlocomotion and increases D2 receptor-mediated behavioral function.

The present study investigated how repeated administration of aripiprazole (a novel antipsychotic drug) alters its behavioral effects in two behavioral tests of antipsychotic activity and whether t...
Golden Ears and Meter Readers: The Contest for Epistemic Authority in Audiophilia

Scientific claims to knowledge and the uses of technological artifacts are both inherently contestable, but both are not usually contested together. Consumers of ‘specialty’ audio equipment (known as the ‘high end’), however, connect both forms of resistance. These ‘audiophiles’ construct their own universe of meaning around their equipment; they cultivate a distinctive vocabulary and set of attitudes. In this they resemble other groups of users dedicated to supposedly antiquated technology. But they also engage in controversy to defend themselves against knowledge-claims that would delegitimize their universe of meaning. These debates concern recording formats or media (the relative merits of the compact disk [CD] and long-playing record [LP]), user ‘tweaks’ of purchased equipment, and the supposed audibility of differences between different brands of amplifiers, cables, or CD players. In all of these cases, audiophiles resist the claims of audio engineering by privileging their personal experiences, and...
MPLS with a simple OPEN control plane

We propose a new approach to MPLS that uses the standard MPLS data plane and an OpenFlow based simpler and extensible control plane. We demonstrate this approach using a prototype system for MPLS Traffic Engineering.
Drought-related changes to geomorphologic processes in central Mali

Geomorphologic evidence exists for repetitive drought conditions in the African Sahel; within this framework of broad climatic changes through time, the 1968- 1985 drought episodes are not abnormal. The impact of recent drought on the economies and environments of Sahelian nations has been substantial, however, and the recovery capabilities off severely damaged lands are not well known. Study of the geomorphology and surface processes across a portion of Mali provides some constraints on the responses of desert fringe fluvial systems to changing environmental conditions. Multi-temporal orbital image data were used in combination with field investigation to map drought-affected soils, and to document changes to both fluvial and aeolian processes across the region of study. A combination of statistical methods yields consistent evidence of net albedo increases associated with particular landforms and surface processes over a nine-year interval. Although aeolian processes are a significant transport mechanism for removal and redistribution of soil materials, both orbital data and field study indicate that fluvial erosion is responsible for much of the primary topsoil loss and landform modification in this portion of the Sahel.
Horizontal Cooperative Sales Promotion: A Framework for Classification and Additional Perspectives:

This article focuses on horizontal cooperative sales promotion, an area that has remained largely unexplored. First, a framework for its classification is proposed. Next, a number of issues pertain...
Virtual reality visualization of patient specific heart model

Background The diagnostic dilemma that arises with congenital cardiac anomalies is visualizing the 3-D complexity of a child’s heart with 2-D tools. The complicated intracardiac relationships and extracardiac connections make it challenging to diagnose the defect and plan treatment for the child. It has been demonstrated that it is difficult to reconstruct an accurate mental 3D model from 2D images [Guillot 2007], yet we rely on this imperfect modality to make critical surgical decisions. 3D printed models are proving to be highly valuable in improving the understanding of these complex defects, but require many resources. In this project we have explored 3D immersive virtual reality technology to provide deeper understanding and visualization of cardiac models and supplant the need for a physical printed model. Using stereoscopic 3D in the form of 3D displays on head mounted displays (HMDs) excellent intuitive model was created. Models were generated from patient specific MRI which was converted to format that was compatible with virtual reality rendering.
Rotor Inflow Noise Caused by a Boundary Layer: Theory and Examples

A theory for the noise generated by unsteady loading of an open rotor operating in a turbulent flow is presented. The theory makes no assumptions about the isotropy or homogeneity of the turbulence, and thus can be applied to complex problems such as ingestion of a plane boundary layer into an fan face. The results are illustrated with sample noise calculations for rotors completely and partially immersed in turbulence. When completely immersed the sound spectrum is highly dependent on the advance ratio. For high advance ratios the spectrum has a single broad peak centered slightly above the blade passage frequency. For low advance ratios several peaks (or “haystacks”) appear centered on multiples of the blade rate. When partially immersed this multiple-peaked form is greatly enhanced by the modulation of the mean turbulence flow seen by the blades and dominates the spectrum even at low advance ratios.
Deep fault trough of Oligocene age, Candelaria Hills, Nevada

Gravity and stratigraphic analyses indicate that a trough was created and subsided probably more than a kilometre during the interval 25 to 22 m.y. B.P. (late Oligocene; Berggren, 1972) in the Candelaria Hills, Nevada (Fig. 1). We interpret the trough, here named the “Candelaria trough”, to have been the result of extensional faulting. The implication is that extensional tectonics apparently existed in the Candelaria region earlier than at most places in the Great Basin where onset of block faulting is thought to have been at about 17 m.y. B.P. (McKee and Noble, 1974). This paper presents gravity data and interpretations of the structure of the Candelaria trough. Models include a three-dimensional approximation of the whole trough and four profiles which give improved resolution of the configuration of the locally steep southern flank of the trough. Data are also given on Cenozoic structures within the trough (folds, normal and. decollement faults) with which we interpret some aspects of trough formation. The Candelaria mining district (Page, 1959) occurs in pre-Tertiary rock at and near the southern wall of the Candelaria trough. Ventures in exploration for continuations of the ore-bearing terrane below the Cenozoic cover of the trough may find models of this paper of some benefit.
Intravitreal Ciliary Body Neovascularization

Two patients demonstrated an unusual conformation of intravitreal neovascularization, in which the abnormal blood vessels originated from the ciliary body. One of the patients had recurrent anterior chamber and vitreous hemorrhages. Both patients had undergone thermal ablative therapy of the ciliary body for the control of intraocular pressure. In one patient, fibrovascular tissue emanated directly from old cyclocryotherapy scars on the pars plana. Such neovascularization may represent a previously unrecognized complication of attempts at therapeutic destruction of the ciliary body.
Observation of Effects on Young Giant Pandas Immobilized by Isoflurance

The 23 yearling giant pandas have venous blood collected by single inhalation anesthesia,record the induction time and the anabiosis time,observe the reaction of pain perception eyelash reflex and sedation effect of narcotism from the breath,temperature,heart frequency,saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen,capillary refill time(CRT)and etc.Conclusion: Isoflurance in young giant pandas cause narcotic effects of sedation,analgesic effect of good blood saturation level,and the physiological functions of organisms and biological indicators of the effects of minor drug side-effects are low,and facilitate the speedy restoration of stability organisms,this can be a good narcotic drug used for young giant pandas.
Synthesis, characterization and performance of polyurethane foam nanocomposite for arsenic removal from drinking water

Abstract A new nanocomposite material is developed for arsenic removal from drinking water, in ppb concentrations, by incorporating 15–20 nm iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) inside a porous polyurethane foam (PU) with an open cell structure. To obtain the best removal capacity of arsenic species, the composition ratio of Polypropylene glycol (PPG) and Toluene di-isocyanate (TDI) in the PU foam, as well as, the percentage loading weight and size of the IONPs, were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) were used to examine the microstructure and distribution of IONPs inside the foam matrix. Atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) analysis was conducted to measure the removal capacity of the nanocomposite foams. Sorption isotherms models were applied to determine the adsorption mechanisms and modeling parameters. It was found that the composition ratio of PPG:TDI (1:2) with 12% IONPs (15–20 nm) yields the highest affinity towards arsenic species, compared to other possible combinations, with a removal capacity of 40% using single stage batch analysis. Multi-stage setup and applications can increase the removal capacity significantly. Polyurethane nanocomposite adsorbents provide low-cost solutions to water filtration applications with high versatility and potentials.
The Variation of T c with Hole Concentration in La 2− x Sr x CuO 4−δ Superconductors and Comparison with YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ

Since the discovery of superconductivity in the La-Ba-Cu oxides by Bednorz and Mtlller1 a number of similar copper oxide type materials have been shown to be high temperature superconductors. Presently there are two copper oxide systems which are being thoroughly studied, the La2−x(Ba,Sr)xCuO 4−δ with a Tc ≃ 35 – 40K and YBa2Cu3O9−δ with a transition temperature Tc ≃ 90K.2. From a purely scientific point of view, however, the La2−x(Ba,Sr)xCuO4−δ series has a major advantage over the 90K system because of the large solubility of divalent ions such as Ba and Sr, whose concentrations can be systematically varied to control the state of the copper - oxygen interactions, and hence the physical properties.
The Simple Video Coder: A free tool for efficiently coding social video data

Videotaping of experimental sessions is a common practice across many disciplines of psychology, ranging from clinical therapy, to developmental science, to animal research. Audio-visual data are a rich source of information that can be easily recorded; however, analysis of the recordings presents a major obstacle to project completion. Coding behavior is time-consuming and often requires ad-hoc training of a student coder. In addition, existing software is either prohibitively expensive or cumbersome, which leaves researchers with inadequate tools to quickly process video data. We offer the Simple Video Coder-free, open-source software for behavior coding that is flexible in accommodating different experimental designs, is intuitive for students to use, and produces outcome measures of event timing, frequency, and duration. Finally, the software also offers extraction tools to splice video into coded segments suitable for training future human coders or for use as input for pattern classification algorithms.
Similarity Metric Learning for 2D to 3D Registration of Brain Vasculature

2D to 3D image registration techniques are useful in the treatment of neurological diseases such as stroke. Image registration can aid physicians and neurosurgeons in the visualization of the brain for treatment planning, provide 3D information during treatment, and enable serial comparisons. In the context of stroke, image registration is challenged by the occluded vessels and deformed anatomy due to the ischemic process. In this paper, we present an algorithm to register 2D digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with 3D magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) based upon local point cloud descriptors. The similarity between these local descriptors is learned using a machine learning algorithm, allowing flexibility in the matching process. In our experiments, the error rate of 2D/3D registration using our machine learning similarity metric (52.29) shows significant improvement when compared to a Euclidean metric (152.54). The proposed similarity metric is versatile and could be applied to a wide range of 2D/3D registration.
Somebody’s Gotta Be There for These Kids: Importance of Service Orientation for Sustaining Public Child Welfare Workers

ABSTRACTResearch has long indicated that both employees’ perceptions of external support and their own dispositional factors tend to predict satisfaction, intent to stay, and retention. However, the dispositional factor of service orientation has received minimal attention in child welfare or social work research. This article furthers the research on service orientation by utilizing quantitative surveys to test relationships between service orientation and key organizational variables and then exploring qualitative results to gain a more nuanced perspective on how service orientation inhabits the work-related experiences of study participants and its relation to worker retention projections in the field of child welfare.
Reinventing the Organism: Evolvability and Homology in Post-Dahlem Evolutionary Biology

The 1981 Dahlem conference marked a turning point in the history of evolutionary biology, from a predominantly gene-centric to a pluralistic view of evolutionary causation. In particular, the ideas exchanged at this meeting were the seed for an organismic turn, in which the systems properties of organisms assumed conceptual centrality. This point is illustrated with two examples: evolvability and homology. Evolvability, i.e. the ability to improve in fitness by random mutation and selection, requires certain properties of the genotype–phenotype map. These properties, like limited pleiotropy and modularity, are consequences of the developmental organization of organisms. Hence, the structure of organisms gains conceptual centrality because its properties are essential for understanding adaptation by mutation and natural selection. Homology is another concept that (re)gained prominence after the 1981 Dahlem conference. It is argued that homology describes a pattern of phenotype evolution that reflects and is explained by the developmental structure of organisms, again demonstrating the centrality of the organism concept in post-Dahlem evolutionary biology.
Corporeal time: The cinematic bodies of arthur rimbaud and gilles deleuze

This article examines the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze (especially Cinema) and the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud in terms of the intersection between corporeality, temporality, and the political. The first part analyzes the deconstruction of lyrical subjectivity in Rimbaud’s verse in relation to the breakdown of the “sensory-motor link” described in the first volume of Deleuze’s Cinema; it discusses these homologous movements as a release of free-floating bodily potentiality. The second part shows how the shift from the first to the second volume of Deleuze’s Cinema and the shift from verse to prose poetry in Rimbaud constitute the formal dimensions of a shared political project based on the transformation of bodily life, or a biopolitical transformation. This project can be understood as communist insofar as it attempts to liberate time from capital for the body and to produce a social form based on sharing the common (or common bodily potentials).
Technical methods for a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at nuclear power plants

This paper presents a technical review and examination of technical methods that are available for developing a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at a nuclear plant. The technical methods include engineering tools for examining the fire dynamics of fire protection problems, reliability techniques for establishing an optimal fire protection surveillance program, fire computer codes for analyzing important fire protection safety parameters, and risk-informed approaches that can range from drawing qualitative insights from risk information to quantifying the risk impact of alternative fire protection approaches. Based on this technical review and examination, it is concluded that methods for modeling fires, and reliability and fire probabilistic risk analyses (PRA) are currently available to support the initial implementation of simple risk-informed, performance-based approaches in fire protection programs.
Pulp Nonfiction: Low-Cost Touch Tracking for Paper

Paper continues to be a versatile and indispensable material in the 21st century. Of course, paper is a passive medium with no inherent interactivity, precluding us from computationally-enhancing a wide variety of paper-based activities. In this work, we present a new technical approach for bringing the digital and paper worlds closer together, by enabling paper to track finger input and also drawn input with writing implements. Importantly, for paper to still be considered paper, our method had to be very low cost. This necessitated research into materials, fabrication methods and sensing techniques. We describe the outcome of our investigations and show that our method can be sufficiently low-cost and accurate to enable new interactive opportunities with this pervasive and venerable material.
Learning from the Pieces: The Adhesion of Mussel-Inspired Peptides

The 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa)-containing proteins of mussels provide attractive design paradigms for engineering synthetic polymers as wet adhesives and coatings. Although the role of Dopa on mussel adhesion has been carefully studied, a full picture of the whole binding mechanism of mussel proteins is still unclear due to the complexity of the protein molecules and molecular processes involved. We designed three short peptides based on mussel foot protein-5 (Mfp-5), and converted the tyrosine residues to Dopa through in vitro enzymatic modification. The binding mechanisms of the three peptides were tested using a surface forces apparatus. Our results show that in addition to Dopa-specific binding, non-specific electrostatic interactions also contribute to the binding mechanisms of all three peptides to mica surfaces. Our measurements provide important new details for understanding the binding mechanism of mussel foot proteins that can be utilized in designing Dopa containing adhesives. Taking short sequences from the mussel adhesive proteins also suggests an effective method for designing better mussel inspired adhesives.
Vision based inspection

In industrial manufacturing, product inspection is an important step in the production process. Since product reliability and quality management is of utmost importance in most mass-production facilities, 100% inspection of all parts, subassemblies, and finished products is often attempted. As a result, the inspection process is often the most costly stage in manufacturing.
Dynamic Distributed Storage for Blockchains

Blockchain uses the idea of storing transaction data in the form of a distributed ledger wherein each node in the network stores a current copy of the sequence of transactions (ledger) in the form of a hash chain. Storing the entire ledger incurs a high storage cost that grows undesirably large for high transaction rates and large networks. In this work we use secret key sharing, private key encryption, and distributed storage to design a coding scheme such that each node stores only a part of each transaction thereby reducing storage cost to a fraction of the original. When further using dynamic zone allocation, we show the coding scheme can also improve the data integrity. A full version of this paper is accessible at: [1]
A flexible framework for modeling customer damage functions for power outages

This paper develops a flexible method for estimating the customer cost of a power outage. We add to the current body of literature by outlining a framework which properly accounts for the effects of outage duration. We begin by separating costs into categories depending on whether the cost varies with outage duration and whether the cost is due to perishable inventory. We derive useful functional forms for each cost category and discuss how parameters vary by load type and outage characteristics. We derive outage cost estimates for an unexpected loss of power to both an example manufacturing plant and an example fire station. The framework described in this paper can easily be employed to model outage costs for a wide range of specific operating conditions.
MULTIPLE LATE RECURRENCES OF MACULAR HOLE AFTER VITRECTOMY AND EPISODE OF SPONTANEOUS CLOSURE IN A SINGLE EYE.

Purpose To report the novel finding of multiple recurrences of full-thickness macular hole in a 70-year-old woman with one episode of spontaneous closure. Methods Case report of a 70-year-old woman who initially presented with a full-thickness macular hole who developed 3 subsequent recurrences of full-thickness macular hole over a duration of 4 years. Spontaneous closure was noted at the second recurrence. Institutional review board was not applicable for this case. Results Combination of three recurrences of full-thickness macular hole with successful closure after vitrectomy as well as a single episode of spontaneous closure. Conclusion This is a novel report in an adult patient with three recurrences of full-thickness macular hole in a previously vitrectomized eye along with an episode of spontaneous closure.
Effects of habitat features and season on vertebrate communities in Southern Georgia, U.S.A.

Although the southeastern U.S.A. contains a high diversity of species and habitats, this region is also experiencing rapid human development. Humans are modifying ecosystems in complex ways, and th...
Comparing synopsis techniques for approximate spatial data analysis

The increasing amount of spatial data calls for new scalable query processing techniques. One of the techniques that are getting attention is data synopsis, which summarizes the data using samples or histograms and computes an approximate answer based on the synopsis. This general technique is used in selectivity estimation, clustering, partitioning, load balancing, and visualization, among others. This paper experimentally studies four spatial data synopsis techniques for three common data analysis problems, namely, selectivity estimation, k-means clustering, and spatial partitioning. We run an extensive experimental evaluation on both real and synthetic datasets of up to 2.7 billion records to study the trade-offs between the synopsis methods and their applicability in big spatial data analysis. For each of the three problems, we compare with baseline techniques that operate on the whole dataset and evaluate the synopsis generation time, the time for computing an approximate answer on the synopsis, and the accuracy of the result. We present our observations about when each synopsis technique performs best.
Project BUMP: Developing Communication Tools for the Older Adult Population

This paper describes the process of designing and developing robotic technologies as prosthetics for the home space to respond to the needs and advance the quality of life of older adults. The trend demographics report a significant increase of the number of older adults in the next decade in the United States, which would generate the most significant social transformations of the 21st century. Supporting older adult to age in place gracefully is a critical need. Even though there are a number of technologies that have been designed to support older adult, there are still challenges in their implementation and use, especially in products related to enabling communication. This project aims at exploring opportunities to expand the capabilities of existing homes and assist older adults in activities of daily life in their home. The project BUMP portrays a supportive human environment and how to extend older adults’ home in other’s homes. The significance of this project is to share pragmatic examples on how to better design technologies that are more natural, embedded and embodied communication tool for the older adult population.
The Historical Representation of Native Americans within Primary- and Intermediate-Level Trade Books

State and national education initiatives require significant changes for public schools beginning at the earliest grade levels and within all content areas. Two relevant changes are the increase of non-fiction in English/language arts and the mandate for diverse texts within history/social studies. History-based trade books are a logical resource for both curricula. Teachers must rely on their discretion when selecting trade books because the initiatives do not provide curricular support. Research indicates trade books’ cultural representation and historical representation are inconsistent, yet there is a need for further research as just over a dozen empirical studies have been completed. This study examines how Native Americans are historically and culturally represented within children’s literature. It juxtaposes findings for trade books intended for primary-level and intermediate-level elementary students. Important findings include the absence of tribal names, omission of historical connections with European colonists and American citizens, an apparent decline recent publications of trade books centered on Native Americans, and a robust representation of distinct cultural traits. Teachers are offered suggestions for instructional procedures and in selection of supplementary primary sources to assist in balancing the misrepresentations.
Biofilms at interfaces: microbial distribution in floating films.

Cellular motility is a key function guiding microbial adhesion to interfaces, which is the first step in the formation of biofilms. The close association of biofilms and bioremediation has prompted extensive research aimed at comprehending the physics of microbial locomotion near interfaces. We study the dynamics and statistics of microorganisms in a ‘floating biofilm’, i.e., a confinement with an air–liquid interface on one side and a liquid–liquid interface on the other. We use a very general mathematical model, based on a multipole representation and probabilistic simulations, to ascertain the spatial distribution of microorganisms in films of different viscosities. Our results reveal that microorganisms can be distributed symmetrically or asymmetrically across the height of the film, depending on their morphology and the ratio of the film's viscosity to that of the fluid substrate. Long-flagellated, elongated bacteria exhibit stable swimming parallel to the liquid–liquid interface when the bacterial film is less viscous than the underlying fluid. Bacteria with shorter flagella on the other hand, swim away from the liquid–liquid interface and accumulate at the free surface. We also analyze microorganism dynamics in a flowing film and show how a microorganism's ability to resist ‘flow-induced-erosion’ from interfaces is affected by its elongation and mode of propulsion. Our study generalizes past efforts on understanding microorganism dynamics under confinement by interfaces and provides key insights on biofilm initiation at liquid–liquid interfaces.
Explanatory Preferences for Complexity Matching

People are adept at generating and evaluating explanations for events around them. But what makes for a satisfying explanation? While some scholars argue that individuals find simple explanations to be more satisfying (Lombrozo, 2007), others argue that complex explanations are preferred (Zemla, et al. 2017). Uniting these perspectives, we posit that people believe a satisfying explanation should be as complex as the event being explained-what we term the complexity matching hypothesis. Thus, individuals will prefer simple explanations for simple events, and complex explanations for complex events. Four studies provide robust evidence for the complexity-matching hypothesis. In studies 1-3, participants read scenarios and then predicted the complexity of a satisfying explanation (Study 1), generated an explanation themselves (Study 2), and evaluated explanations (Study 3). Lastly, in Study 4, we explored a different manipulation of complexity to demonstrate robustness across paradigms. We end with a discussion of mechanisms that might underlie this preference-matching phenomenon.
Dielectrophoresis of proteins: experimental data and evolving theory

The ability to selectively move and trap proteins is core to their effective use as building blocks and for their characterization. Analytical and preparative strategies for proteins have been pursued and modeled for nearly a hundred years, with great advances and success. Core to all of these studies is the separation, isolation, purification, and concentration of pure homogeneous fractions of a specific protein in solution. Processes to accomplish this useful solution include biphasic equilibrium (chromatographies, extractions), mechanical, bulk property, chemical equilibria, and molecular recognition. Ultimately, the goal of all of these is to physically remove all non-like protein molecules-to the finest detail: all atoms in the full three-dimensional structure being identical down the chemical bond and bulk structure chirality. One strategy which has not been effectively pursued is exploiting the higher order subtle electrical properties of the protein-solvent system. The advent of microfluidic systems has enabled the use of very high electric fields and well-defined gradients such that extremely high resolution separations of protein mixtures are possible. These advances and recognition of these capabilities have caused a re-evaluation of the underlying theoretical models and they were found to be inadequate. New theoretical descriptions are being considered which align more closely to the total forces present and the subtlety of differences between similar proteins. These are focused on the interfacial area between the protein and hydrating solvent molecules, as opposed to the macroscale assumptions of homogeneous solutions and particles. This critical review examines all data which has been published that place proteins in electric field gradients which induce collection of those proteins, demonstrating a force greater than dispersive effects or countering forces. Evolving theoretical constructs are presented and discussed, and a general estimate of future capabilities using the higher order effects and the high fields and precise gradients of microfluidic systems is discussed. Graphical abstract.
Islamic Education in Contemporary Africa

Islamic education in contemporary Africa takes two main forms: non-formal Qur’anic education and formal Islamic education. On the one hand, Qur’anic education refers here to the various forms of non-formal education that are essentially aimed at learning the Qur’an and exist since the Islamization of the region. On the other hand, Islamic teaching refers here to the formal schools, often called in non-Arabic-speaking countries madrasa or by its French deformation medersa, divided into age classes and teaching subjects, which appeared in West and Central Africa from the end of the 1940s onwards. The latter provide an education in Islamic sciences taught in Arabic. The two forms of education are therefore aimed at the religious education of the child but in a very different way: through the memorization of the sacred text for the Qur’anic education, and via the mastery of Islamic sciences and Arabic for Islamic education. Within these two categories, variations also exist. This chapter therefore has a threefold objective in understanding the complexity of what Qur’anic and Islamic education offer in contemporary Africa. First, this chapter classifies and defines the academic objectives of the various types of education in offer. Secondly, this chapter clarifies, through a certain number of specific cases, the institutional and legal framework within which these schools are inserted or excluded. Thirdly, the chapter discusses the outcomes of such an education in terms of diplomas, their recognition by the various nation-states, and the employment opportunities of graduates from Qur’anic and Islamic schools.
The Intricate Coupling Between STIM Proteins and Orai Channels.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry signals are critical for cellular regulation. This intricate signaling pathway involves coupling of proteins in two different membranes: the ER-resident Ca2+-sensing STIM proteins and the highly Ca2+-selective PM Orai channels. The molecular nature of the STIM-Orai coupling interface in ER-PM junctions and consequent Orai channel gating, are processes under intense study. We describe recent developments in determining the mechanism of Orai activation through the key STIM-Orai Activating Region (SOAR) of STIM1. We describe the unexpected unimolecular coupling of STIM with Orai and explain the observed variable stoichiometry of STIM-Orai interactions. We also define the discrete C-terminal regions in Orai channels that initially latch onto STIM proteins and mediate allosteric activation of the channel. A critical ‘nexus’ region closely associated with the STIM-activated C-terminus of Orai1, propagates the STIM-binding signal through the four tightly associated transmembrane helices of Orai1, finally to modify the pore-forming helices and effect channel opening.
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: a comparison of open and minimally-invasive surgical approaches.

To compare perioperative outcomes between patients undergoing minimally-invasive (MIS) and open surgical approaches for the treatment of Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis (XGP). Between 2007 and 2017 we retrospectively identified 40 patients undergoing nephrectomy at our institution for pathologically confirmed XGP. Patients whose operations were ultimately completed with open technique were analyzed with the open cohort, whereas patients whose operations were completed in entirety using any laparoscopic approach were analyzed with the MIS group. Twenty-three patients were analyzed in the open cohort, compared to seventeen in the MIS group. Three patients in the open cohort were converted intraoperatively from MIS to open approach. Compared to the open group, the MIS group less often had an abscess on preoperative CT (11.8% vs 54.5%; p = 0.006). The MIS group also had lower intraoperative blood loss (100 vs 400 mL; p < 0.001), lower rate of blood transfusion (0% vs 45.5%; p = 0.002), lower postoperative intensive care admission (0% vs 34.8%; p = 0.013), and shorter hospital stay (4 vs 7 days; p = 0.013). However, there was no significant difference in high-grade complications between these groups (5.9% vs 34.8%; p = 0.054). Preoperative CT scan may be an important factor when considering operative approach for treatment of XGP. Patients who are able to undergo MIS approach have less blood loss, shorter hospitalization, and are less likely to require intensive care admission, which may be related to the disease process, the surgical technique, or both.
The intersection of food justice and religious values in secular spaces: insights from a nonprofit urban farm in Columbus, Ohio

Critical food scholars have argued that activists’ political ideologies and environmental values are important influences on their food justice projects. However, this body of work has given little attention to religion and spirituality even though religious studies scholars maintain that religious values affect environmental and social action. Bringing together these perspectives considers the way religious values and meaning making intersect with actions toward food justice outside of traditionally religious spaces. This paper draws on qualitative research, including a dozen interviews and 11 months of participant observation, at Franklinton Farms, a nonprofit urban farm in Columbus, Ohio. I demonstrate that Franklinton Farms team members reference diverse religious values and practices when explaining the meaning and significance of their farming. In addition, I argue that they renegotiate their religious values in light of the injustices they see in the food system. By examining religion and spirituality within a secular food space, this paper sheds light on an underexplored influence on whether and how alternative food spaces realize food justice.
Are efficient learners of verbal stimuli also efficient and precise learners of visuospatial stimuli

People differ in how quickly they learn information and how long they remember it, and these two variables are correlated such that people who learn more quickly tend to retain more of the newly le...
Reforming Tax Expenditures in Italy: What, Why, and How?1

The IMF has advised country authorities to roll back tax expenditures as a way to support fiscal consolidation efforts—urging them to evaluate tax expenditures according to clear criteria, and assessing their impact on public finances, economic efficiency, equity, and administrative and compliance costs. This paper analyzes tax expenditures in Italy, considering the extent to which tax expenditures can be considered part of an optimal tax system and possible reforms. JEL Classification Numbers: H11, H21, H29, H61
Measuring the Effects and Effectiveness of Interactive Advertising: A Research Agenda

Although interactive advertising is not new, its scale, scope and immediacy has increased substantially with the diffusion of new technologies such as the Internet. The growth of interactive advertising highlights the role of the consumer in the determining the effects and effectiveness of advertising, while challenging traditional assumptions about how advertising works. The active role of the consumer in determining the effects of advertising has important implications for how the effects and effectiveness of advertising are measured and how various measures are interpreted. The present paper offers a discussion of these issues and compares and contrasts traditional notions regarding the measurement of advertising effects with notions that recognize the active role of the consumer in interacting with advertising and the advertiser. Implications for future research are discussed.
Mapping Epileptogenic Tissues in MRI-Negative Focal Epilepsy: Can Deep Learning Uncover Hidden Lesions?

In patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, pathologies such as focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), hippocampal sclerosis, polymicrogyria, or ganglioglioma typically appear as structural lesions on MRI. Mapping these structural lesions is fundamental to planning epilepsy surgery for controlling seizures. These lesions are part of the epileptogenic zone, and their incomplete removal is associated with seizure recurrence. A major diagnostic challenge occurs when patients with focal epilepsy do not have demonstrable lesions on MRI.1 The surgical outcomes in these patients are considerably less favorable if their pathology is missed by traditional visual inspection.
Performance as a Master Narrative in Music History

The Editors invited a collection of musicologists from various institutions to engage in an e-mail discussion with Daniel Barolsky over the summer of 2012 on the topic of how music historians engage students with issues of performance in their classes. As Barolsky states in his opening essay, “The music in our existing histories is restricted to past compositions, as mere museum artifacts. Yet the identities of the wonderful performers who brought these pieces to life (and many of whom we can still see and hear today!) are relegated to the liner notes, their presence and interpretive contribution repressed and ignored.” Included in this exchange are Sara Gross Ceballos (Lawrence University), Rebecca Plack (San Francisco Conservatory), and Steven M. Whiting (University of Michigan).
The Long-Run Supply and Demand for Venture Capital Funds: Information and Endogenous Entry

The characteristics of both entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are jointly determined by the set of real investment opportunities. An improvement in these opportunities has two effects: 1) it encourages marginal, low-quality entrepreneurs to pool with high-quality entrepreneurs, and 2) it induces the entry of venture capitalists that are less efficient at screening new investments. The market for venture capital financing is therefore plagued by a double-sided asymmetric information problem. The severity of both frictions severities is increasing but concave in market heat, and this is shown to imply that supply and demand are more elastic in cold markets. The paradigm makes predictions regarding the evolution of venture capital partnership quality.
Natural vibrations of laminated orthotropic shells of revolution

Natural vibration frequencies and mode shapes for laminated orthotropic shells of revolution using finite element method
An FPTAS for managing playout stalls for multiple video streams in cellular networks

With the proliferation of wireless cellular technology (e.g., 5G, 4G LTE), managing quality of experience (QoE) for wireless clients streaming different videos over these networks is becoming increasingly important. In this paper, we consider the problem of managing playout stalls experienced by multiple clients streaming different videos from a cellular base station. We build on our prior work [1], where we formulate an epoch based lead aware multiple video transmission (LMVT) problem to minimize the total number of playout stalls experienced by mobile clients. In [1], [2], we show that the LMVT problem is NP-hard and propose a pseudo polynomial dynamic programming solution and a simple greedy heuristic to solve the problem. In this paper, we first show that even a simpler and less restrictive version of the LMVT problem remains hard. We then design a fully polynomial time approximation scheme (FPTAS) for the LVMT problem by demonstrating that it is equivalent to the Santa Claus Problem [3], [4]. The FPTAS provides a bounded performance guarantee, differing by a factor of 1/1+∊B from the optimal solution (where B is the number of time slots in an epoch and e is a small constant).
Transport in 3He–4He Mixtures in Restricted Geometry

The effect of wall scattering on transport in dilute degenerate 3He–4He mixtures in quasi-2D flow channels or films is discussed. The calculation of the quasiparticle mean free path combines particle–wall and particle–particle collisions including the interference between them. The spin polarization affects the wall-driven contribution by changing bulk mean free path and particle wavelength. The expressions for the wall contribution to transport coefficients are especially transparent in the limiting cases of large and small bulk mean free paths. The calculated temperature, concentration, and polarization dependences of the transport coefficients allow one to extract parameters of surface roughness from experimental data on transport.
Mobile ad hoc networks for in situ atmospheric sensing

ENSCO, Inc. is developing on innovative atmospheric observing system known as global environmental micro sensors (GEMS). The GEMS concept features in situ airborne buoyant probes that can take measurements over all regions of the Earth. The probes will communicate with other probes and remote ground and/or space-based receiving platforms using radio frequency transmissions to form a wireless network of passive Lagrangian drifters. For a successful GEMS system, the most important network function is to relay timely data to one or more receiving stations. In this paper, we describe both the GEMS system and probe design as well as discuss the trade-offs associated with optimizing a three-dimensional, mobile, airborne network comprised of low-cost, low-power probes. We also analyse and present measured data to determine the performance of a representative GEMS prototype system under actual environmental conditions and various aspects of mobility.
Antimicrobial Substances from Seeds

One hundred and ninety-five extracts were prepared from 39 seeds of drug origin and screened in vitro against the following test organisms: Escherichia coli, Staphlococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Candida albicans, Erwinia caratovora , and Streptomyces Venezuelae . The di-ethyl ether and acetone soluble fractions were found to possess greater antimicrobial activity than the ethyl alcohol, n -butyl alcohol, and water-soluble fractions. Sixteen of the 39 seeds were found to have no antimicrobial activity. Extracts of cardamom (green), tonka angostura, and celery were found to have antimicrobial activity on at least 6 of the 7 test organisms as well as against 12 additional microorganisms. Concentration of the extracts to less than one-half the original volume did not increase antimicrobial activity.
The Underlife of Kids' School Lunchtime Negotiating Ethnic Boundaries and Identity in Food Exchange

While the literature on ethnic identity takes traditional “adult-centered” socialization theory for granted, this study breaks away from such a perspective, and instead uses ethnographic data on children's food exchange during lunchtime in two predominantly Korean (-American) elementary schools to explore how children use food as a symbolic resource to negotiate group boundaries in peer interaction. Following a discussion of lunchtime seating patterns, this article presents children practicing exchange of “dry food (mass-consumed)” and “wet food (homemade)” that takes three different forms—gift-giving, sharing, and trading—each of which have different relevance for marking, maintaining, and muting ethnic boundaries and other social differences. Taking a child-centered perspective, the study finds that children's ethnic identity development is by no means a universal linear process. Instead, preadolescent children, although constrained by external forces, learn to do layered and situated ethnic identity th...
Turmoil in the Kremlin: Sputtering Toward Fortress Russia

Putin’s control over Russia is surprisingly fragile, and many threats to it loom on the horizon.